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*Liam's Wild Ride*

liam -

only 4 weeks until WPM2006!!!

have not heard back yet from the spanish club's, so you might need to get a train or airline ticket.

pm me with details.

ciao,
johnc
 
ciao liam ... como sti?

i just post whored the link to this thread on about 12 ducati themed boards all over the planet ... i just HAD to get the word out on this bitchin thread to everyone that will listen, and some that won't ;-)

ciao,
john the post whore
 
My Week with Yamaha Folch Endurance!

Ok, while many of you think I'm only into WSBK or MotoGP, I am actually into "All Things Moto". This includes dirtbikes, minibikes, and just plain anything on two wheels! This past week I had a chance to participate in one of the more interesting and diverse forms of racing I have ever been involved in. . . .

I had just gotten back from Valencia WSBK on Monday afternoon, and no sooner had I taken a nap I got a message from my friend, Kenny Noyes, about some upcoming tests he had at Albacete, a racetrack in Southern Spain. Kenny had just competed as a replacement rider for David Checa (brother of Carlos) for GMT 94, a Yamaha World Supersport team. While he had a good time riding a 600 for the first time in years, it's not his main job, which is competing in the Spanish National Formula Extreme Champsionship ( a series where the bikes are about halfway between AMA Superbike and Superstock bike specification). Late Tuesday afternoon we piled into his Citroen van and prepared to drive to Reus to get ahold of one of his CEV (Spanish Championship) bikes. Away we went, and like all things, there were cool little details and problems that needed to be A) fixed, B) ignored, or C) just worked around. . .
Here we are bombing down the freeway with the little five spd. engine maxed out, doing around 130KMH, but not really sure. . . . because the speedo cable had broken. I guess if you're used to racing bikes much faster than that and gauging speed by feel, then buzzing around in a slow van doesn't really register, haha.

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We arrived in Reus about an hour and a half later, thanks to the traffico de espanol, but arrive we did! Jose Maria Folch is a man who owns two Yamaha dealerships, and he has been racing Yamahas for 25 years straight! 25 years! He has seen a lot change in the world scene, and has competed in various levels of competition in that time, from local Spanish races to entire international series'. I was hoping I could learn a lot from watching his style and his operation, and I did! His race team headquarters is based at his home, a sprawling estate that isn't visible from the street. If Kenny didn't know which tiny dirt road to drive down, we never would have found it. Most of the team's budget goes to upgrading the bikes to the highest caliber possible, and they're transported in these rugged little vans all over Europe.

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Anyone care to guess what bike this is leaning up against the wall?

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Hydraulic lifts?!? We don't need no stinking lifts! Old school all the way!

The raceshop is well sorted, with an area to work on the bikes, a separate room for engine/transmission work, another room for the machine shop, and more. There are wreaths and bottles of champagne throughout from previous victories, and there's a feeling of pride and history emanating from all corners.

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Here's some of the machine shop tools, a lathe, press, quick fuelers, and an R1 that would make mincemeat out of most streetbikes, one of many cool bikes just laying around. . . .

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Motor work is handled by a guy named Alex. He's been working with Folch for 16 years! He massages these engines to a nice state of tune, running well on 98 octane pump gas, and running *Really* well on Agip race fuel! Not to mention all the cool electronics and secret stuff that's installed on these machines. Good smells in the engine room, and I got really homesick thinking about all the engine work I've done myself in the past.

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We finally loaded up Kenny's van with the equipment we'd need for a couple days at the track, and we then cruised for about another five or six hours until we reached Albacete. Housing accomodations provided by the Van, which was split into two sections - the living quarters up front, the storage and changing area out back. It was sweet! Not only was a lot of it homemade by Kenny, like the electical hookups and beds, but Ikea provided some good storage options and containers. It was very professional, and if I was racing in the states, I would definitely like to roll in a van this well set up.

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Because we were travelling light, I only had enough equipment to make this modest pit box. It was enough to do, because the real heavy work would come later. Kenny spun some laps around Albacete, and got re-aquainted with the circuit. Most people don't seem to remember this, but Albacete used to host WSBK rounds in the late nineties, and it's a nice track.

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Anyone know who this is? I'll give you a hint. . . . former 125GP World Champion.

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Hey Liam, nice suicide knob on the steering wheel!!

Are those vans the Peugeot equivalent of the Mercedes/Dodge Sprinter?? I know the Sprinter is a cool rig, I always thought it would be a great setup for racing.

I think that Folch has the right idea. I am always surprised how small teams in the AMA when they get a little money always go for the big 18 wheeler. I thought that the Attack team had the right idea for so many years with the smaller set up, not spending money on things that don't make you go faster.
 
Emilio Alzamora! He rocked the Chupa Chups helmet.
 
After riding and prepping the Spanish Championship bike with Kenny on Wednesday and Thursday, the Folch Endurance team arrived. We had to switch garages and get ready, because we would be competing in a six hour endurance race on Sunday! Folch was running three teams, with three riders each. That meant a ton of tire changes for me. . . . but it was well worth it. Here's one of the bikes taking a nap, along with the boss! He's quite animated, and because the whole team communicates in Catalan (different than standard Spanish) it was a challenge for me to stay in the loop. I nodded a lot, played it by ear, and tried not to screw anything up. I think I did just fine, and who knows, maybe I'll work with them on some races in the future. Not only does Folch run in the Spanish Endurace races (the Copa de Resitencia), he also competes in the World Endurance races, and last year narrowly missed beating the full factory Castrol Suzuki team. If you compare budgets, you realize what an acheivement that is. . .

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Hi Dan and Raoul. I agree, spend money on go-fast parts. . . and food! These vans are a Peugoet and a Mercedes, though both sport the Peugeot logo. And Ray, nice catch on Alzamora. He's quiet and reserved in person, but sharp as a tack.

Speaking of go-fast goodies, here's a nice swingarm on one of the Endurance rigs. It features some fascinating quick change gear, like a sprocket that stays with the bike, and a brake caliper that has some trick parts in it. . . . all of it combining to make a full pit stop (meaning both tire changes, re-fueling 24 litres - 6 gallons, changing riders, and then some), only about 17 or 18 seconds. . . . and this is still a little off from the record of 13.5 seconds!

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Another shot of the swingarm. Note the nice Ohlins shock, and also the space that the brake caliper is at. The calipers and pads have special features that keep the pads in place, making sure that the rotor just slips into place. Absolutey Fantastic!

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Think Endurance racing is boring? It's not, though it can be quite grueling, both of the riders, and the crew! This is a shot of the quick change front fork, which is a remote gas charged Ohlins unit that was formerly on a Factory World Superbike last year. It has been modified to accept super brakes from Nissin, and I've never seen a front tire that was as simple or quick to swap out. Still blows me away thinking about it. If I make some custom street bikes for people (or myself!) this is another cool innovation that I want!

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