THE ROCKY ROAD TO ROCKINGHAM

Ritchie is a happier racer at Rockingham Speedway.

If you’re a regular visitor to this page you will have noticed that our season hasn’t gone entirely to plan. After a cracking start at Brands Hatch, it’s been like trying to walk through a field full of garden rakes, blindfolded. Time after time, we’ve been hit hard one way or another; but Rockingham was different.

You can read Ritchie’s story in more detail here.

http://www.ritchie71.com/index.php?controller=post&action=view&id_post=16

Oooops! Not much grip on slicks when it’s wet. Ritchie steps off the ZX7R at Oulton Park after leading the race.

Getting the bike prepared and to the circuit after the big crash at Oulton Park was another story though; a real struggle to do it all in time. There was a lot of damage to the bike and it had developed another rattling sound, which wasn’t coming from the cam chain.

We pinpointed the sound, and it was coming from behind the engine in the clutch gearbox area. We started with the easy bit first and took out the clutch. When we removed it, we found the two small retaining bolts that hold the drive sprocket behind clutch basket had sheared off – it’s still a mystery as to why, as the clutch nut is so tight it shouldn’t move at all.

Losing our heads in more ways than one

The oil pump drive chain was a little slack too so we adjusted that. When we started her up it was the quietest it had ever been. This £95 standard engine has been fantastic all year so we have to look after it – it’s all we’ve got right now!

Well, at least we didn’t have to dive into the gearbox.

This was a real bonus because there was a lot to do to fix up the bodywork.

Anyway, it all came together, bit by bit and a bit late too. We sprayed up the tank, another fairing, belly panels and seat units just in time. Some of the stickers and numbers didn’t go on the bike until we got to Rockingham.

Looking a bit like its old self again, the night before we left for Rockingham.

The Wasp is back!

After our Ritchie’s superb performance – getting back on the podium again, moving up the points table and up to third in the Championship – all we need to do before Anglesey is change the oil and give it a wash and a polish. It deserves that at least.

More soon.