What went wrong?

Well. You remember what I wrote from the Våler experiance? Here's what it looks like.

Problem now is that Elsie seems a little pissed off at me.

I stuffed the spare engine into her, and moved over the rotor and fly-wheel (as I only had that pair) and now she won't give a proper spark. This most unfortunately means the 42-year Race at Sviestad is cancelled for me...

We have to scout for new parts I think to solve the problem (the fly-wheel is also wobblin' a bit) and be back for Gelleråsen instead.

The BotT winner

Yeah, yeah.

The rumours were kind of true.

But it's not another Ducati! I had my eyes set on one, but the punter wanted too much money and didn't care for my VOR twins (of which he sold me one last year), so instead it got to be an Aprilia again.

She's not a Ducati but she's still a real beauty! 2002 year model Aprilia RSV Mille R (Troy Corser edition me believes). She pulls like nothing else I've ever had before! She'll go from 3000 revs with a bit of an argument, and race-pace is hit close to 7000! Well, you can go real fast all day at 4000 - 5000 revs aswell, but she becomes a bit of a beast at 7. :-)

She doesn't kick like that loverly, loverly, 748R did, but she'll more like try to pull yer arms from their sockets if you don't hide behind the screen when things get going.

She needs a bit of attention to the front fork as she's sweating a bit - the usual story with swedens finest suspension - but other then that, I'm sure we'll get along just fine!

Våler, 15th - 16th of June

(-Why doesn't it say 15th to 17th of June? Wasn't there one practice and two race days???

-Aaaaahhhrrrgggg!!!!! Sod off!!!)

Friday. Sun is shining. A nice, if yet slightly cold, night in the tent just next to my race-wagon and the Mad Side-cor out-fit from Tjörn.

Lots and lots of racers has turned up for the weekends Classic meeting in Norway.

I go and get signed in. I'm the only starter in my class. The RD250LC super-racing-balls-out-class. So, I'm getting to be along the Supermono's and modern 250 racers (yes, there are also some modern classes around during the meeting).

I start shooting off my mouth how good it looks for my debut to be a double-win weekend...

Scrutineering. No probs. I get the stickers on.

I've paid extra to be able to run in the extra training session on early Friday afternoon. After a bit of confusion concerning the in which the classes will be able to take to the track, it's my turn. I let all of the Supermono lads that are at the gate already out ahead of me. It's my first time around this track and I don't want to feck up too many guys in my stunt.

Elsie's got this beatiful spread of power, like you may have read on this page before, meaning she'll go "buuuuuuuhhhhhööööööhhhhh" slowly, slowly up 'til around 6000 revs, where she suddenly goes "baaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh".

On the first two laps we hit the "buuuuuuuuhhhhhööööööhhhhh"-spot several times, trying to find the right gear, looking at where the track goes and trying to find some sort of line, somewhere...

Third lap. Pace goes up a bit. Down from the chicane there's a left hander that flows over into a right hander and as the pace increases so does the front end skipping and hopping through that very right hander. (I guess this is also increased by my not-using-too-much-gas-through-the-bend, so I guess I'm pushing the front hard as hell and not backing it up properly with the gas???)

Fourth lap. I'm out-braking a slower supermono rider into the S after the back straight. Can't believe it!!!!! Ainciant brakes that almost takes two hands on the lever. I'm getting my knee down now aswell which is always a good sign (isn't it?). I'm still half a catastroph around the track, probably not making any sence at all for on-viewers. Into the last corner before the finnishing straight (yes, the start and the finnish are in separate places on the track) , it feels like I'm coming in much too fast. My right knee is solid on the ground all the way through, off the throttle and I probably keep my eyes more to the sand box then down the straight. Must look funny...

Fifth lap. Out of the chicane, wrong gear, feck, down one, wuuuuuuaaaaahhhhh, left hander over to right hander, skip, hop, feeeeeeeeeck, front end's going, no! front ends back! left foot off the peg from the front end slide, full throttle down the short straight, up one gear, brake, down one, uiiiiiiiiiiiiiiihhhh, down another one, uiiiihhsccccchhhhhhrrrrrkkkkkkkkkk, pull in clutch lever. And that's that!!!!!

I put myself on the grass just out-side the corner. Can't go through the sand as it's really soft. Try to get out the way by dragging the bike back-wards on the grass along-side the track, but as I'm thinking I'm safe I see they've red-flagged the training session anyway... I get a hitch with the willy-wagon back to the pits.

(I still haven't pulled her apart yet, but hope I can start doing that this week as my holiday's just started. She's currently sitting it out at Hauge's hut, so I know she's in a nice place anyway...)

Apart from the Mad side-cor out-fit from Tjörn blowing their engine to bits in their first race on Saturday, I must say I had a really nice weekend anyway.

I left on Saturday evening, missing out on the cray-fish-party that Ingela and Inger had set up for my good neighbours, but by the sounds of it afterwards that also made me miss a helluwa hang-over on Sunday...

Next race is at Sviestad 3rd to 5th of August. So, to quote Arnold

-I'll be back!