Topic: Livefast_dieold

[Sam Green Racing]

Anyone know what happened to Ric and his endurance team, Yossef 

Sam.

[turboguzzi]

he contacted me some time ago on FB regarding a CB500 street cafe racer he was completing but i think his racing activities are on hold.

Not only his though.... Coming to that, this year's italian vintage racing scene is pretty depressed.  Many have left,  others moved to cheaper regularity racing. We still get 200 riders in the events but last weekend's race had only two proper sprint races with the grand total of 25 starters all together + 15 doing an endurance race..... the other 160 are just doing regularity or parading.

though times

[livefast_dieold]

Hi everyone!

Yes my endurance team is actually on hold, for many reasons...

After the crash of two years ago in Rijeka I was able to put the bike together, and then in September I was finally ready to hit the track with a fantastic and renewed bike! Unluckily, just as I started the engine to warm it up before my track session, a rocker broke in half, the loosen part interact in some obscure way with the opposite valve, leaving it open to meet the upcoming piston.

Result: broken rocker, broken valve, piston with a hole as big as a 2 € coin, no track session
Lesson learned: do not lighten rockers

I'm currently in Singapore for work, thus some miles/kilometers away from the bike so I don't know where I will be able to fix it, let apart use it in a race 

My CB 500 cafe racer was also object of fixing: I figure out that the gearbox was to be changed. I was almost able to complete the replacement (used gearbox from Nevada and shift fork from Alaska! Hope they'll work), but then I had to move to Singapore.

That's pretty much all folks!

If any of you knows how to rent a sohc (or any other motorcycle  ) in SEA I'll be happy to know 

 

[Sam Green Racing]

Bad luck Ric but good to know you are OK and still breathing.

Sam.

[MRieck]

Hi everyone!

Yes my endurance team is actually on hold, for many reasons...

After the crash of two years ago in Rijeka I was able to put the bike together, and then in September I was finally ready to hit the track with a fantastic and renewed bike! Unluckily, just as I started the engine to warm it up before my track session, a rocker broke in half, the loosen part interact in some obscure way with the opposite valve, leaving it open to meet the upcoming piston.

Result: broken rocker, broken valve, piston with a hole as big as a 2 € coin, no track session
Lesson learned: do not lighten rockers
I'm currently in Singapore for work, thus some miles/kilometers away from the bike so I don't know where I will be able to fix it, let apart use it in a race 

My CB 500 cafe racer was also object of fixing: I figure out that the gearbox was to be changed. I was almost able to complete the replacement (used gearbox from Nevada and shift fork from Alaska! Hope they'll work), but then I had to move to Singapore.

That's pretty much all folks!

If any of you knows how to rent a sohc (or any other motorcycle  ) in SEA I'll be happy to know 

I totally agree and have voiced that opinion to many people.

[Sam Green Racing]

I once heard that if you remove the brown coating, the rocker is toast.
We had a member on here a few months back that was asked to replicate a 60s six cylinder GP motor.
Even with all the latest test equipment to find out what hardening processes had been used, he admitted that Mr Honda had them stumped.

Sam.

[turboguzzi]

I once heard that if you remove the brown coating, the rocker is toast.

must be something about the type of soy beans they used in the heat treatment

[MRieck]

I once heard that if you remove the brown coating, the rocker is toast.

must be something about the type of soy beans they used in the heat treatment

Not soy beans.....soy sauce. Maybe a little wasabi too TG.

[livefast_dieold]

I've just been told that I have to go back to Italy!

Which means that I can work on my bikes (at least during weekends!)! Hip Hip Urray! Hip Hip Urray!

[turboguzzi]

ben tornato! adesso datti da fare....

[voxonda]

Sì, bentornato e tenerci informati dei progressi.......

[turboguzzi]

Sì, bentornato e tenerci informati dei progressi.......

complimenti rob! adesso devo fare piu attenzione...

[Sam Green Racing]

I agree completely. 

[livefast_dieold]

Seems like I'm not done in South East Asia... I'm in Manila right now! And I'll probably be here for some weeks (months?)...

[livefast_dieold]

Hi everyone!

I'm finally back for good in Italy after more than a year in SEA. It has been a super fun experience but I got a once in lifetime work opportunity in Italy (in these years it's almost a miracle to be honest...). Anyhow: after more than two years off the tracks it's about time to get the team together, racing season is coming and the bike is far from completion!

A couple of questions to the experienced guys here. I need new pistons and I was seriously thinking on these pistons from Dynoman: http://www.dynoman.net/engine/pistons/dp62.html but the high compression rate makes me wonder if I also need some Carillo's rods to avoid disasters. What do you think? Can I still be safe with original rods?

Moreover. I was closing the cranks today and discover that I've lost one of those ring that keep the bearings in place. See picture below (circled in red). It's the retainer of the middle bearing. Is it absolutely important that that ring is there or can I live without it?

Pics of the works will follow!!!

Ciao
Ric

[Bill/BentON Racing]

Greggo needs one too. I'm sure Ive got them,Bill

[turboguzzi]

bentornato!
you shouldnt skip that half ring, it takes the axial forces.... just order ti from CMSNL if you dont want to wait.

i am not a 750 guy but form what ive read here, the least you can do is go with CB900 rod bols and nuts.

But for an endurance racer that will spend a lot of time near redline, i would go also with carillos....

Before you sink too much money in this, remeber that there is no more 750 1976 class... for 2014, it is now up to 1981 so you will be racing against things like GSX750, CB750 DOHC, with 16 valves....

[JohnN]

Ric:
 I've run two race  seasons on those pistons from Dynoman, and just installed a replacement set for next season to freshen up the top end for next season. I also have Carrillo rods and plan to run the bottom end one more season without a tear down since the engine has been trouble free. I turn 9500-10,000 rpm and went with the Carrillo's for peace of mind. Engine has been run hard and was beginning to lose power last few races but that was traced to wear on the valves and rings. I run open stacks with no filters so that may be a contributing factor to top end wear.

John

[Leino]

I agree completely. 

Sam, you are too easy 

[livefast_dieold]

Hi all,

thanks for the suggestions!

Youssef how's the racing world in Italy? Last time I raced there weren't a lot of participants in the 750 class!

[MRieck]

Ric:
 I've run two race  seasons on those pistons from Dynoman, and just installed a replacement set for next season to freshen up the top end for next season. I also have Carrillo rods and plan to run the bottom end one more season without a tear down since the engine has been trouble free. I turn 9500-10,000 rpm and went with the Carrillo's for peace of mind. Engine has been run hard and was beginning to lose power last few races but that was traced to wear on the valves and rings. I run open stacks with no filters so that may be a contributing factor to top end wear.

John

Makes sense....that's racing.

[turboguzzi]

Hi all,

thanks for the suggestions!

Youssef how's the racing world in Italy? Last time I raced there weren't a lot of participants in the 750 class!

It's yossef here, just like in the biblical spelling
true but last year class was up to 1976, but now that the cut off year is 1985 (not 1981 as i first thought) i think that the class might attract GSXRs and FZs.... who knows.
Overall, there was very little competition last year. Endurance is expensive and you know italian economics these days... the positive thing is that the endurance races are going to be on some really nice tracks like mugello, vallelunga and misano.

[Bill/BentON Racing]

Got clips if needed, Bill