Ian Mackman Racing

I’m just sat waiting for the Isle of Man boat at Heysham, apologies that I’ve not updated the blog for ages. It’s just such a crazy time of the season.

The Oulton Park Wirral 100 meeting went “slightly averagely” for me. I got the ZX6 finished at more or less the last minute before heading to the track to run the engine in during the test day on the Friday. The test went ok, I took it easy on the motor for a couple of sessions but once it was “run in” –  ahem –  it felt strong and, against some of the BSB regulars there, I was happy enough.

Race day dawned and we managed to get three races in with the weather being changeable throughout. I’d not had the bike’s fuelling set up on the dyno. The idea was to run it at Oulton and then get the fuelling sorted once things were bedded in. It became apparent that the bike was struggling against others on the run out of the turns, losing two bike lengths out of Cascades etc. I also wanted to fit some stronger fork springs as I was finding that it was bottoming out far too easily into the slow corners. So three mediocre results followed but the purpose of the day was complete.

The SV650, kindly on loan from Howard Tipping, went great during a few test sessions of the Friday trackday and I was looking forward to getting a run on the bike for the races on Saturday. Unfortunately the bike developed a misfire in qualifying, we fitted a new set of spark plugs but didn’t manage to sort it out. A faulty ignition coil was our best guess at what the fault was, without this option trackside we parked the bike for the rest of the day, which was a shame for all concerned.

So since Oulton Park the 600 had a trip to RLR Motorsport in Shropshire for some dyno time.  Ricky Leddy managed to release another 8bhp from the superstock spec engine which pushes it up to a healthy amount of power given the type of tune. I feel happier with the bike all round after gaining some more power. I was having my doubts after my performance at Oulton on the bike.

Now my attention turned to the TT. The 600 needed all of the specific TT prep doing; huge amount of lockwiring and loctiting, plus radiator guard, tall screen, pitlane limiter etc etc. After what seemed like a thousand garage hours I emerged last night and declared it complete (although it still needs a few bits sorting once I’ve set up in the TT paddock).

You’ve probably read the stories in MCN about the new Norton which I’ve been out testing on several times over the last few weeks. The first of these tests was at Mallory and I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. Norton have designed a completely new frame for this year’s bike, they’ve also had some input from Cosworth into the engines and had a sophisticated electronic suspension supplied through Ohlins. All in all the base package of the bike is good, there have been some teething troubles, mostly electrical which isn’t unexpected.

A weather aborted test at Cadwell was followed by two more at Oulton Park (both were slightly shortened by poor weather during the morning). It isn’t possible to make predictions on how the bike will fare at the TT but all the signs are good. The stability of the bike has been the biggest improvement and the new chassis appears more than capable of coping with the additional power. Fingers crossed for a good TT.

So I rolled up here at Heysham at just before midnight in preparation for the 2am boat. The security guy rolls out his tape measure and announces that I’ve only booked 10 metres for the van/caravan, which apparently measures 12.5….oops. So into the office I go to be relieved of an additional £35 and to be told that as the boat is full they may not have room for sinners like me. I’m on first standby but could end up waiting 12hrs for the next boat – doh!!!!

Anyway once I eventually get the Isle of Man, which I’m sure will happen before the TT starts (!!) I’ll do my best to keep the blog updated on how both bikes are going.

Cheers,

Mackers

Our intrepid resident photographer, Andy Findlay, just happened to be at Oulton Park today.  And who should also happen to be there?  Mackers, with the Norton Team getting some vital pre TT testing on the V4 that he and team mate Dan Hegarty will be campaigning in the Senior Race.

Conditions were pretty poor for most of the day but Andy got us these great shots:

For all the technical lowdown on the V4 click here (courtesy of MCN).

As the winter still refuses to bugger off, preparation is well underway on the new ZX6. I now have the engine back from the tuner and into the frame. Currently my evenings are being spent fitting the rest of the performance bits onto the bike and it’s progressing nicely. The suspension has still not arrived from Ohlins so my first outing on the bike at Donington over Easter has been shelved. Although this is frustrating it’s not a huge issue as previously mentioned I’ll be riding for the Knight Road Racing team on their Ducati 1198RS at Donington. This will give me some much needed track time, having not ridden a race bike since the end of October last year. Riding to work on my CG125 in the snow hasn’t really kept me race sharp!

I’ve kept on top of my cycling as much as the weather would allow throughout the winter and managed to commute the 30 mile round trip, in general, at least once a week. This has kept me in pretty good shape, being the naturally competitive guy that I am I just can’t help myself from trying to beat my personal best time etc etc. Cycling into work in some chilly but bright conditions the other Saturday was quite pleasant; the journey home wasn’t anywhere near as enjoyable! Having been dry and bright all day some really heavy rain came in much earlier than the forecasts had predicted. Hearing the rain bouncing on the roof of the building knowing that it’s barely above 2 degrees outside and you’ve got nearly 50 minutes to spend cycling in the dark ahead didn’t exactly fill me with enthusiasm. Several colleagues offered me a lift home but I declined “How bad can it be, what’s the worst that could happen?” was my reply, macho image firmly intact! 5 minutes into the ride I was absolutely drenched – I generally only ride in a showerproof light jacket even on the coldest days as otherwise it’s just too hot! This gear isn’t exactly designed for a storm which Noah would be impressed by! I got home and stripped off at the door, inside so as not to scare the neighbours, every item of my clothes just slapped on the floor like a pair of soaking wet swimming trunks. I spent the next half an hour soaking in the bath trying to get warm. Although I was grinning at myself for being such a double hard b@stard!

Still on the Cycling theme, I’d booked a taster session at the Velodrome (doesn’t that sound like a good title for a Mad Max remake?). Having never ridden a fixed gear bike, ie without a freewheel, or a bike without brakes, or on a banked track I had no idea what to expect. Basically you book an hour on the track, renting a bike and shoes for under £15 which can’t be bad. The downside being that it was an early morning start having to be at the track for 7.40am. The session starts with the instructor giving the two golden rules, don’t stop pedalling (as the bike won’t) and don’t try and steer when on the shiny paint on the floor. That was pretty much it from a tutorial point of view. So off I went, riding on the banked track is one of those things that you struggle with for a few minutes and then once sorted you wonder how you could ever have made it look so difficult. I found myself initially trying to ride on the bank and just slowly drifting back onto the flat surface on the inside. A few laps in and I realized that you have to ignore your instinct to turn left, as in my mind the bank is a left turn, and just ride straight. Once this is sorted it’s pretty easy to get around without wiping everyone out who’s on the inside!

Another eye opener for me was controlling the speed of the bike on a “normal” bike, ie with brakes and a freewheel capability, to slow down you either brake or stop pedalling. With these fixed gear bikes stopping pedalling ends up with the rider getting thrown out of the seat and without brakes you just keep rolling until you ram into the guy in front. I had a few “Oh sh1t” moments in the early stages where I was catching up with a rider and didn’t want to go high on the banking to overtake due to my concerns that I’d not be able to stay up there. I’d then try and slow down, which sounds easy but when you’ve ridden bikes for 28 years which all operated in pretty much the same way, suddenly trying to teach yourself something different comes as a bit of a shock. It all went well though and pretty soon I was confidently riding around the track, planning ahead so that I didn’t ram anyone, and riding right at the top of the banking. It is a bit of a shock to, someone who’d never seen a banked track before, the angle of the bank is huge. Standing at the bottom and looking up it runs at, I guess, nearly 45 degrees to a height of around 25 feet. Riding at the top is actually really hard work too, as you are constantly having to climb up to the top and hold a decent pace so you don’t slide back down.

I rode around with Adam and James Robinson, who both raced in Thundersport GB last year. A big coincidence saw them at the track on the same session as me. They have both been working hard through the winter and have got quite into the cycling scene. I figured that I’d probably be able to learn quite a bit from them as they’d been a number of times before. It helped me no end, although the pace they were running was sometimes a bit too much like hard work for me! James and I ended up side by side for the final two laps of the session, both of us sprinting it out for the final lap. Obviously it wasn’t a race but I won by half a wheel junior!!! Although after 45 minutes of almost continuous riding then sprinting against a 16 year old for two laps I thought I was going to throw up on the slowing down lap. James was in slightly better shape than me at the finish I was gasping for breath! All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable day and good way to stay in shape over the winter. I’ll definitely go again, there is a process to go through various stages of accreditation, once I have time I’ll perhaps have a go at that. Jo, Ted and Ann came along to watch/laugh/support but after the initial shock of the size of the place it’s not really much of a spectator sport!! I guess watching a race event would be great though, it’d be a really good atmosphere inside.

So that’s my news, I’ll put a report on after Donington Park, after that my next meeting is the Wirral 100 event at Oulton Park in late April. Fingers crossed that the bike will finally be ready!

Mackers #30

The ZX6 is well under way now and I should have the engine back at the weekend. Suspension parts and the steering damper have been a little delayed and may not arrive until the end of next week. This would only leave 4 working days to get the suspension fitted, bike finished and dyno set up before the Easter meeting at Donington. With me working full time also it means I’m a bit restricted on when I can take the bike/suspension to companies to sort these bits out. Time is running out!

With all this in mind I called on the Knight Road Racing Team. Charlotte and Alan have run immaculately turned out Ducatis since 2005. Their rider, my old mate Alex Heaton, has sustained a nasty shoulder injury in pre-season testing (get well soon Alex) so this left them at a loose end. The Knights were aware that I need some signatures on my licence to gain my Mountain Course Licence and offered the use of one of their bikes at the Donington meeting. This is great news as it will give me valuable track time before the TT on a competitive bike. It also takes the pressure off me to get the 600 sorted in a massive rush. Obviously if the bike comes together then I can get some set up time at Donington on that too but if not then I still have an entry in the Wirral 100 Meeting at Oulton Park in April.

So things are moving on, huge thanks to Knight Road Racing for their help. Please have a look at their website knightroadraceteam.co.uk. Having never ridden a Ducati in anger I’m really looking forward to getting a run out on a top bike. Apparently Ducatis are a motorcycle which only has two cylinders!!!

My second Trial of the winter was planned for early February but was cancelled due to the heavy snow which covered most of the country during the week. So we had a bit of a wait until Sunday 24th Feb and were back to Alvanley, Nr Frodsham for a Cheshire Youth Trial Club event. I dug out the trusty Beta Techo again, three kicks and it started. My slight lack of maintenance on the bike is almost embarrassing. Don’t get me wrong  - I always wash and oil the bike after each event but aside from that I basically wait for something to break and then fix it! In a wave of enthusiasm I decided to check the gear oil just before the event started. This revealed a hopeless lack of lubricating fluid (oops!) so a dash to the trade van on site and a hasty oil change followed. 200cc came out and nearly 400cc went back in! Before signing on I had a walk down to check out the sections and decide which level of difficulty route I was going to tackle. 15 years ago, when I used to regularly compete, I got to the giddy heights of “intermediate” and rode in the hardest route. I’m not bad at trials but was never going to “make it”. In my come back I’ve only ever ridden in the middle route of three, but reckoned having had a few successful events that I could have a go at the hard route again.

So back to Sunday, I wandered down into the wood and walked a few of the marked sections, deciding that I was up for a challenge I was about ready to head back to the van and sign on. From the corner of my eye I spotted a couple of young (15 year old?) lads with walking gear on peering down into the valley where I was. “Oi” came a shout, to which I didn’t even raise an eyebrow, “Oi!” it came again. “Oi, what’s this?” – a final question from 30 yards away. At this point I decided that, as the adult in the situation, I needed to administer some correctional advice. “Oi?” I replied, “What the hell is that? Shall we start with Good Morning?!”. “Oh, sorry, good morning, what’s this?” came the apologetic reply. I went on to explain that there was a motorcycle trial about to start etc etc. On the walk back to the van I had to chuckle to myself what an old git I was turning into. Ten years ago it wouldn’t have bothered me that some kids addressed anyone in this fashion. Suddenly I find myself annoyed by rudeness, what’s happened to me?

So the trial got underway, it was fairly dry, the sections were on the whole tight and twisty. I was happy with how I was riding and seemed to be doing reasonably well considering the step up I’d made. I struggled with a section over some rocks, always a nemesis of mine. In the area where I grew up and rode trials, sections over rocks were a rare occurrence hence my issues over this terrain. Aside from that the event went well except, since the gearbox oil was now full, the Beta was smoking like an Aston in a James Bond movie. I reckon it’s got a leaking crank seal so will have to dig in and actually carry out some maintenance on the old girl. The results came out that evening to reveal that I was 6th (out of 12 in class) and dropped 28 marks. Not a bad result for a part time off roader.

After the trial, young Ted wanted to have a ride on his Oset electric trials bike, so we took him across to a quiet bit of the ground and he was happily riding up and down in the woods. With a little aid from me downhill – he’s still not great with the brakes – he was managing to get up and over a mound taller than his head in the finish. Going great guns and really enjoying himself. A young lad, who I later found out was eight years old, appeared on a Yamaha TY80. Ted and I pulled aside as the kid looked a little unsteady, his Dad was standing by but not right alongside him. Jo and Ann were stood about 20 feet from where Ted and I had parked up. The lad came up and over the same mound that Ted had been riding over, lost control at the top and headed straight for Jo. She put her hands out and braced herself against the handlebars stopping the TY80 at her feet with the front wheel between her legs. The rider, who was slightly out of his depth, was now sat on the bike with the clutch out and rear wheel turning, Jo was holding the bike from going anywhere. All of this happened in around a second, the kid panics and hits the throttle, the bike rears up, he falls off the back and Jo still sitting astride the front wheel gets lifted off the ground and thrown head first over the rear mudguard. Initially winded and shocked she stayed down for a good ten minutes, we were all concerned with her having a history of back problems that this could have aggravated something. Once to her feet we helped her back to the van and Ann gave her a lift home. Fortunately there doesn’t seem to be any lasting damage. Some healthy bruising to her left side and pulled muscles in her shoulder but we reckon she is going to survive. A pretty traumatic end to the day really! I told her that trials was loads safer than road racing, it appears that it is as long as you’re the one on the bike!!

Aside from this action preparation is going steady for the season. I’ve got the ZX6, have taken the engine out and sent it for a superstock tune to Mark Fisher of G&S Racing. This should be back in early March. The rest of the performance bits have arrived and are ready to fit, I just haven’t done it yet!! Ohlins suspension is due to arrive very shortly too so although the bike is basically a frame on wheels at the moment I’m not panicking yet. My first outing is planned for Thundersport GB over Easter weekend, so there’s still about 5 weeks to go! As my old mate Dave Hewson would say, what could possibly go wrong?

I’ve been keeping on top of my training, some indoor turbo training and the occasional venture out on the pushbike over the winter have kept me going. The weather is now starting to improve so I’m back up to around 100 miles a week, commuting, on the push bike again. This along with a winter watching what I’m eating sees me tipping the scales at 12 stone 2lb, which was pretty much my weight at birth too!

I’ll keep you all up to date and send some pictures as the bike takes shape.

Mackers #30