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Drivers on the storm

A soggy Simon Oates reports from the David Ayers Sporting Trial

This event followed the Sporting Trial hosted the day before by the day before by Camel Vale Motor Club. While being the follow-on event may have boosted entries from ‘out of area,’ the weather forecast for the day was not good.

The club gazebo was erected on Sunday morning for signing on and every large metal peg available was used to attach it to the ground due to the forecast winds and rain.

Andy Prosser had spent two days planning and fettling the sections; all looked fantastic. We had 18 entrants on the day and could allocate two marshals per section. The plan was to do four sections three times each, and then take a break at mid-day as we had laid on Vic’s catering van so all could indulge in its culinary delights.

As we started the trial the weather started to change for the worse. I was on Section Four, and the first few cars made the most of reasonable ground conditions. The first four cars cleared the section, and Nigel Shute and his wife were cock-a-hoop with their clear!

Then the section started to cut up, and the next cars took some inventive lines but most failed to make much progress. As a marshal, it’s hard to tell someone who thinks they’ve got to a five that they have touched the 10 on the way through, but such is trialling.

We altered the section for Round Two but it was persistent rain by now and the sections were getting extreme. Spirits were dropping and everything was trying but still the committed trialists made the best of the conditions and tried different techniques and lines making the most of the changes.

 As Round Two went ahead, Andy Prosser and Mike Wevill modified and widened the next set of sections. Once Round Two had been completed it was decided to continue with the afternoon sections without stopping for food. A few disgruntled competitors from other clubs weren’t happy with the sections being too narrow and slippery, and said they didn’t provide a burger van at their events and didn’t know we had one. (Sorry, we obviously need to try harder to make the event less demanding and provide poorer facilities – Ed)

Amazing how people change when they’re cold, wet and tired, especially when things don’t go their way. Some embraced the conditions and made the most of everything right to the end: it was an absolute pleasure watching how some plan their route and adapt to any changes.

The highlight on the last round was watching Thomas Bricknell plot his route on Section Eight where none of the recent attempts had got higher than Five and his skill and determination got him to the Number One board.

In the end four laps were completed, and then the section markers were picked up ready for a powerwash at a later date. If the weather had been a wash-out on the Saturday and dry on the Sunday I’m sure some people would have felt differently about the event. At the end of the day we have no control of the weather and when it goes bad it needs to be embraced and seriously taken as the ultimate challenge it is.

When I returned to the top field, I found that the gazebo had taken off over the hedge and across the road to be saved by the Fack brothers. They fought with it and managed to dismantle it by the side of the road, the greatest of thanks to them both.

Fourteen of the 18 entrants persisted to the end which was testament to their dedication to the sport. A big ‘Thank You’ to the land-owner and all marshals and especially to Andy Prosser who did a cracking job but unfortunately the weather had the last word and it was BIBLICAL.

Results are on the website and the next Sporting Trial is the Ron Beer Sporting Trial on Sunday 14^th December at Lifton.

PS the gazebo lives and has been repaired for another day, with guy ropes to be bought to strap her down.

Simon Oates


Night and day

Having dried himself off after the David Ayers, the intrepid Mr Oates told everyone he was ‘going out for a while and might be some time’ before trailering his Liege up to Derbyshire for the Motor Cycling Club’s Edinburgh Trial

After 6 ½ hours of travelling up to the Premier Inn at Ripley from Cornwall, I was definitely in need of a bit of sleep. I can confirm that Lenny Henry wasn’t in the building and four hours of shut-eye was achieved.

With a bit of thought (rare and unusual) I decided that it would be a good idea to park the tow-car and trailer at the start/finish at Rowsley Station. First came a 40-minute journey to Shireoaks near Worksop to pick up my bouncer, victim and fellow Liege owner Paul Wheatley, and then on to the station: a further 50 minutes journey.

We arrived with 1 ½ hours grace before the start, to find the only parking was at the far end in a dark, remote and narrow (as wide as the length of my car) part of the site. Sure, there was just enough room for all the trailers, but I think we took the last spot. I unloaded the Liege followed by unhitching the trailer and turning it around, then the car was reversed 150m before I could turn it around and reverse back to the trailer, all in the pitch black of a railway yard (a major challenge for a grumpy old man).

Signing on and sorting other paperwork was seamless and our numbers were received and attached to the car in all four compass points. We were running as team Liege Larkins with three Lieges containing Rob & Elizabeth Haworth (220), John & Natasha Early (218) and Paul Wheatley & myself (219).

Off we went at 1.39am, I didn’t really know this particular area but luckily Paul was very familiar with it in cars and motorbikes. Seamlessly on to the first section and a queue whilst a car was recovered. Hob Hay (1) caused few problems and the restart wasn’t hard. Thirty miles to Haven Hill (2) and a small chicane in the middle of the section to try and catch a few out. Once we got to the top we spotted a Marlin in trouble and offered to help.

The clutch pipe (plastic!) had got too close to the exhaust manifold and melted. We eventually bodged a repair but struggled to get all the air out of the pipe. They said that they would try a bit longer but eventually had to retire. The last thing anyone wants to see is an early retirement on one of these events after all the time, effort and money invested (tell me about it – Ed).

Off through Brassington (where I normally stay) and to Ballidon (3) for a restricted drive up a lane and through some fields which can only be described as a filler. On through Elton and to Cliff Quarry (4) where we found different instructions in the official Printed Route Book to our email version. Only a restart for Class 8 and no problems encountered.

Just up the road was the first Observed Test at Deadwood. Downhill to a cone which had to be circled clockwise and a short sprint to stop astride line B. I didn’t do this very well and forgot to use the hydraulic handbrake. Once completed we moved on 10 miles for a ‘splash and dash’ at Whites of Calvers petrol pumps and then up through the woods at Tumbletrees (5) where class 8 had a restart.

Keeping to the right on exit we joined the tarmac and cruised on to Haydale (6) for a restart and another clear.

As we left the section we spotted our Newsletter Editor, Richard Simpson, broken down on his Beta X-Trainer and waiting for recovery. We carried on as we couldn’t do anything for him to Carlton (7) which can be tricky on the restart when wet but luckily for most there were few failures.

We were well ahead of time when we arrived at the Monsal Hotel just after 9.00am for the breakfast stop. A bacon bap (cold and over-cooked) and a mug of tea at a reasonable price (compared to last year) were consumed before chittering away to anyone that stood still long enough.

We then left in original order at our designated time of 10.39 and made our way to Litton Slack (8) where there was a restart for classes 7 & 8. I was expecting an impossible hill but it was quite uneventful (2 years in a row) so expect a stinker next year. 

Waterloo (9) was next on the list with an easy restart for all classes. We followed the instructions past the famous ‘Cat & Fiddle Pub’ for over 2 miles to not see the sign for the Stanley Arms Hotel. We turned back and took another road to eventually find our way to Corkscrew (10) and a short queue for the hill. Later another competitor commented about the route instructions were sometimes “Somewhat Fictional” but it’s all part of the experience.

Chief Marshal Simon Woodall commented that he only saw 31 of the expected 42 cars, did the Cat & Fiddle Triangle consume them all? We completed the restart on the cobbles at the bottom and shook, rattled and rolled our way to the top.

At the top we shook ourselves off and followed the road back to the start of Corkscrew and continued on to Booth Farm (12) for an easy climb through the section. A quick dash on to Hollinsclough Chapel Tearoom for a well-deserved drink and cake or two, with 30 minutes to consume. Feeling a bit bloated, we continued on to Excelsior (16) where we went high and right on the restart to clear the section.

With enough fuel there was no need to fill up before Dudwood (17) where we queued before attacking our section. Dry conditions made the sections easily cleared unlike previous years and there seemed to be a swarm of marshals on and around the two sections.

A second Observed Test was done on leaving the section which I think I couldn’t have improved on much. Following this we made our way on to Clough Wood (18) for another dry section up Ramp A and Exit A to clear the section.

The final section Clough Mine (19) was also dry and the restart had plenty of grip. We finished a little ahead of our scheduled time and took a deep breath and relaxed. Paul had done a cracking job next to me and had been clear and concise with his instructions. A thoroughly grand day out by all in the Liege Larkins team and I hope everyone else enjoyed the day.

 We could have asked for wetter conditions for the sections to make them more difficult but at the end of the day next year we may get more water than we want and that won’t be right!! Our thanks is never enough but a Heartfelt thanks to all that set it all up and made it happen.

Thanks also to Paul Whitley for your company, banter and experience, my love for the sport (waning a bit for the last nine months) has now been reinvigorated so maybe see you all next year?

Simon Oates

How I didn’t win a Triple

Richard Simpson clocks up two DNFs and a DNS

What grand plans we make, only to find them dashed by fate?
It seemed like a good idea at the time. Use the Holsworthy Motor Club’s Taw & Torridge Trial as a gentle warm-up, travel up to Derbyshire for the Edinburgh Trial, then home to Cornwall to take part in our own club’s Tamar Trial. What could possibly go wrong?

I should have known, having done that first event in the illustrious company of John Turner a few years previously, that it could rain!

We finished a heroic last that year after cascading down the running order and finding John’s Citroen 2CV just a little out of its depth in the mudbaths left behind by previous competitors. The event was chiefly remembered for the puddles on the roads being so deep that water rushed up the hot-air ducts that run from the engine bay to the windscreen on a 2CV to act as demisters, and coated the inside of the screen with muddy slime. Were internal wipers ever on the Citroen option list?

By the time we got to the end there was about an inch of what looked like tea washing around in the footwell, and the entire outside of the car was clagged beyond belief. In my head, I Christened the event the Tea and Porridge.

It couldn’t be that bad this year, could it?

Yes, it could. The forecast wasn’t great, but I wore exactly the same rig that had kept me warm and dry on the Land’s End during the very wet event last Easter. The route for the Taw was excellent, with the bikes going on a green lane circuit prior to the first section as a warm-up. There was also an acceleration and braking test on a disused road before the first section. Organisers of other events please note: the marshals on Section One held back the cars (which had a more direct route without the green lanes) until all the bikes were through. This really does seem the fairest way of doing things, as cars can drastically impact on the sections and not for the better.

Cleaned the first section in spite of getting to the 90 degree bend half-way up a little quicker than was comfortable, but from that point on it all went downhill as the rain fell. When I saw one marshal fall over and another loose his welly in the mire, and having cracked my numberplate I made the executive decision to retire at lunchtime. The wet-weather gear that had worked so well on the Land’s End failed completely on this event, but then I didn’t fall off in a river on the Land’s End!

With the bike to wash and service,the next two weeks sped by and it was time to load up the hire van and depart for Derbyshire, picking up my running-mate Rick and his Triumph Tiger Cub on the way through Gloucestershire.

The weather for this year’s Edinburgh could not have been better, and we were really looking forward to a great event as we set off into the night. All went well on the first four sections and special test: I footed a couple of times but was still enjoying the event. Then there was a mysterious error in the route book: instructions to turn up an unmarked stone lane were followed, and led us to the middle of a field. We clearly should not have been there, and decide that absence of body was better than presence of mind. Retracing our steps with picked up a gaggle of similarly-confused motorcyclists and then some cars, all looking for this mysterious stone track which apparently was both ‘there’ and ‘not there’.

Eventually one of the car crews opted to drive directly to the ‘What Three Words’ location of the next section using sat nav, and we rather stupidly followed. Needless to say, the WWW location was for the exit from the section onto the road, and nowhere near the entrance to the section, which was on another road altogether!

At this point, someone pointed out that my exhaust was pouring out what looked like steam in the darkness, but as dawn broke turned out to be oil. Clearly, this wasn’t something I could fix with an adjustable spanner and a cable tie. Rick heroically offered to pull out of the trial, ride back to the start, and get the van, but I decided to wait for the trial to pass, then call for a recovery truck (my breakdown insurance doesn’t cover trials, but I figured that if I handed my numbers into the course closing car, then I wouldn’t be in the trial). I asked to be recovered back to the start. Incidentally, Rick went on to finish 4^th and won a Silver medal, so I’m really glad that he carried on.

As it turned out, I needn’t have worried. It took four hours for the harassed driver of the breakdown truck to find me (in spite of me repeatedly giving my WWW location, saying what road I was on and more) and then the poor chap scraped the front spoiler on his brand-new MAN trying to turn around. He then told me that he mysteriously “Had another breakdown who wants to go to the same place that you do.” I navigated him to some godforsaken spot on the moors where we eventually found the second casualty. It was, of course, a trials car (a Reliant Scimitar that had filled its exhaust with petrol, then blown up). We got back to the start ahead of the end of the trial, and that was that. Probably the nicest conditions there have ever been or ever will be for the Edinburgh, and my event was over before the dawn. Perhaps, if I hadn’t entered the Taw & Torridge, the Beta’s engine might have lasted the rest of the Edinburgh?

Which brings us to event three. No way I was going to get the Beta fixed for the Tamar. I briefly contemplated entering on the GasGas ES700, but it would have needed new tyres and other tweaks, so I volunteered to marshal at Crackington instead.

This had been marked up to be much shorter and easier than it was for the Lands End Trial, plus there was no clay dumped at the top. The GasGas climbed it easily, more than once. I briefly wished I had entered the event proper, but the thought of throwing the GasGas up Angel Steps changed my mind again.

Crackington only stopped a couple of bikes on the restart, and most of the cars cleaned it also. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun, but I noticed one lad, aged about 11, glued to his Playstation in the back of a VW Beetle as it roared up the hill. How times change…when I was 11 I’ve have almost wet myself with excitement at the thought of a day climbing steep hills in a modified car.

Tales from the Ed’s Bike Shed

I pulled the engine out of the X-Trainer, and drained 300cc or thereabouts of gearbox oil out of the exhaust system. It’s now off being rebuilt, and that will be a tale for next time, but I can reveal that the crankshaft seal failed because part of the cage of the main bearing behind it came loose and shredded it.

Other news one: I’ve always avoided supermarket petrol, but had to fill the KTM Adventure up with Tesco Momentum 99 a few weeks back. A remarkable thing has happened since: the ethanol-induced bubbles in the tank graphics have gone. Could it be an ethanol-free fuel?

Other news two: The Aprila Mille been a bit grumpy: not what you want from a 1000cc V-twin superbike. The grumpiness reached a new height the other week, when it refused to run at under 3000 rpm. Oh, what fun riding home on our local lanes! I filed this under ‘sort it later’ and more-or-less forgot it. Then I remembered another vehicle I once owned behaving in exactly the same way: a Ford Escort van, no less! I had cured the Ford with a new set of HT leads. Blow me if the same cure didn’t work for the Mille. It now runs a sweet as a nut, but given the turn in the weather, I probably won’t use it again this year. I wonder what grumpiness it will develop over Winter? One thing I will do is fill it with Tesco Momentum 99 before I put it away…it may shrink the ethanol -swollen plastic fuel-tank back to its normal size…here’s hoping.

Till next time

Richard

PS: Don’t be shy. Let’s hear about your events and projects. Triumphs and disasters both, but remember, the disasters are funnier! richardsimpson94@yahoo.co.uk

Chairman At Full Chat
 
It’s the start of July now, and we are mid-way through the Summer events at the time of writing. June saw two successful events in the Carr Cup Testing Trial and the Spry Sporting Trial, held at a new venue, which worked well in the conditions. Next up is the Motor Traders Trial on July 6, an ASWMC Car Trial round, and this year we switch back to Waterloo Farm, North Petherwin, where we had run the event for several years with the kind permission of Simon Oates’ long-term passenger John Werren, who we very sadly lost last year.  We are very pleased as a club to be welcomed back to the family farm for this year’s event. 
 
Looking ahead to the autumn, our Tamar Trial planning is being ramped up now at this time of year, with sections being scoped along with the logistics, so watch this space for more info in the coming weeks. 
 
Hope everyone has been enjoying the generally nice weather we’ve been having, and as I have written a report of the Carr Cup I won’t ramble on too much in this piece and look forward to seeing many of you at an event soon. 
 
Simon R
 
 
 
Carr Cup 8^th June
 
Initial fears of the date being too much of a clash with a variety of other things were alleviated in the week leading up to the event with a flurry of entries.
 
Twenty-four starters on the day, and the venue kindly provided by the Greene family again, is excellent for this event, a huge field with little in the way of ‘hazards’ for any damage.
 
The weather was kind, not overly hot, but a fine spring/early summer day. We also benefited from ample offers of marshals, which were greatly received.
 
Six tests were run twice each in the morning, followed by a lunch break with catering kindly provided again by Vic’s Mobile Catering, which proved popular. We are again pleased to have them at our next event.
 
A few tweaks to the tests for the afternoon and time for three rounds before a mid-afternoon finish. The event seemed to go down well, thanks to Darren & Andrew for clerking and to Lisa and Lorraine for the paperwork for such a smooth-running event once again. 
 
Bike entries were a bit low due to a number of factors, but included three youngsters on solos and Tony Fry on his big road bike on a road tyre (brave man).  Three chairs provided great entertainment as always, with very little time separating them. A host of front-wheel drive production cars competed along with Adrian Booth’s TR, and young Oliver Cape driving a very smart Austin 7 Special. 
 
Congratulations to Phil Thomas for taking the Carr Cup just edging out Tom Greene, and Joe Martin for winning the John Pope Cup for Solos, along with a well done to the other award winners.
 
Thanks to all for entering, officiating, marshalling and of course to the landowners – a good, relaxed day was had by all. 
 
Simon Riddle
 
 
 
Spry Sporting Trial 14 June
 
Alan ‘Murt’ Murton had located a potential new site for a Sporting Trial at Willtown Farm in Broadwoodwidger, which is in the next valley to his property and owned by his friend Dave Petherick.
 
On our first visit we identified a couple of good steep fields with banks and well-spread trees.  A decision was made to run the ASWMC Championship round on the Saturday immediately prior to the Camel Vale Calvin Trial to make another great Devon/ Cornwall trials weekend.
 
Then Murt, Roger Teagle, and I visited the site on the Monday prior to the event thinking we had made a mistake as the ground was hard and bone dry. It looked like we would need to run on 10 psi tyre pressure limit, but rain was forecast.
 
Fortunately, the Gods were on our side as by Friday there had been something like three inches of rain. Murt, Andy Prosser, and I proceeded to lay out on Friday morning during a break in the rain. Andy’s fresh eyes and imagination enabled us to set out six very good sections, and there was even more heavy rain overnight.
 
We had an entry of nine with Alan Baker and John Cole coming down from Gloucester, and the welcome addition of Sam Teagle on his first Sporting Trial. I was ruled out for a variety of reasons but marshalled at the beginning.  There were only three or four marshals including Hilary Carrott and Karen Warren, who both kindly stepped in at last minute (Saturdays are always difficult). On that basis, we decided to run three hills four times before lunch, then another 3 x 4 in the afternoon, on free tyre pressures.
 
Needless to say, Thomas Bricknell was virtually unstoppable and way out in front. Thomas dropped just 11 points to win the Spry Trophy, next was Alan Murton on 49 to win Class 3, Colin Flashman and Roger Bricknell (still showing why he has been a multiple British Champion) were third on 65 points. There were no retirements, so everyone was able to compete on the next day.
 
The weather held, the sections were superb, and full credit to Andy Prosser for his setting out skills.
 
Judging from the feedback at the end, this was an excellent club trial and we think that the site could be used next year for the Northgate Trial being a BTRDA Championship Round, and running approximately one month earlier.
 
As always, many thanks to the landowner (who was exceedingly accommodating) and, of course, the marshals.
 
Mike Wevill
 
 
 
Tyre Changing Equipment Review

The tyre changing rig and the wheel balancer
 
Regular tyre changes are part of the price you pay for trials riding, and this is particularly true if you use the same bike for other purposes. At 65 years old, my knees are getting a bit tired (groan) of being slammed into the sidewalls of recalcitrant Pirelli MT43 4.00-18s, so I decided to invest in something that would take the pain out of the task.
 
I cannot justify the cost of the Rabacondas that you see in action in the pits at the ISDE where tyres are removed and replaced in seconds by exhausted riders at the end of the day, but I found a lower-cost alternative.
 
Enter the Warrior tyre changer/bead-breaker rig, which I got in a package along with a Warrior wheel-balancing rig and a couple of Michelin-style tyre levers from Demon Tweaks https://www.demon-tweeks.com/uk/tools-workshop/garage-equipment/motorcycle-tools-equipment/wheel-tyre-equipment/
 
The Chinese-made equipment arrives in two boxes and with no instructions as to either assembly or use…just poorly-rendered monotone illustrations on the boxes themselves.
 
Luckily, it all bolts together in a fairly straightforward manner, but you need to put the arms for the wheel-balancer in the outer holes of the base to accommodate the hubs of most motorcycle wheels.
 
To use the tyre-changer, you remove the big wingnut on the central spindle and drop the wheel (with the tyre deflated and rim-locks/security bolts released (not like in my picture!) onto it before replacing the wing nut and tightening it down.
 
You then set the spade on the lever so it will press down on the area of the bead immediately adjacent to the rim, and work your way around by rotating the wheel.

Once you’ve broken the bead/rim seal all the way around, rotate the wheel so the spade is directly opposite the tyre valve (assuming you use inner tubes), shove the valve up into the rim, and use the two levers to lift the tyre over the rim with one each side of the valve while the spade holds the bead opposite into the well of the rim. The hooked ends of the Michelin-style levers engage with the tyre bead and reduce the risk of catching the tube.
 
Work your way around the wheel until the tyre bead is completely clear of the rim, then flip the wheel and repeat for the other side. The wheel should now be loose inside the tyre, and you can remove the tube. Remove the wheel from the rig, hold it vertically upright, and push the wheel down into the tyre, then fold the top of the tyre down and pull the wheel up and out.
 
You can also use the rig to fit the new tyre, using the spade to hold the tyre bead into the well of the rim while working opposite it with the levers, starting with one either side of the valve. Again, the notched end of the lever will grip the bead without stabbing the tube. I can’t over-emphasise how much easier the Michelin-style levers make the job.
 
Now on to the wheel-balancer.
 
Imbalance just seem to be something that comes with chunky tread and security bolts, so a lot of people don’t bother to balance off-road motorcycle wheels. This is a mistake in my opinion. You may not notice the vibration from an unbalanced wheel off-road, but your wheel bearings certainly do. And on a long-distance trial they add to the fatigue that can grip you on road sections, and will also contribute to high-speed weaves, corner chatter, and other nasty wobbles.
The Warrior rig comes with a small strip on stick on balance weights, which are practically useless for our purposes, so get a set of the brass weights that bolt onto the wheel spokes (available on e-bay etc).
 
First job is to use the handy spirit level on the base of the rig to ensure it is on level ground (the feet adjust to level the rig if required).
 
Then fit the spindle through the wheelbearings using the supplied cones to centralise the wheel. Tighten these into place when they are pushed as far into the wheelbearings as possible, so the wheel is held firmly.
 
Gently lower the spindle onto the rig’s bearings. The wheel will rotate so the heaviest part is at the bottom. Note the highest point on the rim and fit a weight on the nearest spoke to it. Rotate the wheel again. It the wheel comes to rest in the same position, either remove the weight you fitted and fit a heavier one, or if it is already as heavy as you can go, fit another weight to the nearest adjacent spoke. If the weight ends up at the bottom, fit a lighter weight.
 
You’ve balanced the wheel when it stays where it is put after rotating it half a turn or so.
 
Make sure the grub screws that secure the weights are fully tightened, take the wheel off the rig, and refit to the bike.
 
Take the bike out for a short spin and marvel at how smooth and comfortable it is now. Then do a last check on the grub screws, and pat yourself on the back.
 
Richard Simpson
 
 
The Devil in the detail
 

Off with the old… 

…and on with the new
 
This is a cautionary tale, concerning my greed and poor attention to detail.
 
A few years BC (Before Covid), I found myself with some money to spare. I had worked for a Ducati dealer in the 1970s, and a first thought was to buy one of the glorious bevel-drive V-twins that had made such an impression on me back then. No chance…you were talking the kind of money that would buy you a terraced house in South Wales.
 
OK, so how about a newer Ducati…well there were some Monster money pits available at my kind of price, but all would need more cash than I had spending on them to get them decent. Or there was the visual horror that was the Multistrada Mk 1…oh God, no. But anything decent, like an 888 or 916 Superbike, was already beyond my reach.
 
So, on to plan B. An Aprilia Mille. A 1000cc V-twin contemporary and rival of the 916 in the glory days of World Superbikes, but apparently more practical and reliable by far than the Dook as a road bike. Prices were still affordable, and presumably could only go up. And I’d owned an Aprilia before (650 Pegaso) and it had been 100% reliable and a great bike to ride.
 
So, I found a Mille for sale at a local independent dealer. Good nick and in the correct glorious red on black colour scheme, and fitted with an Aprilia Factory Racing titanium exhaust to boot.
 
See it, want it, buy it. Kept it under cover most of the time, but pulled it out for the occasional ride on dry, sunny days. And that’s where the trouble started. Hot day + slow riding in holiday traffic = locked back brake, with a solid pedal.
 
Investigations reveal that the brake master cylinder is concealed under the fairing and bolted directly to the engine crankcase. No wonder it gets hot!
 
There is an aftermarket kit available that relocates the MC and its remote reservoir to the footrest, with the MC now vertical and in the airflow. That should do it…except it doesn’t. While the onset of the problem is delayed the brake still overheats, with the fluid boiling, the caliper seals crisping and the whole lot smelling like a drum-braked lorry that’s just been driven fully loaded down a steep hill.
 
So, I decided to throw more money at the problem. A genuine new Brembo MC, and as the old caliper is now suspect and new genuine ones both expensive and difficult to find, a replacement caliper from HEL, made just down the road near Exeter.
 
New parts fitted, and I start on the tedious task of doing a complete bleed on a drop-in (underslung) caliper. It takes hours, so I resort to pressurising the reservoir by cutting around the valve of an old bicycle inner tube, hoseclipping it to the reservoir, and pressurising the system with the aid of a bike pump. Works a treat.
 
Feeling very pleased with myself, I am wiping the reservoir cap clean prior to refitting it over the little rubber boot when I notice something. There are two tiny indentations on the underside of the cap. Finally, something clicks in what’s left of my brain. Are these in fact points where there should be vent holes in the cap?
 
Because heat from the engine is making the brake fluid expand in the reservoir, but the air-tight lid is preventing the pressure being relieved by movement of the diaphragm. When the brake pedal is released, there’s nowhere for the fluid to return to, so it remains under pressure between the master cylinder and the caliper.
 
I use a Dremel to create two pin holes in the cap at the marked positions, and take the bike for a test ride in the heat of the day, bedding the new brake in carefully by riding slowly and making repeated gentle applications. The brake doesn’t lock up, although I am getting decent heat into the caliper and disc, and the engine coolant temp goes to over 90 degrees C. In its previous state, it would have overheated and locked.
 
So, that’s fixed it. But did I really need to throw all that time and money at the brake, or could I have fixed it in five minutes with the Dremel?
 
I’ll never know.
 
Last question. What’s happened to the bike’s value?
 
Well, it’s not been a good investment so far. Values have remained unchanged, or even dropped slightly since the end of the Covid bike boom. Never mind, it still looks very pretty in the garage and ‘rides lovely’ (as they say in Wales) on the road. Value things for what they are, not what you think they might be worth in the future.