The Motorcycle Racers Thread

[tp12]

Inspired by a thread hijack, as all good threads are, this thread is for those of us who've tasted the thrill of racing a motorcycle. Or even those of you who are track day enthusiasts and I suppose we'll allow all motorcyclists in ... so magnanimous..

Post up your experiences, what you've raced, where you've raced and, of course, your biggest off!

So I've been racing for a few years, mostly on Ducatis and in the UK. I've raced at Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Donington Park, Cadwell Park, Mallory Park, Oulton Park, Pembrey and Snetterton. I've been lucky enough to ride a few Spanish tracks; Jerez, Almeria and Guadix and also worked for a few years as a riding coach for the California Superbike School ..

I have the bug and there's nothing like racing. Especially wehn you've spent THOUSANDS chasing a cheap plastic pot and you finally get one! Very addictive.

I've got a Ducati 848 now and now I'm back in Aus I'm planning on racing in the BEARS championship soon. I've done a few days at Eastern Creek on the 848 but haven't got the suspension sorted yet so haven't been able to let rip.

My biggest off was at Brands Hatch where I joined the 'Clearways Club'. 4th gear corner with a dip in it leading on to the start/finish straight .. I highsided at around 80 mph and remember being in the air for so long I had enough time to think "This is gonna hurt" and I ended up breaking my ankle and smashing my face up a bit. Good times.

I've come off at around 115 mph too but it was a lowside and I didn't hit anything so I walked away. It was like a fast slippery slide on the wet grass

You?

[ctl411]

I'm a has been, raced lightweight/heavy twins and lightweight superbike. Totally built Honda hawk, Suzuki Tl1000 Gsxr 1000. Raced local tracks plus Mid Ohio, Road America. Biggest off 130 ish slid into ditch flew a ways but had to land. Should be dead, spent months in hospital. Then when racing on the track. Currently only ride dirt with my kids. Miss the road track though.

[Fiveslide]

Originally Posted by ctl411

Currently only ride dirt with my kids. Miss the road track though.

I raced Hare Scrambles. Something I'll probably get my kid involved in when he's old enough. I like it better than straight MX riding.

Worst off, I don't remember anything from that day. I woke up with third degree burns on my leg from the bike laying on me while I was out.

I never raced on pavement. I did put about 15,000 miles on a Honda Shadow. I don't miss anything about riding on pavement. The number of times I've nearly been struck by an inattentive motorist has dropped dramatically.

I sold my bike but my wife's is sitting in the building, hasn't been started in 4 years. I need to get it out and get it going again.

[a64pilot]

Way back in the day (1980 or so), I drag raced professionally for Star Cycle, now called Star Racing out of Americus Ga. I believe I may still hold a few World records.
Joined the Army and went without bikes for years, but started Road Racing (WERA) Sportsman class late 90's, had a blast, broke my collar bone in Talledega when a competitor didn't honor a pass and clipped my front wheel.
Sold my old Honda Blackbird because of the boat thing and now only occasionally ride my Husqvarna TE-450. which made me remember, I rode for Husqvarna of America back in the mid 70's racing my WR-250 in Hare Scrambles around the Chattanooga area in High School.

Trivia question, anybody know what the Husqvarna symbol means? Or what the name means?

[ctl411]

Fiveslide no MX, I have a high deductible medical. With MX it's not if it's when. Plus I like woods riding better it's more like road racing.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Trivia question, anybody know what the Husqvarna symbol means? Or what the name means?

From wiki

"Husqvarna was founded near the town of the same name in Sweden in 1689, well before even cycles were invented. The first product was a gun or rifle. If you look at the logo you are looking into the barrel and you can see the sights on top."

https://www.google.se/maps/place/Hus...f3e06692fff51e

[PJOHara]

I haven't turned a wheel in anger since 2005, but roadraced the east coast for a bunch of years, primarily on Ducati's, but also Suzuki,Honda, just about anything well prepped that I could get a ride on. Loudon, Pocono, Summit Point . Mostly CCS stuff, with some Fusa and WERA endurance. Good times. Makes the cost of boat ownership sensible!

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by hoppy

From wiki

"Husqvarna was founded near the town of the same name in Sweden in 1689, well before even cycles were invented. The first product was a gun or rifle. If you look at the logo you are looking into the barrel and you can see the sights on top."

https://www.google.se/maps/place/Hus...f3e06692fff51e

Yep, Husky was originally an Arms manufacturer for the Swedish military.
I was also told that the name loosely translates into English as "House Grinder", seems that they manufacture a lot of household machinery like sewing machines etc., that's their bread and butter and at least back in the day they lost money on the motorcycles, but it was a pride thing to be World Champions. This was before the Japanese poured huge amounts of money onto it.

Remember the Brit bike BSA? Well BSA I believe stands for "Birmingham Small Arms" another arms manufacturer building bikes

Now Husky is owned by Germans (BMW) and the motorcycle is built in Italy,
I think the newer engines are manufactured in Taiwan, only thing Swedish is the name.

[tp12]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Remember the Brit bike BSA? Well BSA I believe stands for "Birmingham Small Arms" another arms manufacturer building bikes

That's right. My ex father-in-law gave me a C12, it was in pretty poor nick.

Lots of dirt guys ... ctl411, I used to own a Honda Hawk, we called it a VTR 1000 here in Aus but I didn't get to the track on it. Sounds like you had a pretty full on off on it!

I was a bit of a whore too and would race anything I could get my hands on. I did some endurance on an R6 for example.

Anyone done 'real' road racing? I'm talking public roads, not circuits? I would still like to get to the Manx GP, or whatever they call it now, and give that a whirl. I went to the Isle of Man in '09 for the Manx and was positively smitten..

[charliehows]

ducati - pah - when you grow up son, you can join us big boys, I'll be on my mighty Kymco Bug 125, you'll see some real riding, ho yessss!

[Claude_Marie]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Trivia question, anybody know what the Husqvarna symbol means? Or what the name means?

Husqvarna is a town name in Sweden.
It seems like a common practice in Sweden to use the name of the town where it is established as a trade name.
Trelleborg (not sure of spelling) tyres are made in ....Trelleborg (or were).
Fiskars is made ...in Fiskars (swedish speaking part of Finland)...
There are many other exemples...
I visited the beautiful Husqvarna museum...
Company started as a rifle manufacturer, also beautiful cast iron wood stoves...steel or iron made house hold appliances...
the list endless... I understand that they were some sort of steel masters and precision machining (from their rifle business) experts.
Possibly taking advantage of the renown swedish iron ore to manufacture beautifully crafted and practical items.
Many years ago, the Swedes had already a design of their own, strong and cleverly simple.
For what it is worth...I raced a 125 WR on sand/beach races a few decades ago.
;-)

[Polux]

Raced for 15 years European Bajas and Rallies some on mixed races Car/bike with separated classifications. Had the pleasure of doing some international races where Vatanen and Peterhansel were racing too.

One of the great memories was chasing Vataneen for some miles, after having being overtaken, just to have the pleasure to see him driving the Paris/Dakar Citroen on a twisting track. Off course he was probably driving at 80% while I was pushing at 120% and could only sustained it for some miles: What a spectacle.

[tp12]

That would have been cool, awesome.

I did an apprenticeship in stomach surfing and acrobatics too, as the following pics will attest:

[Polux]

It seems you hit the circle. You had extra points for that?

Yes, I had my share of falls. Remember one after having hit a ditch at high speed: I went so high in the hair that I had time to take the motorcycle away from me (it was over me), look at the ground and prepare the fall, rolling for many meters.

Yes, I have great memories and I miss it.

[tp12]

Yep, also for 'artistic merit' and 'imitating a yoga pose'

Great presence of mind to get the bike away from you. Ahhh .. .the memories ..

My family, of course, think I'm a total nutcase. They just don't get it