Continued
Santa Pod...Wroughton style
A large group of petrol heads (and some running on LiPo 4star ), an old runway and a glorious September day set against a backdrop of the Ridgeway route which I rode two days previously. I'll post a report as soon as I've written it up.
The machines were a grand mix of modern superbikes and vintage TT racers. The air was full of the unmistakable smell of Castrol R and Methanol with some machine breathing exotic gasses to boot!.
A very unlikely match was a very young lad riding a BSA Bantam against a black monster clearly showing a bottle of Nitrous Oxide on it's rear frame.
This youngster was certainly up for it and ran the quarter mile many times. He appeared to be having trouble with his gearbox, on a couple of runs he actually came to standstill on the track whilst having a raffle on its contents. At the other end of the spectrum, a huge bright green superbike running on methanol and snorting nitrous oxide bettered 153 mph over the standing start quarter mile.
A number of the TTXGP machines also ran the timed course. The quietness of these machines caught me out, I was so busy snapping the machines coming down the return lane and didn't realise they were running until they whizzed past on the main track.
Two TTXGP machines coming down the return lane.
On the right, number.21, Chris Heath riding his 2009 IOM TTXGP winning machine. My apologies for not knowing the name of the rider on the red machine, but it's interesting to note it was much quicker....crossing the line ahead of Chris's machine at better than 94 mph!. Also interesting was the comment by the guy on the PA system about the quietness of these electrics. Apparently, spectators at the TT races were unaware there was a race in progress and wandered onto the track...only to be confronted by electric motorcycles bearing down on them at 90 plus mph!. Okay!.. a lollipop stick attached to the frame with an elastic band and rubbing on the spokes....that'll do it!.
And once again I met up with Mark and Keith of e.motion in Swindon
Mark and Keith only found out at the last minute that their application for a pitch had been granted, and only displayed two of the electric scooters used in their courier service in Swindon. With acres of smooth tarmac for test rides it's a shame they didn't have time to take some Powabikes up there. Mark enjoyed a ride on my Mistral and commented on the excellent quality considering it's price.
Whenever I go to events at this airfield I always take a bike in the car. The Museum staff are very accommodating, they really don't mind what visitors do as long as it's kept sensible. If you want to go inside the hangars then take your bike in with you....they don't mind.
Apart from a guy trundling about in a Sinclair C5, my Mistral was the only e-bike up there. I lost count of the number of people wanting information on where to buy a Mistral. Details of the machine were being jotted down on pieces of paper and entered onto 'phones. They weren't just curious....they really wanted one!. This surely has to be a missed opportunity for e-bike suppliers.
And all this for a fiver per car entrance fee. A brilliant day out!
All the best
Bob
