Try again to race the Kat (15/16 June)

[popkat]

I've built up the original engine and got it in the frame. hoping to fire it up at some point today. if all goes well I'll put some running in miles on it later and if that goes ok then i'll be racing at Cadwell this weekend (15/16 june). Going to try and book up a test day there for friday, not sure if they have spaces left though.. Anyone going to come along to see if it holds together ?

[popkat]

Got it running and put about 30 miles on it, but it's not right, runs really hot, tickover eratic and the cam chain tensioner isn't working properly, working on it again tomorrow, must get it sorted as off the cadwell Thursday afternoon.

a couple of pictures. these are with the old engine, new one is silver the rest looks the same.

[AMCQ46]

Good luck, the bike looks good on the wire wheels

[lloydie]

looks pucka , good luck

[Kev L]

Good luck mate.

[tony.mon]

looks pucka , good luck

Looks pucker, and so will your butt if the CCT lets go....

Good luck, can't make this one, cooking curry goat, rice 'n' peas and jerk chicken in a field near Maidstone in between dj-ing all weekend.
Reggea Reggae styleeee, bredren and sistren

[popkat]

It's all running now I'm off the Cadwell in a minute, got test day tomorrow so should get it all run in, then race sat/sun.
If anyone off here goes along this weekend come over and say hello

#34. Katana1100

[lloydie]

All the best mate and hope you get in the points

[popkat]

woohoo, 4th meeting of the year and I finally got to race the bike I haven't raced since October last year so felt just a bit rusty.
Not all plain sailing though, ran it in on Friday morning, really boring going round at low revs, it rained in the afternoon so didn't get any fast laps to try it out.
Practice is timed and sets your grid position for the weekend, I had a slipping clutch so spent a lot of time sorting the best plates and springs I had then fitting them Friday night, got up Saturday and track was soaking, it had been raining all night, third lap and the bike starts spluttering, sod it I forgot to put petrol in , was really worried that I didn't put a time in, but relief when I got the sheet and was 4th on the grid.
The race was combined so the grid was made up of 2 classes post classic superbike and production so 4th overall was very good.

Race 1, track is dry and I get a good start but it's hard work, the bikes loose everywhere, I didn't expect it to be perfect as I've had no set up time but I was leading the proddy class, a couple of laps from the end entering the mountain I heard a scrape, thought it was the generator cover but it made the scrapping sound again over the top, so started looking down to see if anything had fallen off but it was all fine, carried on then the noise came more often, I rolled it off a bit at the start of the last lap but it was getting really bad then 2nd and 3rd bikes came past, I cruised over the line with the clutch in. back in the pits and the flywheel had come off the end of the crank, it was too damaged to try and put back on so I had to run total loss and remove the starter gear so bump starts from then on.

Race 2, bikes all good, get really good start and mixing it with the superbike classes, then at the chicane I got punted off the track, heard a tyre screech looked left and saw the front of a bike out of control come at me, it hit hard and sent me onto the grass, the other rider stayed on after that, used my bike to save himself I had to run down to the mountain on the wet grass while all the other bikes went past, got back on track and fought my way back to 2nd.

Sunday race 3, bike felt different, couldn't explain it but wasn't comfortable, still good start and held the lead until the last lap but I was knackered fighting the bike and got passed at the chicane and came 2nd.

Race 4, The rear tyre had cuts in it where the tread joins, this has been a problem on a few of these race Avons, I was aware of it and monitoring it, but after race 3 I had another good look and one of the splits was deeper than the tread, I wasn't happy so I swapped it for a prescrubbed one I had, went out in the race and won it

Happy I got the win in the end, should have won twice on Saturday but teething troubles are to be expected, young gun hot heads too I suppose

The bike still needs improvements and I need to find another flywheel, it's not too stable so going to try and fit a steering damper and the brakes are scary bad, but I've built up some new finger muscles pulling the lever over the weekend, we're getting there, still a bit off lap record pace but hopefully i'll get better each time i'm out on it.

Next round Pembrey middle weekend in July.

[MacV2]

Wow that sounds like an exciting weekend of trails & tribulations !

Well done on the win #34...

[AMCQ46]

Result, but some serious hard work to get there......well done now rest and have a beer

[lloydie]

Sounds like you had a great weekend .snd to win a race after all that well done

[popkat]

Thanks guys, pressures on to win at Pembrey now Infact there's no pressure as it's too late for the championship, still got to gel with it and ride it more like an 1100 and less like a 600, smooth is fast, but on the 600 I could just chuck it around. On Saturday people kept coming up to me saying I looked like an accident waiting to happen, the bike was sliding around all over the place smoothed it out more on sunday, it works

[Kev L]

Well done and congratulations on the win mate.

[BigVeeGrin]

good on you sounds a lot more happening, fun and eventful than my weekend