Racers of the '80's
Discussion
Fleegle that LC's front tyre looks too big ? Maybe an illusion though. I thought that these had 90/90 x 18 or summat on them.
Check out this looney on the old air cooled RD400 on elastic band tyres at Mallory trying to go around fat old me on my diesel Pantah. He used to crash a lot.
Check out this looney on the old air cooled RD400 on elastic band tyres at Mallory trying to go around fat old me on my diesel Pantah. He used to crash a lot.
Edited by Chipchap on Wednesday 3rd November 12:03
A few more blasts from the past:
King Kenny at Snetterton in May 1983, during the Transatlantic Trophy races. Although he was a Yamaha factory rider, Yamaha America built him a special bike. Taken out to 680cc (from the GP limit of 500cc), it had a very narrow powerband – only 1,500 rpm IIRC, although I think it was still a square four, rather than the V4 that was used in the GP bike. The races were wet, and I don’t know he managed to stay on the thing. More of that one later.
Same meeting, Randy Mamola, on the works 500 Suzuki GP bike.
The last 2 are from a national meeting at Cadwell Park in March 1983, taken at the mountain. First up is Joey on the 1000 Honda, and then Mick Grant on the 997 Suzuki followed closely by Wayne Gardner on the Honda superbike.
King Kenny at Snetterton in May 1983, during the Transatlantic Trophy races. Although he was a Yamaha factory rider, Yamaha America built him a special bike. Taken out to 680cc (from the GP limit of 500cc), it had a very narrow powerband – only 1,500 rpm IIRC, although I think it was still a square four, rather than the V4 that was used in the GP bike. The races were wet, and I don’t know he managed to stay on the thing. More of that one later.
Same meeting, Randy Mamola, on the works 500 Suzuki GP bike.
The last 2 are from a national meeting at Cadwell Park in March 1983, taken at the mountain. First up is Joey on the 1000 Honda, and then Mick Grant on the 997 Suzuki followed closely by Wayne Gardner on the Honda superbike.
Number 7 said:
Number 17 is not a CBX is it? 
It was a CBX-A of 1981 vintage with backdating of CBX-Z camshafts, carburettors and ignition to give it back the 105 BHP from the emancipated 90 that our septic cousins had them made at.We raced it everywhere and on open pipes the noise was glorious.
Sadly though at 1047cc the authorities insisted it ran in unlimiteds and not 1000cc. So it was only ever novelty value as we already had CB1100RB and GSX1100 in 1981 and Katana 1100SXZ & CB1100RC in 1982.
I raced one here in UK in 1999 & 2000 in Earlystocks.
Chipchap said:
Number 7 said:
Number 17 is not a CBX is it?
It was a CBX-A of 1981 vintage with backdating of CBX-Z camshafts, carburettors and ignition to give it back the 105 BHP from the emancipated 90 that our septic cousins had them made at.We raced it everywhere and on open pipes the noise was glorious.
Sadly though at 1047cc the authorities insisted it ran in unlimiteds and not 1000cc. So it was only ever novelty value as we already had CB1100RB and GSX1100 in 1981 and Katana 1100SXZ & CB1100RC in 1982.
I raced one here in UK in 1999 & 2000 in Earlystocks.
IIRC didnt suzuki take an rg500 out to 652cc in response to yamaha building that bike for kenny? Think they called it an rgb or something, anyway, i used to have a poster on my bedroom wall of sheene dicing with pat hennan on those things, and by all accounts they were a proper beast to ride
Chipchap said:
The Suzuki was 680cc and it was all for the Daytona 200 and F750 classes.
Now that looks like an RGA 500, as IIRC the RGB680(thanks by the way for pointing that out) had a weird curved high level pipe exciting the bike on the right hand side of the tailpiece. I may be wrong, but its some time since i saw the picture of it, due to mrs slopes throwing my mike scott biography of BS out.
snowy slopes said:
IIRC didnt suzuki take an rg500 out to 652cc in response to yamaha building that bike for kenny? Think they called it an rgb or something, anyway, i used to have a poster on my bedroom wall of sheene dicing with pat hennan on those things, and by all accounts they were a proper beast to ride
Just checked in Sheene's biography: in '77 they started upping the capacity of the 500 motor for use in various British series. Initially it went to 652cc (called the RG700) with a heady 135bhp at 10,800 rpm. In '78 it had the same power, but was called the RGA700. In '79 the big version was called the RGB700 and pushed out 138bhp at 10,800rpm. This compared to the GP bike (RGB500) giving 124bhp at 11,000rpm. Number 7 said:
snowy slopes said:
IIRC didnt suzuki take an rg500 out to 652cc in response to yamaha building that bike for kenny? Think they called it an rgb or something, anyway, i used to have a poster on my bedroom wall of sheene dicing with pat hennan on those things, and by all accounts they were a proper beast to ride
Just checked in Sheene's biography: in '77 they started upping the capacity of the 500 motor for use in various British series. Initially it went to 652cc (called the RG700) with a heady 135bhp at 10,800 rpm. In '78 it had the same power, but was called the RGA700. In '79 the big version was called the RGB700 and pushed out 138bhp at 10,800rpm. This compared to the GP bike (RGB500) giving 124bhp at 11,000rpm. 
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