www.hrc1.org
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JUNE NUMBER 113
NEWS AND COMMENT
COME CAMPING IN THE JULY
SUNSHINE (?) ROME WOODS
Traditionally every penny we raise
this weekend goes to Charity so please give it your support, last year
we donated over £600 to Riders for Health and we always hope we’ll
do better. Programme for the weekend is :
Friday 2nd July - A few of us will be there for a beer around the fire and some will be camping to help out on Saturday. Site will be open on Friday from about 5 pm - earlier if you phone.
Saturday 3rd July - AM will be setting up for a trial starting at 2 pm. The course will be on the easy side so we can run one of our Yankee Trials - find out on the day. Evening, around 6/7 pm, barbecue, bonfire etc.
Sunday 4th July - Course will be hardened up for a normal club trial start at 10.30 am. The site will be cleared by about 5.00 pm.
For those who haven’t enjoyed this
wonderful, relaxing weekend, here’s what you need to know. There
is no water, beer, food or slaves on site, bring them with you. There
are toilet tents and a barbecue for you to cook your steaks on and good
company to imbibe with. The road to the site is OK for caravans.
If you’re only riding on Sunday cars can be left at the entrance park and
you can ride up.
Throughout the weekend you will
be pressured to buy a raffle ticket (boozy prizes and chocs) so bring your
bank balance!
A. G. M
Fiona said this was the longest
AGM on record, unfortunately it was attended by the fewest! For those
not attending here’s the outcome :
Treasurers Report - Healthy balance
sheet/ £630 sent to charity - Riders for Health/ Deposit A/c up to
£1000 and £11.88 interest received.
Secretarys Report - 150 riding and
family members/ 15 events run in year/ red route has encouraged more younger
riders/ annual party celebration mentioned/ extra camping day welcomed.
Arising from that were discussed at length dates for next years camping
- I think it got resolved as July and September - wait and see! New
Year or Xmas Party with partners out for the event was open to ideas from
the membership - if any come.
Somehow in this lot came a proposal
to change the HR logo but as we had a stock of shirts to sell it was left
for later consideration. Then an idea floated that some of the charity
donations should be made to a local organisation - this was agreed but
again we would like to hear from any member with a particular cause in
mind.
Introducing new young riders got
nowhere but listing the problems involved - but it was agreed that on practice
days we would (if required) lay a small area for learning to ride - figure
8’s etc. parents of any child would need to be present all the time.
Election of committee was the easy
bit and the same as last year plus a certain Dave Blackman. 1st Committee
meeting was to be in September.
LAST MONTH’S CAMPING TRIAL was written up in a hurry to meet the deadlines and didn’t thank those kind souls who cleared up the site in the wet. Thanks Pete, Benge, Adam and co for their efforts. Also I said we’d give you the results on the Sunday trial as teams which follows - only 3 teams had a full set so where a rider is missing we add 1 point to the highest score to get a result (*).
W B Y TOT
Enfield
13 9 8 30 Pete P, Phil
J, Richard S
Beesa
*45 3 4 52 Alan L, Rob
L
Ajay
36 30 4 70 Mike H, Dave B, John
R
Cossack
*45 27 18 90 Mark J, Dave A
Duggies
44 31 *44 119 Adam B, Benge, Jesse B
Kwackers *45
34 43 122 Kev B, Mick Dunstan
4 teams only had 1 finisher - 3 had not entries!
WALLISWOOD
- ALIEN ATTACK 6TH JUNE
When Walliswood is wet it’s a nightmare,
when it’s dry you can’t make sections hard enough for leading lights on
top routes. Modern bikes go up the side of a house and tight turns have
wheels bouncing round, it needs boulders, precipices and slime to take
marks but if we had them it couldn’t be a club trial to be enjoyed by all.
And that’s what the Monties gave us so everyone was happy. Mind you,
they had to work double hard when they found a couple of sections trashed
on Sunday morning, poor old Bob said he was knackered walking up and down
hills trying to gather enough flags to complete the route. Bob, Gary
& John Pocklington with lots of help on Saturday got it all together,
then they forgot the punches, when Bob went back some kind soul had done
it.
When Bognor come in force we end
up with a big entry (68) but there were no queues even though the white
route party were studying each other wary of losing even a single dab.
Nice to see Len Hutty (1st HR trial for 5 years!) he was one of three clean
sheets on white but Clint said it was touch and go for him. Elsewhere
Pete Penton lost touch and missed a few gates (too many markers!) finding
Mark J in the lead Pete took his cards home! As two cards had been
issued it was tricky for Gary to toughen up whites and blues but he followed
the white gang riders around and tried again to take some points.
A visitor D. Pigeon obliged with 104 of them.
Marks dropped on blues were more
progressive and spot on. Again Bognor boys in the Over 40 group led
the way but Kevin T and Ian Mac weren’t far behind. Gary B’s racing
career has not hindered his trials ability, 2nd in Novice he was above
Steve Mills - Gary did two laps on his Fantic then borrowed Colin Luck’s
new Montesa and found it a bit powerful! So he had to be dragged
from the ditch by an on looking lady.
Keith Tracey on the Chinese Honda
Laker Gas Gas was not getting all the wheel grip he wanted but the bike
sounds nice and is still under development - I’m thinking about it he says.
Bob B thought he’d lost loadsa marks - he did but still bested Benge and
Jesse whose bike is awaiting a new piston, delivered at the trial, too
late to fit. All the blues were happy people even if sweaty, it was
hot down the woods, much riding gear provided evidence of human effort
from which one needed to stand away.
The scorecards of yellow riders
also show what a well constructed event this was but not a day for the
British bike brigade. As I approached the course I thought
I heard gunfire, it turned out to be Ian’s Cub on section 2 with human
effort being expended by the owner. Together with son Richard’s Cub
it was doomed to be pushed back accompanied by Nev Lewis’s Cotton and loss
of bodily fluids. Tony M stripped to a wet vest was happy to finish
levelling with John R and Gary Medhurst but some guy rode stripped to waist.
Up the top but dropping 10 marks was Johnboy with Cranners a point behind.
Pete Brooker must be feeling good well up the list ahead of John P and
Jim Scott surprisingly on 39. I have to leave room for the days story
- some people do anything to get in the Newsletter but Nick was still laughing
when he related Teabags escapade. On Section 6, you had to cross
a camber halfway up the hill, previously our hero had fallen but this time
with more concentration he was able to go over the bars rolling bikeless
downhill and full length into the dirty stream. When
he got back, smothered in mud, both legs above the knees and over half
a shirt, he moaned that Mike had just sold him this pair of waterproof
boots and they were full up and that HR should have a lifeguard on that
section to comply with Health and Safety. Nick held his guts and
fell over!
Half the reds didn’t make it but
those that did (all schoolboys and girls) had low scores. Jack Northover
had tried himself out on Yellows and ended up doing mostly the harder route
so he did well. A point to note for others who enter red - you can
do the harder route if you want but your total will be shown on the lower
route you enter. Emma Thompson had a good day on steeper hills that
perhaps she’s accustomed to .
Clint helped the Monties clearing
up, I wanted to see the benefit of shortening the flag stems - not a lot
was the answer, even reds are so bent you wonder how they can hit ‘em.
However another fine day and thanks to Bob’s team for their effort with
the extended workload!
Finally it looks like old member
Dave Mears is due to make a comeback on a 315 Mont. On a try out
a blipped throttle and he was off the back - Clint’s advice : a slow action
throttle and another cylinder head gasket - we’ll see.
Footnote - Camping Weekend
- Dave B and Co and going on the Friday evening so together with Pete,
Benge and co. we’ll have a party - try to make it.
RESULTS
White
Blue
Yellow
Clint Leggett E 0
Adrian Brown O40 0 John Yardley O50
10
Phil Martin E 0
Tim Carter O40 1 Derek
Cranfield 50 11
Len Hutty E 0
Bob Jones O40 3 Sam
Foster SBC 14
Jamie Jones SBA 2
Kevin Thompson O40 10 John Richmond O50 24
Trevor Widdowson E 5
Ian McCulloch O40 14 Tony Martin O50 24
Mark Jordan I 13
Mark Eastman N 19 Gary Medhurst
C 24
Chris Budd E 15
Chris Jones SBB 24 Pete Brooker C 31
SteveForrest E 17
Gary Budgen N 26 John Pocklington
C 34
D Pidgeon I 104
Steve Mills N 35 Elim Lillywhite
SBC 37
dnf Pete Penton
Mark Johnson N 38 Jim Scott O50
39
Red
Glen Jarvis N 40 Nick Herridge
C 44
Michale Geal SB 7
Dave Blackman N 44 Graham Knight C
46
Andrew Warr SB 18
S Barrrow N 54
Gary Stewart C 46
Emma Thompson SG 33
Sam Aldrich N 56 Dominic
Jarratt SBC 47
S Osborn SB 33
Kev Brooker N 57 Melvin
John C 59
Jack Northover* SB 37
Keith Tracey O40 58 Paul Hill C 78
* (mostly yellows)
Bob Budgen N 60 Steve
Foster C 78
Benge N 88
Dave Alder O50 79
DNF Graham Bowden,
Jesse Brooker SBB 112 Conner Osborn SBC 106
Colin Luck,
Fabian Luck SBC 112
Nial Spreadbury, Adrian
Main, Tim
Miles Packham SBC 117
Garman Jnr, Andy Warwick.
Katie Husband SGC 167
dnf Neville Lewis, Martin Carter
Richard Johnston, Ian Johnston,
Analysis Enter DNF %
Fin Route % of entry
J Montelor, Tim Garman
White
10 1 90 15
Blue
19 0 100 28
Yellow
28 6 79 41
Red 11
6 45 16
Total
68 13 81
PRACTICE DAY - 19TH JUNE AT MANNINGS HEATH
Mention of this again as we’re still waiting for a couple of volunteers to mark the five or six sections out on the monring of the event. It doesn’t start till noon so you’d have plenty of time if you’re willing to be there by around 9.30 am. Phone Dick if you can help.
HR v RRND
We had a good turn out for this one
when about 10 of our lads turned up including two white riders. Unfortunately
a result has not yet been located - but I tried! First I phoned Tea
Bag - the phone was answered by Dave’s loveliness (his reference not mine!)
“Is his Lordship in!” I enquired. After she’d given me a mobile number
I said “Oh, you knew who I meant then” - response was “He may be the Lord
but I am the Master” Too true says Dave, when he complained that
no HR dignatories were present - who are they?
Anyway he didn’t have a result but
said it was a good day as he had done one round of 8 sections without loss
- when he said that he was surprisingly sober. I tried Pete Jenkins
of RRND but he hadn’t got results either, so let’s say we came a very close
second anyway.
Nick Herrridge now has the results
for this so they’ll be in the next issue.
HR EQUIPMENT NEWS
1. With the aid of Tim H and
a hacksaw, 3” was removed from the marking flag stems. I’m fed up
of straightening them and hope this will improve matters. Note :
when you turn, the back wheel is inside the front, leave room for it and
you’ll miss the markers.
2. A new idea is to put the
punches on a tree with a belt, someone saw this working well at another
event … if it works I’ll be asking for belts so your trousers will fall
down if you surrender their support. But the punches will stay clean.
3. The Barbecue drum rusted
away but all will be well for the July camp - Don Laker has another drum
and Derek Head has a rebuild order in hand.
4. Finally the caravan needs
a repaint and I wondered if anyone would like to help smarten it up.
GARY’S RACING REPORT - Snetterton - 1/2nd May 2004
This weekend was all going to be
about set - up. For a long time now, I’ve had a front end judder going
through fast turns, such as “Paddock” at Brands Hatch & “Corams” at
Snetterton. When I say Judder I mean an up & down movement through
the front forks, felt through the handle bars which can get so bad I was
sure people would be able to notice it when watching!
One of my biggest problems is trying
to ride round problems instead of dealing with them, but no more!
I’ve spoke to a few different “specialists”
about suspension & found Steve Jordan, Who run’s “Steve Jordan Motorcycles”
in Bookham.
He has a “few” racing years behind
him & is having a go this year in the Power bike championship, while
his wife, Sarah, competes in the “Minitwins”.
Ohlins seems to be the only sensible
choice, so a new rear unit turned up this week & we’re waiting to see
what’s suggested to do with the front end.
Saturday’s races didn’t count for
any championship points, so we could use them for a bit of practice &
try get a reasonable set up for the shock.
The races were classed as “Open
400” & so anything under 400cc was allowed to start. We had a mixture
of 125GP, 250GP, Production 250’s but mostly 400 Supersport bikes doing
the same as me.
I started on the 3rd row & got
a good start into the first corner then remembered I had new tyres on.
I had hoped to scrub these in in our warm up session earlier, but this
being Snetterton, it was raining!
Anyone whose ridden with new tyres
will know they are a bit slippery for the first few miles, so although
I had had them cooking in the tyre warmers for ages, the first lap was
a little nervous to say the least!
No big moments, so I settled down
& tried to think about what the bike was doing.
Now, we are in a race, on the 3rd
lap & I’m trying hard, then halfway round the first corner with my
knee on the deck a 125 comes by so quick it felt like I was on my first
track day! Gob smacked!!!! Not only did he come by that quick but he chopped
me off as well! Suppose it didn’t matter too much as by the time we exited
the corner he was already about 4 bike lengths in front!
Then we got to the straight, 275
extra cc’s count, no matter how small & light he & his bike are!
Reminded me of our clubman races with the “open class” bikes last year,
where we were quicker in the corners than the big bikes & then they
would eat us down the straights, only this time the boot was on the other
foot! Good fun to see how quick they can corner first hand though, awesome!
Finished 15th & came into the
garage to find Steve waiting to gather all the information from me as soon
as my crash helmet came off.
Then I had a wake up call. I thought
I would be able to come in & relay what the bike was doing so we could
then adjust the shock to get a better setting. The reality was, I think
I was concentrating on “racing” & didn’t have a lot of capacity left
to think about the bike, which made me realise how talented these guy’s
are who can ride at 110% & still give back excellent feedback. Still
Steve asked the right questions to get the right answers & “clicked”
the suspension to try another setting for the 2nd race.
We went a bit quicker & I tried
harder to note what the bike was doing & where it was doing it, came
in 14th.
More information gathered &
more adjustments gave us a setting to work with for Sunday, which was a
Championship round.
I had grid spot 6 on the second
row & charged into the first corner with everyone else as soon as the
lights went out, then after the second corner got tucked behind the screen
for the long “Revett Straight”, just watching the rev counter & just
about peering out of the top of the visor waiting for my brake maker about
160 metres form the corner, down 2 gears, then about 30 metres to go, down
another, sharp left, quick squirt on the throttle, down another & throw
it right, busy corner!
I was losing out on “Russell’s Chicane”
& “Sears corner” which both lead onto the two main straights, but was
able to pull some ground back on the brakes at the end of both of them,
came in 10th.
A couple more adjustments &
out for the last race of the weekend, starting 10th.
For this race we changed gearing
to try & get a bit better drive out of my slow corners, which worked
a bit, but I think I need to look at my lines through here for the biggest
improvement.
Had a bit of a lonely race after
the first couple of laps & came in for another 10th place.
So not a bad weekend, but a bit
frustrating as the front still judders away on the fast corners, which
means “lobbing it in” & hoping you come out the other side!
The backend is much better &
you can see the tyre has been working properly, so just wait for the front
end improvements & the results to follow!!!
I think that now puts me in 7th
for the championship.
Next stop Lydden, can’t wait…………………..Garry
HR GROUP TRIAL - Rome
Woods - 9th May
The verdict on this event was a
bit like the weather the week before - not up to much! Thanks go
to Mike, Duncan and Richard S for setting out the sections and especially
to our observers John Richmond, Richard Shoesmith & Ken Chaplin, Keith
Tracey, Ken Rickets, Ian Johnston, Tiggy Lavender, Katie & Sam Husband,
Anita Yardley, Gordon Farley and Emma Coleman. The observers draw
by Tony Martin produced 4 names, the first prize was £40, then £25,
£20 and £10. Finally thank you Fiona for all that lot
of complicated results and for doing the pressure hour signing on.
A full copy of the results sheet will be sent to everyone requesting and
they are shown on the website.
We had 79 entries, which got divided
into 10 classes over the 4 routes. 5 of the classes had insufficient
entries (less than 6) to qualify for awards, leaders in the other classes
will receive awards. This number of riders was a bit much for the
size of the land bearing in mind its slippery nature after rain.
The trial got prolonged and observers had a long old day stuck out there
- after having their arms twisted to go out in the first place - that too
was a bit much, like the riders comments, compliments did not abound!
Here’s some :
“It took me two hours to do one
lap”, “The sections were rubbish”, “Blues too easy”, “The sections were
too long”, “Section 9 there was nothing there”, “Too long waiting behind
white riders”, “Too hard between sections”. There were 22 retirements
and some very late finishers after course marking was taken down!
All in all not one of HR’s best days and a few changes will have to be
made before we undertake another. The land we use is near residential
properties, it is essential to keep noise to a minimum in the parking area.
Visiting riders to not seem to understand this and there lies a problem
which, together with the disregard for regs and rubbish left on site were
others. In 1969 the whole entry bar one in the British Experts Trial
was excluded for hanging about and being over time - that makes riders
take notice of what the organisers are doing!
A few pics from my month
A few pics from the Averon 4 day
trial, 600 miles into France - above senior 2 rock step,
glad I was on the S.3 route...
Harry R. & Lee H. the only other
two English riders in Aveyron
French version of a Tiger Cub -
note air shocks & yam forks/wheel - If you ride the easiest route this
guy could beat you!
Notice the red carpet rolled out
for starters and the route colours/road markings on board.
I never spotted those until out
on the road!
A visit to the MX GP on IOW yielded
many photos. A couple are here. Truly a spectacular track & event.
Get there next year, Mike
H
HOWARD WISBY
Howard was a mountain bike rider
with HR who took up trials on a 175 Yam a few years back when he was about
15 year old. Although not recently a member we remember his efforts
to learn and with regret report his death in a car accident. Our
condolences to his family.
ADVERTS
FOR SALE Sherco 250 cc 2002.
Excellent condition. Little used. £2200 Tel 01483
560507
WANTED - Any small riding gear suitable
for a 6 year old - Phone Bob Collins 01342 713808
FOR SALE - Gas Gas Spares for sale
- 320 engines, Exhaust, Carb, Radiator, Fan/Loom Phone
Keith on 01342 713337
FOR SALE ONE PAIR OF TRIALS BOOTS
USED ONCE - WOULD EXCHANGE FOR PAIR OF FLIPPERS AND SNORKEL - CONTACT MUDMANIA!
HR EVENTS
Ø JUNE
SUN 13 CRAWLEY GROUP TRIAL
SAT 19 HR TRAINING TRIAL – Mannings
Heath - Start 12 noon
SUN 20 PRACTICE DAY – Halnaker
SUN 20 RRND CLUB TRIAL – Rome Woods
SUN 27 BOGNOR CLUB TRIAL – Elsted
Ø JULY
FRI 2 HR CAMPING WEEKEND ROME WOODS
– Come for
a beer Friday night – camp if you
wish (but let Dick know)
SAT 3 SET OUT CAMPING TRIAL AM –
Team FANTICS
Colin Harwood 01273 583411, Rob
& Michael Hyden 01403 258352, Leigh Jones 01306 621524
Trial Saturday pm – followed by
BBQ, Beer, Fire etc
SUN 4 HR CLUB TRIAL – Start 10.30
am
WED 7 HR CLUB NIGHT - The Dog &
Bacon, Horsham, 8.30 pm
SUN 11 BRIGHTON GROUP TRIAL
SAT 17 PRACTICE DAY AT DON BARRATT’S
SUN 18 PRACTICE DAY – HALNAKER
SUN 25 BOGNOR CLUB TRIAL – Milland
Ø AUGUST
SAT 31 JUL LAY OUT CLUB TRIAL AT
NORTHLANDS – TEAM
TEAM DUGGIES – Mick Huskinson
01903 530281,
Pete Brooker 01273 832912,
Benge 01825 840085
Tim Martin 07774 188188,
Adam Bird 01323 831771
SUN 1 HR CLUB TRIAL – Northlands
– Start 10.30 am
WED 4 HR CLUB NIGHT - Dog &
Bacon - Horsham 8.30 pm
SUN 8 EASTBOURNE GROUP TRIAL
SUN 15 PRACTICE DAY – Halnaker
SAT 21 PRACTICE DAY AT DON BARRATT’S
SUN 22 BOGNOR CLUB TRIAL – Harting
TRADE ADS (£5 per year for members businesses only - helps you and the club)
MERLIN MOTORCYCLES sells Gas Gas,
Sherco, Scorpa, Montesa & Beta Trials and Gas Gas Enduro bikes.
Offers spares, service &
tunning too. Also imports Honda XR’s and Yamaha XT660R and WR 450
F. www.motomerlin.co.uk
- coming soon : Trials Bike Hire
MERLIN BOOKS sell motorcycle books
and videos, new and secondhand
- free catalogue or www.merlinbooks.com
Mike Husband 01403 257626
HEADLINE ENGINEERING For aluminium
and stainless welding - helicoil thread repairs - cylinder
head, brake discs/drums refining
- all machining work - one off and prototypes.
Phone Derek head 01306 712565