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)

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

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

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