11 replies to this topic

[joeninety]

Love to hear any racing tactics from riders and mechanics to fool the opposition.

Edited by joeninety, 14 April 2011 - 12:34.

[dommieracer]

The only tactic that i used from time to time would be to look down for a second glance at the bike of the competitor i was trying to get past/away from. On looking down i would then shake my head. Often this would cause the other rider to slow or look down at his machine just as we got near to a bend. This would give me a chance to get away. I also did this once on the grid and the guy next to me lept off his bike causing an aborted start!

Kevin

[rotrax]

Love to hear any racing tactics from riders and mechanics to fool the opposition. To start the ball rolling I used the "fake" brake point, sit there brake like hell head still down but don't sit up, the guy up your chuff is waiting for your signal, too late he's gone straight on. I remember a photo guru friend of mine who also raced in the sixties looking over his left into a right hander, lap after lap, only to see yours truly then on the last lap I moved out of sight to the right, hey presto he eased off a little and result.

The late Chris Williams used to ride Clive Ways very fast Scott. He entered it in a Brands Racing Combine meeting in the early seventies in both the Vintage race and the Unlimited race. He was front row in the Unlimited race and on the line he said to the guy on the 650 triumph next to him " Dont cut paddock too close because I am going to be right on the inside,on the white line". The guy laughed-the Scott had an open frame like a ladies bicycle and was made in 1926 or so. It was also very light and started like a dream. Chris led for a lap or two and finished third,well in front of the Triumph. He always maintained that his little chat helped keep his favourite tight line clear on that all important first lap!

[Paul Collins]

One year at the TT we discussed getting the two guys from the local Chinese takeaway to put on HRC overalls and wheel our 250 Honda to the line, one of them warming it up and the other one tapping away on a laptop with a cable running from the laptop to somewhere inside the fairing

[rotrax]

The Moto Guzzi team manager and rider Fergus Anderson had all his rear sprokets numbered wrongly. He knew what he was pulling,but his rivals would be in the deep and smelly if they copied his choice. This tactic is also used by Speedway and Longtrack racers. Jonathan Parkes was Willie Hodges jockey on the "WD" Triumph in Vintage racing. Parksey and the Triumph were the ones to beat one year in the early seventies. Willy Hodge was a bit of a joker and had been around the block in racing. I visited his workshop one night when he was preparing the WD Triumph. He had welded small brackets to the exhaust pipes and drilled the top fins of the head near the exhaust port. He joined the bracket and head with a spring,a la then current two stroke practice. I suggested that as he had left the finned clamp tightly fitted to the pipe as well the bike would derive no benefit from this modification. Willy laughed and said "Yes, but when Parksey wins they will all have the same thing on for the next meeting" Guess what- he was dead right!

[rotrax]

Fickle lot....I never tried the sprocket trick, too complicated for me I'd get mixed up, probably end up more suited to a trials bike. Any rider worth his salt makes his own choice. I was by now a proficient team manager ! and as such had to make choices for my "stars". Come pratice de-brief, hows the gearing, spot on was the reply. Gear it up I said. Why? Just do it. He didn't realise that in the heat of the moment you up the anti, hopefully, and it worked.
It's all in your mind....

Hi, When I worked for Kawasaki I had a guy on a training course from Manchester way. He had worked for Sports Motorcycles and was in the pits at Mallory post TT meeting when Mike Hailwood was on the Ducati. I asked him what Hailwood was like to spanner for.He said he was great. After practice when asked if he wanted any changes made to the twin Mike the Bike said "Yeah-gear it up a bit and cut an inch off the footrests! True or not its a great yarn.

[SMonty]

Enjoying this thread.

There must be loads of good stories of all the bluffing and counter bluffing that went on at the TT over the years about pit / fuel stops.

C'mon lets be hearing them!

[rotrax]

Enjoying this thread.

There must be loads of good stories of all the bluffing and counter bluffing that went on at the TT over the years about pit / fuel stops.

C'mon lets be hearing them!

The late great Eric Oliver gave the Oxford Vintage Club a talk. His aceptance letter was on his headed paper that listed all his World Records, TT and GP wins and all the makes he was agent for at his Staines showrooms..There was not much room for any writing. Two of his ploys have stuck in my memory. The first one was at Monza. His Norton outfit was much slower than the Italian-can't remember his name-who was on the Gilera four. Eric put on a very high gear and slotted in behind at the start to get a tow. On the fastest part of the course the Italian would look behind. When Eric saw him turning his head he would rest his chin on his hand, elbow on the tank,as if to say"Get a move on-I'm waiting for you to speed up!" Erics Norton could only stay in touch in the Gilera's slipstream. Eventualy this pissed the Italian off and the Gilera crashed out. Eric took another vital win on a slower bike. Mind games had won the day once more. The other instance was against the BMW'S. Eric needed to win at the last meeting of the year and the German-might have been Knolle- had to finish down the order. Eric sussed that the BMW's could kill the old Norton coming out of the last turn on the run to the finish. The two BMW's were content to stay just behind all through practice and show off their superior acceleration out of the last turn,just to rub it in. Eric made sure he got a good start and led all race,right up to the last turn. Instead of taking it in second,as he had all practice and all race Eric took it flat in third, the BMW that could-and indeed should- have won crashed,turned over and DNF'D. Another mind game winner. Eric had got there early and found in unnoficial practice just how fast he could take that turn, but he did not let on till it mattered.

[Ray Oldam]

Joe,

This one may qualify. My brother Dennis was turning in some great performances on our Ducati Desmo roadster in his first year of racing back in 1975. At one of the NGMCC meetings, another rider and his dad came up to the van where Dennis, sponsor Stafford Coulson and I were stood around the bike. "You were really flying there son - how do you make that thing go so fast then?". Stafford, known for the occasional practical joke, pointed to the jerry cans, "Oh, he's been running it on nitro". Stafford then disappeared around the side of the van - leaving us to deal with the consequences!

The other rider looked disbelievingly at Dennis, and his dad went ballistic!! We got a tirade about being hauled off to the race office, having the fuel analysed and so on - the poor chap went bright red and was absolutely fuming. When he eventually paused for breath, Stafford re-appeared from behind the van laughing his head off!! Well, they saw the funny side - eventually.

All the best.

Ray

Edited by Ray Oldam, 16 March 2011 - 15:12.

[dommieracer]

I told my dad about this topic and he came up with the rear sprocket on aswell.
1965 German GP Nurburgring. This was my dads first GP and turned out to be good. During practice Charlie Freeman asked my dad what was his rear gearing set at? My dad answered with a lower number than that he was really using. Charlie said thanks and walked off. My dad grabbed all of his sprockets and put them in the van out of sight. Come the start of the race and Charlie is on my dads tail, slowly Charlie drops behind and after a while is out of site. My dad finished the GP in 7th.

When i raced i must admit that i and a few others did a naughty on a fellow rider. It was one of the BSB races in 1999 at Donnington and most of us no names camped our CB500s in the marshalls area as it was the only area without genoraters, so we could sleep well etc. Anyhow the normal bunch of riders that are needed by the best to make them look good had grouped around Nick Russll's bike. We all chatted as our qualifying time drew nearer. I noticed that Nick hadnt finished putting on his rear sprocket and was only held on with one nut! I nudged Alec next to me and he sshhdd me and then told Mick Warring, again a sshh was given. As this was a televised race all and sundry turned up to race so far too many for the grid! We all kept silent till the second and final call to assemble came over the paddock spaekers. As we mounted our bikes we all shouted to Nick ' SPROCKET' and sped off! Nick managed to join us in time and still beat me.

Kevin

[rotrax]

Love to hear any racing tactics from riders and mechanics to fool the opposition. To start the ball rolling I used the "fake" brake point, sit there brake like hell head still down but don't sit up, the guy up your chuff is waiting for your signal, too late he's gone straight on. I remember a photo guru friend of mine who also raced in the sixties looking over his left into a right hander, lap after lap, only to see yours truly then on the last lap I moved out of sight to the right, hey presto he eased off a little and result.

At the 1970 World Speedway final in Wroclaw in Poland Ivan Mauger pulled off one of the best tactical moves ever. He was well known for his coloured leathers and jet style helmet when most of the other riders used the traditional black leathers and pudding basin. At this final he practiced using his normal kit. If you had seen practice and wanted to put a bet on,Barry Briggs was your man. Briggo won practice by a mile. Ivan was nothing special. On the big day Ivan's bike was tucked away in a quiet corner of the pits and the man was not in evidence untill the pre race parade. He was in black leathers of the same style as the Poles and wore a pudding basin helmet. As he had to race three Poles in his third ride and the Poles had pledged to help each other this was a very shrewd move. When the Poles looked to see what was on all the riders looked looked the same. Just in case you road race guys dont think this is important, the race time,if I remember was about 66 seconds for the four laps-not a lot of time to do much helping! On the day Ivan made five starts and became the first man to win three World Speedway Championships on the trot. He really was a thinker, as well as one of the finest Speedway riders ever. When he came to the UK to try his luck on the shale the Wimbledon promoter Ronnie Green told him to go back to New Zealand because "You will never be a Speedway rider." Greeny did'nt get that one right!

[Rennmax]

I remember Ivan taking part in a longtrack meeting in Neustadt/Bavaria. Since he competed in a league meeting in the UK the night before, he arrived shortly before the race was started. He was allowed to take a practice session on his own to get accustomed to the venue where he was for the first time. Anyway, he rode around the track slowly for 2 laps, then in the 3rd lap, he broke the track record !