I may have to bow out of GP for a while

[Jack]

It's getting expensive and I have a kid starting college this fall. I'm pretty involved right now in the mini class, too, and have support and am doing pretty well with it, so I'm thinking of giving up on the TZ. It's just not up to the later RSs for power and I'm getting tired of riding my butt off for fifth. It's very reliable, great handling, and I love riding it. I'm really hating having to give it up, but I just can't afford a newer RS right now. I'd really love to just go buy a spanking new RS, but that's not possible.

I have two options. I could sell the TZ motor to a shifter kart guy or something and buy a new 80cc MX motor to build a GP chassis supermini. I would then have two minis to attack the mini sprints with next year and do some endurance. I really love riding my KX, it's a blast, and I love the little TZ's handling. This would be a good option as I know my tuner would love to take on the project this winter, has hit me up to do it. Anyone know a kart guy needing a motor? Then, too, I could just sell the bike outright. It'd make a really good beginner bike for a GP wannabe type. It's reliable and easy to tune and its handling is flawless. I could then put THAT money back and save over the next year for an RS in the future. LORDY, whadda I do?! Well, I'm doing two more races on the TZ, so I have time to decide, I suppose.

If I do sell it, I've settled on $2500 as the asking price. It's a '95 Yamaha TZ125. I have some top end spares.

Jack

[tz_eric]

Hmm, not much response yet, so I'll try...

1. Kids should pay their own way for college. If you don't have to sacrifice for school, why bother with paying attention, or getting a worthwhile degree?

2. If you're not racing to win, why bother with the expense and danger? You've are a good enough rider to be fighting for wins, the bike is holding you back. You're not getting paid to race, so it doesn't make sense to over-achieve like Miguel did on the Harley.

Sell the TZ, and use your money for an RS.

Any other questions? http://www.wera.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[Jack]

Wow, another for selling. I feel like a pendulum. I've swung back and forth on selling the bike. Guy named Chris (can't remember the last name) runs TZs successfully in GLRRA or GPRA or something, says his is the equal of the RSs. Says I need a '97 250 top end and a '97 spec pipe. Says that's what Kevin Murray recommends and he's the guru of TZs. Well, I don't know. I'm a little wary of brand loyalists. No room for that in racing. You gotta run what's fast, period. I don't really wanna throw a lot of money at a dead horse. Knowing how fast the late model RSs are, I've got a lot of ground to cover to catch up. I tend to agree with you. At LEAST, I have a month to mull it over. I'm going to run the bike at NPR in September before giving it up. If I sell it before the GNF, I won't have anything to take to the GNF since they won't have minis there. Could save the money I'd spend there for a RS anyway, I guess. There'll be other GNFs.

Thanks for the advice.

Jack

[This message has been edited by Jack (edited 08-14-2001).]

[Weezer # 1]

Jack......NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! What do I need to do??? Sponsor you??? I bought my RS at a smoking deal but I had to find it. Sell the TZ and take the money and put towards a RS.....heck....you might even find one pretty close to the same price. Especially in the off season. Patience Jack.....patience!!

Eric

[bryan norton]

I think they outlawed GP motors in the karts...I remember Kerry Rae picked up a buncha old RS's and was stuck with the motors.

Jack, you need to come ride in that other club. Your getting no competition. I mean, Ryan Andrews beats me on his 60! Racing in a class of 1 or 2 just isn't a good enough challenge. At the 8 hour I think we had more than 7 heavyweight minis running.

Jay Deaton is friggin unbelievable. He has an ex World GP tuner working his motor, and he is a monster on the Moriwaki. WE have two moriwakis racing with us and both are good. Scott Lawson bought the old Tecc machine, which was undefeated for several years, but he has crashed it a few times, and crashed his big bike so I dunno whats going on there.

The Father son team of Mark and Ryan Andrews is unstoppable this year. Andrews was doing 1:23's at the TWS short track. Ryan almost beat Danny Eslick and did beat Logan Young this weekend, he's a good kid too like Logan.

Richard Hill's team is up and down. Literally. When they aren't sliding along the pavement, they scream. Troy Masure is pretty durned fast but they aren't very consistant.

David Price has finally gotten his RS/YZ to stay together and is getting up to speed.

George Little is selling his RS/YZ but it should stay within Texas

The MotoBama guys are pretty good, and have a beautiful RS/CR. They are using the Tommy Crawford setup, as is Richard Hill and myself

Dustin Dominguez has a KX80 powered Derby and is getting faster. There are also a couple 75cc powered Aprillia RS50's but they just aren't fast enough to compete with the true 80's

I love riding Nick's RS/RM80 but he has a gremlin we can't figure out. The motor will die out right when you shift into a high gear, you really have to work the trhottle to get it back on the power.

There are rumors from a few people who want to build one for next year, but talking is one thing, and actually showing up to the track with one is entirely another.

Tyler McDonald (Sam's son) is building a RS/KX60 and will run endurance next year

Lindsey Leard has a frame, and I have let him borrow my motor mounts to copy them. He just needs to sell his TZ motor(s) and buy an 80

As for me and NPR, I've got an offer to ride a SV650 and don't know if I'll bring mine. Replaced the piston before RPM's TWS race, good idea, the old one was cracked in the crown, from front to back.

The pipe held together for once, but I'm having motor mount problems again. The threads have stripped out from the aluminum brackets (from all the vibration) and I think I can tap it out one size larger.

The bike vibrates horribly. I am afraid to look at the crank, I think it must be spread wide open. I am thinking about skipping the rest of the season and getting the crank rebuild pronto.

There is a problem with the exhaust gasket. I have bought several, and they dissapear. The vibration breaks them into tiny pieces. (CR80 has a weird metal gasket that wraps around the spigot) It's giving me huge exhaust leakage at the front of the motor. Short of building a new spigot with different type of gasket, I am perplexed as to how to fix it. Tried a bunch of hi temp silicone spooge. Worked like a fresh gasket-great for about 2 laps.

I am not giving up on the project. Over the winter the motor will be rebuilt and balanced to rid the vibration. Jemco will build me a pipe and hopefully cure the exhaust leakage, and all new bodywork too. Also gonna drop the frame off with someone to dial in some basic suspension settings for my 200(+) body.

geeze thats long.
In a nutshell-TZ with 80 rules. Don't think you can dump the motor for a good price, Lindsey is trying to sell all of his motor stuff cheap also.

Personally, I would recommend putting an 80 in the TZ and keeping the KX also, that way you can endurance and sprint. It is too much hassle trying to do both on one bike.

Gp-80's rule


[This message has been edited by bryan norton (edited 09-03-2001).]

[Jack]

Unfortunately, I can't make any of the rest of the CMRA stuff. I have to work every one for the rest of the year. But I'm going to do two TMGP races at Katy. That'll give me some riding and be a challenge. That track's pretty tight. NPR will be it for me in the big clubs.

Yes, in CMRA, running with guys like Jay and Ryan is a goal, a tough goal to accomplish, but it's a goal. May not ever actually do it, but it's something to shoot for. Wouldn't be fun if there weren't a challenge, a goal. I simply can't do it now. Have improvements to make on the bike, but I have the goal and that's good. If there weren't ANY competition in the minis, hell, it wouldn't be any fun. There are a LOT of 80s, but not many of them sprint. I'd rather sprint, it's cheaper. But, I'll do a few endurances probably now that I have help with the KX. I'm going to sell the TZ outright. I like the mini stuff, but the competition in 125 is fierce. There just aren't too many guys that aren't darned fast and you have to ride 110% for any hope at a decent showing. This is good, because I've found myself improving each time I get on the TZ all year. I'm still off what I was when I quit in 86, but all the riding and competition has made me improve. I hate to give up the 125 class, it's just too much fun. I'm feeling like the TZ is beginning to hold me up rather than the other way around. RSs, though, ain't cheap! So I may sit out of the 125s a bit and work with my tuner to get better with the KX. I want to keep the motard because it's much easier to ride at places like Katy than a GP frame. Katy is TINY and you need a bike you can throw around up there. I think it's going to be a real challenge to beat guys like Bradley Champion and Dennie Spears on their XR100/YSRs at that place. Those guys are lots better riders than me, the little torquey 100s are blazing fast there, and the 80s power band will be a handful there. I think Katy is going to be fun. And TMGP is CHEAP to run.

See, I've got a deal now with the KX. I have a first rate tuner working with me and the bike to improve it. It will soon have a wider front wheel, something I desparately need to get more corner speed if I wish to have ANY chance against guys like Jay. He makes no mistakes, he's blazing fast in the corners, and his bike makes unreal power. So, to catch up, I need more corner speed and more motor and I'm going to have to ride like I know I can. My tuner is going to cut a KX125 hub in half and cut a section out to shorten it, tig weld it back together and machine it to fit the KX. This will give me a 36 spoke hub for which I can get a 2.50 rim. I can't get anything for the stock 28 spoke hub other than the 1.40 (way too narrow) rim that's stock. Duncan is working with the motor. He just rebuilt it, did a bit of porting, and added a trick modified reed block to increase intake flow velocity and added a bigger carb. That gave me quite a bit more, though not yet enough, on top. Soon as I get a tach on the bike, he's going to model the ports to determine optimum port timing and will alter as necessary. And this is just the start! I'll be making more power and have more corner speed in the near future. If I STILL can't catch Jay and Ryan, I'll be getting a LOT closer I think. I dropped my lap times this last race with just the addition of the carb and read block by four seconds, down from a best of 1:33 to 1:29. That's improvement and I still don't have the wide wheel. THAT single improvement, I think, will give me probably four more seconds, better than more horsepower because it'll increase corner speed and confidence and drive off the corners. I do have a good ways to go if I want to run at the front of CMRA's mini class, but at least I've got a plan!

The competition in 125 GP is MUCH fiercer. NO WAY am I going to win in that class! No way in HELL! Guys like Logan, Chuck in CMRA, and Jeffrey are just too fast and I can't afford a new RS either. Best I can ever hope for is to get good enough to podium occasionally, maybe run with guys like Emmitt or Eric, but that would make me VERY happy in that class! I can't do that now with the TZ.

So, the minis do offer a bit of a challenge, but it's the GPs that really are fun for me and I will get back on a GP soon as I can afford it. I am determined to do that. I'm not getting any younger, so I better have my fun while I can.

BTW, I'm hoping I can put together a team for the Henderson 6 hour next year that can contend. I have one rider that's expressed interest that is really fast on big bikes. Says he can't fit a YSR, but would like to run it on the KX. That will be fun.

Jack

[Wine Slut]

Where? When? Do you need a 3rd? (how much?)

[Jack]

Originally posted by rzracer39:
Where? When? Do you need a 3rd? (how much?)

Next year, Henderson, Texas Oak Hill Raceway, usually in June, and yes I'll be needing a third, not even that sure about the second just yet. Haven't got ANY organization yet for it. It's kind of a big deal, the six hour, joint TMGP/CMRA thing every year. The mini guys take it real serious like and there's even some fast big bike guys that crawl on the little farts for it. I wanna do it now that I've got a year of development in the bike and it's getting fast.

Jack

[Wine Slut]

Thats a long way off and alot can change befor then. When the time comes, look me up! I've a lot of experience racing 2 strokes and endurance on "big bikes". Long time ago I used to race a kx in the dirt also.. I could be very interested. what is the bike like?
Mark Morrow wera ex#39

[Jack]

The bike is evolving and getting faster. It needs a wider front rim and we (my tuner and I) are working on that next. The motor was stock up til last race. Stage one was to up compression from 150lbs to 175 and a modified reed block with bigger carb. Getting a tach for it, then stage two is mapping and suitably modifying port timing for more power yet. It has Lindermann suspension set up for 190 lb rider (stiff). Running 17" wheels front and rear. The front brake rotor will soon be the the larger diameter of the KX125 to fit the modified hub that it will sport with the wider rim. Braided brake line, of course and SBS pads. K&N Superbike bar (recent addition to get rid of that damned crossbar), FMF Rev pipe, Bridgestone 125 rubber. It's pretty neat, great fun to ride. It backs into corners like a motard, probably 'cause it is essentially a motard. Some say its rider is a retard, but that's another story.

http://www.wegorace.com/Novak/Jack.jpg

Jack



[This message has been edited by Jack (edited 09-05-2001).]

[Wine Slut]

2-kewl!!!! Looks like a blast to ride. Don't see many bikes like that around here.(wera se) Are classes split by bike type as well as displacement?(rr vs motard) I'm working on a resume right now. I'll send you one when it's done.

[Jack]

Originally posted by rzracer39:
2-kewl!!!! Looks like a blast to ride. Don't see many bikes like that around here.(wera se) Are classes split by bike type as well as displacement?(rr vs motard) I'm working on a resume right now. I'll send you one when it's done.

Mini classed bikes are split in RPM and CMRA into lightweight (stock YSRs), middleweight (60cc any chassis and NSR50 Hondas (water cooled 50s), and Heavy weight 80cc anything goes. There is talk in CMRA of adding a middleweight class of some sort, I think for YSR based machines to get them away from the NSRs and GP framed 60s and such. I built the motard because, 1) I wanted to build a bike that I could ride on the little kart tracks with TMGP and 2) I didn't have a GP frame to work with and I did have this KX that my daughter had lost interest in riding. The GP framed stuff is great at the big tracks, but a pain and unnecessary on a tiny track like Katy. I think the motard will be quicker there, much easier to ride and throw around at such a place. Handling ain't a problem. It's not even at it's potential yet and it's competitive with most of the other stuff, with the exception of Jay Deaton's highly developed Moriwaki and the kid, Ryan Andrews, who is turning into another Nicky Hayden (that's another story, that kid is getting GOOD!). It needs that wider front wheel and then it will handle with any GP stuff. It does lack a little in aerodynamics, price I pay for the flexability of being able to ride it just down the road in Katy when TMGP does their thing there. But at just shy of 100 mph, you don't really need the fairing so bad as you do on a GP. Take the fairing off a 125 ir 250 and it becomes a boat anchor. It ain't so dramatic on the mini, and at Henderson, it's no big deal. It's just at the one big track in Texas, TWS, that lacking a fairing sort of hurts. The bike is a LOT more comfortable to ride than a GP chassis. You have a real seat, can sit UP when braking, so braking forces aren't so painful, and you can throw that thing around like nothing you've ever been on. It's neat. Funny incident, first time I ran it at Henderson this year, I was dicing it up with Bryan Norton on a GP framed bike, he'd get me through the creek jump and I'd brake him into turn two. It was his first time on the GP chassis and he wasn't used to the brakes that thing has, a TZ125 chassis. A lapper YSR got in my way and Brian took advantage and I got a bit behind with a lap to go, so I tried a real late braking, backing it in manuever on him in turn two, didn't get it done, dodged to the outside to avoid him, went off in the dirt, got it slowed into a little dirt berm off track and berm shot it on the gas doing a big slide in the dirt and a wheelie off the berm. Can't do THAT on a GP chassis, LOL. I built this bike for fun and it hasn't let me down so far. It's nearly as much fun to ride as the GPs. I haven't spent all THAT much money on it compared to what it takes to build up a GP chassis bike either, just ask Brian what he's got in his. Now, I've got help with it, so costs are less now and the bike is getting quite a bit faster. Stuff I'd have had to pay for are getting done for me now. I'm no performance tuner. I can assemble, but I'm not into all that port mapping and carving, flow dynamics stuff. Duncan, the guy that's doing the work, is very experienced, teachs motorcycle and marine mechanics at Cedar Valley College south of Dallas and has the tools to go with the knowledge. He's built some radical stuff over the years. Just ask him about his national championship jet skis sometime. He's doing a GS1150 drag bike now for a guy that runs sixes at the local tracks, big, fat dude rides it, too.

Jack

[This message has been edited by Jack (edited 09-06-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Jack (edited 09-06-2001).]

[sprockett]

Jack!

Don't forget that I'm still interested in your TZ125 if the other guy does not take it. I'm having a difficult time locating TZs. By the way, what part of Texas are you in? Given me some landmarks in case I make the trip. Thanks agin, sprockett.

[Jack]

Originally posted by sprockett:
Jack!

Don't forget that I'm still interested in your TZ125 if the other guy does not take it. I'm having a difficult time locating TZs. By the way, what part of Texas are you in? Given me some landmarks in case I make the trip. Thanks agin, sprockett.

I'm between Houston and Corpus Christi on the coast, Port Lavaca. If you look at a map of Texas, look at the coastline. There are bay systems that just into the coast. Uppermost is Galveston Bay. Further down about mid way is Matagorda/Lavaca Bay. Up at the tip of Lavaca bay, along the south western shore, is my house in Port Lavaca, which is about 30 miles from Victoria. Still have the bike, first with the money takes. I still have the e-mail in my inbox.

Thanks.

Jack