Charlie goes racing
Having tasted racing with the Yamaha Past Masters last season on a TZR 250, our ad man Charlie finds another way to scratch his racing itch on a budget of not only cash but time.
If you have ever fancied taking up bike racing on a budget, have a read to see how Charlie got on in his first ever CB500 race.
H aving built and raced a Yamaha TZR 250 last year I was full of it… desperate to get a full season under my belt within the Yamaha Past Masters series. Alas it was not to be, the TZR had to go back to its rightful owner and replacing it with something half decent was all of £3,000. Not happening.
Enter my good friend and industry man Gary Hartshorne. I had taken him with me on the TZR gig where he earned himself a pot at Snetterton for his efforts on the Renta-Racer TZR. We both had our first race experience, were both hooked on racing from the off but also both financially embarrassed in the racing fund department. But then Gary turned up with this CB500 to the Fast Bikes Trackday at Cadwell in July, beamed from ear to ear from session to session, ignored the ZX-10s, Blades and R1Ms we had on hand for him to ride and would not shut up about the joys of riding his Pig (CB500s are referred to as ‘Pigs’).
He wouldn’t stop going on about the CB500 in the following months either, adding: “You know your problem Charlie? You are slow on a fast bike, but quick on a slow one.” I have to admit that there was wisdom in those words, I go okay but am no pace-man on the brand new metal that regularly rolls through Fast Bikes towers – I leave that to Boothy. Thus after a couple of drunken conversations and more waxing lyrical of the joys of the Pig from Gaz I finally caved in. “I might get one to give it a try,” was all it took. Within 30 minutes Gary had found me a race-prepped pig with a set of spare wheels for £1,700. The deal was done.
Conveniently the bike was in Hull, some 300 miles from me but our Boothy lives that way and also knew the guy selling it – Josh Leaning –a front runner in the Thundersport CB500 championship – so he knows a thing or two about CBs. In return for promising him a chance to to take it for a blast at some stage, Boothy offered to collect it for me and when it finally rolled out of the back of his van there was excitement for sure, but also a touch of head scratching – I haven’t ridden one of these things since I passed my test which seems a million years ago. What was it going to be like? Was I going to have to punch Gary in the face?
Testing times
Prior to receiving a conviction for assault, I thought I’d better give the old girl a run to see what it was all about. A No Limits track day presented itself at Mallory so I put my name down for it and went along with Gary. Waved away and out toward Gerrards, the CB felt awkward at first, no screen in front of me, no gauge apart from noise to see how hard the engine was working (my pig doesn’t have a rev counter) – I must have looked properly awkward while navigating my first couple of laps. Then I overtook a ZX-10R and fell head over heals in love with a Pig.
That really was the story of my first CB500 experience. Getting absolutely crucified on the start-finish straight at Mallory Park by bikes a 10th of the age, and four times the bhp of my ole’ Pig. Imagine their confusion as I slip back past them on the exit of Gerrards and try desperately to hold them off
the Strebe Straight before hitting Edwina’s. This is the joy of the CB; yes it’s heavy, it’s underpowered and chances are you won’t think they are pretty. But in the corners they hold firm, with Bridgestone R11s gripping the Mallory tarmac with confidence inspiring form allowed even me some ridiculous overtakes that should not be possible against a lot of the bikes out there. I also took a couple of other CB500 racers’ scalps. That was it, I was hooked.
At the end of the day, Gary asked when I wanted to do another trackday. I replied that I didn’t – I wanted to go racing; so we signed up to race with EMRA. We got set up on the Saturday afternoon, got scrutineered, and were ready for the next morning. To make the most of the day we had both signed up for the CB500 race, of course, but also the rookies race. Thus in the morning there were two practice/qualifiers, then four races. As we left Mallory for the night, the barbecues were firing up and the camaraderie setting in, it was a shame to miss that.
Pit crew
The next morning Chris and Les, two of Gary’s mates who had got persuaded Gary to buy a Pig on the first place, turned up and what a pair of legends they turned out to be. Les looked after Gary and Chris looked after me. They both worked tirelessly to make sure the bikes were running as well as they could and were fully prepped. Gary and I had the full GP treatment. What a difference they made taking the worry out of set up, especially when the heavens opened.
By the time we went out for the first qualifier in the CB500s it was teaming with rain; my experience on wets was the same as racing a CB500, a big fat zero. But Gary knows his tyres so I followed his advice as best I could. A 1:12.750 put me 14th on the grid of 17. Given that I estimated I had pulled a 1:08 on the previous trackday in the blazing sun, I would take that. The next qualifier saw a mixed bag of bikes for the Rookies classification, the grid was for Allcomers thus a certain Bradley ‘BSB’ Ray smashed it past me a couple of times during the session – and no, I didn’t catch him round Gerrards.
What I did do though was knock three seconds off my CB500 qualifying time, down to 1:09.641 which put me even higher on the grid for the rookies. Things were looking pretty good.
At this point I will make no apology about the minute detail I give on timings and fastest laps. Past track days for me have been all about the lines, the pick-ups, the knee downs, the stylin’ it up and the overall joy of the experience. But when you add timings via a transponder, nothing else matters as quite as much. It’s your benchmark and the smallest improvements and gains in lap times bring the greatest pleasure, that is unless you are a front runner of course, which I was never going to be. No, for me it was about personal gains and placing as high as I could, not being last being an added bonus.
Lights out
The first race was in, Gary was further up the grid having put in a very respectable 1:05.62 in qualifying, some seven seconds faster then me. The wets has been on the warmers, I was dressed for the occasion in my R&G transparent rain suit and we left the collection area to find our grid slot. Once on the grid, a full set of lights on in front of me, wound up the throttle, the lights went out, I dropped the clutch and… Nothing! I wasn’t in gear. A quick stamp and reprogramming of my brain and I was away, amazingly getting round Gerrards with two bikes behind me. But the pack was off in the distance.
There was my target, and with clear track in front of me I caught up and with a couple more overtakes the confidence just built and built inside me. The CB was on its side, knee on the floor despite the wet and the Pig flew. I have never had a feeling like it, not only was I racing but I was competitive. In four laps of the ten I was up to eighth, and chasing for higher positions but on this occasion at Shaws Hairpin my ambition exceeded my skill. One minute I was circumnavigating the bend, the next sliding across the tarmac, panicking that a previous overtake would hit me. It didn’t and I had a chorus of yellow flags flying just for me as all of my previous conquests sailed past me as I stood watching from behind the Armco.
What caused me to lose the front I don’t know, my lack of race experience may have meant I touched the brake, I like to think I hit a rogue bump or a patch of oil but it didn’t change the fact my first outing was a DNF. Once the race was done I was back on the bike and headed into the pits, Chris was waiting to assess the damage. Bars were slightly bent, lever guard scratched and crash protection was scuffed but that was pretty much it. Within 15 minutes it was ready to go again. I was down to a 1:05.886, a full seven seconds faster than qualifying and only three seconds off the fastest lap time for the entire race. I just had to keep it upright for the next time and see the chequered flag, even if I was the last person to see it.
Rookie road
My lap time for the Rookies race was good enough to see me on the third row of the grid and I was gunning for the 600s and 1,000s I lined up with. Gary had done even better, he was on the front row and really had the bit between his teeth. Racing the big guns on the CB was not fulfilling though, they were just too quick off the line and we both struggled from the start. Gary held his own but overall this was not the CB’s playground. I pulled 1:06 which I was pleased with given the amount of time I was riding alone with just
WHAT CAUSED ME TO LOSE THE FRONT I DON’T KNOW. I LIKE TO THINK I HIT A ROGUE BUMP
one ZX10R behind me – having hit the deck the race before and riding with bent bars the finish was a very welcome sight.
With the sun breaking through and dry track the next CB race was dry, the wets came out and Bridgestone R11 shod wheels went in. I, like Gary, had been praying that the rain continued but it was not too be. Given my DNF I was dead last on the grid. Another dubious start saw me chasing from the start but I got on with it and made up a few places. It took me a bit longer to get round people than it should have – but experience will come. By the time I had, the group had gone and I found myself alone once again, finishing the race in 12th with a new personal best of 1:05.619 for the lap on the dry tyres.
The final race of the day was the Rookies once more. I was truly knackered, showing more racing shortcomings in my fitness. I finished but my performance was nothing to write home about. So I don’t think I will.
It was a brilliant experience, and ultimately an extremely affordable way to either scratch your racing itch, or find out if you have an itch in the first place. The CB500 provides a perfect entry level to racing without in-depth mechanical knowledge, but is also an option adopted by big name racers. Look at Richard Cooper now and where CB500 racing took James Toseland. If you want to branch out beyond a one day meet there are series with the likes of No Limits and Thundersport of course, though I think I will have a few more EMRA one day Mallory rounds first to polish my race-craft before launching myself at a nationwide series.