Greg Brillus Racer

[greg brillus]

Thanks Phil, there are several member's on this forum who helped out very much in the build of that bike. Probably the most significant changes were to the suspension, in particular to the front end in a similar but different way to that which Ken Horner did to their Goodwood racer. It would be nice to have the same power that they achieved, but that is another story of it's own. Cheers..................Greg.

 

[Canning]

The racing was certainly very close

 

[greg brillus]

Yes bike number 29 with Rider David Woolsey (Nicknamed..........Duff) on Fraser MacMillan's 808 cc Triton is a very potent package. He has won the National Titles on that machine a few times.............suffered a DNF on the last race after a broken spoke pierced the rear tire................

 

[Bill Thomas]

Well done Phil, How do you get your knee down ?, I have long legs, But am nowhere near.
Good Luck, Bill.

 

[Bill Cannon]

Well done Phil, How do you get your knee down ?, I have long legs, But am nowhere near.
Good Luck, Bill.

Bill I'm about the same age as you and I get my knee down quite easily when I'm checking tyre pressures!

Bill

 

[Canning]

Hi Bill, it’s pretty easy. You just keep leaning it harder until you touch!

Seriously, it’s actually very helpful on the track to have three points on contact. This is especially with picking up the bike as those skinny Avon’s do slide about. I did have a lot of front end slide during practice until the suspension settings were improved, and did pick up the front twice as it tucked under on slow speed corners. Without knee on track I would have crashed.

In the end the front tucking under was fixed by increasing the rear spring preload, backing off the front rebound damping and positioning my upper body lower and further forward to put more weight on the front. Like magic the front transformed and tracked well with both front and rear sliding pretty evenly when pushing too hard, but in the main I felt confident in the front.

 

[Peter Holmes]

Back in the day I used to get my footrests down quite readily, my ground away footrests are still on my bike, but with new footrest rubbers fitted you cannot see them, but I am still proud of them, I know they are there. I far preferred the neat Hailwood, Minter and Ago style of riding, all tucked in and no knees down, but I guess as Ago hung on a fair bit longer on the tracks he might have adopted the hanging off style later on. I still ride just as fast and reckless as I used to, but with sidecar Petteford springs and 21inch front wheel I find impossible to repeat the antics of my youth, well thats my excuse anyway.

 

[bmetcalf]

When I slide the front tire, someone else picks the bike up!

 

[Nulli Secundus]

I think this is going slightly off topic, but I am impressed with anyone, like Peter who scrapped their Vincent footrests "back in the day".

It seems quite easy now on AM26 RoadRider tyres. However, although standard Vincent footests are quite high, they are also fairly wide apart which makes them touch down earlier than footrests that are closer together.

Having said that however, I find that my tyres are still worn virtually to the edge of the tyre, so how much more lean angle can be achieved before you come off?

I agree with Phil that 3 points of contact help as I am sure when either the front, rear, or both tyres slide, the footrest must help in the corrective rider input to stay on board. Like Phil all 3 has happened to me, sometimes front first then rear, which is probably due to the road/track surface.

I have never tried, or been brave enough to attempt, the knee down style. Last year I started racing a 1938 Rudge and the previous owner told me not to try hanging off the bike for it upsets the handling, but guess what, to me it handles very badly? OK, it steers well, and changes direction, but it also wobbles like hell when pushed, even though I have fitted a hydraulic steering damper.

Could hanging off the bike work for me, but not the previous owner? He is a similar height to me and about the same weight.

 

[Canning]

I think this is going slightly off topic, but I am impressed with anyone, like Peter who scrapped their Vincent footrests "back in the day".

It seems quite easy now on AM26 RoadRider tyres. However, although standard Vincent footests are quite high, they are also fairly wide apart which makes them touch down earlier than footrests that are closer together.

Having said that however, I find that my tyres are still worn virtually to the edge of the tyre, so how much more lean angle can be achieved before you come off?

I agree with Phil that 3 points of contact help as I am sure when either the front, rear, or both tyres slide, the footrest must help in the corrective rider input to stay on board. Like Phil all 3 has happened to me, sometimes front first then rear, which is probably due to the road/track surface.

I have never tried, or been brave enough to attempt, the knee down style. Last year I started racing a 1938 Rudge and the previous owner told me not to try hanging off the bike for it upsets the handling, but guess what, to me it handles very badly? OK, it steers well, and changes direction, but it also wobbles like hell when pushed, even though I have fitted a hydraulic steering damper.

Could hanging off the bike work for me, but not the previous owner? He is a similar height to me and about the same weight. View attachment 19803View attachment 19804

I don’t know Nulli.

I have a Shadow as well and it responds pretty well to riding it fast with the same style. I did try this on the track, and whilst much slower and heavier than the race bike, it went around corners faster if I used the same style.

Not sure if your Rudge is a rigid frame, but I have a rigid pre-war Speed Twin and I wouldn’t try to get off the side of that bike with the whole frame moving around. For me it’s best to hold that one in tight and make sure it stays in shape through the corners.

Maybe just try and see what happens with your laptimes. That’s probably the best indication of whether it works for you or not.