HANS Andersen has vowed to get to the bottom of his engine gremlins and insists: “I know I am riding well.”

The Pirates ace swiftly added 1.4 to his Elite League average with regular double-figure scores earlier in the campaign but has struggled since the club’s month-long break from action.

Andersen, 35, sent his equipment away for servicing during the gap and has since dropped almost half a point with pace on the straights appearing to be his biggest issue.

With a busy schedule for Poole on the horizon and the Speedway Grand Prix Challenge in Vetlanda, Sweden less than a month away, the Dane knows he must find a quick solution.

Andersen told the Daily Echo: “I feel like I am riding my socks off for very little reward.

“I am putting the bike in the right places and chasing but if the engine is not right, you won’t score points no matter how good you are. This is not about excuses because I would be the first to hold up my hands if I had not been riding well.

“Everything was going well until we had the break. Some of the other boys who use my tuner asked if I had been having problems but I had not had any engines services until recently.

“Now I am back riding and I am having a few problems. It seems a bit odd because I have three engines and none of them have power. You wouldn’t believe how much I had at the start of the season, the difference is ridiculous.

“I am working really hard and trying various things to get to the bottom of the problem. On Thursday (against Leicester), I borrowed an engine to try something different and see whether it was my stuff.

“On top of that I tried fuel from a different supplier. I went out afterwards to check the new fuel in my own engines and it still was not going so now I know I have issues with my engines.”

But despite the troubles, Andersen is keen to give his tuner the chance to put things right, even if time is of the essence.

“Like all of us riders, they can run into problems they cannot control at times,” he added.

“It might be something small like a bad batch of springs, things get made as cheaply as possible and the product ends up not being good enough. You only tend to find that out when it is too late.

“I have belief he will solve these problems pretty quickly. It is not doing my confidence any good not hitting double figures every week but I know it is not me.”

On the upcoming GP Challenge, he said: “It is a month away and this is the worst time to run into these problems but it would be worse if it was me and the confidence in my own riding had gone. I know I am riding well, it is just a matter of time.

“If this isn’t solved in a week or two, I will be looking for help elsewhere.”

Pirates host King’s Lynn on Wednesday before making the trip to Norfolk 24 hours later.