Bike of the Month Nov 2011.

Team Alf´s Kawasaki & Rider Mick Godfrey won 3rd place at the 2011

Isle of Man MANX GP!

After weeks of preparing the Kawasaki 1978 Z1R for the 2011 IOM Manx GP race,

finally the day came when Alf, Cliff and Burn rose early for the journey up to

Heysham and across the North Sea to the Isle of Man.



Mick went out on the first Practice of the Classic Superbike and was recorded as

average speed of 97.85 mph, with a lap time of 23 mins 08.12 sec. The Bike

gearing needed drastic attention and fractured wire was causing a misfire. 

The suspension felt hard and needed adjustment, so plenty to do and improve on!

The next two days were spent re-building and improving the Z1R, where lubrication

issues had arisen causing various complications with the cam shaft, 2 valves

being bent, 2 valve guides broken, all due to a faulty oil pressure switch, after 30

years what do you expect!



Having now re-built the engine twice and still not in a position to get a

practice session in, time was running out on practice lap times to qualify with

the minimum 5 laps needed to complete in the main MANX GP race.



Thankfully a ‘Road Angel’ in the form of Roger Winfield approached Team Alf’s and

offered them the use of his Suzuki XR69, to get both practice sessions finished

and provided them with the qualifying option; there is a silver lining to

everything – “THANK YOU ROGER” As a direct result of using the XR69, Mick

qualified in 10th position with a course lap time of average speed of 101.43 –

Brilliant in the WET!!    



With lots of Blood, Sweat, Tears and the 3rd new engine, the Race day had

materialised and we were there in 6th position start, adrenaline running through

the veins of Mick, expectation of the crew that the ‘new replica Z1000 was ready

for the challenge’



With the riders in most cases achieving 109 mph around the course marking points,

Buckley was reported retired at Kerrowmoar on the last lap with mechanical

failure, leaving Faquhar to take the chequered flag in 1:19:49:56 (113.437mph)



Behind him there was a battle emerging for the runner up slot between John Barton

and Mick Godfrey on the 1050 cc Kawasaki with the pair swapping places on the

last lap before Barton came home in second 1:24.31.47 (107.131mph), five seconds

ahead of third placed man Godfrey 1:24:36.65 (107.022mph)

Fantastic result makes all the hard work worthwhile!



Team Alf´s would like to thank all their Sponsors who without them we would not

be able to compete at this level. 

To mention a few:
SILKOLENE - GOODRIDGE - SKIDMARX - DYNOJET- WE MOTO - HI VAC - WURTH - PROBOLT -

HARRIS PERFORMANCE.

We will be featuring a different bike each month on kz1000r.com
that we feel is deserving of the title "Bike of The Month."

Check back often to see what our pick is.

To nominate or submit your own bike for "Bike of The Month."
Send some info on yourself your bike and loads of pic's bigger the better.

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