I was just going to post the same question... and then I saw this thread.
George, too bad we didn't bump into each other, I was hoping to find a fellow SOHC4 member there.
Twisted - yeah, it was at the NJMP, you should have signed up... it was a blast, and everyone I met was laid back and really cool. I can't wait to go to my next AHRMA event. AHRMA should really do a better job advertising, I think I stumbled across the event 4 months ago when I was actively searching for vintage racing events... they should have had advertisements on message boards like these.
So back to George's question... I was also wondering the same thing. I was thinking the CB750's would rule the track in the Novice Production Heavyweight class. The year is limited to 1972 or older (or like year), up to 750 CC... I was thinking the CB750 was the best production bike at that time, so shouldn't it be the best in this class at the track? I guess not.... I did feel like I had more HP than the other bikes in the straight, but my turning skills are at the bare minimum novice level, so I braked really early before turns.
Andrew also told me he did the following to his CB750K6:- One size overbore
- Raised the pegs up two inches (this is absolutely essential on our bikes... there were some turns where I was dragging my peg through the whole turn!)
- Slightly taller rear shocks (I forgot how much taller he said)
Yeah, Andrew was really hanging off his bike. My buddy mentioned that it was amazing how much he moved back and forth on the bike. Even with that Andrew mentioned to me he managed to scrape his alternator cover in one turn.
Regarding how much you can push the mods, I think it's more a gentleman's code here to stay within the spirit of the rules and to be cool about it. The tech inspection was really just looking for safety issues. My bike technically did not meet the class regulations, but I was a brand new racer so no one cared. I'm planning on putting together a CB750 that's to spec as I get better. I don't want to start beating people and feel like I didn't deserve it because I had an unfair advantage.
I think this is a great idea:... Perhaps it would be an interesting exercise to put together a list of the ideal modifications for the different options available for the cb750 for vintage road racing. I have a feeling that it may inspire more people(like me perhaps) to give it a try if we felt that we had a good idea what to do to the bike to prepare it properly the first time (for the most part anyway). For those of us who have little experience with how to make a cb750 behave properly in a track setting, it would be a huge help.
So, if you and others wouldn't mind giving it a go... Perhaps we could start with Novice Historic Production
It would probably make sense to have a range, from a minimum "just trying to get my feet wet using my otherwise daily driver"
to "everything I can do within the rules to be competitive in AHMRA Novice Historic Production: 750 class (pre 1972)
I've got Andrew's email, and I was planning on asking him similar questions. George, I'll copy you on the email when I send it, and maybe we can keep this thread going for others.
I can also post pictures of the safety wiring I did that might help others, and some of the logistics questions about a typical day at the event and what sort of things to bring.
One thing I would like to add... I'm really happy I'm an AHRMA member now, but I've got to say I was not impressed with their race class. Maybe it was my instructor (who was a nice guy), but we hardly covered any technical training (throttle control, grip, body position, etc.) It was really more about race procedures and knowing the flags. I think to some extent, they just want to make sure you've got a head on your shoulders, so they just monitor on the first day's practice sessions. I highly recommend taking a track day course before going to your first AHRMA event... I think you'll enjoy yourself more.