Classic Bike, September issue

[Parker3865]

Spotted in this month's Classic Bike mag:

500 in 250 frame

IMG_20250816_205612.jpg (485.49 KiB) Viewed 596 times

[norbert]

A very nice bike indeed!

[Morini Jen]

Thanks for that, Richard.

(Hope you are recovering well, by the way).

It certainly is a splendid Morini race bike. Mike currently has a fairly comfortable lead in the Championship, due to consistency as he said, but it isn't all over yet. There are three or four other riders who could still steal it from him.

I went to Donington a couple of weeks ago, hoping to catch up with Mike and add a bit to this thread...
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=8133

Unfortunately, I was only there on the Saturday and Mike was only there on the Sunday. Oh well.

The Classic Racing Motorcycle Club will be at...
6th/7th September, Darley Moor, Derbyshire.
27th/28th September, Brands Hatch, Kent.

I will almost certainly be at Darley Moor on one day or another if anyone wants to meet up. The entry lists aren't published yet but I'll let you know if Mike is entered nearer the time.

A Tutto Gas!
Jenny.

[Parker3865]

Recovery going well, thanks for asking.
Ah I thought I had seen something about it on the forum, thanks for that. Brands Hatch is near me, I might have to go.

[Morini Jen]

Glad to hear the recovery is going well, Richard.

By the way, Mike's Strada and Race Bike are pictured on page 34 of the latest A Tutto Gas (397).

You ought to go along to Brands Hatch if you can. As it is the last meeting of the season there will be some very close racing and Brands Hatch is a very atmospheric circuit.

I've only raced there once, in 2014 on a Honda 400/4. It is a difficult circuit to get the hang of, with blind corners, adverse cambers and no straight bits. Below is a photo of me keeping ahead of Morini 500 Racer Phil Botherstone (then on his Triumph 500 Daytona) at the top of Paddock Hill. The crowd was going wild!

To be fair, that was Saturday morning and Phil was struggling with a dodgy rear tyre. Once he'd sorted that out I couldn't get near him.

The second photo is Phil on his 500 Morini keeping ahead of Stephen Jones' 500 Ducati Pantah. Brands Hatch, May 2022. All good clean fun!

[Parker3865]

Brilliant! Love the photos.
I have done a few track days on the Indy circuit on my Honda 600 and when I had a speed triple. A fun circuit. Sadly the family won't let me do any more track days, even though the roads seems more dangerous.

[Morini Jen]

Ah! Splendid!

You know Brands Hatch better than I do.

I know what you mean about the King's Highway. You can be waiting at some traffic lights and still end up in a sticky mess.

Race track? Much safer.

Still, the CRMC Season Ender should be a great event. Lots of stunning bikes. Hopefully Mike will be there and hopefully sealing the Championship!

[Galligaskins]

Hi Jen,

are you closer to deciding which day to go to Darley Moor?
Weather looks better on Saturday so I think I shall probably go that day.

[Morini Jen]

Hi Howard.

I will be at Darley Moor both days, and yes, Saturday is forecast to be dry and Sunday wet around the middle of the day.

Mike Bastable is entered for both days. Phil Bootherstone will be racing his Morini against Mike in the Post Classic Air-Cooled 500 class, and also racing my old Ducati 250. Phil is hoping to have a good dice with Mike. There are only three bikes in the PC500 class, two Morinis and a fast Ducati, all the other bikes on the grid are 750 Superbikes and TZ350 Yamahas which will clear off into the distance. Phil's 250 ride will be against K4 Hondas and GP125 bikes so that might be a lonely affair.

I am going to the circuit tomorrow to set up my gazebo so we'll have some shelter all weekend. We can get the bikes scrutineered too, but noise testing isn't until Saturday morning. John Parbury will be there on Marshalling duties all weekend. We don't have any contact details for Mike but we are hoping to find him tomorrow so we can set up a Morini encampment.

I'll post on here tomorrow evening to let you know where we are sited in the Paddock. I look forward to meeting you there.

Jenny.

[Morini Jen]

Well, we've set up camp in the Paddock at Darley Moor. Fingers crossed for passing noise testing in the morning.

We are pitched on the hard standing at the far end of the Paddock. Basically, from the Entrance, walk the whole length of the Paddock, past the Assembly Area, past a gap in the fence and turn left and you'll find us on the right. Look for a gazebo with no sides and a blue roof under which there will be a couple of Morini 500s and a Ducati 250. We are more or less opposite Andy Molnar's massive motorhome.

Phil and Mike are out in Practice 2, around 10:10am and Race 2 which I imagine will be around mid-day.

[Galligaskins]

Thanks Jen,

See you there