Photo Slideshow - watch this space as the season progresses

Testing & Race Reports - check back regularly for updates

"We don't race motorbikes because its easy, we race because its difficult"
 
One of the best things to come out of 2012 was the decision, taken at the end of the year, to switch from the BMW S1000RR to the Honda Fireblade. Which gives you some idea just how difficult 2012 was!! But for most of us anyway, we don't race motorbikes because its easy, we race because its difficult. If I wanted easy, I'd have stayed in Formula 400 where I was winning. Back to 2012. The main problem was a persistently unreliable bike, which resulted in lots of DNFs, too little saddle time and a couple of confidence sapping crashes. Even running well, the BMW is a hard bike to ride, - certainly for low budget teams. As Leon Haslam commented recently: "The BMW and Honda are opposites. The BMW is a very difficult bike to ride unless the electronics are set up perfectly, while the Honda is much more rideable".
 
But even beset by BMW gremlins, we showed glimpses of potential across the year. At Oulton Park I finished just ahead of a Splitlath-Redmund Aprilia, - one of the big bucks BSB teams. They had a huge gleaming race transporter, whereas I had a rusty old trailer! At Aintree I was in third in the Powerbike race with just two laps remaining when the motor flung oil on the rear tyre, with inevitable consequences! At the time John Ingram was stretching a lead, but the guy in second, Jim Hodson, was holding me up and I was just bidding my time to overtake him. When you consider that Jim Hodson went on to win both Aintree's Powerbike and Superbike Championships in 2012, its a case of what might have been!! Its a good example of just how finely balanced the margin between success and failure in bike racing.         
 
Looking ahead to 2013. The Honda Fireblade, my new two wheeled weapon of choice, is, as WSB star Leon Haslam concurs, on a different page to the BMW when it comes to handling. And my conclusion, having now ridden the BMW, Yamaha and Honda Superbike offerings, is that handling is pretty much everything. Whereas it was a huge effort to get the BMW to turn, (and even harder to get it to hold a line), the Fireblade simply goes where you point it with superb accuracy and much less physical input. The fact that my blade has good quality Ohlins suspension front and rear no doubt helps! Riding the blade at Oulton Park at the end of the year was like jumping from a Hayabusa with flats to a Grand Prix bike on qualifiers. Another pleasant surprise was the amount of punch it has exiting turns. Actually more than the BMW, which makes all its power at the top end. As an added bonus the blade is a thing of great beauty and I can't wait to see it once it has had the Pitty's custom vinyls treatment. Watch this space.   
 
A big sincere thanks to everyone that helped me in one form or another in 2012, including Pitty's of course. I'm feeling confident going into 2013 with the well proven Honda Fireblade. A feeling that was lacking in 2012.    

Aintree I - Aintree Race Circuit Saturday 12th May

Even a high speed crash couldn't spoil the perfect weekend!

Pitty's Custom Vinyls racer Chris Morley was at the front of a fierce battle for the Powerbike spoils at Aintree on Saturday 12 May, before being cruelly denied through mechanical failure. With just two laps remaining he was in third position and seriously pressuring the rider in second, when the motor on his BMW Superbike threw oil on his rear tyre and in an instant he was sliding along the ground.
 
It was a bitter sweet weekend for Chris, - on the one hand he had crashed and come away with no Championship points. But with forty riders on the grid on Saturday and a number of top riders getting extra track time before next month's Isle of Man TT, the Pitty's newbee had proved conclusively that he is as quick as anyone. Chris says: "The mood in camp is brilliant. Bikes are easily fixed, - we are running with the quick men in Superbikes now, which is no easy feat. It was a lot of fun, particularly having Nige and Diane along. We surprised a few people on Saturday and now know what we can do."

Wirral 100: Oulton Park - Saturday 28th April

The first round of the year for Chris Morley at Oulton Park 28 April was a baptism of fire. Top riders had flocked to the Cheshire circuit to test before the BSB paddock heads to Oulton in just a few days time. Yet more names including Ian Mackman and Mark Buckley had come to familiarise themselves on their 2012 IOM TT Superbikes. In the first race Chris finished 19th out of 34, just ahead of Mark Buckley on the high performance Spithlath Aprillia BSB Superbike. 

With a very promising first test banked, Chris is itching to ride the BMW S1000RR for the second time in 012 on Wednesday 11 April at Oulton Park with MSV. A number of teething issues with the bike that surfaced at the shakedown test have all been sorted and it will be possible to push much harder next time.
 
Chris was surprised how quickly he felt comfortable first time out after big changes to the bike over the winter, - and despite the day being continually interrupted with what he describes as silly faults.
 
Chris says: "I'm real excited, because the feeling I need from the bike is there already and its nice to be able to leave well alone. Plus the bike looks mint with the new Pitty's vinyls! After the next test on the 11th we have the perfect gap of just over two weeks until we are racing with Wirral 100 at Oulton Park on the 28th. This is always a competitive fixture, with a fair few BSB riders making an appearance before BSB proper descends on Oulton Park a few weeks later. So I'll be going there with very realistic targets, - a top ten finish would start my year off nicely."

Test 1: Oulton Park Tuesday 6 March

Despite the inevitable shakedown test gremlins, on the whole, the first test went really well. We had glorious sunshine all day, - which is always a bonus. Perfect for showing off my new Pitty's custom decals and grabbing some nice shots!

The changes to the bike over the winter, which centred on the electronics, worked a treat. I couldn't have been happier. I won't share all my secrets, but I will say that one of the toys on test was a new race quickshifter, which was as smooth as silk, - a million miles from the OEM item it replaced. Confidential to most peeps but if Pitty's racers want to know the make just ask!

I mentioned that we have better electronics in 2012, and as luck would have it we have a new face on the pit crew this season with electronics expertise, - a guy called Alan Ashcroft who also has an airforce background - perfect.