This weekend, the WSBK circus rolls into the Temple of Speed, Monza, Italy. Known for its insanely fast speeds, sensational slipstreaming and the world’s most ridiculous chicane, the Monza round of the championshop always brings out the best (and sometimes the worst) in riders and their teams. James Toseland is hoping to return after missing 2 rounds due to his Aragon highside, and everyone will be watching the Spanish veteran, Carlos Checa as he tries to build on his lead on the “works” (cough, cough) Ducati. It must really suck to be on an underpowered, disadvantaged bike, mustn’t it? But “Chucker” won’t have it all his way. The Roman Emperor regards Monza as his “home” track and he always brings a huge cheer squad with him to the track. It should be a ripper weekend. If you’re lucky enough to have Speed channel, you can catch all the action, otherwise head on over to the Official WSBK web site and catch the live timing.
Most of you know that I am a real fan of the American stylist, Roland Sands. Well, here’s a shameless bit of self-promotion from RSD. Classy stuff.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXBbYk50IRs&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
Wonder why Spain is dominating motorcycle racing at the moment? Here’s an excellent article that helps to explain. Fascinating stuff.
This morning I finished the stripdown of the Shadowfax, and obtained a quote for sandblasting and powdercoating the frame. The forks are pretty rusty on the upper legs so hopefully they can be repaired, otherwise I’ll be looking out for some new 36mm forks to replace them. That shouldn’t be too difficult. The box-section swingarm is VERY corroded and will need replacing. I’ve flashed off an email to Kent to see if he can advise me about the details of it and how I might go about replacing it. Incidentally, speaking of Kent, he has moved on somewhat from his humble beginnings building bikes in his garage in Canberra. Here’s his official web site. Look at the “About Kent” section and note the movies on which he has worked. Hey, I know someone famous!! 🙂
