Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

huge amount of time, 20 minutes, before the team could get him back in the race . Alas, it was all to no avail as the twin became a single just seven miles further on, and that was that. The team now had a five-day period to prepare the machines for the Senior IT (run-what-you-brung regulations - . 250cc GP bikes, 55600s, and Fl /5uperbikes together) race run on June 10. In between there was a last-gasp practice session, but even this brought pr oblems for the now somewhat beleaguered team . The bike's "two-d irectional" cam belts broke, and Britten had to arrange for replacements to be flown in before the race, two days later. In the race itself, Jefferies again held a steady seventh place at the end of the opening lap (averaging over 118 mph this time) , and by Glen Helen, just 10 miles up the road from the start-finish area, the Kiwi machine was flying and he ld six th p lace. But fa te was again about to cast an ot her nasty spell over the team. The primary gear sheared itself, pierci ng a tiny hole in the clutc h cover and depositing its oil all over the track. "1 don' t think some of my fellow rid ers would be too happ y with me for that one," said Jefferies. And so ended a IT meeting for John Britten a nd his merry men that had promised so much in the usual pre-race hype, but had ended in tragedy and disappointment. Britten himself remained philosophica l, however, about the whole thing. . "We came here wanting a top-si x fin ish," he exp lained . "Nick was well on course in both races to achie ve that, and ma ybe more. Mark's accident obviously cast a shad ow over th e entire event for everyone invo lved in .the project. We had a lot to lose, I suppose. I a m a sole constructor working on a minimal budget, and everyone seem ed to be expecting a lot. But give credit to the guys - they never gave in, .and we 'll all be back here next year, ma ybe to win. My ambition is to win here with the twin; to win before Ducati do with their 926s and so on. Then I' ll go off and build a single." We were speaking some three or so hours after the Senior race had finished, and Jeffe r ies joined us . As we have already mention ed, jefferies, at 42, is a TT stalwart, and has ridd en a great many more di fferent types of machines around the Isle of Man than most. How did he rate the Britten? "Well for a start, it's not as fearsome to ride as most people seem to think it is," he said. "It's very easy to ride and changes direction really easily. It's probably the most stable motorcycle I have ever ridden here. If I were marking it on d ifferent aspects or characteristics, then I' d give it five out of five on stability, three and a half out of five on handling, and three and a half out of five on bra king. "1wish we had had more time to test. After the test da y on the .1100 in March, I didn't see the b ike again until the · NW200 where, of course, we had our fair share of problems. Then we cam e here, and again we had problems. Cam belts went; suspension collapsed; it was never ending. Basically we need ed more time to get to know the bike. "The power delivery is unb elievable, though. After Mark's accident, I was a little nervous, maybe because the power does come in so qu ick, so I was a little reserved at first. The brakes are not too bad, and once they are sorted out they will be brilliant because the rest of the bike is so light. "1 found I could get into a rhythm The 1000cc vtw in In various sta ges of repair at the team's garage on th e Isle of Man. The bike Is th e brai nchild of 42-year-old John Britten, a New Zealand desig ner wit h a dream of win ning at the Isle of Man with his project Ahh oughthe . team fail ed In their attempts in 1994, Britten says they'll be back. quite quickly because th ere a re long stretches of track here where you are really on the gas. It's very easy to get the front wheel up in the air. In some of the really bumpy sections, I was actually riding deliberately with the front end in the air; the best way of cutting out the front-wheel patter to my mind. It's a fine bike, and once de veloped I reckon that the likes of Hislop would get it 'round this place at well over 120 mph. To be honest, I could do with a clear run o n it . All around thou gh, I am impressed." Will he ride it again? "You'd better ask John Britten that," he says, smiling ruefully. With the mutual resp ect both these men have for each othe r, for the IT course, and for the motorcycle itself, there is no doubt that they will all be back as a team in 1995. CN 19

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