Barry Sheen

It’s got to be one of the best feelings in the world, riding a bike that you have put together at speeds that are just breathtaking.  Pushing hard into corners and........

I was born in 1964 and I rode my first bike at the tender age of 14.  It was an old dirt bike I built at school with the help of my friends, eventually the school took it on as an after school activity.  There must have been about 12 of us, we would run it until it broke and then rebuild it and start again.

I can’t remember my first thoughts of bikes or why but it was very early and for most of my youth it was all I could think about.  I wanted to be the next Barry Sheen, school wasn’t for me and I hated every minute of being there except for sport, art and the bike club.

My first bike was a little Yamaha 100cc the air cleaner was bigger than the engine and the exhaust was massive but it was mine, in my head I was Barry, in fact in my little world I was better, much better.  I was the first in the village to get a bike and the envy of all my friends.  It wasn’t long before my mates joined me, Chris was the first followed by Tony.  They were my best mates and now the world was open to us.  Just small runs to start with, we had no idea about road craft or what to do in heavy traffic.  The village was fairly quiet and the locals new who we were so what trouble could we get into ?

What started off as a bit of fun soon turned into a way of life.  My first proper bike was an RD 250 ER in Yamaha blue with a racing seat and straight through racing pipes.  It was all I ever wanted and now I could push the boundaries.  You didn’t get lessons in those days and it was a one part test but that was some time off yet.  I asked my Dad for a lift into Richmond to see the bike, there it was leaning against the wall in the garden of this old run down house.  There was grass growing out of the engine and the tank had a dent in it the size of a skull.  I bought it, much to the disgust of my Dad and we loaded it into the van.  All I got in my ear on the way home was the fact I’d just sold a perfectly good machine to buy a wreck and it was a waste of money and over and over he told me it would never run.

I spent the next two weeks in the garage cursing and bleeding.  The engine wasn’t as bad as it looked and just needed a good old clean to get rid of the years of dirt from in between the air-cooling fins that was now supporting the growth of the grass and moss.  The carbs were massive or so I thought and I couldn’t work out what the large piece of plastic in between the pot and the carb was.  I cleaned the air filter and reassembled the bike.

The tank was on the bench and was still in the repair stage.  I couldn’t afford a new tank so I was filling the dent and re-spraying it as best as I could.  I couldn’t wait any longer, I went into the house and emptied  Mums Fairy washing up liquid bottle.  After a good washout I filled it with petrol and attached it to the bike.  I kicked and I kicked her over, nothing, not a murmur.  Maybe my Dad was right and I had wasted my money.

Chris and Tony walked in to see what I was up to.  After an hour of messing around and a lot pointing we tried again.  She burst into life and scared the life out of me, what a noise.  My heart was racing and I could feel myself shaking.  I couldn’t get over the noise as my Mum came running in to see what all the excitement was.

She was rough, really rough but she was running.  I spent the next few days working on the tank.  I had to go to work with my Dad, it was the only way I was going to get to the bike shop in Bedale.  I bought a set of black and white Yamaha tank stickers and I had a right good chat with lads in the bike shop.  I didn’t realise at the time but these lads were going to be some of my best mates over the next few years.

I got the bike to Bedale and the lads worked on my machine, I was later to discover that the large piece of plastic between the carbs and the engine were the reed valves.  A very special piece of kit with loads of potential for making your machine faster but first they had to work.  The points were shot too.  In those days you were only aloud around the back in the work shop if you knew the lads.  Health and safety hadn’t raised its ugly head yet.

They started my bike up and she was singing, she was singing to me.  I couldn’t get my helmet on fast enough to hide my girlie smile that was about to break my face in two.  At this point I think it’s important to mention I knew nothing about power bands, I’d never experienced one or herd anyone talking about them.  I didn’t even know they existed , needless to say I was about to find out. 

I could barely get above 50 mph on my little 100cc bike, I rode her everywhere on full throttle.  Because I could, it took time to get to full speed and it was nice and gentle.  Don’t forget I was Barry Sheen and I could handle anything. 

I learnt more over the next few months about bike riding than I ever have.  I knew lots of nurses now too.  I was on first names terms with Mrs Miller at the T-jct in Bedale.  I was on my way into Richmond with the lads when this white flash past us and made my bike seem quiet and very slow.  I was off, it was cool in those days to put your feet on the rear pegs, don’t ask me why it was the worst thing you could do, it made turning at speed very difficult.  I knew the road into Richmond like the back of my hand but I could not catch this guy.  Eventually we found him in the square, sat under the War Memorial.  It was an RD 250 LC. 

I past my test on the ER and started my search for my own LC.  Over the next few years we all learnt to ride hard and fast, we lost a couple of friends on the way and we would all slow down for a while but eventually the run to Scarborough and Redcar was full on.  The run to Helmsley from Thirsk and onto Pickering and a pit stop in Scarborough was my favourite; Sutton Bank was my nemesis and I hated it in both directions, however the run up to Whitby on the 171 was breathtaking in every sense of the word, by the time we had reached Redcar we all needed something to eat before the last leg home via Darlington. 

Cutting my teeth on the RD series of bikes has formulated the way I ride today, I have fond memories of all my bikes.  Keeping the front wheel down was a challenge to say the least, I love the smell of two stroke oil burning the buzz you get from controlling the power band as it cuts in just when you don’t need it.  I’m in my late 40’s now and I seriously need to look at my style of riding.  It hasn’t changed very much since I was an 18 year old lad.

"All men die, not all men really live"

Ed.

http://www.edmilsom.com

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

A Twist of the Wrist

The next part to my rehabilitation is understanding what the problem is, accepting and acknowledging I have a problem.  It’s a bit like being an alcoholic or a compulsive gambler.  You can’t put it right until you except what the problem is.  I’m not talking about sitting in a circle, holding hands and crying in public. 

From the table in my last Blog you can see I have a problem with speed.  Not straight line speed, I do like straight line speed and it is out of this world travelling at 185mph.  My problem is I love corners, the faster the better, long sweepers or tight sharp ones, I love them all.  It’s like me and my machine against the corners.  A corner has been designed by a technician to be as safe as possible at a certain speed for all road users.  That’s not the way I see it, I enter the corner as fast as I possibly can, late on the brakes to carry as much speed as possible.  My exit is just as important, powering on as smooth as I can as I hit the apex to squirt me out as fast as possible.  The feeling of my ankle and knee on the tarmac and leaning as far off the machine as I can is like nothing else.  Looking as far down the road as I can to plan my next move as soon as I can, I’ve already got the next corner in my head before I’ve exited the corner I’m on.

Some corners deserve a rerun or two, I like those.  The corner has beaten me, mentally or I just messed it up so I have to do it again until I get it right.  Not all corners are the same and some deserve your respect more than others.  Being in the right gear is so important and can make or break a corner.

As you can see, for me it’s all about cornering.  There’s a lot more to it and my ethos for each corner is different.  The feeling I get from achieving the perfect line or carrying as much speed as possible is just indescribable.  It’s about knowing your machine, knowing what your tyres are doing, your suspension, knowing how much brake to use and linking them all together to get the most from your machine.  I could go on and on, I love corners and I truly believe that’s why bikes were invented. “ To master the true art of cornering”.  Anyone can go fast in a straight line but corners, corners are a different beast altogether.

I could write a Blog on corners, maybe later !!  “ To master the true art of cornering”

So what’s next in my rehabilitation ?   

I’ve sat down and had a chat with coach over a cup of tea.  I need to find a trigger word.  A word that will bring me back to reality, wake me from my zone or just make me behave.  It needs to be a strong enough word for me not to ignore.  More about the trigger word later.

The next stage in my training is Mental Visualisation, this is probably the most important part of the whole process.  I need to sit down quietly in my room and go for a ride on my bike.  As strange as that sounds, I’ve used this method before, to get the perfect lap or learn a new track.  It really does work and I can’t recommend it enough.  Even for the open road, it will improve your riding and understanding of what is going on all around you.  You can be on your bike and looking over the screen or looking down on yourself, a bit like from a helicopter.  Whatever works for you and I suggest you try each one.  I use both at the same time, sometimes, it changes your whole look at the way you ride.  It takes practise to get it right, the best way I can describe it is it’s like watching a DVD of on board action from the IOM.

If you’re just starting out on Mental Visualisation it might be a good idea to right a very quick script about where you’re going and how you feel.  It’s important to get in the zone, so you can feel the bike vibration, how your hands feel in your gloves.  You need to feel your boots on the foot pegs, to the point where you feel the rear sets need adjusting.  When you have closed your eyes, started the engine and put your helmet on, nothing else matters.  Keep it short to start with and increase your rides as you get used to it.  It want be long before you have mastered the art of Visualisation and conquered Silverstone.

At this point I need to explain my Trigger Word, mine is “Junior”.  Who is Jnr ?  He’s my youngest son and just starting out on his first road bike.  (A lovely little Aprilia) I have a responsibility to him, I don’t want him thinking that the way I ride is normal, I want him to ride for the next 40+ years.  To a certain degree I’ve been lucky and my number hasn’t come up.  I want him to ride responsibly and safely.  What kind of an example am I setting a young, eager to please boy.  So my son is my “Trigger Word”.

Script.

It’s a great day for a ride, the sun is shining and my GSXR is calling me to go out on her. This is the day for a run up to Loch Lomond and on to Fort William the road conditions are awesome today, round all those long sweeping bends with a good surface, great for a blast. Going down the garage, I can feel the power that is underneath me and I know it’s only a twist of a wrist that will unleash it. While filling up I can feel myself getting exited, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I know I have to contain my urge to give it some, after the last disaster I had, when I broke my collar bone doing something stupid which could have cost me my job and even my life. Well I am keeping my urge to open her up to full power in check and feeling a bit bored, in front I can see another bike in the distance, it looks like a sports bike and I know I can catch it if I twist the throttle. I can feel the excitement building up, you’re mine, I’m having you, the throttle feels nice and easy in my hand, I can feel my speed increasing, the engine noise is just how I love it, my heels come in and I drop below the screen, the wind dissipates over my helmet and it all goes quiet, it all adds to my thrill, looking in front I can see the line I need to take to catch this bike in front, that thinks he is faster than me.  I’m getting in the zone, I can feel the red mist creeping up on me, but now I can recognise it and now “Junior” springs to mind. My trigger word that puts it all into perspective for me, does it matter that I catch the bike in front?  Not really, when it comes down to it, I ease off and feel the power subside, I feel good about myself, this is the first time that I have conquered my urge, and I feel ace.

A very short script but I think you get the picture.  I can ride all the way to Fort William when I’m on my bed but this is the first time I have used a trigger word.  I’ve been out 3 times now in my mind and I will use “Jnr“ 4 or 5 times in a ride.  Like I said earlier, it takes practise and you should aim to do it as often as possible.

It’s not going to be easy, I woke up the other day in a foul mood, I’d been out on the machine and I don’t know often I used “Jnr” but I never caught up with any bikes or tore off after a pack of bikes that just passed me.  It’s going to take some getting used to but the process has started.

"All men die, not all men really live"

Ed.

http://www.edmilsom.com

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

Speed !!

            

I’ve been looking on the net for what I would consider a bike that would suit my needs, like I said in my last Blog, I need a complete change of style.  I just can’t make my mind up, I’ve even looked at going for a dirt bike.  A road legal one so I can get from A to B and enjoy myself and when I feel the mood for going a bit daft I can go and do a bit of dirt riding. 

I was looking at a Super Moto or an old Maco 390, something with a bit of attitude, but then I was looking at a Suzuki GSX 1400.  Then coach showed me the Yamaha MT 01, what a beast that is, just like the V Max but a better riding position.  They have the old muscle bike looks and pedigree that I like.  I didn’t realise just how hard it was going to be.

I was talking to coach about my dilemma and he rightly pointed out that it’s no good changing my bike until I take notice of what’s going on in my head.  As per usual I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.  I think he knows me better than I do.  He asked me to sit down and right down all my RTA’s (Road Traffic Accident) and put alongside them what caused them and a brief description of the incident.

So I did, I wish I hadn’t now, I don’t think I’m a bad rider, in fact I know I’m not.  I’ve always believed that you’re not learning if you’re not pushing the boundaries.  I think when I started riding and the lads I rode with, we all believed the same.  The bikes we rode at the time, in my opinion were the best on the market and aimed at lads just like us.  All my mates had RD 250’s and the odd  X7, one unlucky lad had a Super Dream and we all changed our bikes at the same time.  Normally with each other and most of us ended up on the RD 350 YPVS.  The best bike in the world and I wish I still had mine but I moved on to bigger and faster bikes.  The point I’m trying to make is we all rode hard and fast all the time. 

I’ve lost touch with the lads over the years but it would be interesting to see if they still ride today and if they still give it their all.   I don’t know any other way to ride, it’s what I enjoy.  But looking at my chart below, I need to do something.

                Psychiatric Study,

           Road To Rehabilitation.

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DATE	WEATHER	FAULT	CAUSE	INCIDENT	DISCRIPTION	INJURY
MAY 2011	Damp	Mine	Speed	Manhole cover	Overtook a BMW at speed lost backend on a manhole cover.	Broken left collar bone
APRIL 2001	Dry	Mine	Speed	Chicane	Racing an SP1 last look at speed 140mph to fast for road	Broken back
May 2000	Dry	3rd Party		Hit from Behind	Stopped at traffic lights hit from behind H&R	Nil
June 1991	Wet	Road Conditions		Roundabout	Lost front end in pot hole	Nil
July 1989	Dry	Mine	Speed	Tree	Lost the front end into a corner slid down the road and into a tree	Broken ribs
Aug 1985	Dry	Mine	Showing Off	Wheelie into back car	Cyprus Tour, pulling wheelies on the strip, car in front stopped I didn’t, put my front wheel through his back screen	Minor
July 1984	Dry	Mine	Speed	Roundabout	Practising getting my Knee down, lost the front end	Nil
Aug 1984	Dry	3rd Party		Car, no signal	Car turned right as I passed, I hit a bus stop	Right ankle
1983	Dry	Mine	Speed	T Jct Bedale Ind Est	Racing to the T Jct. I ran out of road to stop	Minor
1983	Dry	Mine	Speed	Catterick Bridge	Racing to Richmond, I hit the bridge at Catterick Race Course	Minor
1983	Dry	3rd Party	Bad luck	Oncoming car	Car hit me, he was on the wrong side of the road	Minor

I past my motor bike test in 1982 on an RD 250 ER with a coffin tank in Yamaha blue.  It was a fantastic bike with a racing seat and straight through racing pies.  You didn’t get lessons in those days and it was the cheapest form of transport.  You learnt from your mistakes, I had no idea what a power band was until it through me into the ditch on my first fast bend.  That was the norm for all of us at the time. 

Between 81-83 I had loads of off’s but only minor crashes, inexperience, youth, learning.  J  Call it what you will, I loved every minute of it and I still do.

I have to admit it doesn’t make for pleasant reading, I need to change something and I don’t think changing my bike is the only change.  The common denominator in 6/11 accidents I have been involved in have been speed.  Coach says I shouldn’t be allowed back on the road, I think he was a bit shocked L  He says I need to learn a trigger word that will make me see sense and behave on the public road.  He said more than that but I can’t put it in print, I’d be banned from Blogger.com

Let’s see how it goes.  I can’t believe I’m a Psychiatric patient !!

"All men die, not all men really live"

Ed.

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

What to do !!

I’ve had loads of comments this week about giving up riding.  “fall down 7 times, get up 8”, “don’t be a T**T Moxy”, “don’t do it”, “you can give up once you’re dead”.  All encouraging stuff, thanks lads.

I really don’t know what to do for the best.  I’ve been riding since I was 16 and in that time I’ve only ever had a year off and that was when I broke my back.  The common denominator in all my crashes has been speed.  Maybe I’m not as good as I think I am or maybe I should leave the track speed on the track. 

Thiers something very special about the biking world and I don’t just mean the thousands of great bikes out there.  But the people who ride them, it’s a universal language that spans the globe.  I have friends up and down the country, in Germany and Holland.  It doesn’t matter where you go someone will talk to you about your ride or past experiences.  You don’t even have to be on your machine, just wearing an IOM TT T-shirt is enough to make a perfect stranger buy you a pint.  Hours later and war stories exchanged you’re the best of friends.

I have 3 choices to choose from:

1.       Buy a road bike that will suit my needs, good looking, handles well, but not a racer.

2.       Buy a track bike and fulfil my need for speed.

3.       Hang my helmet up for good.

In my heart I know I’d love another bike but what do I choose, a racer is defiantly out of the question.  I’d like to stay with the big 1000, that’s just a personal thing and a dream I had as a kid, owning a big thousand.  But what bike, I like the Aprilia Tuono, a great looking bike with great add ons as standard.  The new Norton is a great looking bike with all the heritage and soul of the good old days.  I still like the V Max, a big muscle big with great styling.  Or do I get something totally different like the BMW R1200GS ?  One thing is for certain, I won’t be getting a Hog !!

I’ve looked into getting a track bike this past week and there are some great deals.  Anything from £2,500-£10,000.  I was looking more around the £3,000 mark to start me off.  OK there’s no insurance or tax required and the benefits to a track bike are appealing.  No police, clean lines (no manhole covers), everyone is going in the same direction (usually) and best of all no speed limits.  Having said that, track days can be costly, so are tyres if you’re going to rip them up.  I need a trailer or a van and somewhere to keep all this.

Then again I could just call it quits and put my leathers away for good.  I don’t think I’ll be making any plans this year, I need to treat my lovely wife to a well deserved holiday and then the season will be over.  Next year however may well be a different story when the sun is out and my son disappears out of sight on his Aprilia, leaving me on the drive with an aching heart.

But before all of that I need to fix my collar bone and get fit again, as quickly as possible but that’s another blog.  See you all soon.

To all that do ride, good luck and stay safe, remember, keep it rubber side down.

"All men die, not all men really live"

Ed.

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

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The End

It was decision time, but first some good news.  The insurance company have paid out along with my Gap insurance.  So not all has been lost,  it’s always been the case with extra’s on a bike, you have to declare your upgrades and in some cases the insurance goes up but you never get back the money you have spent on the many go faster or just good looking parts you fit.

I contacted the MCN lawyer and told him of my incident and I was referred to a lawyer in Scotland because the law is different across the border.  After plenty of reports and digging by them it was decided that my case could not be taken on, not on a no win no fee basis anyway.  If I wanted to pursue the case I could but I would be paying the legal fees and I have 3 years in which to act and start proceedings.

I’m not going to bother, if a firm of lawyers aren’t prepared to take the case then what chance do I have.  As my lawyer pointed out, the manhole cover wasn’t broken, raised or sunk and as far as they could tell was in good order.  Apart from being as smooth and shinny as a babies arse, that’s just fine.  Proving I lost grip on the cover and presenting evidence that it did cause my high side against the council is another matter.  I knew from the outset that it was going to be an uphill struggle and might lead nowhere.  So it’s just going to be another one chalked up against the bad road conditions that we pay a fortune to us.  If there was no such thing as road tax I could understand why the roads of Great Britain are in such disrepair.  It’s just highway robbery.  But to the MCN lawyer team, thank you very much for all your hard work on my behalf.

So my next decision is.............do I get another bike ?  Well the answer to that is no.  I’ve thought hard and long about it and I think its one crash too many.  It’s not about the money, I’ve always done my bikes up to the speck I want them so they are a statement of who I am and what I want from my machine.  I just can’t ride a bike slowly, no matter how much I try, I get board at 60 and 70 on the motorway is just a waste of a good road.  Every bend deserves your respect and the best way to show it is by getting down on one knee. 

So I’m putting my helmet on the shelf (damaged) alongside my battle worn leathers.  Maybe one day when I’ve finished my current job I might dust them off and get a track bike.  I still plan on doing my Sicily trip but this time in a VW T4.  Instead of ripping up the road with Janette on the back screaming and complaining of a sore arse, she can sit beside me with a cup of tea (code for whiskey and coke, diet no ice) and a smile.  It can even piss it down and get very cold.  My God I’m getting old.

So for the time being my two wheel days are over, besides I’m not putting a florescent bib on to go through France.  It want be long before our spineless government bend to the whims of Europe and all bikers will have to wear bibs, no dark visors and no unauthorised mods to your pride and joy.  Go 1 mph over the speed limit and your history.  That’s of course if you can get up any speed on our well maintained roads. 

To all that do ride, good luck and stay safe, remember, keep it rubber side down.

"All men die, not all men really live"

Ed.

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

Motor Biking: The Death of a GSXR 1000 K9

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