Topic: NEW Dinosaur Class in OMRRA!

[paulages]

Hey NW people, OMRRA has voted in a new class which will allow unlimited displacement up to 1977 year models! This means the CB550 is no longer lost in the rules, but does mean that it could end up competing against the KZ bikes...

Should be interesting! As I understand it, if there's enough interest smaller classes will be created, giving a 400/4 and 550/4 a competitive place to race.

[bwaller]

When I look at the various race associations it is frustrating fitting our bikes in. This would be an interesting class Paul for you and lots of others. It reminds me of our old unlimited production class, nothing production about any bike that raced in it, but everyone knew it, so it was ok!

I just found that the USCRA mid. prod. class is something I can run too. They race at Laconia which is five hours away for me.

[mlinder]

Hey NW people, OMRRA has voted in a new class, Formula Ultra, which will allow unlimited displacement up to 1977 year models! This means the CB550 is no longer lost in the rules, but does mean that it could end up competing against the KZ bikes...

Should be interesting! As I understand it, if there's enough interest smaller classes will be created, giving a 400/4 and 550/4 a competitive place to race.

I'll be bringing a GS750 taken out to 900

[paulages]

I haven't seen the entire rule structure yet, but I spoke last night to one of the guys that brought it to a vote. must be a production based bike (no TZ750, etc...), disk brakes allowed, 1977 cut-off with like-bike rule (meaning KZs are good through art of the 80's). Should be interesting. My bike will be even less competitive than it would have been in Open Vintage (with its '72 cut off) with the Kawa bikes allowed. Guess that means I'll have to be a fast rider. 

[mlinder]

I think it's great. Basically, any well-running, safety wired:

cb350f, cb400, cb500, cb550, cb750
gs450, gs550, gs750, gs1000
kz650, kz900, kz1000 (as well as the smaller twins), S1, S2, H1, H2... etc...
TX500, XS650, XS750, all the RD's, etc....
Sporsters should be allowed, too, if I read that stuff right.

No longer one-bike-classes.

[Bill/BentON Racing]

A Yosh GS 1000cc + would rock and probably rule! ,Bill

[turboguzzi]

placing my bets on 70hp, 260lbs. RD400's, hard to beat....

[mlinder]

That's true.

PIR is mostly straight, though, and coming out of 7 (4 without the carnival turn section) and 12 (9 without the the carnival turns) with some nice big 4 stroke smoothness, torque and hookupness might get you down the two major straights pretty damned fast.

Like I said, looking for a GS750 now. Maybe Seth will sell me his.

Oh yeah, I doubt the banshee mod will be allowed. I mean, people will do it, but it will be illegal. So 70hp rd's probably not gonna be around as much.

[mlinder]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Portland_international_raceway.svg

Turns 1,2 and 3 typically aren't used by OMRRA.

Turn 8 is almost nonexistent from how slow you have to come out of 7, so the entire track from 7 to 10 seems pretty damned straight at vintage-bike speeds. Different story on the new bikes, of course.

[paulages]

placing my bets on 70hp, 260lbs. RD400's, hard to beat....

How about 70hp at 385#?  

[mlinder]

How about 90hp at 390lbs

[paulages]

How about 90hp at 390lbs

How about 7,465,899,999,999 hp and 2.7kg?

[mlinder]

What about a .7456kw at 2 stones??

[paulages]

What about a .7456kw at 2 stones??

Yeah cool Mark, but I don't think they made anything like that until '78. 

[mlinder]

Pretty sure the hp figure you quoted above was the national debt from 2003..?

In any case, I've talked to a few people about this new class, and they are pretty excited.

Again, it means they don't need a cb160/175, cb350/450, or titan 500 to run the bikes they like in a class.

[bwaller]

I raced an RD350 in 76 and it was mostly stock for the production class. It was cheap racing compared to the 750. I'd like to hear how the guys are producing 70hp today.

In those days I worked with a guy to spin his RD engine backwards (like a TZ) and change the thrust side back to front, to enlarge the piston window. I moved away and lost track of his efforts, but I'll bet that thing made 70 hp in those days.

Stink wheels maybe..............but heavy pedigree those little RD's.

[mlinder]

I raced an RD350 in 76 and it was mostly stock for the production class. It was cheap racing compared to the 750. I'd like to hear how the guys are producing 70hp today.

Banshee parts.

In those days I worked with a guy to spin his RD engine backwards (like a TZ) and change the thrust side back to front, to enlarge the piston window. I moved away and lost track of his efforts, but I'll bet that thing made 70 hp in those days.

Stink wheels maybe..............but heavy pedigree those little RD's.

They will be a dominant force, absolutely.

[mlinder]

Also, Paul, I think that for the first few years, the class will be run by stripped down stockers for the most part. It will probably grid with OV, so you either get to run OV or Dinosaur.

Fact is, you have a racebike from the era. So what if it's down 300cc from a near-stock pig. It's 100% up in every other way from most crap that will be out there.
I think you'll be fine, at least for a while, if you decide to race it.

[paulages]

Also, Paul, I think that for the first few years, the class will be run by stripped down stockers for the most part. It will probably grid with OV, so you either get to run OV or Dinosaur.

Fact is, you have a racebike from the era. So what if it's down 300cc from a near-stock pig. It's 100% up in every other way from most crap that will be out there.
I think you'll be fine, at least for a while, if you decide to race it.

It's not a matter of deciding to race it, it's a matter of coming up with money for race school, rubber, and fees. At least I'll have health insurance this year... one hurdle down.

[mlinder]

Oh, I know, big ol money pit. I was responding to your "even less competetive" statement up at the top.

[pdxPope]

it's a matter of coming up with money for race school, rubber, and fees.

Yup.

The new class is great news, but I still can't afford to even get my novice vest, let alone race. 


-JP

[paulages]

it's a matter of coming up with money for race school, rubber, and fees.

Yup.

The new class is great news, but I still can't afford to even get my novice vest, let alone race. 


-JP

I'm just trying to concentrate on getting my race license and shedding the novice vest. Worrying about points can come later. 

[bear]

Sounds like a good category.
It'll be a toss up between the Yammy RD's, Kwaka triples and the bigger four strokes.

Cheers,
Brian

[simon#42]

I raced an RD350 in 76 and it was mostly stock for the production class. It was cheap racing compared to the 750. I'd like to hear how the guys are producing 70hp today.

In those days I worked with a guy to spin his RD engine backwards (like a TZ) and change the thrust side back to front, to enlarge the piston window. I moved away and lost track of his efforts, but I'll bet that thing made 70 hp in those days.

Stink wheels maybe..............but heavy pedigree those little RD's.

hi bwaller , both rd's and tz's spin the same way anyway [ anti-clockwise ]  you want the thrust on the exhaust side of the piston as the inlet port is much larger than the exhaust port . 70 hp is pretty straight forward , i make liners  copying tz350 g porting , weld up the heads and re machine them to tz350 a spec . fit tz primary gears and gearbox . i normally use a tz250l ignition [ these are designed to run the other way round so there is a bit of messing round there ] fit a pair of dave swarbrick tz exhausts an a pair of tz250h reverse slide carbs and bobs your uncle 72 hp

[bwaller]

Thanks Simon, I seriously thought about going vintage with an RD or an early TZ instead of working over this 550, but I'd have never been able to show my face here.    A 70 hp RD would be some cool fun.

And... Bob is my uncle!