Hello all,
already before the last race of this season we started with planning for the next season. Mikael has started training sessions with Joonas Saloniemi who was racing until 2 years ago with his brother. Joonas finished his house building project and wanted to pick up racing again. He purchased a VMC-Zabel and was looking for a new passenger because his brother switched to the GP-series.
For Mikael this is a great opportunity to get to an higher level of racing than to continue with me in the back of the pack. For this moment he's adapting to the differences this transfer entails. Not only Joonas is driving faster but also the brutal character of the large two-stroke Zabel engine demands a different way of acting as a passenger. He's inspired and the change makes him motivated for the job.
In the meantime I'm not lying on the coach either. With Mikael's old school friend Markko Styrmann I've found replacement. Markko has tried last year some laps already and was interested to step in Mikael's place. We've started our training sessions too and in the beginning it's always hard for a new passenger. But Markko made quickly progress and we did more laps already than I expected.
I hope the arrival of the Winter will wait for some time so we will be able to get as many laps as possible behind our wheels. Both teams will need this. I'll continue with the same hack for now and I'm planning to get spiked tires to continue training sessions during the Winter.
Greetings,
Stephan
EML - HUSABERG - AYR
Sunday, 7 October 2012
Results of our season 2012
Hi again,
this wasn't a season to be proud of, our results are not what we expected. Last year we participated at 22 races and had only at the first races some minor problems like flat tires. This year technical problems started already during the training sessions before the first races; I had to rebuild the engine 3 times in 3 weeks time. And as a reward the engine failed again at the first race.
When I finished our new larger engine the carburettor didn't fit anymore and the hack was shipped to the AYR workshop for modifications.
Then the problems with the van started; hydraulic pump, belts and spanner, water hoses and at least the water pump. Now I can say I've some experience with fixing Ford Transits. At least we got the hack back from Estonia and we finished it quickly to make it to the next event.
With the settings from suspension and carburettor we were way of and it took some additional weeks to sort them all out. Only a few races during the Summer months and most of the time we were riding training sessions. When everything was getting better it was to late to sign up for the Baltic GP's. With so many races missed I thought to compensate and get more time racing. After the Summer only 5 races left and even then we had to cancel one.
We planned for 14 races and optionally the 2 Baltic GP's but did participate only 9 times. A huge difference with the 2011 season. At the end the bike was better than the crew, that's the only positive thing. For next year there will be changes but these in a different post later. Here are the final results from our season 2012:
Finnish championship 4th
Estonian championship 22nd
Latvian championship 32nd
Latvian Veterans championship 7th
Greetings,
Stephan
this wasn't a season to be proud of, our results are not what we expected. Last year we participated at 22 races and had only at the first races some minor problems like flat tires. This year technical problems started already during the training sessions before the first races; I had to rebuild the engine 3 times in 3 weeks time. And as a reward the engine failed again at the first race.
When I finished our new larger engine the carburettor didn't fit anymore and the hack was shipped to the AYR workshop for modifications.
Then the problems with the van started; hydraulic pump, belts and spanner, water hoses and at least the water pump. Now I can say I've some experience with fixing Ford Transits. At least we got the hack back from Estonia and we finished it quickly to make it to the next event.
With the settings from suspension and carburettor we were way of and it took some additional weeks to sort them all out. Only a few races during the Summer months and most of the time we were riding training sessions. When everything was getting better it was to late to sign up for the Baltic GP's. With so many races missed I thought to compensate and get more time racing. After the Summer only 5 races left and even then we had to cancel one.
We planned for 14 races and optionally the 2 Baltic GP's but did participate only 9 times. A huge difference with the 2011 season. At the end the bike was better than the crew, that's the only positive thing. For next year there will be changes but these in a different post later. Here are the final results from our season 2012:
Finnish championship 4th
Estonian championship 22nd
Latvian championship 32nd
Latvian Veterans championship 7th
Greetings,
Stephan
Dobele, Latvia 9.9.2012
Hello,
I'm a late again with updating this blog, maybe I need a secretary ;-). Dobele was already the last race of this season for us. The weekend before we should have been riding in Vaabina, Estonia, but Mikael had to move to an other apartment suddenly and we had to blow the trip of. Instead of riding gear we had furniture in the van that weekend.
We took the midday ferry to Tallinn accompanied by Maria who wanted to make some pictures of this last event. Our hotel was located in Jelgava and when driving through this city we saw this huge palace, the Jelgava Palace. It's dimensions are an enormous contrast with the surrounding buildings. It's huge!
During the night I woke up due to some noise outside and when I looked out of the window, we had the van on the parking lot, I saw a car with its front wheels hanging in a pit made during construction work at the road in front of the hotel. The streetlights are not always in working order and the markers of this pit were good as non-existing. A taxi helped them back on the road again.
In the morning we continued with the last 30 kilometers to Dobele. In spite of the many rain showers we had the last weeks, the track was in a very good condition. It was hard packed clay and the surface damp so that dust wouldn't be a problem. It was a fast and technical track, choosing good lines and really hanging on was the message. I thought we did very bad during practice but still had the 12th position with 15 entries.
Our start didn't work out as planned and by crossing the lines from behind to the inside of the first corner we still could pass 2 teams in the first corners.The first laps weren't bad and at the 13th position we tried to get the team in front of us. But then I already started to get tired and with a fast track that means loosing ground rapidly. Last place was the result.
The start of the 2nd heat was the same but now I pushed more and at the 3rd lap we were on the 10th position. But again I became tired and we saw our competitors passing one by one. When I'm not able to ride regularly I'm always having difficulties to get my rhythm back quickly and without rhythm it's like a fight against odds.
2 last places was not the way I would have ended our season but it was what it was. We stayed overnight at Baltezers and I was so exhausted that I slept the same moment I saw my bed. The next day I had fever rising and had to stay in bed for the rest of the week. With the 16:30 ferry back to Helsinki.
A link to Maria's pictures: http://crossiacrossia.blogspot.fi/
Till soon,
Stephan
Trip to Dobele: map
Results: Mylaps (BV = sidecars)
I'm a late again with updating this blog, maybe I need a secretary ;-). Dobele was already the last race of this season for us. The weekend before we should have been riding in Vaabina, Estonia, but Mikael had to move to an other apartment suddenly and we had to blow the trip of. Instead of riding gear we had furniture in the van that weekend.
During the night I woke up due to some noise outside and when I looked out of the window, we had the van on the parking lot, I saw a car with its front wheels hanging in a pit made during construction work at the road in front of the hotel. The streetlights are not always in working order and the markers of this pit were good as non-existing. A taxi helped them back on the road again.
In the morning we continued with the last 30 kilometers to Dobele. In spite of the many rain showers we had the last weeks, the track was in a very good condition. It was hard packed clay and the surface damp so that dust wouldn't be a problem. It was a fast and technical track, choosing good lines and really hanging on was the message. I thought we did very bad during practice but still had the 12th position with 15 entries.
The start of the 2nd heat was the same but now I pushed more and at the 3rd lap we were on the 10th position. But again I became tired and we saw our competitors passing one by one. When I'm not able to ride regularly I'm always having difficulties to get my rhythm back quickly and without rhythm it's like a fight against odds.
2 last places was not the way I would have ended our season but it was what it was. We stayed overnight at Baltezers and I was so exhausted that I slept the same moment I saw my bed. The next day I had fever rising and had to stay in bed for the rest of the week. With the 16:30 ferry back to Helsinki.
A link to Maria's pictures: http://crossiacrossia.blogspot.fi/
Till soon,
Stephan
Trip to Dobele: map
Results: Mylaps (BV = sidecars)
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Tihemetsa 25.8 Estonian championship race 5
Hello again,
last Friday evening we took the ferry to Tallinn for round 5 of the Estonian championship in Tihetmetsa located not far from Pärnu. We had rooms in a small hotel in Pärnu and in the morning only a 40 km drive was left to arrive at the track. We noticed that it had been raining a lot in this area seeing the many puddles on the fields.
During the training session the track was already very soft and some wet parts made only a single line possible that did wear out quickly. 16 entries had arrived this time. The season is nearing it's end and injuries have taken their toll. We were the only team from Finland and also from Latvia and Lithuania arrived only one team per country. Last place in the timing but we didn't care so much because the track would become very demanding as we remembered from last year. I've never been good at timed practices and I need some time to get adjusted to the track.
From the second row we got on our way and after the first lap we had the 15th place. During the race some teams got problems and with a steady going we passed the finish line at the 12th position. We could need the points very well because we did miss the first 2 races and it took time to get the hack set up correctly.
After the first heat we got some heavy rain showers and the track became real bad. Even for the solo bikes it became a test of endurance. Especially a lower area of the track looked more like a little stream than a motocross track. When it was our turn it stopped raining but we had no idea if it would be possible to do a lap without getting stuck. Luckily the organization realized this too and shortened the track and excluded the worse part hereby. Even the faster teams were happy with this decision. For the spectators, there still were spectators in spite of the weather, it was also nice because it was now like a stadium and they could follow the whole lap.
I had changed the rear wheel back for our Russian tire and that was a good decision, the hack was easier to drive through the deep ruts. The race was very dynamic with everyone that close and during the first rounds happened all kind of actions. Everyone was stuck for at least once and so did we. But with a little help from spectators we got the hack going again until we got lapped. I tried to take a higher line in a corner but the hack reacted like in a slow motion movie and the hack behind us bumped in our rear wheel. It was that slippery that we turned 90 degrees around. With a little shoving and pulling we were on our way again and finished 9th this time. Again some teams had technical problems but we were lucky to ride out. Directly after the finish line most of the coolant squirted out of a joint and we had to walk back to the van.
With the evening ferry back to Helsinki and a lot of work to clean all the riding gear and the side car. Also the van's interior looks more like a swinery than a transporter for racing equipment. Even we didn't have the speed to mix with the Estonian teams we still did well on this demanding track with very deep ruts everywhere. Last year we didn't finish the second heat after getting stuck and then the track wasn't even as bad as it was this year.
Greetings,
Stephan
Results at Mylaps (kv=sidecars)
Trip to Tihemetsa 24-25.8.2012
last Friday evening we took the ferry to Tallinn for round 5 of the Estonian championship in Tihetmetsa located not far from Pärnu. We had rooms in a small hotel in Pärnu and in the morning only a 40 km drive was left to arrive at the track. We noticed that it had been raining a lot in this area seeing the many puddles on the fields.
During the training session the track was already very soft and some wet parts made only a single line possible that did wear out quickly. 16 entries had arrived this time. The season is nearing it's end and injuries have taken their toll. We were the only team from Finland and also from Latvia and Lithuania arrived only one team per country. Last place in the timing but we didn't care so much because the track would become very demanding as we remembered from last year. I've never been good at timed practices and I need some time to get adjusted to the track.
From the second row we got on our way and after the first lap we had the 15th place. During the race some teams got problems and with a steady going we passed the finish line at the 12th position. We could need the points very well because we did miss the first 2 races and it took time to get the hack set up correctly.
After the first heat we got some heavy rain showers and the track became real bad. Even for the solo bikes it became a test of endurance. Especially a lower area of the track looked more like a little stream than a motocross track. When it was our turn it stopped raining but we had no idea if it would be possible to do a lap without getting stuck. Luckily the organization realized this too and shortened the track and excluded the worse part hereby. Even the faster teams were happy with this decision. For the spectators, there still were spectators in spite of the weather, it was also nice because it was now like a stadium and they could follow the whole lap.
Greetings,
Stephan
Results at Mylaps (kv=sidecars)
Trip to Tihemetsa 24-25.8.2012
Monday, 20 August 2012
Final round of the Finish championship Alavuus 18.08.2012
Hi all,
this weekend it was the third and final round for the Finish championship already. The race took place in Alavuus at a deep sand track with significant height differences. A beautiful track especially for the spectators but also very demanding for the sidecar class.
When we started our trip Friday afternoon the outer ring of Helsinki was completely blocked by an enormous traffic jam caused by a concert organized on a location with insufficient transportation options. Via small back roads we were able to escape this and suffered only a limited delay. We wanted to get the hack through the technical inspection already the same evening so we can sleep a little longer the next morning.
We made it in time and since Mikael is now having his driving license i didn't have to drive the whole trip alone anymore. Only 7 teams arrived at the paddock this time. This year's season isn't the best for our class. Let's hope that next year there will be less problems and injuries.
During the free practice and time training we tested different rear tires and decided for the famous Russian monster tire as did some other teams. These are old school tires with a size and profile used by the real 500 ccm motocross class eons ago. Nowadays they are used by the sidecars only when the sand is really deep.
With only 7 teams any place behind the gate is okay so we didn't really push during timed practice and the 6th position was ours.
The start of the first heat was good and at the fourth place we got through the first corner. We lost 2 positions soon there after but were able to overtake one place back again. We held this position for some laps but with a 20 minutes and 2 laps race on a heavy track like this I had to take it a little easier. At lap 5 we did loose one position and only then I noticed that the seventh team wasn't directly behind us. Only after the finish we heard that they got technical problems and had to retire. 6th position for our efforts and we were satisfied with our performance during the first half of the heat.
For the second heat only 5 teams showed up anymore due to technical or physical problems. During the exploration lap we noticed the track had gone so bad that we decided to concentrate on finishing the race and not to try to create some surprises. The track had worn out so much that between the already large holes and bumps from the first heat new ones had formed in between them. Not a single part of the track were it was possible to take a breath, all the time you had to push and pull the hack around. Especially a large down hill with deep sand had become rather scary. Keeping the throttle open to have the engine pulling all the time and dragging the rear brake the same time was the only option to keep the side car on it's line. I really counted down the times we had to descend there.
But at the end we went home with 2 fifth places and a fourth in the overall standings for the Finish championship. For the first time we have finished in all the heats of a series. Satisfied we started our trip back home and this time Mikael did the driving.
Very nice pictures from Alavuus in Markku Laukka's web album: http://mla.kuvat.fi/#/kuvat/Kuvat+2012/18.9+-12+SM+Motocross+Alavus/
Greetings,
Stephan
Mylaps results ( SV = sidecars)
Trip to Alavuus
this weekend it was the third and final round for the Finish championship already. The race took place in Alavuus at a deep sand track with significant height differences. A beautiful track especially for the spectators but also very demanding for the sidecar class.
When we started our trip Friday afternoon the outer ring of Helsinki was completely blocked by an enormous traffic jam caused by a concert organized on a location with insufficient transportation options. Via small back roads we were able to escape this and suffered only a limited delay. We wanted to get the hack through the technical inspection already the same evening so we can sleep a little longer the next morning.
We made it in time and since Mikael is now having his driving license i didn't have to drive the whole trip alone anymore. Only 7 teams arrived at the paddock this time. This year's season isn't the best for our class. Let's hope that next year there will be less problems and injuries.
With only 7 teams any place behind the gate is okay so we didn't really push during timed practice and the 6th position was ours.
The start of the first heat was good and at the fourth place we got through the first corner. We lost 2 positions soon there after but were able to overtake one place back again. We held this position for some laps but with a 20 minutes and 2 laps race on a heavy track like this I had to take it a little easier. At lap 5 we did loose one position and only then I noticed that the seventh team wasn't directly behind us. Only after the finish we heard that they got technical problems and had to retire. 6th position for our efforts and we were satisfied with our performance during the first half of the heat.
For the second heat only 5 teams showed up anymore due to technical or physical problems. During the exploration lap we noticed the track had gone so bad that we decided to concentrate on finishing the race and not to try to create some surprises. The track had worn out so much that between the already large holes and bumps from the first heat new ones had formed in between them. Not a single part of the track were it was possible to take a breath, all the time you had to push and pull the hack around. Especially a large down hill with deep sand had become rather scary. Keeping the throttle open to have the engine pulling all the time and dragging the rear brake the same time was the only option to keep the side car on it's line. I really counted down the times we had to descend there.
But at the end we went home with 2 fifth places and a fourth in the overall standings for the Finish championship. For the first time we have finished in all the heats of a series. Satisfied we started our trip back home and this time Mikael did the driving.
Very nice pictures from Alavuus in Markku Laukka's web album: http://mla.kuvat.fi/#/kuvat/Kuvat+2012/18.9+-12+SM+Motocross+Alavus/
Greetings,
Stephan
Mylaps results ( SV = sidecars)
Trip to Alavuus
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
Cesis, Latvia 5.8.2012
Hello,
last Saturday we took the 13:30 ferry to Tallinn. At the same ferry we met the Aronen/Mantila team going in the same direction. We had our hotel about 10 kilometers outside of Cesis. After a good breakfast we drove to the track.
The Cesis track is an old classic from the sidecar GP series but the last years there hasn't been organized a race for the world championship at this location. With 19 very different jumps a good knowledge of the track is an advantage. Most teams had been here before but for us it was the first time out here. We used the training session just to get to know the track and never really pushed for a good time. Last place was the result of this "tactic" ;-).
It was over 30 degrees Celsius when we started from the second row, 23 entries, and circled this time successfully around the traditional pile up after the start. We did pass 2 teams in the first 2 laps but also did loose some places when the faster teams recovered from their first corner perils. We tried to hang on but halfway I got tired and had to slow down, last place but with 5 teams out still points.
The start of the second heat happened without collisions and all the teams made it through the first corner without problems. We passed 2 teams during the first lap and found a good rhythm. We hadn't the speed to get an hold at the team in front of us and had to accept that the gap increased. But the teams behind us didn't get a change to overtake, we were able to grow a safe distance and finished 2 positions better than in heat one at the 16th position.
This was our first race this season we are satisfied about. Not only the hack is much better now but we start to get faster and, especially in the second heat, are able to find a good rhythm. In total we ended as second for the veteran's classification. After the race we drove straight back to Tallinn to catch the night ferry to Helsinki.
Greetings,
Stephan
Mylaps results (bv = sidecars)
Trp Cesis, Latvia 4-6.8.2012
last Saturday we took the 13:30 ferry to Tallinn. At the same ferry we met the Aronen/Mantila team going in the same direction. We had our hotel about 10 kilometers outside of Cesis. After a good breakfast we drove to the track.
The Cesis track is an old classic from the sidecar GP series but the last years there hasn't been organized a race for the world championship at this location. With 19 very different jumps a good knowledge of the track is an advantage. Most teams had been here before but for us it was the first time out here. We used the training session just to get to know the track and never really pushed for a good time. Last place was the result of this "tactic" ;-).
It was over 30 degrees Celsius when we started from the second row, 23 entries, and circled this time successfully around the traditional pile up after the start. We did pass 2 teams in the first 2 laps but also did loose some places when the faster teams recovered from their first corner perils. We tried to hang on but halfway I got tired and had to slow down, last place but with 5 teams out still points.
The start of the second heat happened without collisions and all the teams made it through the first corner without problems. We passed 2 teams during the first lap and found a good rhythm. We hadn't the speed to get an hold at the team in front of us and had to accept that the gap increased. But the teams behind us didn't get a change to overtake, we were able to grow a safe distance and finished 2 positions better than in heat one at the 16th position.
This was our first race this season we are satisfied about. Not only the hack is much better now but we start to get faster and, especially in the second heat, are able to find a good rhythm. In total we ended as second for the veteran's classification. After the race we drove straight back to Tallinn to catch the night ferry to Helsinki.
Greetings,
Stephan
Mylaps results (bv = sidecars)
Trp Cesis, Latvia 4-6.8.2012
Friday, 3 August 2012
Pictures of the hack
Hello,
some pics about the hack. Last Thursday evening we did a training session in Riihimäki and we were very satisfied with our performance. Tomorrow, Saturday afternoon, we will start our trip to Cecis, Latvia. Our confidence is high again and we really want to prove something in the remaining races.
Greetings,
Stephan
some pics about the hack. Last Thursday evening we did a training session in Riihimäki and we were very satisfied with our performance. Tomorrow, Saturday afternoon, we will start our trip to Cecis, Latvia. Our confidence is high again and we really want to prove something in the remaining races.
Greetings,
Stephan
Thursday, 2 August 2012
Pictures of Karksi Nuia, Estonia, 26.05.2012
album Karksi Nuia, Estonia 26.05.2012
Added pictures made by Panu. Some rain shower that day ;-).
Greetings,
Stephan
Added pictures made by Panu. Some rain shower that day ;-).
Greetings,
Stephan
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
Training sessions and our visit at Kiviöli, Estonia
Hi,
no races after Raahe for us and we've spend the time with training sessions and visited the Estonian GP in Kivöli.
We've been improving our speed and also the settings for the suspension and carburation. Especially the improved carburation makes a big difference, the engine is feeling much stronger now and running cleaner. After we made these changes the chain broke in two laps! First we thought that the extra power caused the fracture but after checking more carefully it had been a stone between the rear sprocket and chain that caused the failure.
Last weekend we visited Kiviöli in Estonia to watch the sidecar GP. Last year we participated in this event but due to the problems we had to work out first, we didn't apply this year.
Still Mikael was on the track but helping out Jarmo Lehtinen in the old stars class for 55+ sidecar veterans. They did besides their training session one heat of 10 minutes and 2 laps.
For many this was very demanding especially in combination with temperatures over thirty degrees Celsius.
With 35 entries in 2 classes, 45+ and 55+, they achieved a fourth position in the 55+ class and a twelfth position overall. A nice moment was the riders presentation, with 32 sidecars of the GP class and 35 sidecars of the veterans the track was completely covered from start to finish with sidecars during the parade lap.
Coming weekend we travel to Latvia, Cesis for the fifth round of the Latvian championship. We did miss some races in this competition but still we would like to get some good results.
Greetings,
Stephan
results sidecars veterans
Trip to Kiviöli, Estonia
no races after Raahe for us and we've spend the time with training sessions and visited the Estonian GP in Kivöli.
We've been improving our speed and also the settings for the suspension and carburation. Especially the improved carburation makes a big difference, the engine is feeling much stronger now and running cleaner. After we made these changes the chain broke in two laps! First we thought that the extra power caused the fracture but after checking more carefully it had been a stone between the rear sprocket and chain that caused the failure.
Last weekend we visited Kiviöli in Estonia to watch the sidecar GP. Last year we participated in this event but due to the problems we had to work out first, we didn't apply this year.
Still Mikael was on the track but helping out Jarmo Lehtinen in the old stars class for 55+ sidecar veterans. They did besides their training session one heat of 10 minutes and 2 laps.
For many this was very demanding especially in combination with temperatures over thirty degrees Celsius.
With 35 entries in 2 classes, 45+ and 55+, they achieved a fourth position in the 55+ class and a twelfth position overall. A nice moment was the riders presentation, with 32 sidecars of the GP class and 35 sidecars of the veterans the track was completely covered from start to finish with sidecars during the parade lap.
Coming weekend we travel to Latvia, Cesis for the fifth round of the Latvian championship. We did miss some races in this competition but still we would like to get some good results.
Greetings,
Stephan
results sidecars veterans
Trip to Kiviöli, Estonia
Monday, 9 July 2012
Raahe, Finland 7.7
Hello for the third post in a row
As promised, I'll continue till the blog is up to date again. Friday afternoon we loaded the van and after lunch we started for the long trip to the North. Actually you're only half way up to the absolute North of Finland because there's still a long way to go to the most Northen border. This area is called Ostrobothnia or in Finnish Pohjanmaa. And there's South, Central and North Ostrobothnia.
We've never been that far up before and this would be an interesting trip, a little tourism let's say. We met the team of Lehtinen/Hietala half way in Jyväskylä and together we started driving for the second half of the trip. It was interesting to see the changes in the landscape and be able to locate places you hear normally only in the news.
We made it in time, about 600 kilometres, for the technical check and sound test. This means we didn't have to wake up very early the next morning ;-). Unfortunately only 6 side car teams could make it to this race. Mainly injuries kept some teams at home (probably watching MX1 and MX2 via the internet at their turn). There was a race in Latvia the same weekend and that restricts participation of teams with strong interests in that competition. Our hotel was in the centre of Raahe not far from the track.
The Raahe track was mainly deep soft sand and normally this would be disaster for side cars. But not here, the jumps were build with a perfect angle and landing area. Also by using different materials the surfaces of the jumps were made resistant against wear of the motocross tires. Especially the outer ring of the track was really fast with good jumps and lots of air for the hacks, even in the second heat.
There's plenty of space with only 6 hacks behind the gate but it doesn't lessen the thirst for performing well. We were third in the first corner and gave everything to hang on behind the Kunnas brothers and Lindgren/Sahanne. This time the side car was better than the crew. First Lehtinen/Hietala passed us and a little later Kokko/Tiilikainen did the same. The battery was empty again and we just hanged on to finish for the points. The weather was very hot, about 30 degrees Celsius and the track very demanding. I tried to save energy by crossing the solo classes lines but with this little number of side cars there's no optimal line and I wasted time by trying too much this way.
For the second heat we decided to forget all technical lines and just ride where the hack went. This time also Lehtinen/Hietala pressed through in the first corner and our place was fourth. We opened all our registers to hang on and try to do some havoc. But then I got in a wrong rut and stalled the engine, as last we continued and just enjoyed the big jumps at the outer ring of the track until the finish.
We stayed for the night at a hotel in Ylivieska and continued the next morning our trip back to Helsinki. It was a long trip and our results not exactly what we wanted but at the end we're satisfied because the hack functions very well. We'll continue with training sessions to work up more endurance so we can exploit the new possibilities.
Results: MXSV SM = side cars
Trip: http://goo.gl/maps/ML9U
Greetings,
Stephan
As promised, I'll continue till the blog is up to date again. Friday afternoon we loaded the van and after lunch we started for the long trip to the North. Actually you're only half way up to the absolute North of Finland because there's still a long way to go to the most Northen border. This area is called Ostrobothnia or in Finnish Pohjanmaa. And there's South, Central and North Ostrobothnia.
We've never been that far up before and this would be an interesting trip, a little tourism let's say. We met the team of Lehtinen/Hietala half way in Jyväskylä and together we started driving for the second half of the trip. It was interesting to see the changes in the landscape and be able to locate places you hear normally only in the news.
We made it in time, about 600 kilometres, for the technical check and sound test. This means we didn't have to wake up very early the next morning ;-). Unfortunately only 6 side car teams could make it to this race. Mainly injuries kept some teams at home (probably watching MX1 and MX2 via the internet at their turn). There was a race in Latvia the same weekend and that restricts participation of teams with strong interests in that competition. Our hotel was in the centre of Raahe not far from the track.
The Raahe track was mainly deep soft sand and normally this would be disaster for side cars. But not here, the jumps were build with a perfect angle and landing area. Also by using different materials the surfaces of the jumps were made resistant against wear of the motocross tires. Especially the outer ring of the track was really fast with good jumps and lots of air for the hacks, even in the second heat.
There's plenty of space with only 6 hacks behind the gate but it doesn't lessen the thirst for performing well. We were third in the first corner and gave everything to hang on behind the Kunnas brothers and Lindgren/Sahanne. This time the side car was better than the crew. First Lehtinen/Hietala passed us and a little later Kokko/Tiilikainen did the same. The battery was empty again and we just hanged on to finish for the points. The weather was very hot, about 30 degrees Celsius and the track very demanding. I tried to save energy by crossing the solo classes lines but with this little number of side cars there's no optimal line and I wasted time by trying too much this way.
For the second heat we decided to forget all technical lines and just ride where the hack went. This time also Lehtinen/Hietala pressed through in the first corner and our place was fourth. We opened all our registers to hang on and try to do some havoc. But then I got in a wrong rut and stalled the engine, as last we continued and just enjoyed the big jumps at the outer ring of the track until the finish.
We stayed for the night at a hotel in Ylivieska and continued the next morning our trip back to Helsinki. It was a long trip and our results not exactly what we wanted but at the end we're satisfied because the hack functions very well. We'll continue with training sessions to work up more endurance so we can exploit the new possibilities.
Results: MXSV SM = side cars
Trip: http://goo.gl/maps/ML9U
Greetings,
Stephan
Sunday, 8 July 2012
Training sessions and changes
Hi again,
when I've started to update I'll be updating the blog till it's current again. After we found out that the old settings didn't work either we needed to do something more drastic. A friend who had been involved with a lot of development work told me that when small changes, as is the normal procedure, do not give improvements you must do sometimes something very radical and change a lot of things to start from a very different new situation
And that's what I did at the end, installed the stiffer springs, fixed the rebound damping, turned the steering axle for less caster, turned the bar mounts and adjusted the bar in a different angle. This was giving a more rigid front end and a different position for my hands.
But when I wanted to test this all it was Midsummer in Finland and that's almost holy with many tracks closed and a passenger who had other plans with friends and sister at some summer cottage. Nothing else to do then watching the MX1 and MX2 races via the Internet TV.
The next weekend Mikael got ill and Raahe was getting nearer. I needed a passenger to test at least if the new set up would work and called an old friend Jukka Hasari with who I had raced 16 or 17 years ago one season when I tried side car motocross for the first time. I phoned him when he was just coming home from a Classic side car race he is competing nowadays besides helping Aronen/Mantila. But he still had some energy left to transfer his riding gear to Jani's van and I could test my settings at the Vantaa track the next day.
The hack had changed dramatically in a very positive way, easy to steer, stable and no pain in my hands. A miracle but all these changes together did the magic I needed. Wednesday Mikael was okay again and we went together to a track located in Siuntio for more testing. I did also minor changes to the carburettor settings and everything felt good.
Technically we were ready to (re)start the season!
Greetings,
Stephan
when I've started to update I'll be updating the blog till it's current again. After we found out that the old settings didn't work either we needed to do something more drastic. A friend who had been involved with a lot of development work told me that when small changes, as is the normal procedure, do not give improvements you must do sometimes something very radical and change a lot of things to start from a very different new situation
And that's what I did at the end, installed the stiffer springs, fixed the rebound damping, turned the steering axle for less caster, turned the bar mounts and adjusted the bar in a different angle. This was giving a more rigid front end and a different position for my hands.
But when I wanted to test this all it was Midsummer in Finland and that's almost holy with many tracks closed and a passenger who had other plans with friends and sister at some summer cottage. Nothing else to do then watching the MX1 and MX2 races via the Internet TV.
The next weekend Mikael got ill and Raahe was getting nearer. I needed a passenger to test at least if the new set up would work and called an old friend Jukka Hasari with who I had raced 16 or 17 years ago one season when I tried side car motocross for the first time. I phoned him when he was just coming home from a Classic side car race he is competing nowadays besides helping Aronen/Mantila. But he still had some energy left to transfer his riding gear to Jani's van and I could test my settings at the Vantaa track the next day.
The hack had changed dramatically in a very positive way, easy to steer, stable and no pain in my hands. A miracle but all these changes together did the magic I needed. Wednesday Mikael was okay again and we went together to a track located in Siuntio for more testing. I did also minor changes to the carburettor settings and everything felt good.
Technically we were ready to (re)start the season!
Greetings,
Stephan
Aravete, Estonia 17.6
Hi all,
it has been too long ago that I've updated the blog but it doesn't mean that we're just changed in sofa potatoes ;-). In my last post I did mention to go back to the same front suspension settings as last year thinking to have a simple solution for our problems. But of course it wasn't that simple.
Probably because of the different weight and power curve of the 650 engine it didn't work out as expected. But first back to the trip to Aravete located about 60 kilometres from Tallinn. We took an almost empty Saturday evening ferry to Tallinn and checked in at our hotel situated at the out skirts of Tallinn. I've noticed that the prices for a stay at the hotels, especially in Tallinn, have increased remarkably. But with a little bit of internet shopping you still can get a room for a decent price. At the end it's only for a single night, no Hilton with our racing budget.
After breakfast we steered the van to Aravete's track. The track is situated to the West of the village and we had a short cut that saved about 20 kilometres, knowledge is power? 4 other teams from Finland had arrived the evening before, Aronen/Mantila, Lehtinen/Hietala, Lindgren/Sahane and the Kunnas brothers. Some burglary had happened during the night and from several teams some issues had been stolen. When you think that this track is located in the middle of nowhere its rather surprising when things like this happens.
The weather was not too good, hard wind and rain showers. When the side car class started their training sessions heaven opened all the gates it could open and in 15 minutes poured down more water than the Niagara waterfalls do in one hour. There's a video clip from a Latvian spectator at Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEraB6GOrJs .
We did 3 laps and both our goggles where completely unusable and that was our input at the training session, not a good time but we knew that we would end anyhow at the second row with over 15 entries. All the teams had the same problems and the track emptied before the training session was officially finished.
The start of the first heat showed a pile up in the first corner and we had to wait a few seconds to cruise around the wreck yard.We chased an Estonian team in front of us for 4 or 5 laps but didn't find the possibility to pass. Then my batteries went zero and we just drove the hack to the finish for points. The second heat was a copy of the first except that the same Estonian team was now at our back. We got rid of them but at the end of the race I stalled the engine, tired? Last place at the finish anyhow.
The last year front suspension set up didn't work out as expected, when we viewed the video made during the training session we noticed a very weird behaviour from our front forks, back to the workshop! We drove with all the teams from Finland together back to Tallinn. Some had the evening ferry, other the first morning ferry and we took the night ferry. We were happy that the ferry was going and even on time because the wind was very strong. Later in bed the ferry was moving that much I felt like laying on a water bed with waves.
Till next post,
Regards,
Stephan
A link to pictures: http://www.snap.ee/user/milvipilvik/album/aravete__emv_iv_etapp
Our trip: http://goo.gl/maps/pa4x
Mylaps: KV = side cars
it has been too long ago that I've updated the blog but it doesn't mean that we're just changed in sofa potatoes ;-). In my last post I did mention to go back to the same front suspension settings as last year thinking to have a simple solution for our problems. But of course it wasn't that simple.
Probably because of the different weight and power curve of the 650 engine it didn't work out as expected. But first back to the trip to Aravete located about 60 kilometres from Tallinn. We took an almost empty Saturday evening ferry to Tallinn and checked in at our hotel situated at the out skirts of Tallinn. I've noticed that the prices for a stay at the hotels, especially in Tallinn, have increased remarkably. But with a little bit of internet shopping you still can get a room for a decent price. At the end it's only for a single night, no Hilton with our racing budget.
After breakfast we steered the van to Aravete's track. The track is situated to the West of the village and we had a short cut that saved about 20 kilometres, knowledge is power? 4 other teams from Finland had arrived the evening before, Aronen/Mantila, Lehtinen/Hietala, Lindgren/Sahane and the Kunnas brothers. Some burglary had happened during the night and from several teams some issues had been stolen. When you think that this track is located in the middle of nowhere its rather surprising when things like this happens.
The weather was not too good, hard wind and rain showers. When the side car class started their training sessions heaven opened all the gates it could open and in 15 minutes poured down more water than the Niagara waterfalls do in one hour. There's a video clip from a Latvian spectator at Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEraB6GOrJs .
We did 3 laps and both our goggles where completely unusable and that was our input at the training session, not a good time but we knew that we would end anyhow at the second row with over 15 entries. All the teams had the same problems and the track emptied before the training session was officially finished.
The start of the first heat showed a pile up in the first corner and we had to wait a few seconds to cruise around the wreck yard.We chased an Estonian team in front of us for 4 or 5 laps but didn't find the possibility to pass. Then my batteries went zero and we just drove the hack to the finish for points. The second heat was a copy of the first except that the same Estonian team was now at our back. We got rid of them but at the end of the race I stalled the engine, tired? Last place at the finish anyhow.
The last year front suspension set up didn't work out as expected, when we viewed the video made during the training session we noticed a very weird behaviour from our front forks, back to the workshop! We drove with all the teams from Finland together back to Tallinn. Some had the evening ferry, other the first morning ferry and we took the night ferry. We were happy that the ferry was going and even on time because the wind was very strong. Later in bed the ferry was moving that much I felt like laying on a water bed with waves.
Till next post,
Regards,
Stephan
A link to pictures: http://www.snap.ee/user/milvipilvik/album/aravete__emv_iv_etapp
Our trip: http://goo.gl/maps/pa4x
Mylaps: KV = side cars
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Training sessions and setting up the hack
Hi,
the weeks after Karksi-Nuia we've spend with training sessions to get all the problems with the hack sorted out. We had sessions at the Hyvinkää and Orimattila tracks. The carburettor settings have been changed drastically and now the engine starts to run as we hoped for. Due to all the rush during the weeks before our last race, we were forced to use slightly changed settings we used with the smaller engines. This didn't work out at all, that's clear now. We're still going to test smaller adjustments but its getting close now.
For our suspension issues I ordered new springs, the same as last season. I can't get even with the new stiffer set up we started to use and the old springs are sagging too much. Back to last good configuration, simple as that.
The coming weekend we're having a race for the Estonian championship in Aravete. A nice track with good grip. There we should have much profit of the new engine. After Aravete a long pause until Raahe for the second race of the Finnish championship. The races are concentrated this year at the start of the season and from the end of July till halfway September. During the Summer months only those 2 races as mentioned. I'm still waiting for Pictures from Karksi-Nuia, hope to upload them soon.
Till soon,
Stephan
the weeks after Karksi-Nuia we've spend with training sessions to get all the problems with the hack sorted out. We had sessions at the Hyvinkää and Orimattila tracks. The carburettor settings have been changed drastically and now the engine starts to run as we hoped for. Due to all the rush during the weeks before our last race, we were forced to use slightly changed settings we used with the smaller engines. This didn't work out at all, that's clear now. We're still going to test smaller adjustments but its getting close now.
For our suspension issues I ordered new springs, the same as last season. I can't get even with the new stiffer set up we started to use and the old springs are sagging too much. Back to last good configuration, simple as that.
The coming weekend we're having a race for the Estonian championship in Aravete. A nice track with good grip. There we should have much profit of the new engine. After Aravete a long pause until Raahe for the second race of the Finnish championship. The races are concentrated this year at the start of the season and from the end of July till halfway September. During the Summer months only those 2 races as mentioned. I'm still waiting for Pictures from Karksi-Nuia, hope to upload them soon.
Till soon,
Stephan
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Karki-Nuia, first race with the new engine
Hi again,
I'm writing this post while on the ferry back to Helsinki. Yesterday's race wasn't one to be proud at. It ended more as a survival run than an actual race. The Karksi-Nuia track is sandy with some small climbs but getting very demanding during race day when the track wears out more and more, very rough at some spots.
I couldn't find my rhythm during the practice session and our time was far from wanted. The new longer stroked engine's character is so different than the short stroke engine we used before, that I've to adapt my riding style to it. Switching gears at the right spot is very important, the smaller engine did run so much higher rounds and didn't need always an up shift at the last part of a straight.
The start of the first heat we performed from the second row. I noticed that I was too late with switching gears and we got slowly on our way. In the first corner was a jam and while we waited for our turn to continue the engine just stalled. As last we continued but half way the first lap the engine stalled again. Next problem was the roll-of film of my goggles, the collector got stuck and I had to rip new film manually. To make matters worse was that the collector's cap broke off and the old film was flying behind me. After 2 or 3 laps it got stuck in the hack's rear wheel and in a fraction of a second all the clean film was ripped also from the dispenser's bin.
I was driving too forced and our front end did dive too deep at the worst spots of the track. This made my hands getting tired quickly. Then heaven opened it's water reservoirs and during the last 5 laps water was pouring down so much that it was like we were riding through a wall of water. Nothing too lose any more and I had to take away my goggles. We just drove our last laps to finish 19th.
Before the second heat we replaced one spring in the front fork for a firmer type to prevent the front end from diving too deep. Our start was a little bit better now and I remembered to shift quicker (during the start you cannot hear your engine). The first laps went better now but still I was driving too forced and getting tired after a few laps. A few teams passed us and we took it easy, maybe too easy because we got stuck at a sandy climb. With the help from some spectators we pushed the hack over the top and to the side. But then I was so tired that I needed a break before restart the engine and continue. We did 2 laps and finished but no points because our laps were less then 75% of the winners.
We went to Aegviidu for the night and had dinner in restaurant near by. There was place for about 200 people but we were the only customers. The coming weeks we will continue with working at the bike, front suspension and carburettor settings.
Greetings,
Stephan
Route Karksi-Nuia
Results at Mylaps (KV=side cars)
I'm writing this post while on the ferry back to Helsinki. Yesterday's race wasn't one to be proud at. It ended more as a survival run than an actual race. The Karksi-Nuia track is sandy with some small climbs but getting very demanding during race day when the track wears out more and more, very rough at some spots.
I couldn't find my rhythm during the practice session and our time was far from wanted. The new longer stroked engine's character is so different than the short stroke engine we used before, that I've to adapt my riding style to it. Switching gears at the right spot is very important, the smaller engine did run so much higher rounds and didn't need always an up shift at the last part of a straight.
I was driving too forced and our front end did dive too deep at the worst spots of the track. This made my hands getting tired quickly. Then heaven opened it's water reservoirs and during the last 5 laps water was pouring down so much that it was like we were riding through a wall of water. Nothing too lose any more and I had to take away my goggles. We just drove our last laps to finish 19th.
Before the second heat we replaced one spring in the front fork for a firmer type to prevent the front end from diving too deep. Our start was a little bit better now and I remembered to shift quicker (during the start you cannot hear your engine). The first laps went better now but still I was driving too forced and getting tired after a few laps. A few teams passed us and we took it easy, maybe too easy because we got stuck at a sandy climb. With the help from some spectators we pushed the hack over the top and to the side. But then I was so tired that I needed a break before restart the engine and continue. We did 2 laps and finished but no points because our laps were less then 75% of the winners.
We went to Aegviidu for the night and had dinner in restaurant near by. There was place for about 200 people but we were the only customers. The coming weeks we will continue with working at the bike, front suspension and carburettor settings.
Greetings,
Stephan
Route Karksi-Nuia
Results at Mylaps (KV=side cars)
Friday, 25 May 2012
Back on the road & at the track
Hi all,
the last weeks haven't been the best weeks of our season. Back in Finland after delivering the hack at the AYR workshop our Ford Transit did run in new technical problems. Arriving at my work all the coolant was spread out on the parking lot. Nothing else left than call a tow car and have the van transported to a garage.
This time I decided to do the repair by myself because without a sidecar nothing better to do or..? The van was shipped to Teokon and in the evening we had a look at it. A water hoose was punctured but to replace it I had to dismantle half of the engine. A second hose was also bad and I found spare parts from a Ford dealer not far from Helsinki!
Everything back in it's place and the engine getting warmer again coolant started to drip, a new leak, the water pump this time. To replace a water pump in a Transit you'll have to dismantle about 75% of the engine. The new hydraulic pump had to be removed also, strange that the first workshop didn't notice all the three bad parts when doing the original repair. But last Sunday the van was ready and back on the road.
A friend picked up our sidecar at the AYR workshop when travelling from Estonia, that saved me a return trip to Tallinn. Monday and Tuesday evening we spend in our own workshop fixing the last issues with the hack. The engine is mounted a littler lower in the frame now and after re-installing all the necessary accessories we kicked it for the first time alive. The engine started easily and did run very smoothly. The same evening we packed the van with all the stuff you would need for a GP tour of 12 races.
Wednesday evening we went to the Siuntio Motorclub track for the first laps with the new engine. Of course we had to take it easy but it's very clear that this engine is so much easier to ride. We did our laps and had breaks to let the engine cool down before the next session. After all the troubles and work this was almost too easy!
Thursday evening we did go to Riihimäki for a second session. All the tracks near Helsinki were occupied or closed. Also this evening the engine did run smoothly and very strong. We did give the engine a few good runs and decided to participate at the Karksi-Nuia event. The van was fine and the hack felt good, what more do you need?
I ordered tickets for myself and the van but had to take the 14:00 ferry at Friday. Mikael and Panu will follow with the 17:30 ferry as footman. I'm writing this post while on the ferry, good moment to update our journey to glory. In the evening we will drive to Viljandi to our hotel and tomorrow morning the first race since one month. Let's hope all the bad luck you can have in a season is behind now.
Best regards,
Stephan
the last weeks haven't been the best weeks of our season. Back in Finland after delivering the hack at the AYR workshop our Ford Transit did run in new technical problems. Arriving at my work all the coolant was spread out on the parking lot. Nothing else left than call a tow car and have the van transported to a garage.
This time I decided to do the repair by myself because without a sidecar nothing better to do or..? The van was shipped to Teokon and in the evening we had a look at it. A water hoose was punctured but to replace it I had to dismantle half of the engine. A second hose was also bad and I found spare parts from a Ford dealer not far from Helsinki!
Everything back in it's place and the engine getting warmer again coolant started to drip, a new leak, the water pump this time. To replace a water pump in a Transit you'll have to dismantle about 75% of the engine. The new hydraulic pump had to be removed also, strange that the first workshop didn't notice all the three bad parts when doing the original repair. But last Sunday the van was ready and back on the road.
A friend picked up our sidecar at the AYR workshop when travelling from Estonia, that saved me a return trip to Tallinn. Monday and Tuesday evening we spend in our own workshop fixing the last issues with the hack. The engine is mounted a littler lower in the frame now and after re-installing all the necessary accessories we kicked it for the first time alive. The engine started easily and did run very smoothly. The same evening we packed the van with all the stuff you would need for a GP tour of 12 races.
Wednesday evening we went to the Siuntio Motorclub track for the first laps with the new engine. Of course we had to take it easy but it's very clear that this engine is so much easier to ride. We did our laps and had breaks to let the engine cool down before the next session. After all the troubles and work this was almost too easy!
Thursday evening we did go to Riihimäki for a second session. All the tracks near Helsinki were occupied or closed. Also this evening the engine did run smoothly and very strong. We did give the engine a few good runs and decided to participate at the Karksi-Nuia event. The van was fine and the hack felt good, what more do you need?
I ordered tickets for myself and the van but had to take the 14:00 ferry at Friday. Mikael and Panu will follow with the 17:30 ferry as footman. I'm writing this post while on the ferry, good moment to update our journey to glory. In the evening we will drive to Viljandi to our hotel and tomorrow morning the first race since one month. Let's hope all the bad luck you can have in a season is behind now.
Best regards,
Stephan
Sunday, 13 May 2012
Some pictures of the first 2 races
Hi,
we're still waiting for the new engine mounts and hopefully I'll pickup the hack tomorrow or Tuesday. For now a link to Maria's blog with pics from Vantaa and some pictures from different web albums: Vantaa and Aizpute 2012
Regards,
Stephan
we're still waiting for the new engine mounts and hopefully I'll pickup the hack tomorrow or Tuesday. For now a link to Maria's blog with pics from Vantaa and some pictures from different web albums: Vantaa and Aizpute 2012
Regards,
Stephan
Monday, 7 May 2012
The start of our season so far...
Hello,
not too many updates at this blog and the reason for this was the enormous time spent in the workshop. If I had spent the same time in the gym as I did in the workshop, I would have been in an excellent shape.
We had/have a lot of problems with the engines this year. The plan was to get first the spare engine tested and ready. First training sessions with the smaller engine should bring us quicker in a good rhythm. But the engine was leaking coolant and building pressure in the cooling system so I had to open it again after the first training session. This happened the next session as well and then I exchanged parts for a different bore. This didn't help either and then I exchanged the cases too.
All in all I opened the engine four times during the start of our training sessions in preparation for the first races. On top of this Mikael became ill and we did loose an other weekend in our preparations.
At the end we had a functioning smaller engine and no time to finish the larger new engine. That one was left at the workbench for later. We had 5 races for the first week of this season on the calendar. Everything had to be okay or total disaster would follow. And disaster it became.
First race, Vantaa 28.05.2012
14 teams showed up for the first event with 4 teams from Estonia. During the timed practice session the passenger of the Talat brothers did misstep the hack's foothold and fractured his leg. Some track marshals started to lead all the teams back in the pit street but the organization continued with timing. After a while we decided to go back on the track for a fast lap. We had the 7th time but with only 13 teams left there's only one row behind the gate.
We noticed that the engine did smoke a little through the exhaust but nothing to do about that without a spare engine. Our start was bad and we battled with some teams to finish at the 7th spot. There was coming more smoke from the engine and it was very difficult to start before the second heat.
Our start was even worse than the first and we had to pass again some teams before we settled for 7th. Riding was not bad taken in account the minimal preparations for the season but the engine smoked more and more. Also the engine did run noticeably worse.
We decided still to continue to Latvia because the trip had been paid for already and we didn't want to start the championship with zero results.
Second race, Aizpute 29.05.2012
Immediately after the finish of the 2nd heat in Vantaa we drove to the harbour to get the 17:30 ferry to Tallinn. At the ferry we took a shower and had dinner. After arrival in Tallinn we continued to Kekava, Latvia, where we stayed for the night. The other 2 teams from Finland continued straight to Aizpute. We did drive the last 2 hours the next morning.
We put some thicker oil in the engine and a fresh spark plug. During the training session we did only 3 laps. After the training the spark plug was fouled again and the engine was using noticeably oil. We went to the parc fermé for the first heat with mixed feelings. With 27 teams 2 rows behind the gate and some jams in the first corners. Riding wasn't bad, we passed the numbers 1 and 2 of last year's veteran championship easily and despite a blue curtain of smoke behind us we intended to get a good result.
But at the end the engine was running very raw, sometimes almost stalled, and I didn't notice that on of our competitor's was back on our tail. I thought them a fast team setting us back for a lap but when I realized my error it was to late. The engine was running worse and worse and at the end we were happy to pass the finish line. With an impressive blue curtain of smoke we got back to our transporter. Almost all the engine oil was gone and because of this I decided not to start in the 2nd heat.
This means we didn't start in Põlva, Estonia, either. With the night ferry back to Helsinki and I went back in the workshop. I started to build the new engine with the longer stroke. A part of the gear box was defect and I had to open the broken engine first to get a replacement part. Some parts had been ordered and had to be collected from the dealer. A seal was in back order and I had to take this also from the broken engine.
Because of the longer stroke the new engine is 2cm higher and some modifications had to be done. But I ended up with not enough space to install the carburettor. This caused that we had to cancel the next 2 races as well! I took the ferry to Tallinn to bring the sidecar to the manufacturer for modifications to adapt the carburettor. When I arrived in Tallinn, the transporter's belt of the power steering/water-pump shredded when the tensioner roll locked. This was a few weeks ago replaced! Luckily I found help from a Ford garage, at Saturday morning, and after 3 hours it was fixed.
Not a good start at all for us. Only with the Finnish championship we are without DNF/DNS. When the hack is ready again we will take the races just one by one. For the Latvian and Estonian championships we don't play a role any more.
Regards,
Stephan
Our trip 28.4-1.5
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
New shirts and sticker set
Hello,
it's some time ago that I've updated our blog but better late than never. Because we have some new names from companies supporting us for the new season, it was time to order new shirts and stickers. The start number will be as last year, # 155, and the basic layout we also kept the same.
Crescom (Server Hosting) merged with Cygate (Network Services) and we are very happy that Cygate continues with supporting us. A new logo of course and a different shade of yellow fitting to the Cygate logo.
Other new names are Multicom (Storage and Backup Solutions) who jumped on board with us and Laakeri-Center, a bearing company and not difficult to see the picture ;-).
Soon more!
Greetings,
Stephan
it's some time ago that I've updated our blog but better late than never. Because we have some new names from companies supporting us for the new season, it was time to order new shirts and stickers. The start number will be as last year, # 155, and the basic layout we also kept the same.
Crescom (Server Hosting) merged with Cygate (Network Services) and we are very happy that Cygate continues with supporting us. A new logo of course and a different shade of yellow fitting to the Cygate logo.
Other new names are Multicom (Storage and Backup Solutions) who jumped on board with us and Laakeri-Center, a bearing company and not difficult to see the picture ;-).
Soon more!
Greetings,
Stephan
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
Finnish Spring II
Hi all,
the first laps of 2012 are reality! We were last Saturday and Sunday at the Vantaa track riding for the first time this year. It was very cold and at some places the track was still frozen.
It felt like we've never ridden the hack before. How is it possible that after the long Winter everything seems to be forgotten?
As usual with a maiden-trip we had our technical problems too. I had to fix an incorrect position of the carburetor’s return spring and the head gasket was leaking. At the end a cooling tube got punctured and that was Saturday's result.
We went back to the workshop and took the cylinder head of. Because this engine has a copper gasket we could reuse it after glowing it with a torch.
Only no matches and again a trip to a gas station.
Sunday we were back on the track and now our riding was going much better. Only the head gasket was still leaking. 4 laps and then back in the paddock to let the engine cool down and refill the cooling system.
And Monday? Well, look at the pictures of the trip to my work that morning. For now we have time again to work at the bike for a while.
Greetings,
Stephan
the first laps of 2012 are reality! We were last Saturday and Sunday at the Vantaa track riding for the first time this year. It was very cold and at some places the track was still frozen.
It felt like we've never ridden the hack before. How is it possible that after the long Winter everything seems to be forgotten?
As usual with a maiden-trip we had our technical problems too. I had to fix an incorrect position of the carburetor’s return spring and the head gasket was leaking. At the end a cooling tube got punctured and that was Saturday's result.
We went back to the workshop and took the cylinder head of. Because this engine has a copper gasket we could reuse it after glowing it with a torch.
Only no matches and again a trip to a gas station.
Sunday we were back on the track and now our riding was going much better. Only the head gasket was still leaking. 4 laps and then back in the paddock to let the engine cool down and refill the cooling system.
And Monday? Well, look at the pictures of the trip to my work that morning. For now we have time again to work at the bike for a while.
Greetings,
Stephan
Monday, 19 March 2012
Finnish Spring
Hi,
we're almost ready with building the sidecar for the coming season. For now we will use the old plastic parts until we receive the new plastics with the new sticker sets. We planned already to be out on the track next weekend but looks like we'll have to wait a little while yet.
Here some pics taken this morning ;-)
Best regards,
Stephan
we're almost ready with building the sidecar for the coming season. For now we will use the old plastic parts until we receive the new plastics with the new sticker sets. We planned already to be out on the track next weekend but looks like we'll have to wait a little while yet.
Here some pics taken this morning ;-)
Best regards,
Stephan
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Race calendar 2012
Hi all,
the Estonian federation has published it's final race calender for 2012 (what's final, changes do always occur ;-)). Together with Finland and Latvia there are 17 races on the list. No cup races in Estonia this year but 6 championship races like Latvia (2 races less than the previous year). Finland 3 races (1 less) but Raahe and Stelpe in the same weekend, hmmm....
The start of the new season will be interesting, 5 races in 9 days. Well, don't they usually say that before ships were made from wood and men from steel? Sidecar motocross is the dinosaur of the motocross scene, thus from the wooden ship and men of steel area. Let's hope.
The race calendar for 2012 you'll find under its own tab.
Greetings, Stephan
the Estonian federation has published it's final race calender for 2012 (what's final, changes do always occur ;-)). Together with Finland and Latvia there are 17 races on the list. No cup races in Estonia this year but 6 championship races like Latvia (2 races less than the previous year). Finland 3 races (1 less) but Raahe and Stelpe in the same weekend, hmmm....
The start of the new season will be interesting, 5 races in 9 days. Well, don't they usually say that before ships were made from wood and men from steel? Sidecar motocross is the dinosaur of the motocross scene, thus from the wooden ship and men of steel area. Let's hope.
The race calendar for 2012 you'll find under its own tab.
Greetings, Stephan
Monday, 27 February 2012
Building the hack part II
Hi all,
a few pictures again taken at an afternoon in the workshop. All swings and foot guards have been painted blue now and we continued with our building. The bike will be ready soon from now but we're not in hurry at all. I walked last weekend here in a park and the back of a park bench, almost completely hidden under the snow, was at the same level as my feet ;-). I was walking on top of almost one meter of snow and that in Helsinki.
Greetings, Stephan
a few pictures again taken at an afternoon in the workshop. All swings and foot guards have been painted blue now and we continued with our building. The bike will be ready soon from now but we're not in hurry at all. I walked last weekend here in a park and the back of a park bench, almost completely hidden under the snow, was at the same level as my feet ;-). I was walking on top of almost one meter of snow and that in Helsinki.
Greetings, Stephan
Monday, 30 January 2012
Building the hack
Hi again,
Last Saturday I picked up the frame at Are Kaurit's workshop. Some minor repairs and changes plus a new white paint coat. The frame is in a good shape again, especially the tubes under the engine had suffered some damage due to rocks on the tracks.
One of the changes is the right foot protector, now 2 parallel replaceable tubes. This prevents excessive build up of dirt under the brake pedal like we had last season with the aluminium protector.
There's a lot of snow again this winter and we have time to build up the hack for the coming weeks.
Some pictures added, more will follow during our time we will spend in the workshop.
Greetings, Stephan
Last Saturday I picked up the frame at Are Kaurit's workshop. Some minor repairs and changes plus a new white paint coat. The frame is in a good shape again, especially the tubes under the engine had suffered some damage due to rocks on the tracks.
One of the changes is the right foot protector, now 2 parallel replaceable tubes. This prevents excessive build up of dirt under the brake pedal like we had last season with the aluminium protector.
There's a lot of snow again this winter and we have time to build up the hack for the coming weeks.
Some pictures added, more will follow during our time we will spend in the workshop.
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