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winter vintage project bike?

Discussion in 'WERA Vintage' started by 70yamahaR5, Sep 8, 2013.

  1. 70yamahaR5

    70yamahaR5 Well-Known Member

    I hope to make both the Vintage Festival and GNF.

    Pondering a vintage project bike if anyone has one for sale or a recommendation.

    I'm open to suggestions, but am thinking 4S and front drum brake.

    Thoughts?
     
  2. rd400racer

    rd400racer Well-Known Member

    Rick, I know you have an RD in your garage.


    That thing is begging to be a race bike!
     
  3. 83BSA

    83BSA Well-Known Member

    BSA B50. I can help . . . .
     
  4. 70yamahaR5

    70yamahaR5 Well-Known Member

    Yes, Kelly, the RD350 is hibernating. Cool bike, but I'm really thinking 4S.

    BSA B50, really?
     
  5. bogganman

    bogganman Well-Known Member

    NOOOOO!

    put a nikasil plated, tz ported ds7 top end on that rd with a drum front. Dominate in gp, bump up to v1 and V2.You'll have a significant weight advantage on the 4 strokers....Jet it right and it will be very reliable..Don't join the Evil Empire! (Honda 350s) :tut: Didn't you race an rz350?
     
  6. CharlieY

    CharlieY Well-Known Member

    BBBRrAAaaAaahhHHHhhWWwww!!!!:D (whilst I'm fevershily wringing my hands).

    Honda 350's are EVERYWHERE!!!...BBrrraaahhhhwww:beer:
     
  7. Yamaha179

    Yamaha179 Well-Known Member

    I second Keith. Stay with a 2T. I've been waiting for someone to build a killer DS7. You can do it easily enough. The RD is a bit easier to ride though.
    Lyn Garland
     
  8. charles

    charles The Transporter

    You're killin' me here, Rick! That RD350 you got 'hibernating' in your garage is a very good racing machine, first built by Lyn Garland then modified by Woody Ruzsala after I sold it to him...you've got a decent solid platform there, a real performer that only needs fine tuning and some regular maintenance...yet it 'hibernates' while you look for a diesel!!!! I'm fractured, almost speechless, and distressed to the point of sending medical staff over to evaluate you for non-voluntary commitment, to be released only upon your recogniition of what a good thing you've been missing! Intensive electric shock therapy and intervention by Dr. Phil might be required to rid you of the 'diesel neurosis' so that you fire up that RD and get it out on the track where it rightfully belongs.
     
  9. charles

    charles The Transporter

    Mind sharing your technical thoughts with me on this DS7 project?
     
  10. 83BSA

    83BSA Well-Known Member

    BSA B50, really.

    You want a 4 stroke vintage bike. The DS7, RZ's and TZ's are (1) 2 strokes and
    (2) essentially modern bikes. Honda 350's are modern bikes and are common, they have no soul.

    The B50 is a true vintage bike with the grin-creating essence that only a big bore single can produce. In full (reliable) race trim, it will make 43 hp and weighs 273 lbs wet. A great handling bike - if it wobbles, something is broken. Example: at Talladega several weeks ago, I had no feel for the front end and I thought the motor was vibrating a bit more than usual. The vibration was hard to say, because an 84 mm piston at 7,000 rpm is hardly "smooth." I was thinking about pressing harder to catch Mr. Bowie, but my lack of confidence in the tires and the fact that the rider I'd been running consistently with washed his front end immediately in front of me, mitigated in favor of running (safely) in second to Doug. Post race inspection revealed a broken head steady - hence, excess vibration and lack of front end feel.

    Yes, there is maintenance - probably more than a Honda (I don't know Hondas so I cannot speak to their maintenance, etc). With attention to detain and dealing with the stock clutch (or building a cush drive rear hub and going with a non-cush aftermarket clutch), you can have a true vintage bike that will run reliably all season and will be a lot of fun to ride.

    B50's handle well and can be fast (See the years (decades) Ted Hubbard and David Cornelison and David Matthews and Don Jagger dominated the Heavyweight Classic, 500GP and Sportsman 500 classes).

    But, I'm prejudiced. I have a shop full of B50's and parts and I don't mind the constant fettling a true vintage bike requires. I want to see more B50's racing - they're fun and they have soul. Like any true vintage race bike, they have limited life spans and must be cared for - you can't go out and run every lap of every practice and run every possible race and expect to only change oil and gearing and occassionaly check valve clearances - that is modern bike behavior. You could do a Triumph 500 - Tim Joyce ran one for years. But, I think they are more unnecessarily complicated than the big singles. You could opt for a Manx or a G50 or a 7R, but you can build 8 - 10 B50's for what you'll put into a replica 7R, G50 or Manx 500.

    Let the flaming from the 2 stroke & Honda crowds begin . . . .

    Cheers,

    Dave
     
  11. CharlieY

    CharlieY Well-Known Member

    .......more hand-wringing accompanied by manical laugh.:D

    David snuck in ahead of me......About the only thing I dont agree with is the "No Soul" comment.

    Hey David,what kinda bike was the guy riding that washed out in front of you?:rolleyes:
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2013
  12. 83BSA

    83BSA Well-Known Member

    A well ridden Honda 350 that is now in need of some SERIOUS attention. I've never seen a bike so totally thrashed from what appeared to be a normal lowside. I should note we were both on Continental tires. I have yet to develop the "feel" for those tires that I had with either the Dunlops or Avons. But, in fairness, my time on the Contis is limited, and it has been hindered by (1) very cold conditions at Talladega in February and (2) broken head steady at Talladega in August. I had no issues with them at Barber in May, and I'll see again at Barber in October.

    "Soul" is a very personal thing. I'm confident the Honda crowd can find something to love about their machines. But, I liken the differences to taste in jazz: I prefer Coltrane and Miles and Bill Evans; others like Kenny G, and a "softer" sound, a/k/a elevator music. I'm glad it is there for them - it jus' ain't fer me.

    Cheers,

    Dave
     
  13. CharlieY

    CharlieY Well-Known Member

    Tony's bike actually came out OK....front end is trash, and tank, mufflers...something grabbed in the dirt and flipped it....its fixed already, I was told.

    For the record sir.....I hate elevator music.:rock::D

    Davids bikes has always been fast,and they do have great history.:up:
     
  14. 83BSA

    83BSA Well-Known Member

    Thanks for the kind words and thoughts Charlie. Now I owe you. How about I start with a lunch? How about tomorrow - Tuesday?
     
  15. Duck150

    Duck150 Well-Known Member

    Just get a Duck 250...28 hp ride the piss out of it,come home park it and do it as many times as you want......with class...and good for gp 250-gp 350 and 500 gp what else would you want...............
     
  16. CharlieY

    CharlieY Well-Known Member

    PM sent.

    I've always liked those :up:lil Ducs
     
  17. mgmark

    mgmark George Tirebiter for President

    I believe that was a Honda that fell over.

    Hey Rick, I have a drum brake wheel you can have to run the RD in GP....
    You need a DS7 top end on it and come race with us in GP350 where the action is!
    Mark
     
  18. mgmark

    mgmark George Tirebiter for President

    Hey Doug, out of general interest, what does it cost to build a little Duc like yours? Minus that super exotic front brake of course.
    And are they available as projects out there at a reasonable price?
     
  19. charles

    charles The Transporter

    "Maniacal" laugh...manical laughter, on the other hand, is against the law and your name has already been placed on the renditions list.
     
  20. 70yamahaR5

    70yamahaR5 Well-Known Member

    83BSA, post up some pics of your B50.

    A DS7 might be cool, but I'm just more of a 4S guy I guess.

    Like Mark, I'd like to hear more about the little ducs. I pitted with Robin (KY) a couple years back at AHRMA/Barber and he ran a cool 350 I believe.

    I'm no small guy so a small bike is tough.

    Until Charles helos in and liberates the RD350, it remains a good option.
     

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