Topic: Vintage racing, where to start?

[dave400]

I think you should visit the TT before talking about a loop race.

Sam.

I'll come see it someday, your one of those Englishmen that make me nervous though
any advice for this dumb yank to going about it would be awesome
like how much time will I need (a month?) crash spots(sleep) I know you guys have big money so what would it take $$$ DOLLAR wise 100 a day? I'm just talking about spectating and survival beer/food/hotel
 is it a flight or fairy ride to the island?

If you ever get over for the TT  you can do it quite cheap, hotels are expensive if you can get a room, less expensive options are staying in a locals house called "homestay" costs about £25-30 a night or do what I do take a tent £7.50 a night eating out is expensive but you can find good deals if you look around.
It can be done for not alot of money (I do it with not a big budget) and you get to watch the best of road racing for free . If you need any further information...let me know. BTW as a rough guide what costs a $ at home will cost a £ or more on the Island.


Cheers

Dave

[gene03079]

Hi Gene,I heard you've been doing quite well on the little JMR tuned 175 Honda.
Is it much better than it was as a 200?

Sam.

Hi Sam,

Mike did a great job on the motor. This season has the bike running in the money most every race. My wife has run out of room for Trophy display.

In 2 weeks we run our Championship round. I have a lock on 200GP second place for the year. My bump class into Ultra Light Super vintage has me 3 points out of first for the season.

This by far the tightest motor I have ever run. I have sent this motor well above 12k RPM when I need to make up time. Missed a few down shifts and it holds together. The harder I run the better the bike feels. I hate to pull the motor apart at the end of the season it runs so well.

I also got into 50CC racing. I am running a Derbi Gpr. Great fun with a load of laughs. A funny site to see a bunch of old guys wailing the hell out of the little bikes on a race track.

Gene

[Sam Green Racing]

Well done Gene, now you know why I had him do my motor

Any pics of the derbi ?

Sam.

[gene03079]

[Sam Green Racing]

Cool pics Gene, I bet the 50 is bunch of fun

Sam.

[motocyconomad]

thanks dave400  I think I'll do the american hippy backpack thing and spend my money at the pubs I wanna drink in one of those really old ones with wood all over, its looking really doable.

[dave400]

thanks dave400  I think I'll do the american hippy backpack thing and spend my money at the pubs I wanna drink in one of those really old ones with wood all over, its looking really doable.

If you get over give let me know, I'm already booked up for next year on the ferry, I know just the pub you're looking for it's down by the old fisherman harbour.
If you dont take a bike over you should not have a promblem getting on and off the Island by ferry or plane one week of practice and a week of racing if you can do both weeks thats a bonus I just do race week.....best free show on earth. Oh and if you go by ferry you may well travel on an ex US Navy boat....that thing can move!

[bwaller]

Shenanigans don't get all down in the mouth before you start, this is certainly doable. If you want to do this on a local level find the association that races closest to you and as mentioned ask questions to figure out what class your 550 will run. Take pictures too to remind you of all the good ideas guys have! The race association will have scrutineers that can help answer questions about eligibility.

KOS nailed it, and there is no excuse anytime for an evil handling, poor braking, bad suspending motorcycle. If you want to race that's the starting point. Removing weight is part of this. You can easily draw up a budget from the info you gather. If you're so inclined and can do the work at least you'll save money there, but the words racing & cheap are mutually exclusive.

As was mentioned consider taking a school it'll fast track you to the fun. We all know here motorcycle people are the best, vintage racers are the best of the best! 

I may well be the posterboy for how not to get involved, one thing has led to another and the bike's still not ready and I have a fair chunk of change in it.  I know better, damn it, I do know better. I didn't need to go sooo far building a bike to get started and original toyed with the idea of a TZ or even an RD and would have been racing by now but I'm drawn to these fours. I did take a school recently to aquire my race license and it has lit a fire under my ass.

Go for it.

[scottly]

Sounds like a good way to have some high speed fun legally. Hmm, you got me thinking about the old FT Ascot in the shed: not quite vintage, but might be fun to get it on a track and play.

[turboguzzi]

i agree only partialy with it being proibetively expensive or costlier than modern racing.
i once read a comment about bike restorations that applies also to racer builds: you need a lot of at least one of these ingredients: skill or time or money. i built mine using the first two mostly, total build budget came under 2K and bike was competitive pretty early on (cant say that about myself...)

on the other hand, not so sure about just doing the cycle side of things and leaving the engione alone. we have a 112% qualifyling window, the top guys are really fast and there's no way you'll get a stock motor bike on the grid. if your racing association has no qualifying minimum to avoid too much speed difference between slow and fast riders, then maybe a stock motor will be good for your first races but you'll want mo'powa very soon....

I think there's enough knowledge in this forum to build a pretty good 550 without going over 3K, we'll all be happy to help you in the process.

so go for it, the feeling of getting on the track on a self built machine cant be equaled.

TG

[kos]

Sounds like a good way to have some high speed fun legally. Hmm, you got me thinking about the old FT Ascot in the shed: not quite vintage, but might be fun to get it on a track and play.

FT50 Ascot....the bike of choice in AHRMA for Lightweight Vintage Superbike. Go for it!


Last years and year prior champ.... was on one!


KOS

[scottly]

Sounds like a good way to have some high speed fun legally. Hmm, you got me thinking about the old FT Ascot in the shed: not quite vintage, but might be fun to get it on a track and play.

FT50 Ascot....the bike of choice in AHRMA for Lightweight Vintage Superbike. Go for it!


Last years and year prior champ.... was on one!


KOS

I think I'll look into this: I have some insight into how to really wake these motors up!

[Shenanigans]

Thanks for the input guys. I am starting to get a well formed idea of what it will actually take. First thing would be going to a race school to get my race license. I am lucky that Firebird raceway is about 5 miles from where I am. One step at a time right?   

From there I will try and make it to a meet here so I can talk to them and see what they have to say... I think I will hold off on building the bike for a while because it would, as people have said, suck to build a non-legal bike.

[Sam Green Racing]

Then ya just need an FT50 Ascot Shen.

Sam.

[bear]

What the hell is an FT50 Ascot?
Don't think we have 'em in the colonies. But I am looking for a small bore for my young bloke, he's been annoying the piss out of me for ages about going road racing.
Now I'm backing off with the chair I'm running out of excuses.
 

Cheers,
Brian

[Sam Green Racing]

Strange looking 500 single made for people with no taste Brian.

Sam.

[bear]

Bugger.
I was looking for something around 125cc.

Cheers,
Brian

[Sam Green Racing]

http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery/Honda%20FT500%2083.jpg

they do make good racers though, not the same sort of racing thet were a replica of though.

http://www.race-uscra.com/classifiedPics/Dave_Evans_FT500.jpg

Sam.

[scottly]

Strange looking 500 single made for people with no taste Brian.

Sam.

Hey!?? I resemble that remark!

[Shenanigans]

Funny, my next door neighbor had one of those ascot 500 motors in his 3 wheeler. I guess he let his friend ride it and he lugged it uphill or something and the motor stopped. He swore up and down that it had a holed piston and kept trying to get me to tear it down and maybe rebuild it for him. For whatever reason I did not want to mess with it so he gave it to someone who took the head off, took out the broken spark plug and put it back together and it ran fine!

I think there is a lesson in there somewhere. Anyways it was a cool motor.

[scottly]

Actually, the FT motors are pretty gutless compared to the XR500 versions. My buddy has a warmed up XR that probably makes twice the power of my FT.

[kos]

Actually, the FT motors are pretty gutless compared to the XR500 versions. My buddy has a warmed up XR that probably makes twice the power of my FT.

Easy to get to same power with piston, cylinder head/valve work/porting and of course correct cam. And larger carb. All else is the same. we helped the guy who's winning AHRMA Lightweight class.


KOS
M3 Racing

[scottly]

I battled black-widows and rabid mice and managed to drag the Ascot out of the shed today; what a mess. On the bright side, only minor damage to the wiring from rodent gnawing...

Mark, would it be legal to swap in an '82 XR motor? Just weighing my options....

[fasturd]

Don't pass up a track day or two as well. You can use a pretty stock bike and still have a great time. Our local metro track is very tight and I was giving guys on GSXR1000s fits with my 400F the ONLY place they were faster was in the long back straight and because I could brake so much later (because I was going SOOOoo much slower) I would catch them mid corner at the end of that straight. Track days let you build up your skills and test your equipment.

Good luck!

[Stev-o]

Don't they have bike races at PIR? I've been there several times, great track! [my brother races SCCA cars]