Back in the shed
After a crash at Round 2, in Germany, Team Lincs Classic Suzuki have rebounded by taking two bikes to the next round at Spa in Belgium
THE CLASSIC ENDURANCE race at the Biker’s Classics event at Spa will be the first time that we’re entering a two-bike team. We’ve still got the Katana which Suzuki GB have lent us. But this time we’re also taking a GSX-R750L to run in the 750 class. We’ve actually got two 750s, almost identical, which we built after the 2017 season. Back then it looked like the rules would change to phase out the older bikes and go to an early 1990s WSB spec. Jez Hunt, who’s been our crew chief so far this year, built one, and called it Riley after his dog. Pete Littlewood, our team manager and the owner of B&B Motorcycles in Lincoln, built the other. Well, his mechanic Ben did. It’s called Maurice, after Pete’s dad.
In the end the rules stayed the same, so that was a load of time and money those boys didn’t need to spend. But the Spa meeting is one of the events where we can enter a 750 so we’re taking the opportunity to race one of them.
As usual, the whole team has been in the workshop every night getting ready. The Katana crashed on oil at the previous round so
most of the effort has gone into rebuilding that. The 750 was pretty much there, apart from needing lights, because Spa is a day/ night race. We’ve ridden it at Cadwell and in practice at the last meeting in Germany, so we know what it’s like. It handles real good, but it’s not fast enough. It’s only pulling 112bhp on Guy Martin’s dyno. That wouldn’t bother you so much at Cadwell but at Spa it’s got no chance. We’ve got a crew chief for each bike. Jez is one; the other is Butch Cartwright, who was Whitham’s crew chief in WSB and remembers the 750s from when it was new.
Richard Steadman, who was on the Katana when it crashed in Germany, is going to ride it again with guest rider Al Fagan. I’m riding the 750 with former 125 GP racer Danny Webb. He’ll be quick, even if the bike’s not.
Suzuki Katana endurance racer £40,000 COST: Racing Avons TYRES: 150bhp POWER: 185kg WEIGHT: est