Bonanza 2011-what's the track like?

[dave higgins]

Hi everbody, anyone know what the track is like at the gloucestershire venue for the british bike bonanza at the end of the month, i have heard good things about it but never been there. dave

[Brian Thompson]

Bonanza Scramble Track etc.

Wotcha Dave,

In a word (ok...maybe around 200!), it's fantastic mate! Here goes....; (!)

It's a lovely flowing layout, with a nice open start that leads into the main longish first straight, then a left hander that then runs onto another straight running parallel and back on itself. Then there's another left hander that leads into a tricky cambered climb up the side of the big hill that runs along the top end of the length of the track. This leads into an off camber downhill straight through the trees that drops down left to the foot of the main hill climb (great viewing for spectators here) and a right at the bottom before the climb itself. Over the top of the (steeper than it looks) big hill, the riders come onto a flat area (which serves as the finish line) practically in the middle of the trade stand area (!!!), which once again allows spectators to get really close to the action. A sharpish left then leads back down the hill then into a right that leads onto another straight before dropping downhill off-camber to the lower part of the circuit, and then it's a long sweeping left that leads back to the main straight. Or something like that anyroad.....!

It's in a truly lovely part of the country and a brilliant event all round, with a range of classic off road events and interviews with past masters in addition to the main scramble on the Sunday. It's well supported by the traders (Nametab, Villiers Services, etc etc) and there's usually plenty of spares and goodies to be had. It all happens this year on Saturday 25th. and Sunday 26th. June, and the location is; Ponderosa, Sallywood Park, Horsley, Nailsworth, Gloucs, GL6 0QA, UK. Click on this link for more details of the event and some videos; http://www.rickman-motorcycles.com/events.php

In the meantime I've attached a few pics from the 2009 event to give you the flavour!

Dicky F is riding his Anglian in the trial on the Saturday and I think Rob's going too. As I'll be working on the Saturday I'm hoping to take a hack down there on the Fazer thou and hook up with them on the Sunday to spectate. Be great if you could make it too Dave so we can finally get to meet and share some banter with the lads!!! Even better if you intend to enter on the Grumper!!!

Anyone else going? (perfect opportunity for a Castrol Rrrrrrrrrrrr fix!!!! )

Brian the Guinea Pig!

[dave higgins]

Hi brian, thanks for the interest & pics, track looks great, especialy the hill.
Yes i have entered the grumper, ( if you excuse the expression ), but its going to be its first run out this year & mine for one reason or another, so anything can happen.
As i have not used it yet, i decided to facter in a 3 minuite running in period, ( from the pits to the start line ).. so thats that sorted & hopefully it will run well.
Yes, it would be nice to meet a few more of the gra fellowship, prehaps even a humbled audience with the chairman himself!!!!!... no i know!... it was just a pipe dream! ( sorry rob ).
But yes i will be there with my old grumper, hoping to have a cracking day & see some more greeves`s in action. dave

[greeves246]

bonanza

all being well i should be there great track hopefully dick f should be there as well ! great track rolling countryside always bemused buy the top of the hill they always jump the top and because its flat they end up highter than they bargaind for steve (villiers services) ended up 6ft in the air ! also every one look for the cotton python engine !!! open push rods and faster that a c15 on meths !

[Rob]

Dave,

Hopefully Dick and I will be there with the official GRA hospitality suite (my battered caravan!)

Pop in for an egg butty! Audiences with the Chairman are slightly extra!

Cheers,

Rob

[greeves246]

Gary

Only if theres zyder as were near zummer zet !

[Dick F]

Bonanza Scramble

I dont think anything else could be added to brians reply (great) If they bring
back TV scrambles get in there mate as a commentator, Undulating straights, and all the Dennis Parkinson stuff you have a new job.
Dick F

[Brian Thompson]

Dennis The Menace!

Hi Dicky!

Nice one, and may I say excellent use of the word 'undulating'....one of my personal favourites (matron!!!)

Looking forward to seeing you and the good Captain M in a week or so, and I trust that as usual I will be able to find the GRA Hospitality Suite in the paddock by following the smoke plume....!!!

JUST DON'T FORGET TO TURN THE BL**DY GAS OFF!!!!!!!

See you for a (well done!) bacon butty on the 25th bud! Really looking forward to it.

Dennis.

[greeves246]

bonanza

lets hope the weather gets better chaps !

(Note; new thread started with Gary's pics (originally posted here) in 'Greeves Engines' Forum-click on this link; http://www.greeves-riders.org.uk/for...=7380#post7380 Brian.)

[Andy Briggs]

I'll be there with my Scottish on the Saturday for the Trial. I've managed (today) to get hold of some 'period' riding kit, so I'm sorted! I hope that the weather is somewhat kinder to us on the 25th than it was for the GVCMCC Trial at Tinkley Lane (just up the road from the Bonanza venue) just a couple of weeks ago. The going was 'heavy'!

I'll stick around to watch the Grasstrack later in the day, but I can't spare the time to come back for the Scramble on Sunday, unfortunately.

Looking forward to it all! See you there,
Andy Briggs.

[greeves246]

Camping

please dont move this as it applies to events thanks !

me camping at rally in corwall (home)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-g5l9c38bo&feature=related

[Brian Thompson]

Moving Posts.

please dont move this as it applies to events thanks !

me camping at rally in corwall (home)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-g5l...eature=related

Hi Gary,

Fair enough, but just to be clear....The only reason I might move a post (or posts) as a moderator is to keep threads on topic and make different subjects easier to find. This is common practice for moderators on internet forums for obvious reasons and helps keep things organised.

As this particular thread is about the track layout and attending this years British Bike Bonanza, if it was me I'd have posted the above link to your You Tube clip about camping at the BOCONOCC Rally in a new thread here in the 'Events, Meetings and Shows' subforum. That way, if somebody responds (for example, perhaps they attended this event and want to contribute a response) it keeps this thread about the Bonanza and related topics, and creates a new thread for the new topic. As your above post is about attending an event, it's certainly in the right place on the forum, ('Events' etc), but don't forget that there's nothing wrong at all in starting a new thread for a new topic.

This is the reason (the only reason) I have recently moved your post about your Griffon engine from this thread to it's new location in the appropriate section of the forum ('Greeves Engines'), as the resulting responses it has stimulated from other forum members would have taken this thread (about the Bonanza event) way off topic. I have also recently moved Adrian's comments and request for information about the regs for the Mortimer 100 (which he posted in a thread about 'Gearbox Oils') and created a new thread for the topic for exactly the same reasons, and because it also received several responses which took the original thread off topic. Some may argue that my own contribution to that thread ('Emu Oils', and meant as a lighthearted response to Adrian's mention of the same in an earlier post on that thread), could also be construed as being 'off topic'...except that it was also primarily about oils (albeit a bit of tongue in cheek fun in the interest of keeping things 'light' on here) and was anyway a direct response to an earlier comment of his in the same thread. Incidentally, it was apparently well received by many members, judging by the number of appreciative PMs I've received about it.

I'm not moving/editing members posts to be difficult Gary, just trying to fullfill my role as a moderator in the best interests of the forum as best as I can. I'm all for threads developing as they need to, and sometimes they will inevitably 'drift' a bit and I personally (and as a moderator) have no problem with that as long as it's loosly related to the original thread in some way, especially as most of the time they are useful, informative or amusing contributions. But when it's clearly a new topic that is being introduced to an existing thread, it's better to start a new dedicated thread for it-incidently, this is known in forum-speak as 'Thread Hi-Jacking'....That is one of the agreed guidlines laid down when we set the forum up, and it's good practice in my opinion. Besides, it saves the forum moderation team having to perform additional administration duties on top of clearing out the endless spammers we get on here (now well on the way to 50,000.....!)

I hope this clarifies my reasons for moving members posts occasionally.

Brian.

[Colin Sparrow]

Endorse all of the above. It is important to "keep order" on the forum.

One reason is that the whole thing is searchable so that any Member can always track down a given thread, so it becomes an ongoing resource. So it has to be kept tidy. But that's not the only reason.

It takes time and effort for Moderators to do their job, they don't intervene just for the sake of it.

[greeves246]

my most favorite forum

my most favorite forum -CIRCA 74 FORUM STEVE CROSSLY BRILLIANT !!!!

[Brian Thompson]

GRA Forum 'Not the Best' Shock Horror!

Ah well, we can only try and do our best....

Anyway.

Weren't we supposed to be talking about this years British Bike Bonanza on this thread chaps......?

Brian.