Author Topic: Steve Mclaughlin CR750 (Read 16586 times)

spiritof67 · « **Reply #25 on:** May 16, 2012, 05:26:50 PM »

Fourth in the series....nice knife-edging of the rockers for '73, no?

These are all pics of the Mark 1 bike before Steve's team refitted it with a Rob North-style fairing.
But the general outlay of the bike is the same with added kaizen over the years.

So, again: anyone got any other pictures of this internationally raced, successful, real CR750 - raced in period, and for at least four seasons? The first (I believe) all-disc-braked CR750 ever raced? The first one with real magnesium wheels front and rear as well? And does anyone know why this machine has not been here before? Just askin'.

Spirit

spiritof67 · « **Reply #26 on:** May 16, 2012, 05:30:32 PM »

Oh, and one more thing: this was the Pushak CB750K4 in its original '70s glory. Got to love that panel paint!

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #27 on:** May 17, 2012, 03:56:47 AM »

My memory must be going, I don't remember riding that bike in the first picture.

Sam.

turboguzzi · « **Reply #28 on:** May 17, 2012, 04:38:17 AM »

Quote from: spiritof67 on May 15, 2012, 10:16:02 PM

Maybe I needed a space suit and Lunar Rover but I couldn't find anything on that site about CR750's. Then again, I'm not enough of an anorak/trainspotter to look at evey reference in his site for it, either.

Spirit

hei spirit, didnt say there were pics on the site... just that dean adams might have some and you could try asking him

side anecdote about steve,
in this month issue of the rather good italian mag "riders" there's an interview with the Flamini brothers as this year WSBK has its 25th birhtday and they currently run the series. According to them, Steve did start and organize the first year of WSBK racing in 88' but then went into 8 million debt.... so for 89' they had to give personal guarantees and have backing from the FIM to save the series as many tracks and people involved were unpaid and didnt want to run the races....

bwaller · « **Reply #29 on:** May 17, 2012, 06:43:52 AM »

It's too bad there isn't more available on this bike. I can't help but certainly remember reading about it. Mark McGrew doesn't seem to be around anymore but he might have shed some light.

I met Kurt Liebmann at tracks on a couple occasions. The last time was at Mosport in 98. His engine had just dropped a valve (5mm stems)and made a mess, I think this was the second time in as many weekends. I bet I could have bought that bike cheap that day, he was pretty fed up. I always thought his was a clean CR example.

This was the problem though as time went on, to compete these engines were pushing the limits of reliability. Actually, there may be better parts available now.

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #30 on:** May 17, 2012, 07:05:39 AM »

There are.

spiritof67 · « **Reply #31 on:** May 17, 2012, 10:22:09 AM »

Turboguzzi, respectfully, anything the Flim-Flam brothers say now or at any time must be accompanied with just that bit of salt..whether Steve put the series in debt is a story which has many sides. Perhaps the better story (but not for this thread) is how they bent at the waist and properly lubed when Bernie Ecclestone told them they were horning in on his F1 empires' dates - and they promptly agreed to "coordinate" with him.

Those senior citizens out here remember there was a joke about the early WSB series: "In the GP's the fans know all the riders;in WSB the riders know all the fans". It took a while for the idea to get started as a big deal, pretty much like everything else. But debts or no debts, Steve had the idea, Steve wrangled the tracks to hold the series and Steve got the teams. Oh, and Steve also helped Fred Merkel get hooked up with the team that gave an American Superbike racer two world championships The Flim-Flams came along and took over the foundation he laid. And by the way: they paid him for the rights. Doubt if they put that in their article..

I'd ask your opinion on two valve vs. four valve Guzzis but that'd be off topic. I'm an 850/twovalver myself.

Spirit

spiritof67 · « **Reply #32 on:** May 17, 2012, 11:07:38 AM »

Bwaller: I was visiting Cosmopolitan Motors back in the late 80's, shopping for a Bimota kit to transform my GS1150. Aside from what would now be a gold mine of Italian small displacement bikes (Capriolo, anyone?) in a side room they had Kurt Liebmann's Honda factory Superbike (the black one) and his CR750. Kurt was, as you may remember, a guest of the state at the time and they very definitely gave me the impression that "well, maybe he'd think about selling". Very tempting: thankfully, I had nowhere near that kind of money. Oh, and in back, they had two of Malcolm Forbes' Bimotas which he apparently used as loaners for his friends and they had properly trashed, the SB2 having a grass stained and broken fairing and tank.

As for myself, I went home with another set of Marzocchi bolt-on replacement 38mm forks for a CB750, including four extra axles and two extra fork crowns. It seems that the rest of the forks went to the guy who tried to bring back the Norton Commando the first time.

Spirit

turboguzzi · « **Reply #33 on:** May 17, 2012, 01:24:58 PM »

first things first, got an LeMans III, so sure, i am a 2 valve guy. The new 4 Valvers which i road tested are annoyingly revvy, and believe it or not, so are the "new" 2 valvers.... seemingly they have to make them flat at 5K to go through emissions but its curable with different efi mapping. But wait, a 90's Daytona RS is a 4 valver goose i wouldnt mind

that article actually gave steve credit for creating the series and the all the rest, the anecdote about the first round of 89 at donnington, when SBK almost folded was told as an intro by Paolo Gozzi, a respected journalist here and editor of gpone.com. Maurizio Flim-Fflam didnt have one bad word to say about steve, as full as he is of himself.

in any case, here's a more objective view of that round? dunno....
http://www.wsb-archives.co.uk/RaceReports/1989/Donington.html

spiritof67 · « **Reply #34 on:** May 17, 2012, 03:50:34 PM »

Turboguzzi, thanks for the link.

I am lucky enough to be the original owner of a blue LeMans 1 Series II(chip tail light). "Revvy Guzzi"? Wow, why bother? The idea with a twin is to have revs but not need them - torque should do the trick. That's why I never bought into the "Daytona 4V" thing.

It's amazing how WSB has become not only a sustainable series but arguably has had better actual RACING at the front (or anywhere else in the field) than "MotoGP". And yes, Gozzi is a real deal guy. Wonder if FlimFlam had an open-collar white shirt with a gold chain and plenty of chest hair showing when he was interviewed? Just wondering..

Spirit

turboguzzi · « **Reply #35 on:** May 18, 2012, 12:20:25 AM »

No open collar shirts, still rather chilly round here. But he does have a BMW F2 car hanging from the back wall in his office, plenty of shinny black enamel furniture and thinks he could have been F1 world champion if only.... you get the idea.

Blue LM? thats pretty rare...

Back to your original question, why not contact steve himself?

spiritof67 · « **Reply #36 on:** May 18, 2012, 05:54:03 AM »

"....why not contact steve himself?"

Among other things, I'm working on that as well.

Spirit

Darvill Racing · « **Reply #37 on:** May 19, 2012, 02:08:02 PM »

Due to a personal request i have been asked to post some pictures of Peter Darvill's CR's.

These range from the K0 he retrofitted with works parts including a 4:4 works exhaust system to the 'works' CR he was given for the 24hr Le Mans which he promptly trashed on the first stint whilst overtaking 3 competitors.
Peter took this 'works' machine to Spondon and copied and modified the frame to create a sister bike. These SOHC machines were used up until '76 when Peter had his career ending accident riding an RCB for Honda at Barcelona 24hrs.

After this he moved to the DOHC RSC 998 works engines and then later the V4 power-plants.

We still have all these bikes in working order and in almost the same condition as the pictures attached.

If you would like to see more images please visit:

www.darvillracing.co.uk

And have a look around, you can also go to our Flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/darvillracing/#_blank

I hope you enjoy these and feel free to ask any questions, i will answer them if i know/can?

BTW
Rob 'Voxonda' will be joining the Team at the 2012 Manx Grand Prix where we are returning to racing on the Mountain Course, we have been invited to be part of the Festival of Jurby and Rob will be up close and personal (and riding one) with these machines. We have also been asked to participate in a lap of honour...
Not long now Rob ;o)

All the best,
Alex

Darvill Racing · « **Reply #38 on:** May 19, 2012, 02:11:57 PM »

Spondon Framed Darvill CR

Darvill Racing · « **Reply #39 on:** May 19, 2012, 02:14:03 PM »

Spondon Framed Darvill CR in the Pits...

Note the bespoke generator cover and amazing attire

;o)

Darvill Racing · « **Reply #40 on:** May 19, 2012, 02:16:10 PM »

K0 CR at the TT, could be Glenclutchry Road or Quarterbridge...?

Thoughts?

Darvill Racing · « **Reply #41 on:** May 19, 2012, 02:18:02 PM »

Isle of Man TT.....

On the Mountain with Ramsey behind Peter, looks like Guthries

Darvill Racing · « **Reply #42 on:** May 19, 2012, 02:20:43 PM »

Bike #3 next to the RCB with Peter making last minute adjustments.

SOHC Spondon framed CR with the Dresda fairing

Darvill Racing · « **Reply #43 on:** May 19, 2012, 02:22:26 PM »

Hot on the tail of another rider....

Darvill Racing · « **Reply #44 on:** May 19, 2012, 02:24:21 PM »

Peter at the start if Monjuich Park (Barcelona) 24hrs

Bike #3 Spondon Framed Darvill CR

Darvill Racing · « **Reply #45 on:** May 19, 2012, 02:27:21 PM »

Works CR after being 'thrown' down the road by Peter.

The Factory Honda was based on the CR500 but using the 750 engine, this was given to Peter whilst the Factory Team developed the RCB for the 'works' squad.

spiritof67 · « **Reply #46 on:** May 19, 2012, 09:50:11 PM »

Thanks for the treasure trove! Darvill was and is still the only man to win a World Championship on an SOHC, for all those out there too young to know.

Great to see his KO with that Screen and Plastics fairing at the Isle of Man as well. I almost imported one of those: wish I had to this day since I have never seen one "in the plastic (fiberglass?).

And isn't that The Man Himself in the Paul Ricard cap?

Spirit

PS: When he showed up at Daytona a few years ago the Cycle World reporter gushed about how "Peter Dahvill" was there. Another American/English verbal mashup, anyone?

spiritof67 · « **Reply #47 on:** May 19, 2012, 10:12:43 PM »

Next up: a picture of Ed Heckmann's CR750 at Pocono International Raceway circa 1971...a/k/a "the checkertail CR".

Spirit

Darvill Racing · « **Reply #48 on:** May 19, 2012, 10:37:15 PM »

Glad you like them Spirit..

I still have the original K0 fairing kit and screen you see in the pics somewhere in the workshop.
;o)

fang · « **Reply #49 on:** May 19, 2012, 10:41:11 PM »

Thanks Spiritof67 I'm enjoying the pics and this discussion.
Subscribed.

-fang

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Author Topic: Steve Mclaughlin CR750 (Read 16586 times)