I think I need a break from motorcycles. After riding since 1958 I probably had one of my worst few hours this weekend.
I spent about a week getting a 1956 Cushman ready for the 4th of July show on the Santa Fe plaza. The fuel system would not allow gas to flow to the carb. It would flow when disconnected. So I gave up for a while.
I spent about a week swapping out the engine on the 1971 Honda race bike. It locked up the engine at a practice about 3 weeks ago. I put in one engine and the shift shaft was not far enough out to allow the linkage to connect. So I tried another engine. This engine was one that the local motorcycle shop overhauled about 3 years ago for another frame. I needed it so I used it.
Now it is the morning of race day on Sunday. I loaded up on Saturday evening . Just as I got on the interstate, I remembered that I had not put the tool box in the truck so I took the Cerrillos Road exit and went back to get it. That only put me behind about 30 minutes but I still had plenty of time.
I got to the track and was registered for 3 vintage races and 2 with the Ninja. The first problem I had was that the 2 by 8 ramp was missing from the back of the truck. It had fallen out somewhere between home and the track. I am glad that the traffic was light or I may have had a problem with another driver being impaled with it.
When it was time for the vintage practice, I put the Honda in gear and let the clutch out. Nothing happened, it wouldn’t move. I tried second and still nothing. The only redeeming fact was when I talked to Tracy and Dennis, the only 2 others in the vintage races. They said it would not be a problem if I rode the Ninja. I knew I would finish last anyway even if I had a Hyabusa.
On the second race Tracy fell down in the hair pin and I finished second. Good points for me.
After practice and 2 races, I rode up the pit out and noticed that there was a group taking off from the start line. I asked the pit out guy who that group was. He said it was my group and they had been looking for me. That was the first time I ever did that.
Everything went reasonable on the races. Since I was on the same bike, I checked my times. I did improve by 2 seconds on my fastest lap of the session on the 3rd race.
I, of course, placed third in the 2 vintage races and 8th in the 250 class. Now it was time for the last race of the day, the 500 class. I was holding a firm last place when I approached the hair pin. (Remember Tracy a few paragraphs back?) I remember shifting down and getting ready to turn left. The next thing I remember was thinking that I shouldn’t probably get up since I was in the middle of the track and the race was still going on. I did try to wave at Charlie Winkless, the corner worker. He and a couple of others moved my bike to the side and helped me up.
I had a badly scraped up left hand, chewed up glove, a bruise on my right hand, a small skinned place on my knee and bit of road rash on my left shoulder. The on-track ambulance crew put some band aids on the scrapes. Of course, the Ninja had the shifter linkage torn up, the left hand grip chewed up and some more minor scrapes.
Everyone was very helpful getting me loaded up and ready to go home. When I got home my pretty neighbor helped me get unloaded and bandaged up my scrapes with her special band aids. I stayed at her house for a while and put ice on my hand.
I got industrious on Monday and decided to see what I could repair even though it would be six weeks until the next track day. I rolled the vintage bike in the garage. I will try to see if another linkage solves the problem. The cases may have to be split and the linkage fixed. Time will tell.
I put the Ninja on my roll around stand to assess the damage. I have not had it on that stand since it has had no problems. I just touched the back tire to move it a little to get to the other side and it toppled over taking the stand with it. Luckily it fell on the left side so it did not incur more damage. I put it back on the stand and touched up some of the scrapes with black paint. After that I gave up and decided to take up knitting for a while.
