Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1472935
VOLUME 59 ISSUE 28 JULY 12, 2022 P107 the revs below 8000 rpm, the Suzuki finally shifted into sec- ond, and I went for third and— nothing. I still don't know exactly what happened, but the gearbox had suffered a terminal problem. I coasted down Bray Hill and exited stage left—the TT strikes again. Back at the pit, there was a slight sense of foreboding as yet another technical problem put a stop to a lap. Paul sprang into ac- tion, pulling the clutch apart, try- ing to figure if the problem could be solved without changing the engine. As it turns out, it couldn't, so it was another long afternoon for him and Scott who not only had to replace the motor but also weld the frame that had cracked at the gearbox mount. Paul miraculously pulled the motor out within an hour, had the frame welded within the next hour, and the new motor in by the end of the day. A quick dyno run ensued where we noted we were 10 horsepower down on the old motor, but it was a fresh one after all and would probably gain a few more ponies as it loosened up. At least we had a working motorcycle. I used this time to play specta- tor, watching the real heroes of the TT do their thing in the Su- perbike race and to support my mate, Brandon Cretu, in his TT return on the Team Penz Honda CBR1000 RR-R SP2. Seeing the TT from this angle gave it a new meaning and really bought home just what it means to the island and the people who come to see it. When you're racing, all that matters is you. But when you're spectating, the event takes on a new level and you can't help but fall in love with the place, no matter the hard- ships it dishes out. RACE TIME With no competition on Sunday, my crew of Simon, Oscar and Cristi did a bit of sightseeing and visited Castletown to, you know, go to a medieval castle. It was a nice reprieve from the racing and showed another, far more ancient side to the isle. make things run smoothly in a house full of dudes. Cristi's help, from getting my helmets to Arai to mak- ing coffee for the team, was hugely appreciated, and her calming nature was very much needed at times during the TT. Thank you also to Heather Watson and Scott Griffin from Pirelli/ Metzeler USA. These two have believed in this program from the get-go and I am beyond proud to represent Pirelli in the U.S. but also Metzeler on the biggest stage of them all. The tires were absolutely flawless across the whole two weeks. I never had one concern as to their performance or longevity at the most demanding race track on the planet. 5.11 Tactical came on board as a personal spon- sor this year, and I was so glad to represent an American-made company on the world stage. To have a company as big as 5.11 represented at the TT was a brilliant feeling, and I hope they have seen the exposure motorsport can bring to a company such as this. Heath Cofran at Alpin- estars was the driving force behind creating my beautiful TT race suit. I lost count on the amount of people that came up to me and said they loved the suit, so, Heath, you've outdone yourself there, mate. Thank you so much for all your support over the years. I was equally proud to wear Arai Helmets at the TT. The brand has such a link to the TT and to be part of that story was incredible. The support at the track was second to none, so thank you to Garret, Jeff and Brian for every- thing you did for me. Finally, I would like to thank my boss, Sean Fin- ley, for allowing me to chase this dream. Sean's done so much for my life in America, and I was never prouder than when I put those two Cycle News stickers on the front of the bike the day before practice. Rookie liaison officer and former TT winner Richard 'Milky' Quale—the man has forgotten more about the TT than most will ever know.