CBR 400 NC29/ZXR Race Bike Season

This section is reserved for members on the SITE SUPPORTERS group only. Each supporter can post pics of their bikes for all to view. Standard members can read and reply, but the post author has full control over his thread and can edit, delete & lock at will
Tuckshop1
Settled in member
Reactions:
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2014 3:59 pm
Bike owned: FZR3TJ/ZXR400 H/NC29/ZXR400 L
Location: Bristol
Contact:
Re: CBR 400 NC29/ZXR Race Bike Season

Post by Tuckshop1 » Wed Jun 22, 2016 10:27 am

So i've been fairly busy the past couple of weeks! I've sold the NC29 :down: But I've got the green monster home 8-)

Now it wasn't in the greatest condition and needed a few bits and pieces sorted, all little 5 minute jobs. So far we've remounted the coils, tidied up the loom behind the clocks and cleaned a number of bits. Fortunately it runs like a dream, starts on the button and sounds lovely (Even better when my new Micron can turns up) all the right bits works well, which is what i needed.

Im racing Castle Combe next weekend so hopefully she'll be all sorted and ready to go by then. After that race it'll have a full strip down, a few bits replaced and a respray to get rid of the green!.

Image
Image
Image

Looking forward to riding the thing!



Oh i also took part in a 24hour Go-kart race on the weekend! our team managed 21st out of 41 and i set the 4th fastest lap of the 24hour in 1 of my 90 minute stints!

Image

I think i need to tone down the expensive hobbies haha.

Tuckshop1
Settled in member
Reactions:
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2014 3:59 pm
Bike owned: FZR3TJ/ZXR400 H/NC29/ZXR400 L
Location: Bristol
Contact:
Re: CBR 400 NC29/ZXR Race Bike Season

Post by Tuckshop1 » Wed Jun 29, 2016 8:02 am

Managed to finish the bike this week just in time for Castle Combe NG round this weekend!

Chowderv4 (My Brother) helped me out no end sorting the valve clearances that were incredible tight.
We changed the exhaust/exhaust gaskets/moved the coils/rewired the loom/changed the clip ons/changed the Yolks/Serviced the brakes/Changed the rear sets/sprayed up the number boards amongst a few other bits and pieces.

She fired up perfectly and Idles spot on. Just waiting on a new Micron can to arrive and new gasket kit for the current can and it'll be perfect! :grin:

More than excited to ride it this weekend!

Image
Image
Image
Image

Tuckshop1
Settled in member
Reactions:
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2014 3:59 pm
Bike owned: FZR3TJ/ZXR400 H/NC29/ZXR400 L
Location: Bristol
Contact:
Re: CBR 400 NC29/ZXR Race Bike Season

Post by Tuckshop1 » Mon Jul 04, 2016 12:59 pm

Castle Combe - 2nd/3rd July 2016

Saturday:
Turned up Friday evening as Combe's only a 30 minute drive from Bristol, help my brother put the awnings up and set about fiddling with my bike ready for racing. She flew through scrutineering and i was all ready to go with drys on. As our British summer always does, it let me down and started pissing down 20 minutes before the race. With limited experience changing wheels on the zxr it was a bit frantic. After morning practise i felt good on the bike so wasn't too fussed about it being wet, this would turn out to be my downfall haha. Got a good start, was running in about 6th place, came out the last slow chicane at Combe a little too keen on the throttle (The ZXR is miles faster than my CBR was) and up in the air i went. For a slow high-side it was fairly vicious. Fortunately i didn't hit my head but i landed pretty hard on my shoulder and slid down the middle of the track. I got up whilst still moving and ran off the track, turned around to see my bike being dodged by a few people and POP, my shoulder goes back into place, a place i didn't feel it come out of! The bike wasn't damaged too much as it was a fairly slow off so i was glad about that. A friend came and took the bike as i went to the medical centre to convince them i was OK to carry on.

The afternoon race i just wanted to complete and not total myself or the bike again, as it took a while to sort the few bits on it and get it passed again my the scrutineers i was late getting it noise tested and then didn't have time to put warmers on before the start of the F400 race so i just went out, did my best to warm the tyres up on the warm up lap and then starting from 38th i took a couple of laps just to get the feeling back and make sure my tyres were warm. After this i battled my way back up to 9th and did a 1.25.7.

My Newcomers race was meant to be a couple of races after the F400 race but unfortunately there was a big accident in the power bikes and the following races got cancelled and moved to Sunday.It absolutely sucks as Jer Thomas lost his life in that accident.

Sunday:
I went home and slept in my own bed after Saturdays races and woke up feeling incredibly stiff, on the way to the track i was feeling nervous as i knew i was the first race out. I managed to blag myself 2 laps practise and then set off for the Newcomers race. Now we were mixed with mini twins and 600/1000's. My plan was to get at least a comfortable 3rd. I got an absolutely amazing start, went round the outside of all the 400's i was racing against in class and pulled a fairly brave move on a number of the bigger bikes into the first corner knowing i couldn't get held up. Once the first lap was completed i settled into a really good rhythm, picking off a few mini twins and catching a few of the bigger bikes. It was only a short 5 lap races so i knew i had to nail it from the off. I came across the line in 1st after leading the whole race, i couldn't quite believe it after my luck the day before. When i came back in and went to collect my trophy i also found out i smashed the Newcomers lap record, which stood at a 1.25.7. I managed a 1.23.075 which was fastest of all the mini twins, and would have put me 9th with the 600's/1000's :grin: :grin:

The F400 qualifier was only 2 races after the Newcomers so i didn't really have time to celebrate, i went back out for that with confidence i could challenge for top 6. Again i got a solid start, went from 13th to 5th and was battling for 4th in the first lap when my visor flew off! some great luck again. i pulled into the pits not even completing a lap. I guess i saved some tyres and some fuel in the end haha. New visor fitted and a good rest over lunch i was charged up and ready to start from 43rd on the grid and make my way through the pack. There were a lot of slow bikes in front of me off the start so i had to be cautions and pick my way through well. I pointed my bike to the right as there was a gap i knew i could get to, got a solid start again and shot down the inside of quite a few people. Spent the first 2 laps making some pretty risky moves but it was proper fun racing through the pack. I pulled my way up to 5th and was riding comfortably. On the last lap coming into the 2nd chicane at combe, almost the end of the lap, i hit a false neutral and couldn't get it back into gear before the corner so had to run through the run off, i clicked it back into 3rd, got my head down but 6th place shoved it up the inside into the last corner, i didn't actually realise it was the last lap as i lined him up to pass down the straight only to see the chequered flag as i came out the last corner haha. unbelievably fun race and my uncle got some pretty good footage i believe.

More than happy with how things went after the crash, i'll learn my lesson and move onto Anglesey in 6 weeks to keep the Newcomers charge going and try to slot myself into the top 5 in the F400 Championship.

Image
Image
Image
Image

Tuckshop1
Settled in member
Reactions:
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2014 3:59 pm
Bike owned: FZR3TJ/ZXR400 H/NC29/ZXR400 L
Location: Bristol
Contact:
Re: CBR 400 NC29/ZXR Race Bike Season

Post by Tuckshop1 » Wed Jul 13, 2016 9:47 am

As theres a good 6 weeks before my next race (Anglesey, can't wait!) i've got a bit of time to fix a few more bits on the bike, a few more bits than first thought after the crash haha.

Good bit of money spent on eBay and Cradley's website (Great service) and almost all the bits are here.
Over the next couple of weeks myself and my brother will be doing:
- Fork rebiuld on the spare set to swap over
- New exhaust stubs
- New brake pads
- New engine/Fork oil
- Little bit of fibreglassing/Touch up painting
- Spraying of the tank cover/Mudguard
- New quick action throttle
and a few other bits I've most definitely forgotten.

My brother kindly gave the my bike and his a good clean at work and managed to sort out my subframe so i can actually mount the tail unit and the tank properly! (All previous mounts/bolts were rounded off) now its just a case of spending a couple of week day evenings and weekends in the garage to sort all the bits and pieces out.

Clean bike :grin:
Image
Image

Fixed subframe
Image

Oh and i managed to get into Performance Bikes on the old NC29 at Oulton Park, mid pack number 44 haha
Image

Tuckshop1
Settled in member
Reactions:
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2014 3:59 pm
Bike owned: FZR3TJ/ZXR400 H/NC29/ZXR400 L
Location: Bristol
Contact:
Re: CBR 400 NC29/ZXR Race Bike Season

Post by Tuckshop1 » Mon Jul 25, 2016 12:19 pm

Finally sorted the footage out from the final race of the weekend.

Going from 43rd to 6th, race would have looked more exciting if the camera was facing forwards but wanted to try something different, you can really see how bumpy in places it is and how hard you have to work the bike with it facing me.


https://youtu.be/5xvTwRIQfnA

Tuckshop1
Settled in member
Reactions:
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2014 3:59 pm
Bike owned: FZR3TJ/ZXR400 H/NC29/ZXR400 L
Location: Bristol
Contact:
Re: CBR 400 NC29/ZXR Race Bike Season

Post by Tuckshop1 » Tue Aug 16, 2016 1:43 pm

Anglesey NG Road Racing 12th - 14th August

Friday Test Day:
After a few beers and some cracking live music the night before at the Anglesey club house i was all sorted and ready to have a crack at the cracking circuit that is Anglesey. Started off nice and easy just settling back into riding the zxr making sure everything's working as it should etc. My pace got better throughout the day but most of the sessions were rammed and trying to learn the track whilst there was a lot of traffic wasn't quite helping so much but i did get a good few laps to myself to try and get up to race speed. I had a couple of issues as my shift rode pulled itself out the threads as i went across the curb so i had to cruise around in 3rd gear for a lap and then get it sorted, fairly easy job it had just been done badly previously. I gave the last session a miss as i was happy with my progression through out the day and wanted to save a bit of fuel for the next days racing.

Saturday:
Woke up nice and early after a cracking sleep in the back of the van, it was almost like a slightly uncomfortable bed! got settled back into things during morning practise, the bike ran faultlessly and i invested in a nice new seat pad so i was actually sitting nice on the zxr. My brother was having some terrible luck after 2 engine swaps and countless issues, one of the other 400 boys was kind enough to lend him his zxr for the weekend but he had to start from the back of the grid in the f400 qualifier. I was 5th on the grid, got a monstrous start and shot up to 2nd place straight away, i tried to go with leader Tim Bradley but he was way too quick for me. I had a fairly lonely race but keep cool and tried to race myself, braking later, taking faster lines etc. I came across the line in 2nd, not quite believing i had managed it! I know it was only a quali race but i was over the bloody moon.

Onto the afternoons F400 race i was 2nd on the grid and proper ready for the race, my brother was starting from the back again but i knew he'd be coming up fast. I got another flying start and almost got into first but held my own and settled into second place. We were mixed with Bandits again and 1 bloke was fairly quick. I started catching him a lap in and had a really good battled, we swapped places a few times, i made a few dodgy lunges but i was confident on the brakes and in my new tyres. As i was pulling along side the bandit down the back straight to go up the inside into the 6th to 2nd gear sharp left he out broke me and flying up the inside comes my brother on the borrowed zxr. I wasn't mad i knew it was coming so i followed his lines and managed to make myself faster. He got passed and cleared the Bandit within a lap, I wanted to follow him so i lunged him again and managed to make the move stick this time. I see the last lap flag buzzing knowing i only had 1 lap left and i had a massive gap to the next 400 in 4th i broke a little earlier into the 6th to 2nd sharp left at the top of the circuit as i had a few head shaking moments in the quali race there. I bang it down 3 gears go to click down into 2nd and it hits a false neutral, something it had done before, as i'm frantically scrambling to get it into gear the bike shuts off and i let the clutch out to try and bump it, she goes full lock and throws me right out the seat and i land on the tank! undeterred i kept trying to bump start it to no avail. I stopped, found neutral and hit the starter motor but she would go as zxr do when they're hot. I had never been so pissed off in my life, managed to break my visor in my rage as well! The Marshall's helped me to push the bike to one side and we still couldn't get it started! They brought the recover van around after the sound of thunder race, just as they open the doors i fire the bike up and ride back to pits :excited. I was in a bit of a rush as i knew the newcomers race was coming up soon, i got back and cleaned my tyres, checked the gear box was all good and Syked myself up for the newcomers race.

I started 28th of the grid and it was a little frightening seeing how many bikes would be going into the first corner. Again the trusty zxr got a fantastic start i tried picking my way through the 600's/100's up the inside but got blocked, I then swooped to the outside and got myself into 1st in class. From then i had a class race with all the mini twins/600's/1000's and managed to beat a fair few of them with some quite close calls during the race but it was all good fun. I came across the line 1st in class and won the race by 20 seconds! i was 1 second off the newcomers lap record but i knew i could go faster. After the disaster in the f400 race the win in the newcomers made up for it and the trophy was bloody huge! it fit 2 full cans of Carling in it, which i happily drank after the race!

Race footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz7awVEvyTE

Sunday:
After another tracking sleep all i was focused on was getting that F400 podium that was robbed from me. Warm up went well, bike felt solid, i then remembered that i was starting from the back of the grid for the F400 Quali race due to my DNF the day before. It sorta took the pressure off a little bit and starting last is sometimes quite fun. Once again a rocket start, got myself up to 7th place from 23rd! i then started hunting down the RVF in front of me (Glad he had changed his sparking knee slider!) i over took him just into the 2nd lap. Then i went on the charge ti hunt down my Pal Simon and Martin who i had handed 3rd place to the day before. It took me a good 2 laps to pull in the 4/5 second gap. I dropped it around the outside of Simon down the Anglesey corkscrew and then up the inside of Martin into the second corner, a 180 degree right hander. Barrelling down the back straight i thought i'd be safe for 3rd then Martin comes flying up the inside of me into the sharp left and gets it stopped, i did a little cutback into the sharp 180 degree right just after and got a good run to then see a red flag, race result! As it went back a lap i qualified 4th for the afternoon race and got my lap times down to mid 1.16's

A little nervous but incredibly pumped up we go out onto the grid for the afternoons F400 Race. A standard warm up lap but i was working on my clutch control as i believe that was half the cause of my false neutral the day before. Lights go on I Bang the revs to 10K feed the clutch and away we go, Completely focused on the first corner i was almost oblivious to my front wheel being in the air, something i didn't quite think it would be! the front drops and picks up a little again shaking the bars as i land. I dropped it into the first corner in 4th following my brother in as he goes round the outside into 2nd place. I knew i had to try and follow them so they'd pull me away from the chasing pack so I parked it up the inside of Martin to take 3rd place at the 2nd corner. Both flying down the back straight i knew he'd be good on the brakes so i was a late as possible but he still came up the inside, both our bikes going a bit sideways I drop it into the sharp left and just as i do he picks his bike up, we narrowly miss each other but i managed to cut up the inside of him and take 3rd. A bloke on a GP45 came past me but i wasn't bothered about him as i knew he was rapid. Now it was just me and the track, a time trial almost. I hammered in some good laps to try and pull away from Martin in 4th. Consistently doing 1.16's i managed to do that and on the last lap i had a quick look over my shoulder to see what gap i had, i didn't see anyone so the corner that caught me out the day before i went into bloody cautiously, I wasn't having the 3rd place taken from me again! I made my way through and took the rest of the lap super smooth. Coming out the last corner all myself and my brothers racing pals were on the pit wall going mad and i stuck 3rd place! To get a F400 Podium in my first season was something i didn't think would happen coming into the season and even this race but i was over the moon. I spent the cool down lap fist pumping and trying wheelies to no avail haha. Caught up with my brother around the lap who had come 2nd so we went a bit mad.

Race footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI8pG-RQRA0

All in all a bloody cracking weekend and to come home with 2 big trophies and 0 crashes was great :smt003 :smt003 :smt003

Mother got some good photos of myself and my brother. There should be some cracking action shots to come!

Image
Image

cbr400rrn
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Reactions:
Posts: 1267
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:37 pm
Bike owned: NC29 CBR600F
Location: Lancashire
Re: CBR 400 NC29/ZXR Race Bike Season

Post by cbr400rrn » Tue Aug 16, 2016 10:33 pm

Excellently written, you had me on the edge of my seat. Well done to you and your brother

Tuckshop1
Settled in member
Reactions:
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2014 3:59 pm
Bike owned: FZR3TJ/ZXR400 H/NC29/ZXR400 L
Location: Bristol
Contact:
Re: CBR 400 NC29/ZXR Race Bike Season

Post by Tuckshop1 » Wed Aug 17, 2016 5:11 pm

Cheers man! Really enjoying this racing malarkey.

http://www.kerryrawson.com/motorbikes Kerry got some cracking shots of me doing some knee skids around the track.

Image
Image
Image
Image

Onto the next race!

Tuckshop1
Settled in member
Reactions:
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2014 3:59 pm
Bike owned: FZR3TJ/ZXR400 H/NC29/ZXR400 L
Location: Bristol
Contact:
Re: CBR 400 NC29/ZXR Race Bike Season

Post by Tuckshop1 » Thu Sep 22, 2016 2:25 pm

Pembrey 17th September.

Saturday:
As funds are fairly tight i was only doing 1 day at Pembrey and couldn't afford the test day the day before so was kind of going into the race blind as I had never ridden the track before. I got there Friday evening after it took me 4 and 1/2 bloody hours to get there from Bristol! I rushed to get the bike ready for scrutineering and then sprinted down with the bike and got there as they were closing the doors, luckily the nice scrutineers of NG let me have the last go haha. Bike passed with flying colour.

After a cracking night’s sleep, I woke up to the sun beating down at 6:30am, which in Wales I’m sure is rare! I headed out for practise knowing I needed to get better on my down shifts as I was hitting false neutrals a lot at Anglesey. Low and behold 2 laps in and not getting on with the track I have to run on coming onto the back straight as I hit a neutral, I didn't want it trying to throw me off like it did at Anglesey so I just ran on. I got her back in gear and went on again, she did it again going into the first corner, again I ran on to safety and sorted the bugger out. Spent most of my practise pissing about with that and not learning the track so wasn't the most confident starting 3rd on the grid for the quali race.

Quali Race:
We set off on the warm up lap I got half way around and realised my bike was loud as you like, not quite normal. I looked down to see my end can had slipped of the link pipe! I got back to the grid, waited until the Marshall's weren't looking at me and I slipped it back on just. Knowing it wouldn't stay on I just needed it to be not so loud off the start. I got a good start, jumped into 2nd place and held it through the first corner, got passed by the 2nd and the 3rd corners and slipped into 4th to follow my mate Simon on his FZR so I could learn the track. Half way around my exhaust slipped off again so I was running a straight through micron system all race, my god it sounded nice, if I didn't have ear plugs in I think I’d be deaf! I was following Simon for 2/3 laps getting more confident as I was going and slowly gaining on him. Going into the first turn, which at Pembrey is a 6th to 2nd gear hairpin I hit a bloody false neutral again, I didn't fancy running on in the race so I scrambled to get it back into gear, instead of trying to get it down another gear I popped it into 3rd and she was all fine. I came out the corner in the completely wrong gear but at least I was still on the track! This slowed me down a bit and I got passed by my mate Dan on his FZR. I followed him for a lap and dived up the inside into the first corner, he then re passed me at the same place he did the lap before. He almost high-sided coming out the corner which was quite fun to watch, I followed him again, slip streamed him down the back straight and out braked him into the fast right hand last corner, this time making the move stick. I then went to hunt down Simon who was a good 2 seconds up the round, after a 2 flying laps and seeing the last lap flag come out I was sort of within range. With it only being a quali race I didn't want to try anything special so shot right up to the back of him into the final turn and tried to drag him on the way out, I finished 0.225 behind him and was more than happy with that.

Afternoon Race:
I was starting from 4th on the grid but wasn't too fussed about that as I knew my starts were good (Jinxed it myself) got away ok, hit a neutral shifting to 2nd and go swamped! I knew I couldn't let 3rd and 2nd get away from me (1st being Tim Bradley who is about 4's faster than anyone else) Braked super hard into the first turn and had the bike in all sorted of shapes but managed to get myself back into 4th. I got stuck behind a GP45 Aprilia for a lap or so and had to pull a fairly big move to get past as Simon and Martin were getting away. Once I was past the GP45 I felt super comfy on the bike, everything was running well, brakes were fine and I wasn't hitting any false neutrals. Simon put a big move on Martin for 2nd which allowed me to pull up to the back of them quicker. I got a great run into and out of the last corner and dragged martin on his zxr down the front straight and made a bit of a lunge up the inside, the bike was going a bit sideways, which I wasn’t all that used to but I made it stick. It took me another lap to pull Simon is as he was riding really smooth, coming onto the back straight he looked behind only to see me almost on his back wheel! I lined him up through the flat 5th gear kink into the last corner and made the biggest/scariest most exciting move I've ever done. It was all out commitment if I had hesitated at all we would have both been down. I shot up the inside, slammed the bike onto its side, my knee on the deck and had the back end wobbling all over the place mid corner and on the exit but managed to pull it off without touching! I knew Simon was fast and had more pace so I hammered in a fast lap to try and pull away, I’m not one for looking behind me so I just kept my head down. I'd been looking for the last lap flag for a couple of laps and didn't see it. Heading down the back straight my bike hit a false neutral without me touching anything, then put itself back into gear, I was a little confused but it kept going so I didn't worry too much, I went into the last corner fast knowing I lost a bit of pace on the back straight only for me to hit the throttle and the bike run out of fuel! I couldn't believe it! another podium chance taken away from me because of my stupidity haha. Initially I thought the old girl had blown up as it is a 400. It wasn't until someone said "does it have fuel in" that I checked and stopped panicking but got incredibly annoyed at myself.

Newcomers:
After almost brimming the tank to make sure I didn’t make the same stupid mistake again and swapping batteries as mine was flat I was set to head out for the newcomers and to try for my 3rd straight win. To say I was nervous about the start was an understatement! 40 odd bikes 1000’s/650’s/600’s and 400’s all barrelling down to a hairpin corner, it’s a recipe for disaster. I got a good start again, cleared all the Ducati’s and some mini twins and positioned myself on the inside of the track. I braked fairly early just to avoid any mistakes and had another 400 come up the inside of me, I wasn’t too worried I just wanted to make it around the first turn! I rolled around the turn with the clutch in, I came out slipping it and dived up the inside of Steve on his ZXR400 and got myself in the lead. For a lap or so I was following a mini twin and kept making mistakes, which wasn’t helping. Once I passed a few mini twins I felt really good on the bike again, there was a fairly big gap ahead of me to the next group of riders all 600’s and 1000’s so I had a good lap and a half by myself to race the track and pull a gap on the 400’s behind me. I Caught the R6/MV and R1 with 2 laps to go and had a good battle, out braking them, then getting battered down the straight. My corner speed was far better and racing with them taught me a lot about bike position and being able to utilise my corner speed. On the last lap I dived back past the R6 through a fast sweeping right hander, tried to out brake the MV coming into the sharp right before the back straight, I got right up the inside but he didn’t fancy letting me have it, we bashed knee’s and a few other bits and I came out worse off but it was just good hard racing. This clash made me come out of the corner far slower than normal so I was slipping the clutch to get the bike going, the R6 came barrelling back past, slowed in the kink and I dived back up the inside into the last turn, I came across the line 1st, my 3rd straight win in the newcomers in the 400 class and missed out on the championship by 4 points!

Would have loved to have ridden both days but I do love Thruxton so thought it best to save some pennies to race there. I believe I have another year in the Newcomers class so I’m hoping without some silly mistakes I made this year I can have the championship!

Image
Image
Image

cbr400rrn
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Reactions:
Posts: 1267
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:37 pm
Bike owned: NC29 CBR600F
Location: Lancashire
Re: CBR 400 NC29/ZXR Race Bike Season

Post by cbr400rrn » Thu Sep 22, 2016 9:25 pm

Excellent, when is thruxton?


Post Reply