brands report: picture courtesy of zxrdave

thought id better write something, been busy doing the bathroom. I used the friday afternoon Indy circuit to try out the old beast. I got an instructor to give me a few tips, my lines were good just had to be more aggressive overtaking people. I found the ground clearance was much better and could force myself in harder round paddock, druids and onto clearways. my arm left arm started giving me pain, really strange feeling where all my strength vanished, i just couldnt get the bike flipped over to the left on graham hill bend, a combination of bad movement technique, riding position I guess. Anyhow I knackered myself and hammered the bike...not good for the weekends racing but satisfied that 54 seconds around brands was near my target.

Racing weekend used the GP circuit, however I had not got any sprockets to change the gearing so I just left it at 16 front 45 rear. May have been a tad under geared. This was one of my fears along with the lack of power the vfr puts out. It has no real umph to it, I could corner fast, catch up the next rider but as soon as I got along side them it just had no extra push so I was out powered once onto the straights.

My first experience of the gp circuit, getting the lines right is a must so I did watch my entry points and gradually got braver as the races went by. My weekend racing results were a complete disaster as I never really got anywhere. Race 1 interesting crash at druids with 2 riders getting tangled forced me to practically stop and go round the outside of them, messed up, could not get passed an old triumph triple, again I could get him in the corners and would get alongside but just got out-powered, so I spent all the race trying to find a way round...but this guy was an old pro..good battle and improved my lines. I came across a ducati 748 and he was real slow in the corners and he didnt have the bottle to go into clearways as fast as me, a managed to go straight under him and as I levelled out to the start straight the bike just died, didnt cut out, thought it was petrol starvation but how as Id put 6 litres in the tank. My total loss system had consumed the battery...I hadnt put it on charge since the mornings qualification. least a got passed the finish line so I could bag a completed race...another signature to get.

Next race...started really well, more confident and really started harassing riders, got passed a few, even the big TLr1000....(thunderbike extreme class)....but I had a problem...it manifested itself in an instant on lap 2 going into the fast left hander at Hawthorns, I just feathered the brake as I left it late to peel in and the front went into the biggest weave/tank slapping situation....from then  on each time a dabbed the brake the front would shudder violently...it couldnt be warped discs again?...so the places I made soon vanished and came 3rd from last....but I still finished..not a dnf.

Chatting to the vfr guru Rob Whittey we talked about suspension set up and that I really need a K5 suzuki front....soon got onto engine tuning...Rob said you cant tune the standard engine without spending big bucks on high comp pistons.etc......no matter what jetting one uses you will never get more power...its un tuneable..
so...me thinks has the vfr come to an end???

while talking Rob then pointed at the top yoke pinch bolts!......where has the right one gone!!??...oh dear..I couldnt have torqued it up...so its just loosened to the point of coming out....which while the fork leg flexing bent the yoke outwards a little. The question is , is it too damaged?
Sunday I took it a little easier...I thought.
Torqued up...charged battery...race 3 sunday...came last ....mind you there were a lot of fallers, the 3 behind crashed at different points so I WAS EFFECTIVELY LAST!....never mind the yellow flag and 2 passing me...so peed off mid race I just carried on. Had a massive slide at paddock on the penultimate lap, the 748 lost it the next lap where I slid....not sure if Id run out of lean or had I hit the oil that had been dropped earlier .

Last race it was really wet and I ventured out...no wet tyres...came in at the end of the warm up, visor misting up, too much water.....too scary....wimped out.

so Do I continue with the vfr?.....do I go to Snetterton for the last race weekend?

I do want to stay in the sport class for now.I do have another project waiting....a trx850

Do I big bore the vfr?.....a lot of money for a set of pistons....?? should I keep my R1 forks for the trx?..