Bennington

[MXH]

Anyone here doing the TBEC at Bennington this weekend?

[Taffy]

yep

i'm No 258

my mate is 269 on his katoom 200

Taffy

[MXH]

Damn - didn't see your reply until after the event, otherwise I'd have come and said hello. Are you doing the Hyde Parker next weekend - I should be assuming my clutch is OK (see other post!!)

[Taffy]

yes i am doing the hyde parker.

now who would put a post up, have it replied to an hour later, and then not check for a reply BEFORE the event-nice one!!!

i haven't done anything whatsoever for 8/10 weeks and i doubted wether i would enjoy it but as usual the TBEC course was excellent.

i've got a bad misfire between 1/8 and 1/2 throttle which i'm going to have to spend a day on. easier said than done-i had the gearbox oil seal go and just went out in the second half to get my lap time.

that was great fun as i worked my way from 6th to second but with nobody in sight. hurtling along in 5th the track turned right HERE!!!shi****

all good fun!

bits on order from bavins this morning.

what's your name, what was your number, and did i ask you for a drop of oil!

Taffy

[MXH]

Strange, thought I checked last thing Friday for replies. Oh well!!

I was no 85 and no, I didn't have any requests for oil.

The course should have been better - me and a mate spent over an hour on saturday putting a really good bit through some woods, only to get there yesterday and find they'd taken it out.

Enjoyed the event but screwed up by going for an extra lap on the second session - fell off on an uphill and ended up coming in 8 mins late.

No 33 next week - see you there

Mike

[Taffy]

Mike

ok, a day and one hour later, my mistake!

you were riding really well, well done.

i saw 65 going well, you and another high No on wr400's. you weren't the bloke in the sky grey loose top (or whatever it was!) were you?

i don't suppose that if it was you, you started on row 9 and on the timed lap i had a monsterous time getting by you!

Taffy

[MXH]

Not me - I was on row 10, and the only guy to come past me was a KTM200 (no 186) whilst I was queuing for the water hole on the very first lap. Soon caught him up and stuffed him into a hedge for his cheek!!

Have you ridden at Long Melford before? I'm running standard gearing and could have done with a bit (loads!!) more top end at Bennington. How do the two venues compare?

I hope they make it a bit less dependant on the special test - I was at Butley a few weeks back and virtually all the Championship and Expert riders finished on time, as did the top 3/4 of the clubmans.

Mike

[Taffy]

yes i did it last year.

it is quicker than benington with long stretches up the edge of fields followed by some wopping bogs and 50 year old tree trunks to get your belly over. my gearing is now 14 x 48. you could try that or 15 x 51/52

i had just come back from the manx gp last year and had de-octopussed on holiday, one of the pipes came off but i eventually sorted it. it was the only meeting last year where i wished i had a steering damper. flat out in 5th left and right handers on bumps with the brake stutter bumps from the first half of the meeting.

don't drop your forks through for this one!

i fitted a scott's damper for this weekend and that's one thing that did go well.

the SS is short and open bar a quick shuffle through a wood. last year there was a huge ditch that the experts jumped and the rest of us crapped out.

you'll enjoy it, not as tight as benington.

i was a sportsman last year and did the 65 in 60, the 60 in 50 and the 55 in 42 and was well chuffed. the top boys were doing 35's on their last lap (of 5).

i don't think i have a number yet but look out for the wr with the damper!

Taffy

[MXH]

Bennington tight!!? I thought it was very open - much prefer the really tight ones - Ashdown Farm, Tunstall etc.

Have you tried 15/50 gearing (ie being lazy and only changing the front from standard) - if Long Melford is faster than Bennington I'm going to need a big gearing hike, but is this too much?

Mike

[Taffy]

ok, ok hydew parker is quicker overall but you have a higher standard of rider so there is no way they are going to cut out a section the moment two blokes fall over. if you don't have a flywheel i would go as you are and knock the revs a little on the straights.

sounds like you're on 14 x 50. if you stall it once, that's everything you've worked for gone. and when you stall infront of the hockey brothers they get off their bikes to come over and call you a C&$^&%$!!

i used to gear my bike for top end, now i gear it for lugability without stalling. just my opinion.

it's not just the stalling. it's the misted goggles, it's the stress, it's the getting going with 5 experts all over you as you stall it again and run into a tree. know what i mean?

why do they always question your parenthood and presume that you have to pull 'it' for yourself for chrisssakes!!!

anyway i've just opened an envelope and they've returned my entry. the cheque was dated monday 20th august but never mind...

i might go and watch but i'm extremely busy. good luck.

ps ashdown is TIGHT!

Taffy

Taffy