History question too - NZ Castrol 6 Hour Race

[Big Dave]

REVSdaile is doing some research regarding the NZ Castrol 6 Hour Race;

http://kiwiridermagazine.blogspot.com/2010/04/new-zealand-castrol-six-hour.html

[Quasievil]

I remeber watching these guys at one at Manfeild singin this song

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jNwYwavVnas&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jNwYwavVnas&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNwYwavVnas

[Motig]

1987- 1st - Aaron Slight/ Wayne Clarke ( Aus) Yamaha FZR100T, Moller Yamaha Dealer Team.
2nd - Terry Fitzgerald/ Steve Tuttiett Suzuki GSX1100R, Callender Motorcycles Ltd.
3rd - Bob Toomey/ Rod Cox Suzuki GSX1100R, Trans Tasman Insurance/ Wellington Motorcycles.

1988- 1st - Tony Rees/ Dave Hicks Yamaha FZR1000, Yokohama/ Sheaff Motorcycles
2nd- Glenn Williams/ Paul Pavletich Kawasaki ZX10, Metzeler Kawasaki Dealer Team
Unfortunately not sure on 3rd place as I've got 2 teams marked in my program with 3/4 ? Mike Webb/ Peter Clifford (UK) or Anthony McCarthy/ Sean Aitken.
5th- Grant Ramage/ Micheal McCutcheon Suzuki GSX600F
6th- Russell Josiah/ Simon Crafar Kawasaki GPX600

[merv]

Being a Honda man I know one correction needed is that Biber & Payne won on the VF750F in 1983 not a VFR750 as the VFR was not produced until 1986. Also 1985 winner was the original GSXR 750 not GSX 750.

Why is the article talking about the final race in 1987 and then lists the 1988 winners?

We discussed this stuff on this thread http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/55530-Castrol-Six-Hour-Manawatu-damn-it-not-Wairarapa? but I don't think we discovered too many more clues then.

[woodyracer]

why dont they bring the castrol 6 hour back?

[merv]

why dont they bring the castrol 6 hour back?

I guess "they" would if "we" bought as many new bikes as were sold back in those days to encourage the dealers to race in it and the sponsors to front up with the cash.

[Kickaha]

1987- 1st - Aaron Slight/ Wayne Clarke ( Aus) Yamaha FZR100T, Moller Yamaha Dealer Team.


1988- 1st - Tony Rees/ Dave Hicks Yamaha FZR1000, Yokohama/ Sheaff Motorcycles
2nd- Glenn Williams/ Paul Pavletich Kawasaki ZX10, Metzeler Kawasaki Dealer Team
Unfortunately not sure on 3rd place as I've got 2 teams marked in my program with 3/4 ? Mike Webb/ Peter Clifford (UK) or Anthony McCarthy/ Sean Aitken.


They were the first and last 6 hours I went to

[Kiwi Graham]

Ahh endurance racing :love: :love: Bloody fantastic. (from an ex Phase 1 team member)

[Motig]

They were the first and last 6 hours I went to

Like wise. Loved the fact you could watch all the pit action as well as see the whole track. Ahh the good old days.

[merv]

I found a document I had after the 1980 6 hour by Suzuki that said that these all GSX1100 mounted teams finished as follows:

1st Neil Chivas, Dave Hiscock
2nd John Pace, Robert Holden
3rd Richard Scott, Peter Daniell
4th Peter Waters (didn't name his team member)
6th Rodger Freeth (didn't name his team member)

Some other brand came 5th.

Big Dave all the information, from 1984 at least, I will have locked away in that KiwiRider collection I have here that Vege was meant to collect from me but I don't have time at the moment to research the info you are asking for but I'll post stuff when I can as I discover it.

[Katman]

I believe the 1982 race was won by the Hiscock brothers on a 750 Katana.

The Wire Wheel 1100 was introduced with the intention of regaining the title from Honda but at the last minute it was decided that the 750 could complete the race with one less fuel stop.

IIRC.

[roogazza]

Being a Honda man I know one correction needed is that Biber & Payne won on the VF750F in 1983 not a VFR750 as the VFR was not produced until 1986.

If I remember correctly Merv, those VFs were a terrible thing with a 16inch front wheel and dud camshafts ? More fancied teams failed that year and old Bill kept going round and round and won it ?
We were waiting for it to blow. Good on Bill though, a win is a win. G.

[merv]

If I remember correctly Merv, those VFs were a terrible thing with a 16inch front wheel and dud camshafts ? More fancied teams failed that year and old Bill kept going round and round and won it ?
We were waiting for it to blow. Good on Bill though, a win is a win. G.

Yeah exactly and we discussed it on that other thread. Alan Delatour took off like a man possessed in the first hour but after the pit stop the bike wouldn't run right and they retired the bike, which also happened to some of the fancied Aussies leaving Bill and Phil to win. Suzukis tried the 16" wheel thing too so the Honda wasn't odd there, and the VF bikes as such I think were a good package to ride, but reliability was a let down.

I mentioned before too it was funny how after the early success with the air cooled Kawasakis, the watercooled Kawasakis never featured as a winning package. Too many blown engines or brake trouble - even the great MK1 Glenn Williams never managed a win because he rode Kawasakis.

Here's Delatour's bike at that first pit stop http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=665&d=1071989725

... and here's Bill winning in the orange leathers - I just about missed him going by http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=666&d=1071990038

[jellywrestler]

I found a document I had after the 1980 6 hour by Suzuki that said that these all GSX1100 mounted teams finished as follows:

6th Rodger Freeth (didn't name his team member)

that's cause Freeth did it solo when men were men and so were the women

[jellywrestler]

I believe the 1982 race was won by the Hiscock brothers on a 750 Katana.

The Wire Wheel 1100 was introduced with the intention of regaining the title from Honda but at the last minute it was decided that the 750 could complete the race with one less fuel stop.

IIRC.
Not so KitKat man. The 1982 was limited to 750cc

[jellywrestler]

If I remember correctly Merv, those VFs were a terrible thing with a 16inch front wheel and dud camshafts ? More fancied teams failed that year and old Bill kept going round and round and won it ?
We were waiting for it to blow. Good on Bill though, a win is a win. G. The first VF750 Sabres were the shaft drive ones that suffered fromn chocolate cams that turned to mush , not raced though. The problem with the VF chain driven models when they first run is that when the ignition was turned off, in the pits, so was the cooling fan, and the overheated. Most of them lasted two to three laps before nipping up which was a prick as the barrells were part of the crankcases, not separate items so the whole engines had to be stripped to repair

[Katman]

Not so KitKat man. The 1982 was limited to 750cc

Really? :scratch:

Was that just for that one year?

I was sure that Suzuki ran the 1135 in 1983.

[jellywrestler]

Really? :scratch:

Was that just for that one year?

I was sure that Suzuki ran the 1135 in 1983. in 1982 and 83 the six hour was limited to 750 than in 1984 it went open again.
The 750 limit was bought about to even the feild as all manufacturers had 750's and also probably to try and stem the specials built. In 1984 they opened it up again to bigger bikes

[merv]

that's cause Freeth did it solo when men were men and so were the women

By 1980 though it seemed like two person teams were the go so I don't think he did it solo then. Last solo winner was Croz for example.

[jellywrestler]

By 1980 though it seemed like two person teams were the go so I don't think he did it solo then. Last solo winner was Croz for example. I talked to dave hiscock on this recently and in the later 70's for safety reasons primarily and to add a team thing to it they ruled a two person team minimium.
Tehn as so many safety things got forgotten Freeth ended up running solo in that race.
He used to ride from auckland to wellington and return for 'training' before hand
Bet he was going like a raped duck too

[gsxr&crf450]

I remember Suzuki turning up with the 1100 wire wheel Katana's that had trick exhausts and other race parts, which were surpose to be standard (not), but they cheated by modifing standard bikes, Coleman Suzuki the importer had a shelf full of standard parts sitting around off these bikes, years latter. Wellington Motorcycles were behind it.

[gammaguy]

1987- 1st - Aaron Slight/ Wayne Clarke ( Aus) Yamaha FZR100T, Moller Yamaha Dealer Team.
2nd - Terry Fitzgerald/ Steve Tuttiett Suzuki GSX1100R, Callender Motorcycles Ltd.
3rd - Bob Toomey/ Rod Cox Suzuki GSX1100R, Trans Tasman Insurance/ Wellington Motorcycles.

1988- 1st - Tony Rees/ Dave Hicks Yamaha FZR1000, Yokohama/ Sheaff Motorcycles
2nd- Glenn Williams/ Paul Pavletich Kawasaki ZX10, Metzeler Kawasaki Dealer Team
Unfortunately not sure on 3rd place as I've got 2 teams marked in my program with 3/4 ? Mike Webb/ Peter Clifford (UK) or Anthony McCarthy/ Sean Aitken.
5th- Grant Ramage/ Micheal McCutcheon Suzuki GSX600F
6th- Russell Josiah/ Simon Crafar Kawasaki GPX600

it was Anthony Mc Carthy and Sean Aitken

I was in the pit crew:innocent:

[gammaguy]

Really? :scratch:

Was that just for that one year?

I was sure that Suzuki ran the 1135 in 1983.

Phil Payne/Bill Biber Honda VF 750 FD

twas a 750 limit that year

[gammaguy]

Really? :scratch:

Was that just for that one year?

I was sure that Suzuki ran the 1135 in 1983.

It Was a GSX 1150 EFE.the suffix E denotes a 1984 model.would have been difficult to run it in 1983 methinks:shutup::shutup:

[Katman]

I remember Suzuki turning up with the 1100 wire wheel Katana's that had trick exhausts and other race parts, which were surpose to be standard (not), but they cheated by modifing standard bikes, Coleman Suzuki the importer had a shelf full of standard parts sitting around off these bikes, years latter. Wellington Motorcycles were behind it.

Ah yes, that old bone of contention.

While almost all the parts that differed on the WW to those on the standard 1100 were being used on other Suzuki models around that same time, I'm not aware of any other model that used the larger outlet exhaust. Where would they have come from other than Suzuki Japan's factory?

[roogazza]

The first VF750 Sabres were the shaft drive ones that suffered fromn chocolate cams that turned to mush , not raced though. The problem with the VF chain driven models when they first run is that when the ignition was turned off, in the pits, so was the cooling fan, and the overheated. Most of them lasted two to three laps before nipping up which was a prick as the barrells were part of the crankcases, not separate items so the whole engines had to be stripped to repair
I vividly remember Crosby in the Aust 6 hour at Amaroo, on the same model of 83 (I think?) He had backing from "Apple" computers. He biffed it on the big right off camber, after the hill. (can't remember the name) Such a great showman. G.

[Oscar]

it was Anthony Mc Carthy and Sean Aitken

I was in the pit crew:innocent:

That's funny - I was gonna say Pete Clifford/Mike Webb.
I was in that crew...

[Kickaha]

I'm not aware of any other model that used the larger outlet exhaust. Where would they have come from other than Suzuki Japan's factory?

Any decent exhaust shop:whistle:

[Katman]

Any decent exhaust shop:whistle:

Hopefully you'll get the chance one day to check out my exhaust up close and personal.

It's a factory finish without a doubt.

[Kickaha]

Hopefully you'll get the chance one day to check out my exhaust up close and personal.

October/November at the Sidecar have a go day, I'll shout you a few laps

[Katman]

October/November at the Sidecar have a go day, I'll shout you a few laps

I'll note it on my dance card.