TEAM BEARS
Bears/DOC
Racing Team
2000 Eastern Creek
Six-Hour Endurance Classic
"YOU bend it you mend it" were the words, (slightly more elegantly phrased than that) with which NFI General Manager Warren Lee entrusted a brand spanking 2000 900 SS into the waiting hands of Bruno Mamone, of the Bears Australia Racing Club. After all, when you've won the 1999 Six-Hour on an SS, what's more logical than trying for back-to back wins?
Why an SS and not an eight-valve? Most people in the "know" would assume that the 916/955/996 engines wouldn't last the distance, but they'd be wrong, according to Mike Soderland, one of the 900's riders and the man behind Gowanloch's, the famed Ducati shrine in Sydney's Belmore. And he's in the know if anyone is. Not only does he make his bread and butter working on the things, he also races an eight-valve.
"Sure, a full Superbike-spec 996 isn't built to go six hours, but nor are any of the other Superbikes. In any case, in production trim, a lowly-stressed 996 would run all day like a train." He said.
So why a two-valve? According to Bruno Mamone, the team manager, it has more to do with history than anything else. When you think Ducati and the Six-Hour, you think of Mike Hailwood and Jim Scaysbrook, you think of John Warrian. In short, you think of 900SS. And that's reason enough for me.
Oh, did I mention they won last year on a two-valve?
Partnering last year's pairing of Mike Soderland and Peter Hinton, who needs
no introduction to anyone with even a passing interest in a) Australian racing, b) Mt.
Panorama or c) Bears racing and the Six-Hour is John Lyons, ditto.
These Bears boys may be a close knit bunch, but they come from pretty diverse backgrounds. John Lyons was '97 Australian Bears Champion on his 888 Ducati, but he campaigned a TTF2 Pantah before that. Peter Hinton has had racing in his blood forever and probably blood in his racing ever since he dropped an HB pencil down the bevel tube of his old man's freshly rebuilt Manx when he was two or three. "I can still remember thinking I'd have to find something else to play with"
As an aside ñ the sins of the fathers, etc., etc. ñ but John Lyons had just flushed out the radiator of his 888 when he found his son had filled the cap with sand. Who says kids and racebikes don't mix?
Anyway, the first time I met Peter Hinton was at Bathurst in '83 when he was hurtling around the Mountain on, sorry Peter, one of the ugliest Husky sound of Singles bike I've ever seen. Ugly, but effective.
Mike Soderland is more your Superbike kind of guy, racing a 916 in the Thunderbikes class of Formula Xtreme. So how does it all work when they try to ride a roadbike? Pretty well, actually.
"It's just so easy to ride," said Hinton. "You can cruise around all day doing 1:43s. It's so tractable it means you save on gearchanges."
"No bruises on your left foot," chips in the quiet Lyons.
"It's much more forgiving than the race bike," adds Soderland. "And it's
easy on tyres. We can run the whole race on one set. Though with slicks [recently allowed
in the race] it may be a different story. With road tyres, if you get in a bit hot you can
slide the front or slide the rear, but with slicks, because they have so much more grip,
they stress the chassis and suspension differently and you get chatter. Instead of
sliding, you find yourself bouncing out to the edge of the track."
At least they know each other pretty well. Andrew Fenton and John Lyons raced in the first of the re-invented Motorcycle Concepts Six-Hours on, of all things, a BMW R 1100 GS. Well, the bike raced, and finished, but John Lyons missed it. He was in hospital beginning the long recovery from a broken back suffered in practice on the last corner onto Oran Park's main straight. But he's proven himself a determined chap: the next time Bruno saw him was at Bathurst. In leathers. At speed.
The next year, 1998, saw PeterHinton and Mick and Al Johnson paired on another BMW, the R 1100 S, which they rode to 3rd in Pro Superbile class. That was, to quote Hinton, an experience. But it was an experience which stood the team in good stead for an approach to NF Importers for a Ducati to race in 1999, and the rest, as they say is history in the making.
Obviously the major sponsor of the team is NF Importers after all you can't race without a bike. Dave Stone from Motorcycle Concepts has tossed in free track time for practice and setting up, which they need with a brand new (check the tyres in the pic) machine, even if mechanical modifications are limited to Michelin slicks, a Staintune pipe and race glass. Other sponsors include RT Screen-Printing, Da Vanti Developments, the Ducati Owners Club of NSW and BEARs Racing Australia.
Incidentally, if you feel like having a gallop and the idea of anything but Japanese appeals, call the BEARS Club. Rod Muir's the president and his number is 02 9476 8410, while Phil Gray is the Secretary, on 0419 619 644. Again, if you have a Duke and want to find like-minded souls, call the DOCNSW's membership secretary, Greg Morgan, on 0407 976 006, or check out www.docnsw.org.au
As the three walked off from the studio after the photo shoot I could hear the conversation receding into the distance: "So you like one up and four down?" "Left foot or right foot?", "No, I like a road pattern. You can't teach an old dog new tricks"
Organized chaos.
See how the BEARS 900SS gets on at the eisa/Two Wheels Six-Hour on November 11-12 at Eastern Creek. For more information about the event, call Motorcycle Concepts on 02 4399 2574.
Photo courtesy: Jeremy Bowdler Two Wheels Magazine