So what is up with Michael Taylor and Team Triumph?
The Triumph 675R Daytona currently being run by Michael Taylor in Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike competition, part of the Mopar CSBK Canadian Superbike Championship, has had several developments since starting out. Initially the bike was run fairly much as received, with stock engine, hand and foot controls and even taped up lights and reflectors!
At first outing the bike worked very well, and after some typical difficulty with limited track time, Michael and his new crewman Rob Thompson, were able to maximize the strengths of the torquey Triumph. Michael hadn't ridden a 'proper' sport bike in some time, having spent a year or two off after successful campaigns on traditional twins like BMW's boxer bikes and a Harley XR1200. The Triumph seemed to fit Michael well, and he qualified front row for round one at Shannonville then rode towards the front in the race, netting 2nd and some valuable points towards the Championship.
Since Shannonville, several improvements occurred on the motorcycle. Notably, the bike came in much lighter with Rob and Michael attending to removing unnecessary components and crafting new GP shift foot controls and the like. Horsepower gains will still have to wait as the Team is on a time and money budget that don't encourage extravagance. Mr Metal in Toronto aided us with new Waterjet cut components from their state-of-the-art equipment. We got new lightweight bodywork, and generally speaking the bike got a lot more efficient and tidy. Castrol Canada is keeping parts running smoothly inside the engine and they got the team some great new gear too!
While attending to performance, Michael also dealt with the most important aspect of the effort, promoting our backers! Triumph not only got more spares in time, but also enjoyed having much better presentation with the new Triumph canopy. Bickle racing was given our team suit to work on and did a great job creating and fitting new Triumph/GP Bikes logos front and back, as well as Mr Metal and Gord Bush Performance patches.
Michael emblazoned the bike with sponsor decals which included Z1 Tuning in Etobicoke where Michael gained invaluable bits and pcs in the race shop, like brake lines, foot pegs etc. Zaid has helped both weekends with our Bazzaz tuning unit.
Round two of the Mopar CSBK tour at Autodrome St-Eustache was a great experience for the Team, mostly.
After wallowing around and wrecking Dunlops Q rear tires prematurely, Michael and Sandy Noce worked together to come up with more appropriate spring rates. The bike responded remarkably! By Sunday morning Michael was comfortably within range of the fastest bikes in the class, Casas, Riedmann and Raffa. Despite a poor qualifying effort in Sport Bike, Michael was confident he had answers to win the race. Taylor opted to campaign Superbike qualifying on Saturday and with a plan to run just a few laps to gain a start position in that class, he made it into top ten. That changed things. With Bodie Edie out , Taylor saw an opportunity to maybe make Superbike second row, with just a few more laps Q in Dalton Timmis Insurance SuperPole. Well he got greedy! Running fast in SuperPole he pushed the rear Dunlop a little past it's prime. There was not enough 'good' tire left for Sportbike Q. Fourth was not representative of his speed.
Sunday saw further improvements still, with Rob T and Rob Egan of Brooklin Cycle Racing sorting out fuel injection capabilities much more to Michael's liking. The bike made GOOD power in the corners now! A quite good start in the race got Michael up to the back tire of Riedmann's Kawasaki. He hounded Kenny for several laps and quickly found that his greater speed through the tighter infield section was gonna be all he needed to win. He stayed glued to the class leader and waited to pounce. But that chance was misled.
Casas was having issue at the back and despite riding his heart out, made a plunge into the airbags, stopping the race. On the restart, Taylor, fourth into turn one, rode round the outside of one bike into the chicane, and found himself gain nearly two more in one quick moment exiting onto the back straight. Riedmann stuffed it under Raffa there, but managed to spin out over a bump, giving Michael the best drive of the three towards the daunting next turn.
Riedmann had the faster bike and was mere feet ahead when they went for the brakes. Michael, on the inside, left his braking a bit later, but Riedmann had a sweeping line towards the apex and Taylor ran out of room. Using all his efforts to slow and avoid taking them both out , Taylor still struck the tail of Kenny's bike, sending Michael into a chaotic weave that would not let the Triumph settle enough to make the turn. Michael headed for the lawn and at that speed was not successful at riding it out. The bike was down, undamaged , save for of all things a broken key!, and Michael quickly got back to it.
A 'clean-jerk' lift was the worst possible idea for a man his... umm age, and though he did 'right' the bike, he completely tore his bicep from the bone. The realization was immediate, but Taylor recalled riding to one of his previous Superbike championships with no bicep, the result of misadventures in China. So he chose to continue. The broken key decided that attempt for our team though.
Currently Taylor is awaiting surgery to reattach the torn tendon at his home in Toronto. He continues to work, and Rob is quickly getting the scratched and or bent bits sorted out on the Triumph.
The status of our Team attending Shubenacadie are uncertain, to be determined by doctors and recovery times. Michael's drive and determination have been buoyed all the more by the support of his sponsors and the vast improvements on the bike.
Thank you for reading.
Team Taylor Triumph
From a press release
