422 miles, take away, say 40 back after the finish to PZ via Blue Hills, leaves 380 for the Trial. Should have been 340, it certainly felt like more than 500 what with the fog on Exmoor.
The start at Plusha was very civilised, a surprise for Tom Beckerleg when his bike would not start at scruteneering, the chain drive to the mag had jumped off. Set mag on points opening and piston on top dead centre, fully retarded, (should not be done like this!) , hook chain on one tooth and turn over engine, chain goes back on without too much strain, tighten mag chain (was a bit slack!) and it worked perfectly from then on. ( it had to be as before or at least 40 degrees out so we reckoned that a rough method would get it back to as before).
Good run up to the start at North Petherton, onto Felons Oak , followed a car and we all got lost! How I still don't know as it is straight forward, Section OK.
Onto Stoney Street which was slippery before the section for a bike but OK for the section itself. Richard Harvey took his machine into the hedge and was overtaken by several cars whilst having a nap.
The bit between Stoney and Culbone was a bit of a blur, sometimes I could see the side of the road in the fog butmost of the time I could not, bit of a relief when the main road and its cats eyes turned up, I could have been heading South to Exford for all I knew.
Early at Culbone,so waited a bit longer to recover from the eye strain. No better to Beggars where us heavy weights had to do the restart, away into the fog and down off the moor, terrible, do not want to this again! So dangerous.
Riverton was kind to me this year, very careful up the left hand side, cut across to the right at the first corner, take a wide sweep and up to the 'Ends' with a slight wobble.
Nearly got overtaken by a car at Torrinton holding control!
Sutcombe was not too much trouble, did not stop at the top as being 'pushed on by the cars who seem to carry their food with them.
Darracott, with its restart, no trouble, nice section, much scrutinised on the restart? I am sure I did not run back.
Leddon Test OK and on to Widemouth, wait for 20 minutes and off- no petrol, hoped I could make it to the next.
Crackington , very tricky at the top for a bike, especially 500lbs of it!
Treworld next, ease through the river, don't slip on the stones, up to the restart, stop half way into the box, pull away OK very closely watched again, should I have entered class D instead?
Breakfast next and put 짙10 worth of fuel in , the most he had put in so far he said! I had done 158 miles sonot too bad as I lot was in low gear in the fog.
Warleggan next and getting rougher at the top each year, clear again .
Hosken had a restart for us old usually heavey bikes!!!! (as well as the tiddlers).Don't mind it here as the centre of the track has good grip, but what about running back a fraction, who knows?
Bishops Path OK but tricky for a heavy bike on the advers cambers.
Bishops Wood good fun with a jump half way.
Run down to Blue Hills past Newquay to Blue Hills 1. Oh dear the whole Trial ruined by a restart in such an unfair place, now I know how Class 8 feel. I did pull away after a moment or two but nothing happened when I first eased the clutch out, the back wheel moved sideways a bit and found grip, feet up before the end of the box, with room to spare, but how was I judged? By someone who has years of experience as a competitor, one would wish, it certainly would appear to be the case from the list of Marshals. I really cannot say wether in the current climate I pulled away as was demanded.
Blue Hills 2 was delightful, the start marshal said it was a bit greasy at the top and they had been forbidden from altering it, to which I replied,' it is usually difficult enough'.
Of to the finish to claim a Gold but what about the restarts?
Back down to Blue Hills ( third time along this road, ugh), to see a few cars and meet friends. Back down to PZ squeeze the bike in past the Morgan, will have to clean it later, no oil streaks at all and ran perfectly, has it got any oil in? Sit down and drift into occasional sleep.
