He drafted past Deitz and another Duck on laps four and five, but an unknown third place rider walked away. Rich defended fourth place to the end of the eight lap race. 
In the closing laps the clutch started slipping ever so slightly.1998 marks Team Charm's tenth racing season, and the first time that the Mid-Atlantic season began in January. Rich and Stephen made the journey to Roebling Road and came back with 3rd and 4th place honors, respectively, in Lightweight Sportsman. In GT3 Rich salvaged a mediocre 6th place while Steve DNF'd with an oil leak. The leak was a result of hurried repairs made after Steve crashed in morning practice. Team Charm, now officially a three-rider team, headed south Friday afternoon with the two EX500s essentially untouched since the last 1997 race at Roebling just 11 weeks ago. This early race often plays a significant role in Mid-Atlantic championship battles; those who brave the winter weather get an early jump on the point standings. As the astute reader may recall, both riders had suspension problems (front wheel chatter) in November; both Steve and Rich made changes that each thought would cure the chatter. Rich increased the damping of the front forks, removed one of the brake rotors, and switched to Dunlop 207GP treaded tires. Steve replaced the Dunlop slicks with new-but-leftover Michelin slicks that he bought from Scooter. Brian, unfortunately was not able to join the Team for this first race. Post-season tear down of his RGV250 revealed the worst possible news; a broken rod had destroyed the engine cases. If anyone has a lead on replacement engines for this exotic machine, please contact the Team ASAP. After the nine hour drive and an odiferous but restful night in the minivan, both Rich and Steve had an uneventful first practice. It was in the second practice that things got exciting. Rich found the front end chatter was indeed still the limiting factor in lap times. Steve discovered the traction limits of the Michelin tires with a low-side crash at the apex of the 100 mph, left-hand Turn 3. "All morning I was going fast in practice. Having been at the track just three months before I was comfortable with going fast in the cold. The tires I mounted before the weekend seemed to cured the front end chatter. I was pushing hard to find out if the front was going to chatter. As I flicked the bike into 3 the front end started to go away. I fought to bring it back, but it stepped out so far that I was unable to bring it back. I hit the pavement pretty gently, the bike falling over on its side as well. Things were looking pretty good until I hit the alligator bumps at the track edge. These are put here to prevent the cars from going wide in the corners. Unfortunately for motorcycle racers they are bad news. As the bike hit the bump in front of me it made a sickening bang noise as the left engine cover was smashed open. I sat up as I slide across it, but the bumps still torn up my leathers pretty good. After scrubbing off all the speed I came to a stop about 30 feet from the bike. Normally a crash at Savannah is hard on bikes. They tend to highside and tumble in the dirt. I was very luck not to have either happen to me. Stunned after the crash (my last on track crash was '94) I was surprised to find the difference in the cornerworkers that I am used to (MARRC) vs. the ones that were working at the event. We had to get the bike ourselves, and effect repairs in about 45 minute to make the first race."
Fast Lane Cycles owner Rick Beggs and several other friends jumped in to help Steve repair the damage during the hour between his crash and the first race. The fairing and windscreen were tossed aside, the number plate and the splintered-but-still-working tachometer were tied to the front bracket. The cracked flywheel cover was replaced with a spare and the dirt and grass cleaned from the carburetors. After getting Steve's bike together both riders rushed to don helmets and gloves and take the warm-up lap for GT3. With the drop of the green flag most riders were a bit cautious, if that term could be applied to the spastic rush towards turn one that begins each and every roadrace around the world. Rich had started from the last row and ducked into turn one in last place, slowing working his way through the pack but afraid to push too hard. The absolute traction of the DOT tires was difficult to assess with the front end chatter problems still pervasive. Steve had other issues on his mind; his foot was slipping on the left footpeg, a sure sign that the flywheel cover was leaking oil. He pulled in to log a disappointing DNF in his first race of the season. Eventually Rich worked his way through the 20 bike field, and put a third and final pass on a strong Bandit 400 to finish in 6th place. At the end of this 30-minute race Rich had never been so happy to see the checkered flag. Winter has apparently taken its toll on his physical endurance. Steve's bike was properly fixed during the long wait for Lightweight Sportsman. There were only a dozen Expert entries, and like the GT3 race early in the day, the race was split into one class for Novice and one for Expert riders. Another change made for 1998 was the move to an immediate points payout in GT3; checks go in the mail within a week of the race. Last year the payout was made at the end of the season and included payback for both Sportsman and GT3. This year we will see cash rewards for GT3 only. Which system is more profitable (less costly?) to Team Charm remains to be seen.
Race nine, the Sportsman race started in the afternoon. While we were all thinking about these and other irrelevancies, the green flag dropped and we dashed off on the first of eight laps. Southern riders Frank Stroman and an RZ piloted racer quickly took the lead while Rich and Steve formed the second battle, leaving the rest of the pack behind. Steve was slowed in turn 3 by the memory of his recent crash, a turn where he would otherwise slip past Rich. In turns 4, 6 and 8 Rich was experiencing the ever-annoying front wheel chatter, and down the front straight Steve was formulating plans for more horsepower. Steve could stay in Rich's draft if he nailed turn nine getting onto the front straight, but could not get his 55hp engine around Rich's 65hp engine at the end of the straight. Steve noted that Rich is starting to brake later for turn one as he could normally out brake his teammate. The track announcer called it the "battle of the elevens" but both riders remarked later that they rode too conservatively. Lapped traffic was kind to Rich but spoiled Steve drive in a few critical spots.. He never got a chance to capitalize and they finished 3rd and 4th. Lap times were not recorded but they are estimated at 1:22 or 1:23.
Steve was pleased with the performance of the Michelin slicks, and with Michelin now paying $125 to win in WERA races they may be used more often. They are not as predictable as the Dunlops, to which Steve will surely attest. Rich was impressed with the 207GP tires; they grip better than any previous DOT tire but they are definitely not slicks. Overall, the weekend was a smashing success. Steve crashed but did not get hurt. Rich placed in the money in GT3, and both are off to a great start for the 1998 Lightweight Sportsman points chase. Let the battle begin!
Thanks to our #1 sponsor Fast Lane Cycles for all the help. Congratulations to you, our most dedicated fan, for making it though this photo-free Diatribe.
Many of you die-hard Team Charm fans have been wondering why we have not updated the web page since our fun and (despite Steve's crash) somewhat successful season opener in late January. The good news is that we finally had some success to report from the May 30/31 outing at Summit Point, which is being entered as a separate pack of lies found elsewhere on this site.
The bad news was the two disappointing weekends in between. Steve and Rich both entered the 1/2 hour GT3 race, but the track was extremely slick and times were very slow. Steve managed a 4th place finish while Rich floundered in 6th place. What about Sportsman, you ask, where EX500s are more competitive? After the first race of the season the CCS rulebook finally came out, and Lightweight Sportsman now allows air-cooled twins up to 750cc. That's right, the slowest class in the books now allows a 90hp Ducati 750SS to race, bikes that until this year had always been considered middleweights. We discovered this on April 11th at Summit Point, when a quick check of the competition showed long-time twins rider Donnie Unger on the front row. The race was frustrating for both our riders, as the faster Ducatis of Unger, Dietz took off running while Rich, and Steve tried in vain to get by the Robbins on his fast Ducati. He effectively blocked at every turn and powered away on every straight. Rich finished 4th, and Steve fell victim to a late-race pass by Zirk which dropped Steve to 6th. The only redeeming part of the weekend is that Rich raced with all new paint on his bike and didn't crash!
May 25, 1998, CCS, Summit Point
May 25-26th hosted WERA at summit Point, but Steve was so frustrated that he skipped the weekend altogether. Rich had revenge in mind as he prepared for the weekend, as the Clubman races were still limited to EX500s and other small bikes. Trouble surfaced in lightweight Solo20, however, and Rich retired early with an overheating engine. During the wait for Clubman he tore into the engine and re-torqued the head bolts, but the problems persisted. In Clubman the engine overheated after four laps, and Rich milked it around the track at 3/4 throttle for the second half of the race, dropping to 4th place. He then took advantage of WERA's new refund policy, getting his Sunday entry fees refunded and went home.
Both Rich and Steve skipped the CCS races at Roebling. We now return you to your regularly scheduled racing updates.
May 30-31, 1998, CCS, Summit Point Raceway
Hot. Dam hot. Cajun Hot. Plasma Hot. Make Tarzan leave Jane hot. So hot that the weekend's supply of Gateraid and Evian was gone before the end of Saturday's races. But before the heat came the beer. Following the close of Friday night's school registration Steve, Rich, and Brian stayed up far, far too late. The teammates stay up till 3:30 drinking too much beer.
Steve and Rich had it easy; all they had to do was get up at 7am, register, and ride their EX500s at 130mph. Brian had to stand in the hot sun to train the new racing students, impressing them with his throbbing hangover and breathing noxious fumes while giving incoherent riding tips.
Steve skipped first practice, while Rich took to the track with a fresh motor. Assembly of the latest power plant proved troublesome over the preceding weeks, but it seemed to run well nonetheless. Break-in was complete by the end of the second practice and Rich had a good prediction for the days racing: hot and fast. The track offered excellent traction (for Summit) and the burning sun was already painful at 9:30. The new motor had a few problems, and an oil leak proved difficult to find. Fortunately Rich had not entered the 1/2 hour GT3 race that is run right after lunch. Through the day he found the oil leak, re-torqued the head bolts, and tidied up the issues that always seem to crop up with a new motor. Steve's bike generally ran well but was randomly missing up top. He shrugged it off and took a nap.
Rich's new motor is 554cc, or 5% larger than the previous one. The same head and cams are being used. Although the power delivery didn't seem as smooth, the top end must have improved since taller gearing was necessary. Details on the engine's output will follow once dyno runs have been made.
Eventually the long wait for Lightweight Sportsman was over, and our two riders took the warm-up lap. Gridded in the middle of a small expert turnout (eight riders), Rich got a good launch but again displayed extreme trepidation into turn one and ended up near the back of the field. At the end of lap one Donnie Unger was walking away on his 750 Duck and Rich was following a group of 4 bikes, and happy to do so while he took a survey of the new motor. "Hmmm, oil leak seems cured, temperature's OK, and no water spitting in my face!" With the go-ahead from mission control he picked up the pace, then picked off the other bikes one by one. By lap five he was in second but Donnie was long gone, and Rich put together a series of 1:28 laps to finish with second place wood and $40 in Michelin money. Steve on the other had whad been battling an day long hang over that had gotten he best of him. After making several mistakes he decided that racing is dangerous enough as is. Doing it while hung over is just plain dumb.
Saturday evening there was a violent thunderstorm, but the trio tripled their sleep quotient that night.
Sunday morning practice showed the track dry, but slick from the deluge, and turn ten was covered with a thin layer of mud. Steve again skipped first practice but Rich went out to slide a wheel or two. Second practice showed that the track was sure to regain the same stellar traction that it had offered on Saturday. After practice the waiting began, but this time the bikes were ready to go and our riders were able to relax. Rich was signed up for Heavyweight Sportsman and Lightweight Superbike, which were scheduled back-to-back. Steve entered only the later race.
Rich got a great launch in the first race but the larger twins muscled there way past in the drag race to turn one. Bemisderfer (Buell 1200) and Unger took off, as predicted, leaving Rich to fight it out with several other Ducks. He drafted past Deitz and another Duck on laps four and five, but an unknown third place rider walked away. Rich defended fourth place to the end of the eight lap race. In the closing laps the clutch started slipping ever so slightly.
The cool-down lap 
was his time to prepare for the next race, and as he pulled into pit lane Brian had gas, Gateraid and a dry towel waiting for him. There was a pause of several minutes so Rich opted to take the warm-up lap for Lgwt SB, and gridded on the fourth row of 13 experts, with sea of Amateur riders behind them. A good launch was negated by more clutch slippage, but Rich had warm tires and his mind was up to speed so he was able to slip into turn one in third. Coming back around to Turn 1 there was a downed rider just off the tarmac, and the race was soon red-flagged. The rider proved to be OK but Rich was worried about the clutch damage that might occur with a restart. Slippage was minimal, however, and this time Rich hit turn 1 in second place. Unger walked away once more but Rich was able to maintain a solid 1:26 pace for the entire eight laps and was never challenged by the third place finisher, Brian Kracget on his FZR400. 
This marks the first time Rich has ever beaten Kracget in a fair race.
Steve, who had discovered that the reason his tach was not working was because the needle had jump over the stop pin from when he dropped it, was geeked to not have a hang over. Most of the morning was spent tending to some maintenance items. Steve's EX500 has not have any major maintenance do to it in the 14 some odd race weekends it has run since he built is last March. The valve dome has not even been off. Some of the competition find this hard to believe, but if you inspect the gussets welded into the frame you note that the vales cannot be service with the engine in the frame. Alas the time has come for Steve to do some work to the bike. Inspired by not only the aesthetics, but performance of Rich's bike, confounded by the now 30% power differential, Steve has vowed not to return the race track until such time as his bike has had a good bath, mechanically speaking. Steve retired from his race with a intermittent running #1 cylinder. He ran a good first 1.5 laps before this happened. 
Overall the new motor was a huge success, and once the clutch is fixed an the jetting improved Rich has high hopes for the WERA events June 20-21. Steve will miss this date as he will be enjoying a 10 day sojourn yachting on Long Island Sound.
Thanks to Glen Ouye for the photos, Fast Lane Cycles for their support and damn the CCS for their yellow flag rule.
A diminished Team Charm spent the weekend at 'The Point' competing in the WERA races. Rich Sturges and his latest EX500 entered Lightweight Solo20, D Superbike, and Clubman. Stephen Harris was off yachting on Long Island Sound visiting old friends from Connecticut. Brian Summers stayed home to take delivery of a parts bike for his RGV250.
The weather was nearly perfect but the weekend was fraught with crashes, injuries, and bad luck for many of the 260 riders in attendance. Brian Bemisderfer set a new track record at 1:17.15 on his near-stock R1, and things went well for Rich, at least until the fire.
Saturday's first morning practice was typically slick, and evaluation of the new rear ride height had to wait until the second practice set. The engine was running well, with better throttle response since the dyno work that Fast Lane Cycles performed last week. Second practice showed that the bike did indeed handle better with the tail raised, and the double rotor brake setup with EBC HH pads made for awesome stopping power. The first few hard charges into turn one nearly dumped Rich over the windscreen, until he learned to squeeze the tank under hard braking in turns one and five.
Rich's one race on Saturday was the first race of the day, Solo20, and was witnessed by his lovely wife Leslie and a friend from work, Todd, and his three young boys. At the green flag Rich gave them something to cheer for and launched into the lead from the front row. He didn't see a wheel for the first three laps. "I really wanted to look back but that was pointless. Of course I knew I'd see two dozen FZR400s on my tail!" Halfway into the 3rd lap Wernle stuffed his FZR past entering turn five, initiating a three-lap battle between Sturges, Wernle, and Bair (also on a FZR400). Rich was getting better drive out of the faster corners, and his EX gave up nothing down the straight. He retook the point several times braking into turn one, but was slow through three-four-five and had to chase them through the carousel section. "The pace was fast, in the 26's, and when I tried to match that I was getting pretty lose in 7-8-9. At one point I had a huge front wheel slide in nine, and after a quick undies check I decided to back off a hair." A slow starting Chris Pyles, a master on his RS125, soon came by on his way to the overall win. Rich ran 1:27-1:28 lap times for the remaining 14 laps, riding all alone in fourth place. The finish paid $55 in cash and $50 in Bib Bucks.
The rest of the day did not go very smoothly. Every one of the remaining eight races was red-flagged. Bemisderfer set his new record Saturday afternoon, but vintage bikes oiled the track, novice riders crashed, expert riders crashed, and general chaos prevailed. In Sunday's riders meeting Race Director expressed his displeasure with our performance, and encouraged racers to have a talk with those who are causing the long delays. You'd think that people would start to race a little smarter, but you would be wrong.
Sunday had Rich booked for the first race of the afternoon, D Superbike, but this time he would have to start from the 5th row. The launch was good, but just before the brakes into turn one a rider swerved violently into Rich. "The guys slammed into me for no apparent reason. Our bars and body's hit, and I was forced off-line and had to brake hard to avoid the three bikes ahead of us. I came out of turn one in last place." Undeterred, Rich kept his head down and started working his way through the pack. By half-way he had climbed to 6th and had two more bikes in sight. Slipping by one on the exit of turn nine he smiled as he recognized the slam-man, and with two laps to go he moved up to fourth place but the leaders (Bair, Wernle, and ??) were gone. Rich ran laps in the low 26s, dipping slightly into the 25s. It was great fun to ride or watch, and another $50 Michelin money was earned.
The chaos continued. Two riders collided in the pits. Red flags flew. Rich waited patiently for race #5, Clubman, and suited up for the race. With a few quick strides he push started the bike, but a loud POP indicated that his day was done. The sound was the carburetor being blown off the engine, a result of the large cam overlap that Rich uses to get top end horsepower. As Rich stood there dejected, knowing that they could never get the thing back on in time for the race, someone came over and said "your bike's on fire."
Even though it was extinguished within 20 seconds (thanks, Mike!) the wiring harness was melted and the carbs look pretty bad. As Rich hosed halon off his bike the Clubman race was won with times in the 1:30 range.
Later in the day William Lindsay was hurt pretty bad after getting punted out of turn one at the start, and later still a cornerworker was hit and had to be flown out with a broken leg. WERA couldn't stand it anymore, and cancelled all remaining races with a full refund.
Thanks to Todd, Martha and Troy, Jack, & Nate (aka Larry, Curly, & Moe) and to Leslie for the support all weekend. All-in-all, I rode two great races and my bike did not explode Hollywood style. I'll take a burned bike over a broken leg. Also thanks to Glen Ouye for the photos, Fast Lane Cycles for their support and damn the CCS for their yellow flag rule.
With Rich's EX500 fully recovered from last month's fire, he rode to two second place finishes on Saturday and a fourth on Sunday during a weekend of near-perfect weather. Thanks go out once again to Fast Lane Cycles (703-818-8890) for helping me build such a fast EX500.
Both Saturday and Sunday were absolutely beautiful, sunny and in the 80s but pleasantly dry. Track conditions were stellar, with good traction at every corner. Rich showed up Friday night after spending the day cleaning and fixing the slightly charred bike, and spend the evening helping the rider's school. Brian came out late Friday night with his RGV finally together, but it was not running well and he ran the school instead of trying to race the bike. Steve was not able to attend.
Although Rich had neglected to pre-enter, he was up front in the entry line at 7am and he signed up for two races on Saturday; GT3 and Lightweight Sportsman. The plan was to practice, race, and head home in one day. Practice showed that the track was in excellent condition, and the bike was running well. Rich had added velocity stacks to the Lectron Carbs and this, predictably, made the bike pull stronger out of the turns. Theoretically the top speed should have suffered but any loss of power above 10,000 rpm went unnoticed. The 1/2-hour GT3 race was first up after lunch, and CCS wisely split the race so that the thirteen Experts could race alone. Rich started strong from the second row, and took the lead braking into turn one. Tipping left into turn three Brian Kcraget stuffed rudely up the inside, forcing Rich wide and ruining his drive. This opened the door for Jerry Shelton, and heading down into the carousel Rich was in third.
This was the progression for four or five laps, with Rich fully expecting to slip past Shelton and chase down Kcraget, but things were going wrong. Rich was making mistakes, riding sloppily, and on a 1:28 pace. "I don't know why but my brain was not functioning. I had no rhythm and felt lost on the track. I thought about pulling into the pits since I was riding so poorly. I had absolutely no focus."
After slipping back at least 10 seconds, Rich was passed by RS125 pilot Lance Yeager. This seemed to spark his interest in racing, instead of just riding, and Rich started to pick up the pace. Lance and Rich diced for three laps, and finally Rich was back in the groove and headed out to make up for lost time. He dropped the lap times into the mid-1:25s, with a best of 1:25.18, and re-passed Shelton for second place on the last lap. Race winner Kcraget never turned better than a mid-1:26. "It may seem odd that I'm upset with 2nd place and having turned a personal best lap, but I really blew it. I should have won that race."
In Lightweight Sportsman Rich was determined to run strong from the start, and he launched perfectly off the front row. But the three Ducatis of Unger, Dietz, and Fetterolf muscled past in the drag race to turn one, and Rich was in fourth. Unable or unwilling to try a pass in turns 7, 9, or 10, Rich was stymied and couldn't maintain the corner speeds needed to get past the Ducatis. The groups was starting to spread out a bit and on lap 4 Rich drafted past Fetterolf to outbrake him into turn 1, then easily outdistanced him through the carousel. On the next lap Rich carried proper speed through turn 10 and was able to draft Dietz down the first half of the straight, pulling alongside from start\finish to the braking markers. "Bill and I were dead even headed for the markers, and I was real pleased to have the EX500 match pace to his 750cc Ducati. I kept the throttle wide open until Bill sat up. No way was I going to let him into turn one ahead of me!" Once clear of Bill, Rich ran a string of mid-1:25 laps but Unger was no were to be found, and the results were Unger/Sturges/Dietz. Unlike the GT3 race this one was combined with the amateurs and lap times suffered slightly from the lapped traffic.
After having so much fun in the sun, Rich decided to leave the bike at the track and come back in the morning to ride in Lightweight Superbike. Practice went well and in the second session Rich was riding a comfortable 1:26 pace. Sister-in-law Rachel Sturges showed up to cheer, and late in the day the usual cast of characters gridded up for the race. But since Rich waited until Sunday to sign up he was gridded on the 4th row. A great launch at the green flag was for naught as the mass of riders in front forced Rich to weave, wobble, and back off the throttle to avoid ramming anyone. By the time the pack tipped into turn one Rich was near last in the field of FZR400s and Ducati 750s. Considerable time was spend getting around the gaggle of 400s that were fighting over 4th place, and it was half-way before Rich could make chase for the front runners. But by then the lapped traffic had become intolerable, with 30+ amateurs running their race simultaneously. Unger was uncatchable, and time ran out before Fetterolf was caught. Lap times were high 1:25s despite the traffic, but here's the shocker... Kcraget rode his FZR400 to a string of 1:22s!!! Apparently he has the superbike motor running again.
So the weekend was a blast, and 2nd place isn't so bad, but the chance for victory is rapidly diminishing. The only remaining races are August 29-30 and September 12-13 at Summit, and September 19-20 at Road Atlanta. Right now Rich is looking forward to the seven-week break Thanks again to Fast Lane Cycles , Michelin Tires , Jack Smith at Sport Cycle Products , EBC Brakes , Vortex Sprockets, Elf Fuels, and Glen Ouye for another set of fantastic photos!!
Tech note: post-race inspection showed that the exhaust pipe was broken in half just aft of the collector! That explains the rattling sound that I could not identify on Sunday.
As told by Rich Sturges
Ok, so the headline is a bit misleading. We didn't crash any bikes that we don't already own. In the past month the Team has tested a Yamaha YZF600, a Yamaha TZ250, a Suzuki TL1000R. This weekend, at the CCS races at Summit Point, Rich crashed out of GT3 but later took third place in both Lightweight Sportsman and in Lightweight GP.
First, the story on the YZF600. Sometime in July, I got a call from Steve Clark, of Tight Squeeze Racing, asking me to ride for them in the 4-hour endurance race in the WERA Nationals at Summit. At first I said no, then maybe, then asked for 24 hours to think about it. The bike offered is a '95 YZF600, and although I had been looking for an opportunity to race a 600cc four cylinder bike, this model is not exactly competitive. At 485 pounds and 85 horsepower it's overweight and down on power compared to the current crop of 600s. But I relished the thought of some endurance race time and the chance to see if four-cylinder racing is as much fun as it looks from the sidelines. With a few phone calls I had arranged for a Fox Shock, borrowed from racer Anthony Mills, and agreed to join the Team.
Bike prep showed that the stock front end would need some serious help; despite the Race Tech cartridge emulators the front end action was way too fast. We stocked up on heavy-duty fork oil and Steve Clark, Romeo Carelli, and I headed out for Thursday practice on July 30th. My fears turned to reality in the first morning laps aboard the bike; the front end was horribly underdamped. Over lunch we swapped the fork oil (from 10wt to 15wt) and played with the fork height, but it was still too soft. I sought the advice of suspension guru Max McAllister and Thursday evening he rebuilt the forks for us, changing the oil, spacers, and compression settings.
Friday morning I returned for more practice accompanied this time by the fourth rider, Brian Clark. We both agreed that the bike was handling nicely now, and after modifying the front brake lever to fit my hand I was very happy with the bike. I won't dwell on the results of the race, which ran from 1pm Saturday until 5pm, except to say that I think all four riders rode very well for their experience level, including myself. I could run 1:22 lap times and remain controlled, but that pace seemed hard on the tires so I spent most of my time running 1:23s. With the controls adjusted properly I was easily able to run a 45-minute stint. Unfortunately both of the Clark brothers crashed and that tends to hurt your finishing position.
My impression of the YZF600 was very favorable. Properly adjusted the bike was exceptionally neutral in the turns and fairly easy to toss around despite the fact that it weighs 130 lbs more than my EX500. The bike responded well to inputs at the bars or the footpegs, and the throttle response was not bad at all. The EBC double-H brake pads worked well, but my EX500 stops better and can corner slightly faster, due mostly to the weight difference. I did have concerns that I would be able to handle the extra power, but much to my pleasure I found that I really enjoyed spinning up the rear tire through the second half of nearly any turn.
Many of the newer 600cc fours were walking away from me down the straight, but I had a blast on the beast and owe Steve Clark much gratitude for the opportunity. Brian Summers and I have decided that we will go halves on a 1999 middleweight bike; stay tuned for details as that purchase unfolds.
On August 28th Steve Harris and I helped run the MARRC practice day, and used the opportunity to ride a couple of exquisite race bikes. Mike Myers, formerly of Gotham Racing but now with his own husband-wife team of S&M Racing, invited me to take his 1993 TZ250 out for a spin. I agreed. Steve who has been thinking about buying a TL1000R the last two months, thought aloud that maybe he would approach Scooter Ball about possibly taking a few laps on his TL1000R. No sooner had we had that conversation than Scooter sauntered up and said... Hey Steve, would you like to ride my TL?
Steve reports on his TL1000R experience...
It's been in the back in my head for the last couple years that I wanted to get a heavyweight bike. This is for two reasons, 1) it would be a lot of fun to ride 2) it would be eligible for the Daytona 200, a race I always wanted to try to qualify for. The practical racer in me has stuck with lightweight & middleweight machines and had a lot of good results (and fun!) doing so. Well, once the TL-R model came out, I thought this looked like the machine to get. Its only draw back is a little too much weight. Still I didn't know if I would really like riding it. Before I spend $9k on a bike I had better make damn sure I like riding it. Enter Scooter Ball and his TL-R. His kind offer was just what I needed.
Riding the bike showed me that the power (more than twice the HP of my EX500) was not as daunting as I thought it might be. It flicks into the curves about as lightly as my EX does, beguiling its weight. It will change line mid-turn quite easy. At the exit of the turn the fun part starts. This bike is fast, of course, but not in a brutish, or scary, fashion. It pulls cleaning off the apex of the higher speed sweepers, with a bit of a surge off the lower speed turns. The one I rode has a bad headshake problem that to me seemed as if the wheels were out of alignment. This bike screams for a better steering damper! With some fine tuning it would be a great bike. As a result, on Wednesday (9/2/98) after the MARRC practice day I picked up my first "brand new" race bike from Atlantic Cycles in Waldorf, MD. As I type this we are in the middle of getting the race prep done for the upcoming WERA event at Summit Point 9/12-9/13. The bike is broken in, with about 300 miles on it. On Fast Lane's dyno it puts out 116 hp. The aftermarket fairings are in the process of being painted, and with any luck it will be racing at WERA event on Saturday. With this purchase I am now finally in a position to attempt to qualify for the Daytona 200. Stay tuned to the Team Charm home page for details.
And Rich continues with the tale of riding the TZ250...
While I sat atop the diminutive TZ in the pits, trying desperately to fit my legs up onto the pegs, Mike filled me in on how to ride it. Try to keep the engine between 9,000 and 13,000rpm. The power really comes on at 10,000. Don't downshift too early... yadda yadda yadda. He showed me how to start it and off I went.
The first and overriding impression is that it's painful to ride the TZ. You're hunched over like a gargoyle and your ankles are halfway up your ass. Both of my calves were cramped after three laps. Next you learn that powerband has a whole new meaning on a 250cc two stroke than it does on a twin cylinder 500cc four stroke. Come out of a corner any lower than 8,000 rpm and you might as well get off and walk. Throttle response was immediate; think about twisting the grip and you're already accelerating. Back off even the slightest amount and the bike falls flat. But hit the powerband, juice the gas to full throttle and hold on tight! The front wheel laughs at the pavement as the bike lunges forward, immediately begging for an upshift.
Handling was the third problem. While braking (phenomenal of course) and tilting the machine into the turn was done in the same manner as all of the four-stokes I've raced in the last ten years, getting out of the turns had to be accomplished in a whole different manner. Handlebar input was taboo when you're on the gas, as the light weight and responsive geometry meant that extra rider input sent the scoot into a violent tankslapper. I had to learn to ride all over again, and after some advice from Michael, I started to steer out of the turns with my legs instead of my arms. Clearly it would take me hours and hours of practice to learn to ride such a high performance machine.
Saturday I put all that aside and used the two morning practice sessions to ride the EX500, and it was nice to be back on a familiar bike. Ham-fisted throttle input and brute force on the bars? No problem. My slow steering EX is best ridden with upper body strength. I had pre-entered the races and had a front row grid, and a decent launch in the 1/2 hour GT3 had me in the lead at turn one. But Brian Kraget went flying past in turn four, a shower of sparks spraying from his exhaust pipe! Michael Myers had resurected the Gotham Racing Ducatis for the weekend and he powered past between turns nine and ten.
The three of us started to walk away from the field, but at the end of the second lap I could see that Brian and Michael were slipping away from me, and I flicked the bike into turn one a scant one or two miles per hour faster than normal. As I rolled on the gas through the apex the front tire protested, and I increased pressure on my knee, fully expecting to save such a minor slide. But the front end was sinking lower and lower as I ground my knee harder and harder into the pavement in a vain attempt to right the bike. After what seemed like ten minutes the bike finally gave way, and the two of us slide unceremoniously to the edge of the track.
Damage was minimal, but a broken front brake lever prevented me from rejoining the race. The muffler and footpegs were bent, and the fairings, still charred from the July fire, sustained an additional application of ugly. Looking back from my seat in the woods outside of turn one I could see a 25' long skid mark from the front tire.
In retrospect I guess that I was too eager to achieve a 1:24 lap, but on the other hand I am now convinced that the corner speed that I had previously believed to be the best you could do without crashing, is indeed the fastest you could go without crashing. Had I stayed upright and finished third, I would have been only two points down in the championship chase. Now there's no point in going to the last race in Atlanta, so it was a cost-savings crash.
Steve helped me un-bend the bike, and although I got a great launch in Lightweight Sportsman both Unger and Fetteroff muscled past before we slowed for turn one. On lap two Dietz drafted past, but after following for a few laps I retook third place and ran an error-free race to finish third. Times were surely in the 25s, but my cheering section (lovely wife Leslie, cousin Lisa-Marie, Steve & Anya, and Brian) were too busy cheering to record lap times.
Both before and after dinner Michael continued to pester me to enter his TZ in combat, and I final consented to run Sunday's Lightweight GP race. I got three practice sessions in the morning, and with each lap I was more comfortable with the bike. By race time I had the usual butterflies, but I was no longer afraid of the thing tossing me off the exit of every turn.
A Bad Day Racing is a Bad Day
As Rich arrived at the track Friday night, while unloading his gear, he smashed his leg against the trailer hard enough to bruise it. He thought it was a simple annoyance, but apparently it was a harbinger of more bad luck to come in Team Charm's last race of the season.
The short summary is this: Rich's big motor blew up big time, and attempts to run the backup bike were unsuccessful. Brian crashed twice. Steve spent the whole weekend trying in vain to get the new TL1000R to handle properly. 
Saturday morning practice went deceptively well for Rich, the 544cc motor running perfectly and the track slowly coming around to offer proper traction. Brian was not as fortunate, as his chain slipped off in the first practice, locking his rear wheel and tossing him to the ground in a highside in turn six. He was fine but the bike needed repairs and we were unable to get them done in time for the second practice round. Steve's initial high-speed runs on the week-old Suzuki TLR left him pondering his five-figure purchase; the TLR exhibited frightening headshake at speed anywhere the bike was straight up and down. Throughout practice he was unable to open the throttle on the straight. In the turns, at the tentative speed Steve was going, the bike seemed in control. 
The racing schedule showed Steve's 20-lap solo race first. Steve opted to start the hydraulic-clutch-equipped TLR from the back of the grid, fearful of the combination of 116hp and a numb clutch lever. Prior to the race Steve had added about 6mm of ride height to the front of the bike. Also some changes to the damping settings of the forks were made. The bike was still headshaking all the way down the front straight and coming out of nine. At about 1/3 of the way into the race, one of the 750cc bikes grenaded its engine going into turn ten. Steve came over the hill under the bridge just in time to see the blue smoke wafting in the air and the tell-tail smell of burning oil. Instinctively Steve backed off more than normal, putting a left hand up to warn anybody behind him. 
"I knew there was going to be a mess from the smoke and smell, but the cornerworker was not moving too frantically yet, so I proceeded at a very, very slow pace into T10. As soon as I got into the turn I could not believe how much oil was down. The entire racing line was covered, and in fact the whole useable portion of the track was oiled. I had no choice but to run into the oil. The bike immediately got out of shape. I could only think 'new paint, new bike, you know what is going to happen now', but some how I made it through the turn. I frantically waived to the cornerworkers that this race should be stopped. The downed rider was jumping up and down and motioning the same as he knew how bad it was. Before the red flag came out, race leader Dave Yaakov came blistering into ten and stood his bike up running off into the grass after a huge front end slide that had everyone on pit row holding their breath. Fortunately he did not crash, but both he and I (we were the only ones to go thru the oil) were counting our lucky stars."
Mid-afternoon Rich and Brian lined up for the start of the lightweight 20-lap race, and at the drop of the flag Rich grabbed a near-perfect launch to take the lead into turn one. But he was not riding particularly well and was relegated to fourth place by the eighth lap. With little more than intuition, Rich felt that there was something wrong with the bike. He pulled into the pits to look over the bike closely. No leaks, no smoke, no strange noises, and the temp gauge showed normal. He decided that he was simple making excuses for poor riding and rejoined the race half a lap down. A lap later, coming out of turn three, the motor exploded, tossing the #2 connecting rod out the rear of the block. The rear wheel locked up, and four quarts of oil doused the track as Rich got the bike under control. Unfortunately Wayne Stephens found the oil before the red flag was thrown, suffering a broken wrist and foot, and a cracked vertebrae in the triple-digit crash. At least he sounded upbeat Monday. Wayne's bike was heavily damaged, so if you know of any front-end parts for an FZR400, please send an email to sturges@erols.com
Rich took the useless and oil-soaked EX554 back to Gaithersburg and traded it for Steve's EX500, returning to the track that evening to prepare the bike for battle. Sunday morning the bike ran perfectly in both practice sets, and Rich eventually got acclimated to the lack of power, street shifting pattern, and bizarre upright seating position. Lap times dipped into the 1:29s and Rich was confident that he could turn 1:27s that afternoon. On the warm-up lap for Lightweight Superbike, however, the bike refused to run on both cylinders. Rich parked the bike, then changed spark plugs prior to the final race, taking care to check all wiring for any loose connections. As always, the bike ran fine in the pits.
The bike ran so-so for the first lap of Clubman, but it was clearing up by the end of the first lap. Rich was closing quickly on second place, but then the gas tank fell off. Not off-off, but loose enough that riding it was dangerous. Rich pulled into pit lane and Steve installed a new gas tank bolt, but the bike would not restart. Rich quit for the season and stomped back to the pits. The missing tank bolt was totally Rich's fault, neglected in the myriad of problems experienced that afternoon. "The last time I made a preparatory error like that was in Charlotte, 1991. I left the oil fill cap off. That's two mistakes too many."
Steve's Sunday efforts did not fair much better. Early Sunday they had made some changes to the location of the stock steering damper, which seemed to help the bike quite a bit on the straights. Unfortunately the changes made the bike start to shake going into T3 and T4. These two turns have always been Steve's favorite and fastest section. Having to back off going into both was a hard pill for Steve to swallow. The frustration of the day mounted, as changes made to the suspension did not seem to make predictable differences to the handling of the bike. "I'm not sure if the problems are me or the bike" noted a dejected Steve. "At time the bike gets very out of shape giving me a impending sense of doom, and at other times everything seems ok. Coming off my EX, a bike with only 55hp and rock solid handling, this bike is an entire order of magnitude more complex in set up and riding. Having spent five figures for the unique opportunity of going four seconds a lap slower than my best time on a $1,400 EX500 I am, as you can imagine, a little disappointed. Yet the bike is not for sale and I remain optimistic that I can exorcise its ill-handling demons. "
Steve also helped out Cycle Sport Day on Monday, learning a lot more about how the bike responds to rider input. Also, some conversations with Sean Renfrow provided a little light on the issues at hand. Still, Steve couldn't talk anybody else into riding the machine, and several control riders noticed some shakes going into ten and one. It is a daunting machine in its current configuration.
Be sure to visit our sponsors: Fast Lane Cycles, Michelin Tires, Jack Smith at Sport Cycle Products, EBC Brakes, Vortex Sprockets, Elf Fuels, and check out photographer Glen Ouye's new web page.