GregT

On 19/02/2024 at 07:19, a.craw4d said:

 

 

haha been here before. Thought it was based on a k11.  Had a good chat to the owner.

The chain coming off the l/h strut mount is a bit of a worry.  Anyone prepared to guess what it's doing ?

Put it on farm reg and stay within a 50km radius of home. Or not.

Sorry i didn't get out there Sam. Everything in one piece ?

4 minutes ago, governorsam said:

(Bloke from the coast on the road sign special )But it has a problem of reliability.

have seen it more on the recovery trailer than on the track.

 

but fuck it’s awesome.

I met Ray breingan at a Puke classic meet and we yarned about frames. He'd built a lot in the UK when he was there. Don't think he made many of those lowboys here though as the Register preferred manx copies. To put it politely the track is a tad long for Kevin's bikes. If it was shorter they may finish more often.

Sorry to hear of your off Sam. Glad you're OK to carry on. Anyone I know hurt ? Looked for you on friday but I assume you weren't there.

9 hours ago, SOHC said:

Do you know Bruce Fraser, "possum" he has some cobbled together bikes, smokes alot of Taylors.

No, might know his face but the name doesn't ring any bells.

The RM's disappeared. No idea if it even exists now.  Kevin's tank on the lowboy was a piece of 3in diameter alloy tube.....The gearbox is a TT industries 5 speed for a unit Triumph 650. In the back half of a set of blown cases that he's bandsawed the gearbox off....

West Coast engineering at it's finest.  Every Burt I went to he blew something up.

Yeah, there was a brief fashion down here for road bike engined trail bikes. Triumph engined Maico, CB360 engined CR250 etc. I built a RM360 chassis with a GS400 twin in it - which turned out a nice road/trail bike.

At Sound of Thunder today for a look. Britten is a customer bike - don't know whose. Having some probs too.  Saw a bike you'd like Rudi, Kevin Ryan from the West Coast has one of Ray Breingan's lowboy Norton frames with a GM 500 speedway motor in it. Rough as guts.

The Senspray carb is probably the direct ancestor of all the types feeding fuel via the needle. The Rat trap and Mose trap Binks carbs offered a pretty much clear bore at full throttle.

The old man's name was Wally Thomas.  Postwar, one of the group who got Aranui speedway going. Founder member of the Motor Racing Club which got the Wigram meeting going and others. One of the group who got the NZ motorcycle GP going again at Cust - and was Chief Lapscorer up till 1960.

Yeah, you'd only put it on a bike for display. The old man rode speedway prewar so I know all about coming round in a line running on the pilot, then flag drop and pull the string to drop the trap. Wide open riding it on the kill button.

This has probably got a Binks fitted. Works big-port AJS - one of two that came here for the agents to race. The old man won NZ beach champs 3 years running in the mid 20's. plus mile and half mile grass wins. Rode for the agents down here - Bells. Pic is after winning on Brighton beach in we think 1927.  Both the works bikes are long lost.

Even the concentric stuff is getting rare now. All my prewar Amal stuff went with the Rudge project when it sold. If there's something you can't find just ask. i have a couple of contacts here with some stock.

Just finished back cutting the dogs in an 1100 Suzuki gearbox. Layshaft correctly pressed back together after having to have 2 gear dog sets built up before I could do them. Done a couple of boxes and other stuff for this guy before, it's a drag bike he's been developing since the mid 80's. 340 plus at the wheel on 100% Ethanol plus NOs. Into the 8's I believe.

Probably the last outside job I'll do. My stuff had to be shelved to make room to do this - and it cut into my napping time badly

He's north of Rangiora - Ashley. Drop-ins by arrangement. I've been there a few times and he's a GC.

Gearbox fill plug will be common to others in the range. I'd go to Goodparts with the sample piece in hand. Pair of aftermarket fork protectors should be cheapest replacement.  Do you want to change the tank or just get it open ?  I'd leave the steel tank there.

What is it about boxes in these things ? Guy down the road from the old place had one - Ford V6 and manual box. I walked into the local engineering firm one morning and he was stripping the gearbox on their bench. He'd got to the point where he couldn't get the mainshaft nut undone as the shaft was moving in the vice - with soft jaws at least. i have no idea where it came from - I suspect I was channeling the old man - i looked at it and asked if he had a spare driveshaft U joint. Yes, at home.  Get it, put the splined end in it and the joint in the bloody vice.  Chuckles all round and thanks Greg.

A week later and he was crashing through the box outside my gate again.  

Don't do it. They're notoriously hard to tune. Being a pulse carb the size of the hole allowing pulses to the pump side membrane is critical - and not adjustable as they come. There are better choices. Mikuni, Oko etc.

Ecostore eucalyptus detergent.  Bit of googling gave that as a possible option.

Interested to see how it works for you.

Hardwood V blocks work. Don't mark the legs.

Don't tell me you haven't straightened worse than that.

I seem to remember a 125T being raced by someone from the Queenstown area.

Is it hand beaten out of unobtanium ?  By the only virgin they could find in Palmy ?

I'm led to believe Buells are a tad tyre sensitive. I'm sure you know someone to ask.

When I was living out in Canty country I was amazed at some of the camber fuckups and alignment disasters you'd see on the open road. Helped that most of the roads were straight and flat. Followed a latish Commodore one evening and when she pulled over to answer a phone call - unusual in itself - I stopped to talk to her. Right rear had about 10deg negative and was pointing at the left front. Told her to get her husband to look at it pronto.

No thanks of course.

Truck and trailers you'd see with the back end of the trailer on the verge and the cab out on the centerline.

6 minutes ago, SOHC said:

I saw photos one year you had to have your leathers and helmet on to even watch the racing it was so windy and cold with sand being blown like a sand blaster

Yeah, the beach racing in an onshore wind is "testing" for spectators.

I've been at an off-season meeting at Teretonga where a race was stopped cos it started snowing. The leader had to do an extra lap cos the flagman wasn't quick enough to come out of shelter and show him the flag. Wasn't happy about that, lol.  Pub time.

17 minutes ago, SOHC said:

How much dose it cost for a days racing at Hampton downs? I would like some kind of go round the track 1st or should I just jump in the deep end?

 

Pretty sure there's the occasional track day there. Probably expensive - but if you want to get gearing etc right, you'll have to bite the bullet.

1 minute ago, Bart's Handbrake said:

Nope - Norwegian Forest cat or Maine Coon

So you want something big enough to take down Bart ?   I'd start the kids grooming Oscar now as either of those breeds will be regular hard work.