Manx Grand Prix 1999                                      Tony Ainley

Bike preparation for 1999 started with checking over the complete bike; happily not too much was found to be wrong. I left the bottom end alone, but on lifting the cylinder head I was concerned about some marks on the top rear of the cylinder. Fortunately these were removed by light honing. I concluded that they were caused by not having used an air filter on the GP carburettor. I was also concerned about the amount of oil finding its way onto the near side of the rear tyre. The oil was coming out of the primary chaincase in all the usual places, despite my attempts to make it oil tight; a difficult job as the chain case is really a series of holes connected by pieces of metal.

I decided that the time had come to fit my belt drive clutch conversion which had been developed in conjunction with John Watson. Hopefully, by eliminating the need for a chain and oil, I would not suffer any further problems. Andrew Walker had modified the crankcase by incorporating a garter lip seal. This ran on the inner boss of the engine sprocket, thereby keeping the oil in the engine.

Unable to find time for a test session at a practice day at Mallory, I only fitted the belt drive the day before I left for the Island, Its only testing consisted of trying the bike up and down my driveway to check that the belt ran true and the clutch separated. The neighbours have fortunately grown used to me starting the bike with its open megaphone and don’t complain, but I do try to keep the noise down!

I drove up to Heysham and across to the island on my own. John Watson was coming over later in the week as mechanic. I was also to be assisted, as usual, by Paul Mitchell, who lives in Ramsey. I signed on and stayed for the rider’s briefing at the Grandstand, then drove over to Ramsey where I was staying with Paul’s mum, Pauline.

Saturday morning, we took the bike to Jurby airfield for testing. I did about ten circuits and the clutch appeared perfect. Saturday evening practice – the weather was fine and dry. I intended to do one lap and then come in to check the adjustment of the belt, as I had been informed that it can tighten up considerably when hot, thereby imposing excessive loading on the gearbox bearings as well as the risk of the belt breaking.

I started slowly, it being a year since I had ridden the course. The Manx Highway Authority often resurfaces sections of the road and these need observing and remembering. At Ballaugh, the clutch was slipping slightly, but seemed alright as I climbed the mountain. I stopped after the first lap- the belt seemed right to me. I just missed going out for a second lap as the start gate had been closed thirty seconds earlier.

 I saw Vern Wallis (I was using his garage again) in the pits and asked his opinion of the belt tension. He advised more slack, having checked it whilst it was still hot. Bearing in mind that Vern is the “distributor” for Bob Newby clutches/belts in the Island, I heeded his advice.

Sunday morning, I drove to Vern’s to slacken the belt slightly and re-adjust the rear chain. Sally, Vern’s wife, informed me that Len Clutterbuck, a friend and Velo owner, had crashed his Seeley 350 at the Bungalow and sustained injuries to his ribs, collarbone and hand. I would go and visit him Iater in the week.

Monday morning practice – 2 laps  (un-timed, but they all count) no problems.

Monday evening – the bike was suffering from megaphonitis and a slight misfire. It was also jumping out of gear. I put this down to the fact that I have moved the gearbox forward and was not able to select the gears so well. I needed bigger feet to reach the gear lever more comfortably. Nevertheless my first lap was 81.22 mph so I’d secured the necessary speed for qualification.

My second lap was not so good. The misfire was worse and the bike expired at Ramsey Hairpin. Fortunately I was only 200 yards from my lodgings and freewheeled back to Pauline’s after practice. I noticed that the oil seal on the main shaft/front pulley has been weeping and I needed a spare. I knew exactly which drawer they were in – in Nottingham. Time to phone a friend or more precisely Carol, my wife, who would post them to me.

Tuesday morning - back to Vern’s garage, diagnose the problem – simple, the contact breaker spring had broken. I fitted a spare and rechecked the ignition timing. I use a modified spark plug as a positive stop thirty-degree tool (that’s what my engine runs at.) I also use a Criterion adjustable timing pinion for ease of maintenance. (I can recommend it for any bike with manual magneto - it’s so simple to use.)

Tuesday evening practice – weather fine and dry – first lap 84 mph, the bike felt good; second lap 87 mph, a new personal best – I felt good. I visited the pits to see Tim Johnson, also racing a Velocette. He had problems; the centre bearing of his belt drive had popped out and one of the steel clutch plates had “sprung.”  No problem – John Watson, who makes and supplies the belt drive and clutch plates was coming over on Thursday as my mechanic and would be bringing spares.

Wednesday – morning practice cancelled due to severe weather warning – a lie in - great.

I occupied my time changing the pulley oil seal. Modified the gear lever to improve the gear change. I also thought that the rear tyre would need changing soon. Evening practice was cancelled because the  weather was awful and visibility so bad it wasn’t considered safe.

Thursday morning – up early, collected John from Douglas. We later drove to Vern’s for coffee and then to the Grandstand to deliver the clutch bits to Tim.

Afternoon practice started at 3 pm for classics and the weather was beautiful. My first lap was 83 mph. On my second lap, I’m was clocked at 106 mph coming off Quarry Bends onto the Sulby Straight, by a friend, P.C. John Mitchell (Paul’s brother) on a Muniquip radar gun, courtesy of Manx Police.

The bike was really going well. I was following five other riders, so I thought that I might learn something about racing lines over the mountain. At the 28 mile marker the bike started to vibrate very badly and I looked down to see my boots awash with oil. I stopped and saw that the crankcases had split horizontally below the barrel. The only things holding the top and bottom of the engine together were the cam steady plate and the timing cover. Never mind, that’s racing as they say, it’s only money (pause for tears.)  I got a cup of tea courtesy of the marshals at the caravan.

After practice, a marshal helped me down the road towards Ramsey by riding his MZ with his foot on the back of my seat until we reached about forty mph. I was freewheeling but I started to draw away from him, even overtaking a Manx driver down into Ramsey. As I rounded Ramsey Hairpin people I’d never met started waving to me. I wasn’t sure what was going on, so I slowed down and saw that the local traffic police were trying out their new laser speed gun on May Hill. I stopped and had a chat. They were two lads I’d met the night before when I went out for a drink with John and Paul. The equipment seemed very accurate. Fortunately they were only warning riders/drivers rather than prosecuting them.

Friday was spent exchanging Richard Adams’s spare race engine for my broken one. We also found that the front mudguard bracket, the upper one behind the forks, had broken in the usual place, so we had it welded by Dave Molineaux (the infamous sidecar racer) who lived down the road from Vern. Things seemed to take a long time to fix and we arrived at the pits at 5.10pm not even having had time to start the engine. Luckily it started first time and we warmed it up in the paddock but then noticed that it was leaking oil from around the main bearing housing. We had not able to use my oil seal as the crankcases were different and did not allow for such a fitment.

Finally after a long wait, practice was cancelled. The Manx Fire Brigade was attending a large grass fire burning out of control on the road near the Waterworks above Ramsey. It was caused when a car descending the road had a brake disc shatter; the bits then flew into a field and set fire to the bank. It had not a very good day – to say the least.

Saturday morning – Vern and John designed and machined a “top hat” crankcase oil seal to minimise the oil leak from behind the front pulley. I went into Douglas to have the new rear tyre fitted. We took the bike to Jurby for testing and scrubbed in the new tyre. Everything seemed to be working but we were struggling to get to the Grandstand for evening practice, so we watched from various points rather than try and bust a gut to reach the pits.

Sunday was a day of rest - I went to Douglas to collect my race day number plates and then met John at the Museum at the Bungalow for the Velo Club gathering. John was able to display his belt drive clutch and plates and secured some orders. I displayed the bike for anybody interested. Later we fitted the numbers and generally cleaned/inspected the bike.

Monday – Race Day. The weather was “iffy” but the Newcomers race went ahead on time. The Classic race which should have started at 1 p.m. was continually delayed due to fog, rain and poor visibility. Not that it was delayed for the riders, you understand. If the rescue helicopter can’t fly they delay it! Having said that, I’d rather race with the knowledge that if I were to sustain injury that I would be transported to hospital as quickly as possible.

The race finally started shortly after 3 p.m. The roads were declared “wet” from Greeba Castle to Ramsey Hairpin, with warnings of strong winds at the 32^nd and Windy Corner. There were two other Velos in the race. Tim Johnson, whom I have previously mentioned, and David Brasier. The latter had varying problems throughout practice week but had made the start line. In a previous article I mentioned an ex police officer Andy Spencer, who also owns a Velo, but chose to race an early Manx Norton.

My race started. I was riding no 94, so was hoping that the roads would be drying out, as it hadn’t rained for a while. My plan was to try and ride without a fuel stop, courtesy of the five gallon tank also on loan from Richard Adams (what a nice man, and good racer.) Andy  started just behind me (no 96) and overtook me fairly early on in the race. I always seem to start slowly. I didn’t know which lap it was, but I saw Tim’s Velo looking very second-hand part way down Barregarrow. Apparently he had fallen in the wet but thankfully he was not badly injured.

I later had a good dice with Andy Spencer, but his bike was putting out so much oil mist I had difficulty seeing through my visor and I made a determined effort to lose him. I did, but he was also starting to have ignition problems which were limiting the revs. He told me later he could only watch me pull away up and over the mountain. However he finished only one position behind me. David Brasier ran out of fuel on the last lap, something he did in practice as well! There must be a lesson there.

There were 109 entrants of which 20 were non-starters, 43 retired and 46 finished. I was 36^th  with a race average of 84 mph, I never seem to get the speeds for individual laps so can’t give any more information.

As usual I would like to thank all my friends and helpers especially my wife Carol, also John Watson,  Vern and Sally for their particular help and encouragement. 

This page was last updated on 14/01/03.