Phillip Island International Classic 2019

On Nov 27, 2018, at 10:02 AM, Bruce Lind wrote:


Highly updated 1975 TZ750 & support parts loaded into a crate yesterday.


Delivered to the freight forwarder for transit to Fremont, California to be consolidated with the rest of the “Team USA” shipment.


Container load is December 7, with shipment to Phillip Island taking about a month.


Edith and I fly out on Jan 13.


Now that the bike runs properly (New CDI, fixed trans leak into the crankcase, updated 6 port cylinders, & a lot of hours)


I cannot wait to ride the bike at PI once again. This time I plan to attack, instead of just riding around.

Bruce Lind



Subject: Phillip Island for the International Classic


Arrived in BRISBANE Tuesday 1/15.

Wed on arranged city tour.

Thurs with Marg Halliday, the lady sidecar passenger from the mid 80’s who raced with Doug Chivas both in New Zealand and in the USA in 1984/85.

Friday flew to Melbourne. Met up with my Kiwi mate Tony at the hotel.

Went to an Italian place we know for dinner.


Sat was Edie’s b’day so we went on an organized wine tour.

3 winery’s and average of 6 tastings each. lunch at the middle one.


Only one of the wines we tasted would we have purchased. All the rest were either to lite or bad after taste.


Final one was Chandon. Execellent sparkling wine. Including a red sparkling Pinot that is only available in Aus.


Dinner at a Tepenyaki.

Sunday we get the rental car at mid day and drive to the Island.

Early afternoon, get into the Air B&B house.

Actually three houses that have been built connected.

Been sunny and HOT the whole time. A lot of the country is at 40 C or higher.

Just hanging out at the house and relaxing until tomorrow, Wednesday when we unload the container and set up.


Thursday is practice

Friday is qual

Sat & Sun are race days.


Slight chance of rain for Sat & Sun


Expect to meet up with team captain, Dave, his wife Loranne & TZ Mike at the brew pub burger place later today.


That’s it for now.


Bruce Lind



Wed set up


Fill the rad with water and develop a water leak.

The left hand head o ring is failed. R&R

Refill and right hand head has a Leak that we do not find a cause.

Reassemble and no more leak.



Thursday Practice


Gets up to 33C 91F in the afternoon

Bike runs strong all day!

We were rich since we had no experience with the Roo99 Unleaded fuel

First sesson out the engine would not rev up.

We lowered the mains by two from 370 to 350

Ran better in the second session.

In the garage we had another water leak. The rubber joint between the two head developed a leak under the hose clamp.


Next session I came in early because the shift pedal was getting trans oil on it.


We fixed the minor oil leak and made the fourth session.


I believe I’m almost at the same distance as I did all last year!


Forecast for tomorrow is HOT.

40C

Still not turning times that will allow me to be in the TEAM CHALLENGE

But riding in the Forgotten ERA event will be fine with me!

71 slows you down!


BRUCE



On Jan 26, 2019, at 12:33 AM, Bruce Lind <[email protected]> wrote:


Friday


No practice in the schedule

Hot from the get go!

Qual for the Forgotten era (even numbers) is the fifth event

Engine is still WAAAAY rich since we are still being safe with the unleaded race fuel.

2:04 and change Slower than on Thursday.

But what the hell, I’m just here for the ride!

Will put me in the “Minor” (slow) class again.


Q10 is the slow International Team Challenge qual.

100 F in the garage

Have an occasional problem selecting 2nd gear.

Goes into neutral and takes several attempts to get into gear.

Not every time. Work on what it takes, rpm, pressure on the lever or whatever.


Turn a 2:02

Too slow to make the team cut off.


About 1330, a southerly comes in and the temps drop 17 F in an hour.


COMFORTABLE!

we drop another two main jets.

The first Unlimited Forgotten ERA Minor (slow) class is number 19 with the second team challenge qual right after. And only 8 minutes so it would be real tight.


Start from 11th and loose the group in front, 4 lap event around the 2.67 mile track.

Lap 3 the engine starts to misfire.

Ride it home thinking it might be detonating.


Finish 12th! Mid pack


In the garage, we start inspecting.

Plugs are filthy black. Insulator covered. Most likely fuel fouled.


Take the heads off to look at the pistons just in case.


Looking good with no detonation. Black combustion burn.


Reassemble




Saturday


The format for this event is no practice or warm up after Thursday.

Just go for it starting at 0900 each day.

Forgotten Era – Minor is race 10

Temps in the 70’s windy

Get a good start, have a great dice with one of the fellow yanks.

Great fun and the bike ran fine with the new plugs.

Don’t know where I finished. Don’t really care. (turns out I was 13th)


First Team race, Jason Pridmore had a giant highside in the turn 11 sweeper.

An Aus ran over his leg, hit his bike and flew into the kitty litter as well.

Neither one moved for a long time.


Jason has a broken leg and damaged shoulder. Don’t know about the other bloke.

Both air lifted to Hospital in Melbourne.

Go for a get together with the Kiwi Team and the Yanks this evening.

Two more events for tomorrow!


Bruce from down under


Sunday


First group out at 0900

Get a good start, but the engine starts to miss fire right away.

Come in on the second lap.

Spark plugs are fouled.


We guess that the common problem on the TZ750’s where the crankcase bridge between the transmission and the cranks, is allowing trany oil to be sucked into the engine. Thought I had fixed this. The case held pressure on the bench at home.


Nothing to do now but install new spark plugs and hope it will run for the full 5 lap last sesson.

go down another main to 310's

Early afternoon it’s my final session.

Get a great start.

Coming out of turn 5, Siberia, the transmission does not engage 2nd gear.

Push the lever several times and it will not pick up the gear.

Something has broken. Will not upshift.

Shift back to 1st and ride back to the pits.

Day and weekend done.

Load the equipment into the crate and get ready to load the container tomorrow.

My house mate from New Zealand, Peter Jones, got taken out this morning and is now in hospital in Melbourne.

At the track the EMT’s thought he had a broken clavicle, compressed vertebra and 5 broken ribs. Transported by chopper to the Albert hospital in Melbourne. Injuries now confirmed as ONLY 4 BROKEN RIBS.


Monday


Finished my crate at the track before most of the team showed up.

Drove to Melbourne and did hospital duty with Jason and Pete.

Got to our Best Western Airport hotel.

Drove to the airport and turned in the rental car. Caught the shuttle back to the hotel and had a very good dinner with my wife and friend Tony at the hotel.

Early turn in as we have an 0500 shuttle to the airport to catch our various flights.


Monday


24 hrs in Airports and airplanes.

Sure like flying on the Boeing Dreamliner that I spend over a decade making happen!


Back home in Snohomish, WA



Good Day Mate from down under


Bruce Lind

 

Sounds like you had a great time, even with all the challenges.

 

Great read Bruce! That is living the dream for sure.

 

Took the TZ750 to a track day event yesterday.


The trans had not been shifting since Friday in January at Phillip Island


In June, I had a box full of neutrals.


replaced the #2 shift fork as it had some “minor” wear at the bottom of the fork.

Changed locations for all three of the #1 forks, which are currently NLA. Replaced the shift drum with a spare I had on the shelf.



Did seven laps of “The Ridge” and not only did the engine run great, but the gear box never missed a shift.



By 10:30 it was already hotter than I wanted to ride in (80f) so we called it a day and loaded up and drove home



Bike is back on the bench.



Now it’s just wait for the time to go by, prior to putting it in the crate for shipment to PI



Bruce