The Problem With Vintage Racing...

Just like I told you, folks, this man is obsessed with triples...

Careful, Jimster, there's laws against separating PIE without proper authority.

PIE, not Pi.

Pi is for tards.

 

Starting has never been the issue for the number 3, finishing is the real question

 

Finishes for the triple ? For the 2006 season:

21 Races Started
20 Races Finished (15 of which were podiums)
1 DNF

Any RDs that can match those stats ? :tut:

 

I'm getting into this whole thing late, so you can kill me later as a result.

I raced a good deal of AHRMA from 1994 throught 1997. I guess that was really the best time for AHRMA, and the beginning of the end.

At the time, there was great international interest in the classes that AHRMA had. Classic GP bikes, which are the bikes from the late 50's early 60's or so. Then some interest in the early pre-superbike machines of the late 60's early 70's. The two-strokes were not of any interest to some of the powers that be at all. They fought for years to keep the "sounds" of AHRMA limited to one, two, and three cylinder bikes...unless it was maybe a four cylinder MV.

I think a G50 Matchless would cost you $50k. Now there are all kinds of repo parts, so one will cost you more, but it's a replica rather than a classic. I think in Europe, they have the racing classes separated as a result because the replicas have better metals, etc...they make more power.

We raced a CB400F in the two stroke class, and we were hammered with rules. We used AMAL carbs. We had a unique sound as we had a four into one exhaust. That was allowed until 1997 when the powers that be decided that no four cylnder Honda's in 1970 or 1971 had anything other than four into fours. There were Honda CB750's that raced at Daytona in '70 and '71 with four into two exhausts and four into one exhausts. Didn't matter, we had to develop and make a four into four exhaust for the CB400F to race it. Pre 1997, grids for F500 were huge. They went down after, and CB Honda four owners just left.

AHRMA used to race regularly at the "big" tracks. Road America, Road Atlanta, Sears Point. It seemed as though that was a great attraction for riders. In 1996 I was told that the AHRMA out pulled the AMA spectators for Mid-Ohio and Daytona. Might have been too. The spectator turn outs were huge almost everywhere except for maybe Putnam in the Spring of 1996.

In 1997, I understand that the AMA crawled up AHRMA's butt and took over vintage motorcycle days, the event at Mid-Ohio. The AMA saying they could help and all, but the reality is that it was a huge money maker for the AMA, and now AHRMA would not have that money to finance its road race program and the other disiplines that the road race program paid for for years.

During those years, AHRMA and AHRMA teams asked legendary racers to come and ride or just appear. They were all pretty humble guys, so they wouldn't show up on their own. If they were invited, they loved showing up.

In 2002 I raced Daytona for a guy that I had done a couple races for. My team mate was Gary Fisher. He got to ride the Yoshimura CB750 that he led the Daytona 200 on in 1971. Was kind of neat because it sort of linked the formula classes to Superbike through Pops. That was Pops' first bike in the US. Gary went on to be a 250 and 350 Yamaha factory rider and then raced BMW's in AMA Superbike and in World Endurance stuff.

Having been around some of the previous stuff, it was interesting how lack luster AHRMA treated Gary compared to how it was years before. Gary, Nixon, and I did an exhibition lap at Daytona together. The foreign photographers were all over Gary and the Yosh bike. Pictures in Japanese magazines, but nothing here.


I think AHRMA's demise is related to getting in bed with the AMA, not allowing a reasonable individual to make command decisions about reasonable rules, and in their failure to recognize the extraordinary value of personalities.

Rules will kill competitiors ability to stay in the game by changing what they have to do to even be part of the game.

The AMA eats profit.

People are more important than motorcycles. An MV is nice, but put Ago on it, and it becomes special.

 

hes refering to a numberplate jim.........

 

Hey, his triple runs. Been working on mine since 2000, and I'm still not done.

 

S'up SD?

H-man

 

Not much, H. You? Big plans for '07?

 

You bet. Plans that involve WERA, Fasttrax, HSTA. Somewhere in there might even be a family vacation - unless I can convince my 13 yr old daughter that a sport touring trip in and around Asheville, NC is something she'd like [sigh].

My plans are bigger than my wallet. Though I suppose that can be said by 99% of us

I picked up an '01 SV650 and am tinkering with it this winter. I still plan to compete w/ my '94 F2 though. I really have grown attached to the F2.

I'm building a website that'll be part of a master plan that I'll share with you some time. No. Not the one where I install myself as benevolent, military dictator of North America

 

SV1000 , ol' R6, and work on the triple for me. Twelve formal schools, a trip to Washington DC (someone else is paying...:up: ), and all kinds of stuff.

Triple is closer. I have a crank now, and I'm going to sell a couple parts to pay for a good trans.

F2's are great. I keep seeing them, and I'm always so tempted.

Two AMA events, Road America, Mid-Ohio...KC Ride for Kids http://www.firstgiving.com/superdavekc
Gonna try to see what we can do with Suzuki money and the SV...Suzuki Cup Final. I've been invited several times, but never had the time to make it.

 

Was just at you Jim... no way I can match that in the past year, you are doing great in developing the 500 :up: I would have to take a look at a year that I really competed and would say I had similar results...

 

Well, actually, yes.

Had a piston ring locating pin eject at Road America in '98, finished race but motor was sick.

'99, Grattan, I forgot to refill my gearbox with oil and pulled out halfway through the race.

Siezed it twice in 10 years, both times my fault.

Gets pistons about every three or four weekends, and a crank about every three years. Hasn't DNF'd for about 6 years. I've CRASHED it more often than that....

 

SD, is the triple that you're working on the dreaded Kawi H2 that I hear about?

I've got the GNF on my '07 calendar. Hope you do go to the Suzuki Cup finals. It'll be good to know someone there.

 

Are you the Indian Chief near Lake Tonka?

 

Yeah, maybe I've got that going for me.

Honestly - under what demented logic is a bike with a THREE cylinder press together crankshaft, and three of everything else more reliable IN ANY WAY than a comperable machine with two of everything?

Oh wait - because they're heavier and don't make as much horsepower.

Do you guys all drive 3cyl geo metros too?

 

I'll have to defer to Jim about the reliability issue...
for me, I'm just happy to have located "The Chief of Lake Tonka."
Do you need Geo Metro parts out there on the reservation, Chief?

 

And they are diesel Metros...

 

OH yeah!?! Yeah? Look at the simplicity of TWO!

 

Fine, looks like a draw...

Let's talk motor homes....