Topic: Vintage sidecar rebuild - new video

[scottly]

Brian, have you verified your ignition advance? The "wall" you keep running into at 7K RPMs may have nothing to do with the Web??

[Tintop]

Advance is currently at 37 degrees, set with a strobe.  It's one of the things I'm thinking about changing.  Likely try 35.

[Tintop]

Did some checking on the timing scotty, and concensus was leave as is for now.  This is what I was running last year, and it would pull past redline.

Not convinced the idle is right, think it is a bit rich yet given the reaction to opening the air corrector(s).  I'll work on that before the 1st race (16 days to go ).  Also looking at the plugs again, think it's actually tending lean @ WOT.  It's very close though, so I'll try a 180 air (from 185) in practice and see what I get.

Swingarm is rebuilt, and shim'd over slightly to improve chain alignment.  With the amount of play that was there it's no wonder it was an evil handling beast at 'test & tune'.  Thinking turn 1 @ Shanny might be flat now.  New clutch plates are in, and all the internal linkage checked.  Denis @ CMR has modified the shifter rod attach position for me.  Feels like it should be much more positive now, with significantly less play.

[Tintop]

Posted a reply on the VRRA forum about 'who's going to the 1st R.A.C.E. event this weekend.  Said I was planning on going to watch, unless someone had a spare F2 sidecar I could use.  Got a reply to call.   L/M this morning, but given the race(s) start on Saturday, and the rig is 4+ hours away, and I'm not sure I'd even have a passenger, this not likely to happen.  But we'll see.

[Tintop]

Going to P/U the F2 tomorrow , but it's an 9 hour round trip.   Still not sure I will have a passenger, but messages have been sent. 

[RAFster122s]

I am confused, #239 you have been working on, is she not an F1 or F2 sidecar rig?
Why the need for another rig? Is it not VRRA eligible?

[Retro Rocket]

I am confused, #239 you have been working on, is she not an F1 or F2 sidecar rig?
Why the need for another rig? Is it not VRRA eligible?

I suspect its not ready to be raced David...

[bear]

I am confused, #239 you have been working on, is she not an F1 or F2 sidecar rig?
Why the need for another rig? Is it not VRRA eligible?

Brian's chair is a classic sidecar. Period 3 I think
The meeting he is referring to would be for moderns I'm assuming.

Cheers,
Brian

[Tintop]

Bear is correct.  This weekend's racing is for modern F1 & F2's.  I've been loaned an F2 (GSXR 600), and possibly have a passenger (rookie), as my regular one can't make it.  Only reason for doing this is it's on the same track as I'll race #239 in two weeks, so some extra seat time.   Will get grid'd last, and we'll see were I finish if things go to plan.

[Retro Rocket]

Bear is correct.  This weekend's racing is for modern F1 & F2's.  I've been loaned an F2 (GSXR 600), and possibly have a passenger (rookie), as my regular one can't make it.  Only reason for doing this is it's on the same track as I'll race #239 in two weeks, so some extra seat time.   Will get grid'd last, and we'll see were I finish if things go to plan.

oooooooh, those modern chairs are dead sexy......

[Tintop]

RR, this one is the ugly sister.

Spent today draining the winter storage antifreeze, and rerouting / reconnecting rad hoses in the proper order.  $2 for 4 litres of distilled water, $20 for 12oz of Water Wetter.   Only used about 2oz of WW, so given #239 is air cooled, probably now have a life time supply.   Didn't get out today, still need to make numerous adjustments, as it's setup for someone 6+" taller, & 100lb heavier.  Not inspiring a lot of confidence at this point.  May just park it, if I don't feel more comfortable, and confident in it/with it. 

Last year's F1 Champion is out with an F2 MRE he brought over in the fall.  It ran the IOM in 2011.

[Retro Rocket]

RR, this one is the ugly sister.

Got any pics..? 

[Tintop]

I've got a few I'll post later RR.  In the end decided not to run it.  Couldn't adjust the brake & shifter pedals enough to suit me.  Given I was going to have a rookie passenger onboard, this was not a safe situation for either us, or the other sidecars. 

[Tintop]

Here you go RR.....

MR Equipe, bike that has run IOM & came from Ireland.  New owner is last year's SRA F1 champion, and is planning on running IOM next year.



Shelbourne (don't know the age, but an older one)


The ugly sister.  Originally ran an air cooled engine, hence all the odd ducting.   Besides the brake & shifter issues, the stock air box made for a long reach to the bars.

[Retro Rocket]

Thats not too ugly Brian, just needs a decent paint job, would have been fun to ride....

[Tintop]

Thats not too ugly Brian, just needs a decent paint job, would have been fun to ride....

Actually the paint job was probably the best part RR.

[Retro Rocket]

Thats not too ugly Brian, just needs a decent paint job, would have been fun to ride....

Actually the paint job was probably the best part RR.

  I see, not real good with its clothes off eh....  

[RAFster122s]

Needs a new solution for the air box to improve controls access and a taller rider. Air box makes it look less than fully baked. Is the side car venting for the radiator? Is the venting in the main body needed, or does it just add drag?

[Tintop]

RR it's a rat's nest underneath.  Lot's of bodged fixs, one on top of the other.  Can understand having to do that during a race weekend, but should have been cleaned up before the next.

That was one of my fitment issues RAFster122S.  The big air box made the reach to the bars difficult.  If you look at the MRE & Shelbourne they both have much lower profile air boxes.  That's what this bike needs.  As for the front duct...it was originally fitted with a 900 Kawasaki, and there was no rad.  Think it was left to aid air flow to the box.

Interesting update - was going to return it tomorrow, but was told to hold on to it, and make what ever changes I want so I can race it later in the season.   It's been For Sale for awhile, and the owner won't be racing it again do to health issues.

[Sam Green Racing]

Looks like it could be a very busy year Brian.

[Tintop]

Unless I find some sponsorship Sam, doing the 3 USA rounds of the F2 races is a no go.  However there are 2 more races up here at the end of the summer.

[Tintop]

So the race weekend was not the best, a good news, bad news couple of days.  

Lots of stuff fracturing from vibration, but did some track repairs....part of the coil mount (safety wired broken piece) / tach mount (duct tape ) / fairing support bar (welded) / GoPro mount.  Camera came off in the 1st heat race, and landed in my passenger's lap.  Couldn't figure out what he was doing, until we came onto the straight.  Showed it to me, then stuck it in his suit.

Had an exhaust clamp come loose in practice, causing sever backfire on over run.  Tightened the clamp, then had the other one go in the heat race.  Removed the exhaust to find the copper gaskets had been destroyed.  Borrowed some used ones of a different construction, and that fixed the issue.  Did a compression test at that point, 150 in the both.

Good news, we now know we've got the speed to run with the front guys.  However the chair wheel is locking under hard braking which is causing some interesting handling issues.   In the final started 3rd, passed for 2nd on the straight on the 1st lap (improved standing start 1st lap from 1.38.6 to a 1.37.7 ).  However coming into the turn at the end of the straight (100mph?) chair wheel locked.  Bike danced around, and by the time I got it head in the right direction again my exit point was now going to be 10ft off the track.  Decided going off sideways wasn't good, and drove it straight off.  Good thing there was alot of run-off.  However, it was a rough ride, and got airborn at least once.   Got stopped, but on returning to the track (off line) decided it didn't feel right, and the platform looked like someone had dumped their lawn cuttings.   Parked it and called it a weekend.  I'll take some photos tomorrow of some of the carnage, and if I can edit it, some video.

[FuZZie]

Don't press your luck, either go over it top to bottom or send it back!

[Tintop]

Not sure what I'm suppose to send back.

All body work is getting removed / frame will be getting a complete crack check / chair wheel will get stripped to the spindle, and get a new tire (old flat spotted now ), and brake modified.  Some engine work to do re the clutch, and starter gear.

[Sam Green Racing]

Don't press your luck, either go over it top to bottom or send it back!

Perhaps Douggie is thinking F2 Brian.    If it was the Yam, what have you changed since your last outing that could have caused these problems?

Sam.