.....over the weekend it was awesome, nearly as good as racing.

I was introduced to everyone then ‘given’ a bike to look after. 5 mins later I have bike looms in pieces and am making all sorts of stuff up. Didn’t work out the jets but was allowed to fit them! Was a bit daunting sometimes…. one time being handed a hard chrome clutch basket and told to ‘just strip the clutch, drill the bolts out of the old basket and fit that’! Although everyone there was brilliant to me and I asked questions, tons of questions as I really didn’t want to screw up. In the end I learnt loads. I could strip a 125 down in my sleep right now, and did so twice on Saturday at about 1am. It took a little while for them to trust me with the kit but after a while when a bike came in I just did it. Immediately after that it was a case of ‘get me the barrel off there’ etc etc. It’s just the way things are done i.e the same each and everytime. When you do things out of sequence it is obvious it is the wrong way, its more difficult and generally more of a mess! One example when the wheels are stripped, notice the cush drives and sprocket all rigged up on the chain all in one place ready to go. Everytime the wheels are out this is what happens, I got quite into it to be honest it was nice when you saw everything sorted. Anyway if you want a mechanic at the next race you best get your wallet out now I am qualified hahaha.

We had 5 out of the top 6 in the speed traps and had 3 bikes out of 4 on the front row for the race. As you can see the setup makes the rusty transit and blow up bed look a bit sad really, the money involved in it all is truly scary. $50K each bike so far, that’s what you need to compete and the small matter of a decent rider. New tyres for each quail and then again for the race and there’s me trying to do a set in one year! The little ginger haired kid is Bradley Smith 14yrs old and he rides in Spain and in the BSB, he is off to GP next year. His dad had the hospitality suite hired which was a bit posh and their motorhome makes my house look small. At 6pm each night off he goes to a yoga trainer, I sh*t you not it is all very serious stuff.

The race went poorly as a whole. James Westmorland won it after some amazing moves around the outside on the damp patches. Smith’s battery failed and he pulled in so we stuck him another in but then was black flagged for entering the pit lane backwards. The two bikes I put the work into ridden by Copper (he is the dark haired kid closest to the camera in the pit lane shot and Smart the shorter kid with a cap with Westy taller kid with the cap behind him, had different times. Cooper was leading the race but he got taken out onto the back straight, matey behind just rode into him the ****. Smarts bike was too rich so he pulled in and Pearsons bike was stuttering so he did the same.

Anyway top laugh, although mega hard work. Next year definitely by myself and organized. I have asked to help out at Brands as that is the last round and Westy has a 1 point lead in the Championship, it will come down to who wins there out of him and the other guy. It’s going to be a wild one. Anyway it was nice to be involved and I have a fair idea of how things run within a Championship leading team this can only be a good thing.

Will work on the pics.....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Luke &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">At 6pm each night off he goes to a yoga trainer, I sh*t you not it is all very serious stuff.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's very cool. Yoga = the best thing I ever did for myself. I am sure it does wonders for a little monkey on a bike.

 

thats so cool i wich i could do that. hmust be really fun.

 

pics...

 

You better be available to work Luke. I think Schu is still putting that race team together.

Good pictures and Great writeup.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by marmaladeboy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You better be available to work Luke. I think Schu is still putting that race team together.

Good pictures and Great writeup.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I dont work on tourers or diesels Besides he couldn't afford the beer mountain it takes to keep a fully focused mind working at full mental capacity on the job.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Luke &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I dont work on tourers or diesels Besides he couldn't afford the beer mountain it takes to keep a fully focused mind working at full mental capacity on the job.</TD></TR></TABLE>
He's got a lot of bikes to sell off if the team needs some cash.

I can't stop staring at the picture with the Brembo radials and Ohlins boingers.

 

Those monoblocks are something else they really are. They have Ti pistons and pins, they weigh nothing. Only trouble is the pads, they have four little dinky ones in there that retail at an eye watering $400 a set. Still if you are going to fit $10K worth of forks then its small change.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Luke &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Those monoblocks are something else they really are. They have Ti pistons and pins, they weigh nothing. Only trouble is the pads, they have four little dinky ones in there that retail at an eye watering $400 a set. Still if you are going to fit $10K worth of forks then its small change. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Thankfully it's not two pairs - that'd be $800 for new pads.

Only one bike gets Ohlins?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by marmaladeboy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Only one bike gets Ohlins?</TD></TR></TABLE>

There are two with Ohlins, two with WP and one with stock Showa's with some very tricked out internals. Engine wise its three one spec and two another. Although they all have the same base. Every bike is slightly different. The most tricked out one has magnesium covers and all sorts of kit.

 

[QUOTE=Luke]pics...


QUOTE]

Congradulations on what sounds to be a job well done. I'm sure it was intimidating and quite a learning curve to adjust to.

In the pic above what are the two gadgets located on the front of the shock leg? I'm thinking external resevoirs. Also is that small line the brake line?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Congratulations on what sounds to be a job well done. I'm sure it was intimidating and quite a learning curve to adjust to.

In the pic above what are the two gadgets located on the front of the shock leg? I'm thinking external resevoirs. Also is that small line the brake line?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

The external resevoirs are to do with the damping and the 'line' is a lead from the front wheel sensor that feeds one of the datalogging channels. On the disk carrier there are pick ups that this counts through the software and works out mph.

 

Luke, you ever think about becoming a bike mechanic or do you prefer it just as hobby?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RebornGSR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Luke, you ever think about becoming a bike mechanic or do you prefer it just as hobby?</TD></TR></TABLE>

What as in a shop mechanic for a living or helping out at racing? End of the day I dont enjoy four strokes and really am not into them much. I enjoy working on race 2 stroke stuff as its made to strip, not like a road bike which just seems over complicated. End of the day I only know bits and pieces, quite specific stuff so I wouldn't feel comfortable charging for it. Besides anything that is work becomes a chore, I love bikes and I dont want that to happen.

I have a decent job that pays good money. Its not an option really.

 

Very Nice Luke. That had to be fun and a good learning experience for sure. Those pics are great, those bikes are just bad ***. I want to ride one.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Z &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Very Nice Luke. That had to be fun and a good learning experience for sure. Those pics are great, those bikes are just bad ***. I want to ride one. </TD></TR></TABLE>

sh00sh go practice your golf.

sweet pics - looks like you gained some good knowledge