Author Topic: Honda 500/4 Racer - Blog up and running (Read 12526 times)

HondaFreak · « **on:** May 01, 2011, 10:48:14 AM »

After some usefull information people in this forum last year my mate John Davies decided to embark on developing a 500/4 to compete at this year's 2011 Manx GP. We have made and sold 7 chassis so far, but our own bike is just coming together now, so I decided to bolog its progress. If you are interested in seeing what we are up to and how we get on from now until August just go to
http://Davies500Four.typepad.com

The blog will be mildly irreverant in tone, so please don't be offended. The only thing we do better than racing is drinking and there may be the odd reference as we got closer to a running bike.
In short we are entering the bike in the Senior Classic at the 2011 Manx GP with Chris 'Big Ears' McGahan as the pilot. The aim is a 125kg bike with 70+bhp. There is a lightweight Reynolds 631 frame based around the road frame as a starting point and I will fill in details as the rest comes up, particularly the engine. The engine is approaching the build stage - we have lightened and superfinished standard crank, brand new, purpose made conrods, brand new pistons, reprofiled and superfinished followers, Joy cam, 6 speed Nova gearbox, lightened clutch basket and primary, kevlar clutch plates, alloy liners with nikasil coating (mainly to get some weight out) etc etc.
In addition to the singles, twin and triples at the Manx there will be a 'Four' (or two) - with 4 open meggas, so C'mon Bring the Noize.

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #1 on:** May 01, 2011, 11:25:24 AM »

I had the pleasure of handling the frame at last years Stafford show, it sure is super light.

Good luck with the project.

Sam.

Howell · « **Reply #2 on:** May 01, 2011, 12:50:10 PM »

The blog is now at my Favorites.
The development of the engine is very interesting , 125 kg is a big challenge.
70 Bhp is possible we have 65 Rwp.
65 Rwp with transmission losses about a 10 % = 72 Bhp

turboguzzi · « **Reply #3 on:** May 01, 2011, 01:10:25 PM »

blog looks like its going to be fun

did you end up re-angling the valves?

what size intakes did you manage to cram in?

I'm all ears

TG

Retro Rocket · « **Reply #4 on:** May 01, 2011, 04:32:00 PM »

Love the frame guys, its a work of art.......No 750 frames in the works eh.....

SixGun · « **Reply #5 on:** May 02, 2011, 07:05:41 AM »

Wow! Im in for a frame like that if there are more of them available. PM sent HondaFreak

HondaFreak · « **Reply #6 on:** May 03, 2011, 02:39:41 PM »

Thanks for all the feedbacka nd views on my blog. The cylinder head now has valves, seat and guides fitted. We are just awating the cam & followers back from the superfinishers this week and then that can be completed. Once it is built up I will put a separate review of the head and its spec on the blog with pics. Like everyone else the limiting factor has been the intake valve, which has only increased a small amount in diameter. To try & compensate we have had valves with 5mm stems made by G&S. I will pit some more chassis ietms on the blog this week, with pictures and as soon as the full rolling chassis is up and running I will post pics of that too - with a weight for all you fact freaks

lordmoonpie · « **Reply #7 on:** May 04, 2011, 01:33:00 AM »

Quote from: HondaFreak on May 01, 2011, 10:48:14 AM

After some usefull information people in this forum last year my mate John Davies decided to embark on developing a 500/4 to compete at this year's 2011 Manx GP. The only thing we do better than racing is drinking

Great to see you and John making such a good business out of the classic replica scene, it brings development parts to us club racer/builder types and I can vouch for the beauty and practicality of your 350 k4 and bomber parts.

You're not kiddin' on the drinking front are you! I remember John coming to the Manx to ride Clive Padgett's 500cc GP 2-stroke. He'd decided to use his old Padgett's yellow race leathers and had put on so much weight he had to have a big new bright yellow rectangle of leather sewn into the front of them over his beer belly - he looked hilarious! Still, he's lost a lot of weight since then, clearly building these bikes keeps him active and away from the pub

Can't wait to see you at the Manx - I'll drop by the pits and see if I can find you guys!

HondaFreak · « **Reply #8 on:** May 04, 2011, 04:33:58 AM »

When we say we have a good racing pedigree, it refers to Marston's beer!

Please drop by and see us at the Manx; I think the plan is to try & get one of those tent type garages up by the pits to put the bike in and we will probably bring a rolling chassis for display purposes. It may include an integrated pint holder on the front fairing bracket.....

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #9 on:** May 04, 2011, 04:51:09 AM »

Racing and beer, what a great combination.

Simon, are you going to make it down the road to Northwich on Sunday ?

Sam.

lordmoonpie · « **Reply #10 on:** May 05, 2011, 05:05:47 AM »

Quote from: HondaFreak on May 04, 2011, 04:33:58 AM

When we say we have a good racing pedigree, it refers to Marston's beer! Please drop by and see us at the Manx; I think the plan is to try & get one of those tent type garages up by the pits to put the bike in and we will probably bring a rolling chassis for display purposes. It may include an integrated pint holder on the front fairing bracket.....

Will do HF - what's your real name by the way so I don't go aroudn asking for "HondaFreak" if John isn't there..... LOL

Sam - dunno, depends on 'er indoors but I'd like. You riding this year?

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #11 on:** May 05, 2011, 06:24:18 AM »

HF is Peter and no I'm not riding

I'm meeting up with Nick (62TT) for a chat.
Why not bring the family, it's a good day out for everyone and plenty for the kids.
Plus it's on your doorstep.

Sam.

malcolmgb · « **Reply #12 on:** May 05, 2011, 09:28:46 AM »

I'm not going to be able to go again this year, something always gets in the way.
It is the VMCC Annual Burton Parade, taking the CL175 for a 90 mile run

with lots (99) of other vintage bikes.

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #13 on:** May 05, 2011, 11:36:17 AM »

Cool Malc, let's hope the weather is kind to us all.

Sam.

HondaFreak · « **Reply #14 on:** May 06, 2011, 12:11:15 AM »

Checked up on valves last night - 28mm inlet with 5mm stem, 23.5 exhaust with 5mm stem, both from G&S - bought in sensible numbers to make it worthwhile making none standard parts. Cam & followers back from the superfinishers, along with the crank, and off to enginebuilder today - so head should not be far away. Gearbox collected from Nova and at superfinishers; should be returned next week. Got to get some inlet manifolds machined up - dual angle so that the gas follows the port path into the head - I digitised the inlet tracts and have 'extrapolated' their path in CAD to create the path for the inlet manifolds. No more kinks in the manifolds or eyelidding of the route into the head. Just oddly angles pairs of carbs! Will put some CAD images on blog to show what I mean. First set of sample headers need fabricating so the lower fairing can be designed - trying to kep it slim &trim as we can, given the wide crank cases, and keep the exhaust route within the frame rails so that the fairing will accommodate higher lean angles - If any of you have seen Richard Parker ride John's bikes at CRMC you will understand why that is necessary.....

lordmoonpie · « **Reply #15 on:** May 07, 2011, 12:39:07 AM »

Quote from: HondaFreak on May 06, 2011, 12:11:15 AM

If any of you have seen Richard Parker ride John's bikes at CRMC you will understand why that is necessary.....

Oh Yes - you see we're closer linked than you knew Peter - I was Richard's fuel man in the pits when he did his first Manx GP and cracked the ton. What a small world it is

malcolmgb · « **Reply #16 on:** May 07, 2011, 03:53:10 AM »

And my mate knows his Dad.

I remember his move on Ian Simpson at the ICGP meeting at Cadwell last year, just after the Mountain powered past Simpson and held him off through Hall Bends, but that was on his Yamaha not John's Honda.

DannyBhoy · « **Reply #17 on:** May 07, 2011, 05:40:45 AM »

Good morning lads, Dan from Canada chiming in, the frame looks great and i hope to make it to the manx this season. It was good to hear Ian 'simmo' Simpsons name, great racer. Lordmoonpie, I was in Ians pit crew for the 94 or 95 TT. Bill had the bright idea of changing the fuel tank, full of fuel, then refilling the empty tank. it netted Ian a 2nd in the Junior. Shortly there after the race there was a meeting of the 'mind's ' and that stunt was banned. Lots of drinking that night. We practiced that tank swap for hours in a closed tent. Bill aways had great ideas.

lordmoonpie · « **Reply #18 on:** May 07, 2011, 10:08:31 AM »

Quote from: DannyBhoy on May 07, 2011, 05:40:45 AM

Good morning lads, Dan from Canada chiming in, the frame looks great and i hope to make it to the manx this season. It was good to hear Ian 'simmo' Simpsons name, great racer. Lordmoonpie, I was in Ians pit crew for the 94 or 95 TT. Bill had the bright idea of changing the fuel tank, full of fuel, then refilling the empty tank. it netted Ian a 2nd in the Junior. Shortly there after the race there was a meeting of the 'mind's ' and that stunt was banned. Lots of drinking that night. We practiced that tank swap for hours in a closed tent. Bill aways had great ideas.

Nice one Dan - Ian GORGEUS Simpson as my girlfriend of the time called him (she got binned :-)) was a brilliant TT rider. I was also in the pits in 1994 for my Mate Matt Wood in the Singles TT - he got a 5th on what was nothing more than an XBR500 honda!

I know Richard's Dad too Malcolm - he was in the pits next to me

HondaFreak · « **Reply #19 on:** May 08, 2011, 10:42:03 AM »

Geoff Parker is a legend! Richard is a fantastic racer, and getting better as he 'calm's down' (relative term!)

Wheels on the blog now - back from Central Wheels end of last week. Need some tyres now...which ones to use?! Let's see what Mr McGahan likes to use...

Pete

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #20 on:** May 08, 2011, 03:42:44 PM »

The rubber ones seem to work quite well

but each to his own.

sorry Pete, had a few beers, good luck.

Sam.

HondaFreak · « **Reply #21 on:** May 17, 2011, 01:00:19 PM »

Details and pics of pistons and rods added. Head well on the way too...so I am reliabley informed! I will post pic of head as soon as it is available

turboguzzi · « **Reply #22 on:** May 17, 2011, 02:28:50 PM »

Quote from: HondaFreak on May 17, 2011, 01:00:19 PM

Details and pics of pistons and rods added. Head well on the way too...so I am reliabley informed! I will post pic of head as soon as it is available

well, someone is doing the job properly at last!

looks yummie man. just not that cheap.....

TG

HondaFreak · « **Reply #23 on:** May 18, 2011, 04:21:00 AM »

Nothing is cheap, if you do it properly! Had to order in batches of 10, so a lot of money has had to go out the door in the last couple of months

Batch building does mean that the prices when they go on sale will be expensive rather than prohibitive.
Pistons being used to sort out the bore diameters of the aluminium liners that we will use, then they need to go off for Nikasil coating - lots of work on the go. I neeed to get the exhaust concept finished this week, so we can make a sample set and get the fairing lower designed to fit around them.

Howell · « **Reply #24 on:** May 18, 2011, 11:23:07 AM »

Indeed very nice stuff but expensive I think.
But our tuner (Classsic Bike Tuner) does it also properly and rather cheap.
For example : Piston € 29,= each

News:

Author Topic: Honda 500/4 Racer - Blog up and running (Read 12526 times)