A Revival Mission...

[Grumph]

If it's good enough for Sidecar Bob to have to revive the odd RC30 or OW01 I thought I'd better start another project....

This is my EX500 Kawasaki based F3 bike. Usually ridden by Mark Taylor, it led Nationals, should have won at least one...Should have won Wanganui (arm pump...) But did win the support F3 class at the 1989 WSB round at Manfield. So it's got history...
It was last used in anger at the second New Brighton street race against the visiting Irish team incl Joey. Mark had blown the gearbox in his TZ so with a quick conversion to petrol he used it at Brighton. 4ths and 5ths in the feature races with the Irish so going off Meth didn't slow it down noticeably.
It's been lurking in the back of the barn since 1999. Looking at it, if it had been left much longer the rats would have had it.
The modest aim is to get it to at least one CAMS meeting this coming season.

I knew it needed some things before pulling it out (Big Rob came round and we extracted it - thanks again Rob) It needed an ignitor - both the race ones died of old age and AFAIK Electronic R&D doesn't do digitals now. So a stocker is coming from Pete Sales.
Valve springs were always a problem - Tony's and mine broke aftermarket ones regularly. I'm going to see what kelford have. 20 years should have seen some progress.
I was given a good head and barrel a while back so I've at leat got a set of rings.
The shock in it is a heavily revalved XR500 Honda. I thought maybe a better one now...SV650 is a popular replacement so I asked Dennis Charlett what they did with their SV shocks. To my surprise he remembered the bike....I came away with 3 SV shocks. Thanks Dennis.

I'll document what i find as I go. If you read the US websites, they shouldn't be tuned, LOL. I'll show how we made the cranks last - even on the blown one with over 100 RWHP.

[Triplenut]

Hi Greg,
I often think about this sitting in your shed shivering in the cold and dark, many a time I thought about making you a cheeky offer :)
Glad to see its made it into the warm, looking forward to progress reports.

If I remember correctly the rear disc was special.... and needed a bit of loving

Cheers
Dave

[Grumph]

Rear disc is alloy - and if you look at the pic the pads were seized onto it. I had to pull the caliper to move it.

There's a lot to do - and I don't know what I'll find - but what's the closing date for the SCF ?
And other than pre 89 F3 could it run in a parade type class ? No idea at this point who'd ride it.

[Paul in NZ]

That's a nice looking bike... Way to nice to be languishing so good on you...

[sidecar bob]

Excellent project, good onya. Keep us posted with pics.
I will have the Suzuki Hybrid in NZ in the next couple of months. Look forward to swapping yarns.:niceone:

[Grumph]

Excellent project, good onya. Keep us posted with pics.
I will have the Suzuki Hybrid in NZ in the next couple of months. Look forward to swapping yarns.:niceone:

Like the Suzuki, this is from the era when you made stuff rather than buying racekit. You'll like the pistons...we had to stay at 500cc so no forged aftermarket high com stuff available. So .060in off the barrel and remachine - and hand finish - the pistons to suit. Incl deepening the valve pockets till the inlets just cut into the top ring groove...12.6 : 1 resulting compression. Then wire O ring the top of the bores to seal properly....
That's part of getting around 72HP at the wheel.

[sidecar bob]

Incl deepening the valve pockets till the inlets just cut into the top ring groove..

So gas ported Pistons by default? Bob Denson accidentally did that to the Hayabusa pistons when we installed stage 3 cams at Kelfords between national rounds in '06.

[Blackbird]

Like the Suzuki, this is from the era when you made stuff rather than buying racekit. You'll like the pistons...we had to stay at 500cc so no forged aftermarket high com stuff available. So .060in off the barrel and remachine - and hand finish - the pistons to suit. Incl deepening the valve pockets till the inlets just cut into the top ring groove...12.6 : 1 resulting compression. Then wire O ring the top of the bores to seal properly....
That's part of getting around 72HP at the wheel.

Yep, those were the days when you had to be innovative to gain advantage as opposed to merely having deep pockets. I machined a short stroke crank for my Triumph drag bike to stop the piston crowns becoming detached at the oil control ring on the original long stroke motor. (Plus a whole load of other stuff at the same time). It wasn't all that expensive to do, just took a bit of deep thinking first then quite a bit of time to execute. I didn't have the money for expensive off the shelf solutions. Those innovative days seem to have largely gone, with a few notable exceptions.

[Grumph]

So gas ported Pistons by default? Bob Denson accidentally did that to the Hayabusa pistons when we installed stage 3 cams at Kelfords between national rounds in '06.

Yep - Tony Mcmurdo saw that his pistons were done the same and rang me to query it. I told him to look up gas-porting, LOL. If anything, I'd have liked to go deeper as the valve to piston ain't great. Luckily both Mark and Tony had educated left feet and could be counted on not to miss gears.
FWIW, we went straight to the biggest Megacycle cams - 10mm lift. If there'd been bigger available, I'd have used them.

The days of innovation in NZ titles have largely gone, yes, with very few exceptions. Levelling the playing field has resulted in an effective dumbing down...
The bucket guys still do some exceptional work - but on a small scale.

[jellywrestler]

I will have the Suzuki Hybrid in NZ in the next couple of months. Look forward to swapping yarns.:niceone:

i just sent your wife a link to a snippet on that bike for you to view.

[Grumph]

Working slowly through it. Head is off and I'm pleased with what I found. Cams and followers are good - there was still oil on them. The head came off cleanly and the gasket has held up. Yes, I left it with coolant in it....It turns over freely and even the camchain looks and feels OK. I might get away with a largely cosmetic rebuild - plus of course, rings and valve springs.
Piston is heavily remachined - only the center rectangle is original crown. The lack of carbon on the head and piston shows how close head to piston clearance it's running. It's nicely concentrated around the plug. Note the wire O rings around the bore. Great seal but it means you can't reuse the alloy shim head gaskets as they're stretched over the wire. Got a bit costly at the time but we found a source of Vesrah gasket sets at a very good price. Lucky I've got a good head gasket here....

[sidecar bob]

So looking at the engine now, is there anything you would have done differently if you went to build the same engine again today, given advances in teghnology & shifts on thinking in certain areas over the years?

Also, some hardcore bikie chopper builder guy I met through mates in Brisbane recently, paints everything with this product as a top coat.
Although it's not down as a heatproof paint, he paints engines, header pipes, mufflers etc with it & it stays put.
He even put a bit on an old Conrod & hit it with the oxy acetylene in front of me to demonstrate.
http://www.ppglic.com.au/uploads/tds/426%20Paraloc.pdf

[Grumph]

Sorry, that doesn't open for me - my internet again.
Would I do anything different ? The engine architecture is the limiting factor on them. The yanks racing them in lightweight production broke cranks regularly so they got a bad name there. I sidestepped that inadvertently by removing the alternator rotor. Raised the crank's frequency to a safe point.
I might port it differently. I did them very much as a methanol motor with port sizes and pipe lengths to suit.
Talking to Pete Sales last week he commented on how big the inlet ports were and reckoned he'd do some filling. We never did.
Comparing them to late GSXR1000, there's not a lot of size difference.

Edit - I posted a pic of the last attempt with the unblown 500 on another thread and can't remember where it is...We did a downdraft version. 20 degrees downdraft with bigger valves and a reshaped chamber. Much better exhaust ports too. They go up and over a water passage which is a severe restriction. I just ported that head where I wanted the ex ports to go and filled in with weld to get it watertight. 40mm Dellortos and straight Methanol. It went well till a valve seat fell out. If I had to go back to serious racing with the 500 that's probably where I'd restart. Unless an ER head fits.....

I did an ER650 on the same lines a few years back. With the wrong pipe it showed up well on it's first dyno run but dropped an exhaust valve seat cooling down.
I won't quote HP as there are multiple versions about as to what it made. They're an EX with all the changes we wanted made.

[Triplenut]

Rear disc is alloy - and if you look at the pic the pads were seized onto it. I had to pull the caliper to move it.

There's a lot to do - and I don't know what I'll find - but what's the closing date for the SCF ?
And other than pre 89 F3 could it run in a parade type class ? No idea at this point who'd ride it.

It would be welcome in the parade class and the bike display tent at the Mike Pero Southern Classic.
16 weeks to cut off for the SCF ( to be fair entry isnt even open yet) but you know a few people that can help out with a late entry :)
cheers

[Grumph]

Might have solved the valve spring problem. We'd always used R&D springs from the US. Megacycle said "use these springs with this cam..." so we did.
They'd last about half a season - club days and Nationals - before they'd start breaking. I never had the chance at the time to measure pressures - and no one local carried much in the way of race springs then. And no internet...
Anyway, sorted out an unbroken pair of R&D springs - inner and outer - put them on a Titanium retainer, measured the fitted height on the head...and went to town today. Measured seat and nose pressures at Kelford's, went into their samples box for something that fitted the retainer - and came up with a spring...
Turns out that Toyota V8 race single springs are about 15lb up on the seat and 7 - 8 lb up over the nose. Fit the Ti retainers excellently well - and if I really wanted to, I can run inners too. They'll do to get it running again.

Good price too. They sell shitloads of them. The standard speedway Stock car engine combo now is the Toyota V8, cams and springs from Kelford and the heads done & valves supplied by Cylinder Head specialists also in ChCh.

[sidecar bob]

Do you remember why it was parked up for the last time? Did it break something, like one spring too many, or had it run its course for the time being?

[slofox]

Now THAT is a project. I shall watch with interest.

[Grumph]

Do you remember why it was parked up for the last time? Did it break something, like one spring too many, or had it run its course for the time being?

Changes in F3 had made it uncompetitive. Tony had been told by kawasaki to ride the 400 fours they supplied as his special was too far from what they sold.
Open fuel was going out - and I'm still pissed at that. Canterbury cast the vote that swung it - and the top F1 bike in NZ and several top F2 and F3 bikes which were on alky were owned by members. The singles and twins allowed in the F3 rules needed alky badly to be competitive with the fours. Mark had bought a good TZ and was chasing 2 stroke glory. 750 2 valve engines were coming in to F3 too.
We'd built another bike - a GSXR750J chassis - with initially a supercharged 500 in it then when it became apparent we couldn't keep coolant in it, the downdraft unblown motor went in. The old girl still got taken along as a spare - and got used too. We did 2 years of intensive development and basically got tired of pushing shit uphill against the fours.
It had been a good advertisement for the shop and I was reaping the rewards of that - ie bloody busy building hot engines.

[Grumph]

I suppose at this point a bit of history wouldn't go amiss.
The older ones here may remember that Coca-Cola used to run an annual summer competition...Pre cellphones, you sent in labels or tops and went into a draw for prizes...Well, my wife was an avid enterer of these competitions. The first summer of F3 at the Nationals, she won one of I think 6 second prizes...a Kawasaki jetski. Ironic as neither she nor our daughter swim....
So, by partway through that season it was apparent from helping Tony with the GSXR400 and watching Mike McCutcheon with a warm GPZ500, that the Kawasaki was the way to go in F3....It was only my putting Tony onto the Meth/Toluene brew that got him the title. At the GP he was ready to go home as he couldn't get it to run right on Meth/petrol.
Anyway the competition results came out in Feb I think and after some "household discussion" I headed off to Norjo's to see if I could turn a jetski into a bike...
Alan Norfolk - old family friend - welcomed me with open arms and told me what his deal was. Coke had negotiated with Kawasaki NZ about 8 months earlier to buy the jetskis at the then price. The dealers who would eventually supply had to abide by that price and invoice Coke as agreed. As Alan pointed out, the current dealer price had gone through the roof and he was looking at a substantial loss if he supplied a jetski, LOL.
So we agreed that I could have a 500 off the floor at dealer cost - less the amount Coke would pay him. As it turned out, about $1600.

So I started modifying it....built a pipe, played with the airbox, ported it mildly...And ran it in a few club days that summer and autumn. One highlight was a flying quarter at Charing Cross. With large rider aboard, 125mph, next F3 Pete Walsh, FZR400, 118mph.
Another was at a club day where I did a swap bike race with a friend who was running a good VFR400 - not an NC30 - We warned him that on the 16in rubber and with that engine setup, when you hit 7000 it went sideways. He didn't believe it. I finished the race on his bike - running it to the limiter looking for power - but he came in early saying it was unrideable....It certainly had a sharp edge to the powerband with std cams and carbs.
Pic is how it was raced in it's early life.

That winter it got built up pretty much as it is now. Mark came on board and paid for quite a bit of it.

[HenryDorsetCase]

LOL I had one of those the same colour - white with a red stripe must have been 1988 or so. Good little bike for its day but in stock form not super quick.

I like this thread by the way.

[Grumph]

LOL I had one of those the same colour - white with a red stripe must have been 1988 or so. Good little bike for its day but in stock form not super quick.

I like this thread by the way.

The stock brakes weren't that good either...Mark wanted to do the Dunedin street race while it was still in lightly modified form. He'd been racing a 450 Ducati in BEARS - very successfully too. I'd built the bottom ends for him and his friend the owner. They'd fitted a Performance Machine 4 pot billet caliper to the Ducati - and had a 2nd one sitting there...So it got grafted on just before doing Dunedin. Very good brake....
Mark was to ride it in F3 and I'd ride it in F2. Mark went out first in F3 practise then me in F2. I came in saying "there's a knocking from the front end - did you notice it ?" Mark admitted it had started knocking toward the end of his session...
The standard flat front disc was heavily dished - and had a big pressure wave in it which was so big that it was knocking on the fork leg...It was also blue.
There was another 500 there which was damaged in a practise crash. Bastard got it fixed - we wanted the disc off it. Ours was way too bad to race on.
Hence when it got turned into a proper race bike we ensured it had the best brakes we could source...

[Grumph]

Well, the cases came apart easy. Everything looks just as I remember it, shells look OK, any marks are from turning the crank after it's long rest.
Box is good - as I'd expect, it's overbuilt like a lot of Kawas. Primary chain might get looked at. I've got a couple of spares so the best will go in.
It'll get pressure washed and everything inspected before reassembly.

The odd item on the end of the crank is an ignition trigger. Std they trigger off a lump on the OD of the alternator. That's the OE alternator boss with an alloy piece carrying a steel shoe as a trigger. And it's adjustable...
Standard the alternator is a big bastard thing. When they're raced hard with it fitted, the crank breaks at the inner end of the alternator side bigend.
I was approached a couple of times by guys who'd had cranks break - I always told them how to do it, but of course none had come to me before it broke...
I once showed the crank setup to a guy who was ex DSIR and had a balancing/noise/vibration business in ChCh. He reckoned it was a torsional node at that point. Simply reducing the mass on the end of the crank raised it's natural frequency to the point where it didn't break...
When we ran the blown motor we ran a polyvee belt from a pulley at that end with the ignition trigger on the back of the pulley. Probably acted as a torsional damper, LOL.

Bottom case is an easy clean, top case has ratpiss damage....just cosmetic luckily.

[husaberg]

Well, the cases came apart easy. Everything looks just as I remember it, shells look OK, any marks are from turning the crank after it's long rest.
Box is good - as I'd expect, it's overbuilt like a lot of Kawas. Primary chain might get looked at. I've got a couple of spares so the best will go in.
It'll get pressure washed and everything inspected before reassembly.

The odd item on the end of the crank is an ignition trigger. Std they trigger off a lump on the OD of the alternator. That's the OE alternator boss with an alloy piece carrying a steel shoe as a trigger. And it's adjustable...
Standard the alternator is a big bastard thing. When they're raced hard with it fitted, the crank breaks at the inner end of the alternator side bigend.
I was approached a couple of times by guys who'd had cranks break - I always told them how to do it, but of course none had come to me before it broke...
I once showed the crank setup to a guy who was ex DSIR and had a balancing/noise/vibration business in ChCh. He reckoned it was a torsional node at that point. Simply reducing the mass on the end of the crank raised it's natural frequency to the point where it didn't break...
When we ran the blown motor we ran a polyvee belt from a pulley at that end with the ignition trigger on the back of the pulley. Probably acted as a torsional damper, LOL.

Bottom case is an easy clean, top case has ratpiss damage....just cosmetic luckily.
Chain Primary I wouldn't have thought that.....
I will have a look for the Stuff on the other one i mentioned the other day.
When they came out i thought they were basically half a GPZ900 how does that work out in reality Greg?

[guyhockley]

The stock brakes weren't that good either...Mark wanted to do the Dunedin street race while it was still in lightly modified form. He'd been racing a 450 Ducati in BEARS - very successfully too. I'd built the bottom ends for him and his friend the owner. They'd fitted a Performance Machine 4 pot billet caliper to the Ducati - and had a 2nd one sitting there...So it got grafted on just before doing Dunedin. Very good brake....
Mark was to ride it in F3 and I'd ride it in F2. Mark went out first in F3 practise then me in F2. I came in saying "there's a knocking from the front end - did you notice it ?" Mark admitted it had started knocking toward the end of his session...
The standard flat front disc was heavily dished - and had a big pressure wave in it which was so big that it was knocking on the fork leg...It was also blue.
There was another 500 there which was damaged in a practise crash. Bastard got it fixed - we wanted the disc off it. Ours was way too bad to race on.
Hence when it got turned into a proper race bike we ensured it had the best brakes we could source...

I have an EX500 17" front wheel with a Yam disc. XJR1300 or it might be FJR. PCD is the same, central hole a couple of mil bigger. Kwak uses 8mm bolts with 10 mm shoulders, Yam 6mm with 8mm. Think offset is the same but it hasn't made it onto a bike, yet (disc is just held on with stainless cap screws to try it for fit). Guessing yours has different wheels and discs, anyway.

[Grumph]

I have an EX500 17" front wheel with a Yam disc. XJR1300 or it might be FJR. PCD is the same, central hole a couple of mil bigger. Kwak uses 8mm bolts with 10 mm shoulders, Yam 6mm with 8mm. Think offset is the same but it hasn't made it onto a bike, yet (disc is just held on with stainless cap screws to try it for fit). Guessing yours has different wheels and discs, anyway.

It does now, yes. 320mm GSXR750 discs with Suzuki Impulse calipers. You've probably never heard of the Impulse in the UK. It was a watercooled 400/4 for the home market which got sold here in big numbers. The calipers are a smaller 4 pot but take the same pads as big GSXR's
The quick fix for the mild steel OE disc was an Impulse disc. Identical size and bolt pattern - but made from top quality material.

[Grumph]

Chain Primary I wouldn't have thought that.....
I will have a look for the Stuff on the other one i mentioned the other day.
When they came out i thought they were basically half a GPZ900 how does that work out in reality Greg?

They're almost a halfway house between the 550/750 family of fours which have a chain primary - and the GPZ900 family which don't.
The box I'm pretty sure is same as the 900 - the clutch is massive so it's prob the same too.
Pistons/rods and head components I'm pretty sure are same as the 1000 which followed the 900.
If you can find that period article, it would go on here very well thanks.

[guyhockley]

They're almost a halfway house between the 550/750 family of fours which have a chain primary - and the GPZ900 family which don't.
The box I'm pretty sure is same as the 900 - the clutch is massive so it's prob the same too.
Pistons/rods and head components I'm pretty sure are same as the 1000 which followed the 900.
If you can find that period article, it would go on here very well thanks.
Think the Tigcraft one had a slipper clutch from a later 900

[Grumph]

Think the Tigcraft one had a slipper clutch from a later 900

Wouldn't surprise me. kawasaki have used the same spline numbers and sizes from the Z1 right up to date - so a lot interchanges.

We were out at the track one day running in/testing at the same time as the Britten boys were there testing something with Stroud riding.
They were down the end at the hairpin so we didn't know what they were doing. Anyway, we ran into them at the Yaldhurst pub where they'd stopped off for a drink on the way home. Mark came back from getting drinks where he'd talked to one of the boys and muttered to me - "they were timing from the 100 yard brake marker around to the first ess"..."and I just got asked if we have a slipper clutch as I was consistently quicker than Stroud "

No, we didn't - but I found out later that was their first test with a slipper.

[Grumph]

I've got a lot of engine parts soaking in various baths at present but had one small victory. I pulled out my box of valve stem seals - I carry a few...looking for an old packet of 500 ones to get the number. Remembered when I looked that when Darbi got out of stem seals they sent random assortments to customers to get rid of stock. I'd been at Don's not long after they'd arrived and had been invited to have a pick through what they sent him. More in stock than I remembered, LOL.
Anyway, Yamaha FJ1200 fit the 500 and I've got a free packet here. Sorted.
The barrel has some water staining - no corrosion. It's been deglazed lightly a number of times but on handheld equipment - quick and dirty.
I'll drop it in to a mate with a reconditioning business for a guaranteed straight deglaze.
Valves cleaned up well. A quick lap and it can go back together with new springs and seals.
Picked through the spare chains I have here - I have a better primary, and a better camchain too.

[jellywrestler]

great to see ya digging your toes into something after a bit of time up on blocks from heart surgery, look forward to seeing this at levels...

[HenryDorsetCase]

It does now, yes. 320mm GSXR750 discs with Suzuki Impulse calipers. You've probably never heard of the Impulse in the UK. It was a watercooled 400/4 for the home market which got sold here in big numbers. The calipers are a smaller 4 pot but take the same pads as big GSXR's
The quick fix for the mild steel OE disc was an Impulse disc. Identical size and bolt pattern - but made from top quality material.

Hey speaking of brake discs.....

My CB750 has the stock setup - lever, fixed pad, one floating pad driven by the master cylinder. The brakes aren't great. My options are:

full recon of master and caliper, new brake lines, new pads. Get the brake disc drilled (lighter, maybe better water and heat dissipation? also for looks)

EBC disc ($200US plus shipping) - lighter, and better material with full recon master and caliper. (I am leaning towards this a bit)

https://carpyscaferacers.com/shop/shop-our-store/motorcycle-parts-accessories/honda-cb500-cb550-cb750-parts-upgrades/front-brake-rotor-pro-lite-sohc/


Find a GL1000 front end then recondition that.

Anyway - if I wanted the disc drilled, who would I take it to locally? No way am I having a crack at it on my pillar drill. I think I would spend more in drill bits and such than it would cost someone competent to do it.

[Grumph]

Hey speaking of brake discs.....

Anyway - if I wanted the disc drilled, who would I take it to locally? No way am I having a crack at it on my pillar drill. I think I would spend more in drill bits and such than it would cost someone competent to do it.

The period answer was to buy another fork leg and twin the discs. The hub I believe has threaded holes on the unused side.
I've done them on a bench drill. It's all in the drill guide and how accurate you can get it. If you don't have a dividing head...
The problem with thinning discs like that which are rivetted to a carrier is that they have to come off...be surface ground (Mace Engineering) then be reattatched to the carrier. Re-rivetting is f'n impossible these days so it's capscrews and cone nuts (high temp locknuts)
I've done Z1 and GS Suzuki discs and it's hard work.

I'd take it to Wallace at Marshland Engineering - I know he's got a dividing head...

[husaberg]

Hey speaking of brake discs.....

My CB750 has the stock setup - lever, fixed pad, one floating pad driven by the master cylinder. The brakes aren't great. My options are:

full recon of master and caliper, new brake lines, new pads. Get the brake disc drilled (lighter, maybe better water and heat dissipation? also for looks)

EBC disc ($200US plus shipping) - lighter, and better material with full recon master and caliper. (I am leaning towards this a bit)

https://carpyscaferacers.com/shop/shop-our-store/motorcycle-parts-accessories/honda-cb500-cb550-cb750-parts-upgrades/front-brake-rotor-pro-lite-sohc/


Find a GL1000 front end then recondition that.

Anyway - if I wanted the disc drilled, who would I take it to locally? No way am I having a crack at it on my pillar drill. I think I would spend more in drill bits and such than it would cost someone competent to do it.
Yamaha and Brembo discs are the same bolt pattern as an early Honda.
Available in plenty of sizes and offsets and have much lighter carriers much lighter discs and come pre drilled.

240
https://www.metalgear.com.au/mgear-brake-disc-front-leftrightrear-p-7403.html

267mm
https://www.metalgear.com.au/mgear-brake-disc-front-left-p-5093.html

282
https://www.metalgear.com.au/mgear-brake-disc-front-gold-centre-p-10983.html

298
https://www.metalgear.com.au/mgear-brake-disc-front-hole-venting-p-11716.html

320mm
https://www.metalgear.com.au/mgear-brake-disc-front-gold-centre-p-11028.html

[Grumph]

Well at least some progress. The head's done. Cleaned, valves lapped, new springs and stem seals. Ready to go back on.

Note the bronze spacers for the cam followers - I was into friction reduction in the 80's...

[kiwimacchi]

Well at least some progress. The head's done. Cleaned, valves lapped, new springs and stem seals. Ready to go back on.

Note the bronze spacers for the cam followers - I was into friction reduction in the 80's...

Looking good, Greg. I remember riding this bike once or twice back in the day, and like Dave, always fancied maybe turning it into a trick streeter...

[Grumph]

Well, the bottom end is back together and all the gears select. I've still to make a new waterpump gasket and collect the barrel from the reconditioners.
Have new gudgeon circlips - same as Z1 which I carry here.

When I pulled the motor out I noticed that the R/H coil was missing. I'd forgotten that I'd pulled it off and given it to Kiwimacchi back in the 90's when I grafted an ignition onto his Macchi. It's had an exciting life since, going all over NZ and being quite successful too, LOL.
Another is coming from the ubiquitous Pete Sales....I did find the mounting bracket in the box I'd tossed it at the time luckily.

From my point of view the interesting bit is pretty well done. From here it's pull the chassis down and strip and clean everything. Unseize and kit brakes. The forks haven't been apart since it was built. One change of fork oil and it was good enough we never touched them. Shock linkages....etc etc. The boring bits.

At least it uses current wheel widths so secondhand slicks shouldn't be a problem.

[guyhockley]

When you say 10mm cam, is that cam or valve lift?

[Grumph]

When you say 10mm cam, is that cam or valve lift?

Valve lift. But it's actually bigger than that. I'll have to find an old Megacycle catalogue with it listed as it's no longer available.

We had it copied locally by Kelford cams after we broke a sprocket flange. One of the most disheartening weeks of my life. We travelled to Manfield for a National round - a days travel counting the ferry crossing. Two laps of practise and Bang. A valve clearance adjuster had broken the locknut and the threaded portion had come out and found it's way under the camchain and over the sprocket. Not repairable away from home base.

I have some reason to believe that this cam profile is the one Megacycle developed for the CB450 with conventional valve springs. The rocker ratio is the same and it makes sense that they'd offer what was a known profile when the EX500 appeared. What they didn't know was the effect of the heavier rockers and the higher rev potential of the EX. Stopped offering it for the EX because too many had spring problems.

Edit - the McCutcheon EX500 which so nearly won the F3 title in the first year, had the next cam down in the Megacycle catalogue. I never heard what springs they used - but probably stock ones. Noel McCutcheon - ex IOM NZ rep back in the late 50's - continued developing it after his son had gone to Aussie. Eventually he put it in an FZR400 rolling chassis as he felt the stock frame wasn't up to it.
I'd known Noel since I was a kid and we talked about it...I gave him a ride on my bike at Ruapuna to show what the stock chassis was like done properly.
He came in looking very thoughtful - only remarking that mine was a hell of a lot quicker than theirs....

[Grumph]

Pulling bits off the chassis. Enjoyable - not. This is what we called at the time the batplate. RHS rearset/brake setup. Mark trashed the LHS at least once but luckily never went down on the right. I did nice work then, LOL. Polished then clear anodised.
Anyway, I'm going to have to kit the M/C. I have no idea what it's from - picked from a box at a wreckers. It has 7V2 cast in it.
If anyone recognises it or the numbers I'd be obliged.

[Grumph]

This is the basic roller. Rear subframe cut off and a lightweight one welded on. Bolt in frame member on the lower right has an extra crossmember added under the steering head. Ride height adjuster added to rear frame crossmember. Various fairing mounts added.
Originally we fitted an alloy arm from a GPZ750. Drops in. But the wheelbase is then about 2in longer than stock. Mark wanted it to turn better so the OE arm went back in. Never needed to brace it - even on slicks.

Coincidentally, I've just been invited to the 65th of the guy who did the alloy tank and seat for me. He's threatened to retire and concentrate on alloy work for years now and he's finally doing it. One of the best I've ever struck. Once he's looking for work I'll put it up here.

[husaberg]

Pulling bits off the chassis. Enjoyable - not. This is what we called at the time the batplate. RHS rearset/brake setup. Mark trashed the LHS at least once but luckily never went down on the right. I did nice work then, LOL. Polished then clear anodised.
Anyway, I'm going to have to kit the M/C. I have no idea what it's from - picked from a box at a wreckers. It has 7V2 cast in it.
If anyone recognises it or the numbers I'd be obliged.
looks like a rd250d/e/ ish i think i have one here i can check the numbers
https://www.picclickimg.com/d/l400/pict/232754592062_/Yamaha-RD250-E-F-Rear-Brake-Master-Cylinder-and.jpg
probably be cheaper to buy a new Chinese yamaha one off tm

[Grumph]

Yeah, looks like RD250 E/F. I'll see what Don wants for a kit before I look overseas. Thanks very hard....

[Grumph]

While I can get a kit for the front M/C off the shelf, it looks like there's no kit for the rear listed. When I pull the M/C's apart I'll take the bits as samples and try and match locally.

Pulled the forks and started cleaning bits....I thought I had rust on one stanchion and wasn't looking forward to sorting pitting. Turns out it simply dissolved - it wasn't rust, it was something left by the rats....The top triple I'd thought was stained and corroded, also came up mint after a wash.
I'll fit new fork seals while they're apart. I've also got to do a bit of drilling for the now required lockwire on brake fasteners.
Today's job when it warms up, is pull the back wheel, invert the frame and pull the suspension and shock.
Then out in the sun with a bucket of detergent and a scrubbing brush. Oh joy....

[husaberg]

While I can get a kit for the front M/C off the shelf, it looks like there's no kit for the rear listed. When I pull the M/C's apart I'll take the bits as samples and try and match locally.

Pulled the forks and started cleaning bits....I thought I had rust on one stanchion and wasn't looking forward to sorting pitting. Turns out it simply dissolved - it wasn't rust, it was something left by the rats....The top triple I'd thought was stained and corroded, also came up mint after a wash.
I'll fit new fork seals while they're apart. I've also got to do a bit of drilling for the now required lockwire on brake fasteners.
Today's job when it warms up, is pull the back wheel, invert the frame and pull the suspension and shock.
Then out in the sun with a bucket of detergent and a scrubbing brush. Oh joy....
it looks like its 5/8 i would cross check to see if its same as something like XS650-400 etc
Yamaha no longer make kits but they are available overseas.

[Grumph]

Right - progress...The frame and arm got pressure washed to remove the "rat cum" (copyright big Rob) Frame has since been given a touch up aka Dulux overhaul. The arm has had a 16G bracket added under the chain line for mounting a shark fin. Then the paint retouched.

Pulled the spring off the Honda shock we'd used. It's been incontinent while stored so a rebuild or replace was called for. Pulled the OE spring off one of the SV shocks and started to look at refitting the spring I wanted. The anodised spring seats and spacers I'd made up to fit the ex Formula Ford spring worked on the SV shock. All I needed to do was machine a stepped spacer to achieve the same fitted length as it had been. Pic is OE SV and the FF spring on another SV shock. Why a Formula Ford spring ? Mid 80's there was SFA available in alternative springs locally. A mate of Kirby's had a stash of springs and made them available when we built the GSXR F1 bike. Pretty sure this spring is the pair to the one in the F1 bike.

Then it was go through the rear linkages. The SV shock uses 10mm bolts where the Honda one used 12mm (hollow of course...) I made up a new bush for the shock end of the link in stainless. It runs in impregnated nylon so didn't have to be hard. For the upper end which has a clevis on the ride height adjuster, I made a pair of stepped stainless bushes to run the 10mm bolt in 12mm holes. Everything got cleaned and greased. Still in quite good condition as you'd expect from a low mileage example, LOL.

Forks can go together once I have seals. Steering head bearings cleaned up good.

[Grumph]

Ok - motor's back together. I'm happy with it. If it was being campaigned at the Nationals, it'd have had loadsamoney spent. But it's going to do probably 2 -3 meetings a year max...And it's looking as it should - showing the patina of long and hard use.
Plenty of breathers to be seen - all going via reinforced hose to a metal catch can in the riders view. As the regs of the period stated for Nationals, LOL...What do they say now ?
The oil line up the back of the barrel is braided stainless. The OE steel line didn't like being bent to accomodate a .060in shorter barrel...I did 3 of these line sets, one's on Tony's motor and the third is on a motor I think Mark still has.
Carbs are RS36's. Tony wanted and got 38's. On shorter circuits this was nicer to ride than Tony's - his was all up the top end.
They're a porky bastard. 71kg - and 72HP at the wheel. Complete bike weighed back in the day, with battery and a couple of liters of fuel was 142kg.
Tony's Pink special was actually heavier. So were most of the 400 fours....

I'd forgotten just how difficult it is timing these up. Backwards rotation and the cam ramping means nothing will stay where it's put...

Oh, the bellmouths are actually GSXR750H carb to airbox rubbers. The center two are straight but the outers are curved. They were plentiful at the time...
Being rubber, you don't damage anything pulling the carbs off - which was every meeting when on Meth, just to clean them.

[jasonu]

Ok - motor's back together. I'm happy with it. If it was being campaigned at the Nationals, it'd have had loadsamoney spent. But it's going to do probably 2 -3 meetings a year max...And it's looking as it should - showing the patina of long and hard use.
Plenty of breathers to be seen - all going via reinforced hose to a metal catch can in the riders view. As the regs of the period stated for Nationals, LOL...What do they say now ?
The oil line up the back of the barrel is braided stainless. The OE steel line didn't like being bent to accomodate a .060in shorter barrel...I did 3 of these line sets, one's on Tony's motor and the third is on a motor I think Mark still has.
Carbs are RS36's. Tony wanted and got 38's. On shorter circuits this was nicer to ride than Tony's - his was all up the top end.
They're a porky bastard. 71kg - and 72HP at the wheel. Complete bike weighed back in the day, with battery and a couple of liters of fuel was 142kg.
Tony's Pink special was actually heavier. So were most of the 400 fours....

I'd forgotten just how difficult it is timing these up. Backwards rotation and the cam ramping means nothing will stay where it's put...

Oh, the bellmouths are actually GSXR750H carb to airbox rubbers. The center two are straight but the outers are curved. They were plentiful at the time...
Being rubber, you don't damage anything pulling the carbs off - which was every meeting when on Meth, just to clean them.

71kg, only good bucket racers come in at that or less.

[Grumph]

71kg, only good bucket racers come in at that or less.

Well, I did say it was a porker..But how many buckets weigh 2X the motor ?.Having said that and bearing in mind your comment, one of Mark's favourite things while riding it was to go past RS125's on the brakes, slow enough to drop them off the power - and grunt away from them out of corners...Very satisfying.
Locally, the late Warren Guy who fancied himself on his RS125 - and was probably the quickest here - would get sooo angry when Mark did it to him.
As I said - Very satisfying.

[jasonu]

Well, I did say it was a porker..But how many buckets weigh 2X the motor ?.Having said that and bearing in mind your comment, one of Mark's favourite things while riding it was to go past RS125's on the brakes, slow enough to drop them off the power - and grunt away from them out of corners...Very satisfying.
Locally, the late Warren Guy who fancied himself on his RS125 - and was probably the quickest here - would get sooo angry when Mark did it to him.
As I said - Very satisfying.

Sorry to hear Warren is no longer.

[Triplenut]

looking good Greg :)

Are you going to run it on methanol ?

[husaberg]

Ok - motor's back together. I'm happy with it. If it was being campaigned at the Nationals, it'd have had loadsamoney spent. But it's going to do probably 2 -3 meetings a year max...And it's looking as it should - showing the patina of long and hard use.
Plenty of breathers to be seen - all going via reinforced hose to a metal catch can in the riders view. As the regs of the period stated for Nationals, LOL...What do they say now ?
The oil line up the back of the barrel is braided stainless. The OE steel line didn't like being bent to accomodate a .060in shorter barrel...I did 3 of these line sets, one's on Tony's motor and the third is on a motor I think Mark still has.
Carbs are RS36's. Tony wanted and got 38's. On shorter circuits this was nicer to ride than Tony's - his was all up the top end.
They're a porky bastard. 71kg - and 72HP at the wheel. Complete bike weighed back in the day, with battery and a couple of liters of fuel was 142kg.
Tony's Pink special was actually heavier. So were most of the 400 fours....

I'd forgotten just how difficult it is timing these up. Backwards rotation and the cam ramping means nothing will stay where it's put...

Oh, the bellmouths are actually GSXR750H carb to airbox rubbers. The center two are straight but the outers are curved. They were plentiful at the time...
Being rubber, you don't damage anything pulling the carbs off - which was every meeting when on Meth, just to clean them.
I went to pick up a GT380 bottom end the other day, i would swear its at least twice the weight of a RD yamaha bottom end.

Pretty sure those bigger Kawakas gpx/zzr 9,10.11's were one of the first engines i seen with through under the mains breathing do the little ones have that as well?
Tonys one had astralites or Dymaags didný it?

Also
what happened to the supercharged one? Whose was that?

[Grumph]

looking good Greg :)

Are you going to run it on methanol ?

Currently the carbs are set for petrol - Methanol on the pension would be a bit like affording a P addiction....
I know where the meth needles were put - but I have no idea if I can still access them since Budget changed hands.

Edit - yes, the needles were where I'd left them in about 1992. But they are actually for meth/toluene blend - which I read the rules now as being illegal.
You appear to only have two alternatives - straight petrol or straight methanol. The fuel testing specs don't accomodate blends.
Back in the day meth/petrol blends were quite popular and the ethanol blended petrol now would probably be a very good base as it contains blending agents.
The old mixes used to have a limited life as they'd separate out...
We found the meth/tol blend to keep really well. Also you ran a mildly rich petrol setting rather than the uber-rich jetting of meth. The needle jet for example, stayed at the petrol 2.80mm where on straight meth it would go to 3.20mm.

It actually came from Ford's first go at Indy with the pushrod V8. Meth/tol gave 2% less HP than straight Meth - but 20% better mileage. One less pit stop in 500 miles...I suspect it was developed in midgets in the 50's by a guy Clay Smith who was noted for winning long distance midget races. He finished up working for Ford on the Indy and GT40 projects. Killed at a mile dirt race - in the pits - by a car flipping over the rails.

[Grumph]

I went to pick up a GT380 bottom end the other day, i would swear its at least twice the weight of a RD yamaha bottom end.

Pretty sure those bigger Kawakas gpx/zzr 9,10.11's were one of the first engines i seen with through under the mains breathing do the little ones have that as well?
Tonys one had astralites or Dymaags didný it?

Also
what happened to the supercharged one? Whose was that?

Yes, the bearing webs have provision for inter-cylinder breathing. At the 89 WSB round at Manfield, I'd also built a ZX7 engine for Rob Lewis. Once the F3 bike was seen by the Doyles running TKA and they realised I'd built the only other ZX7 there, I got pulled aside for a talk... They showed me drawings of how to transfer port the ZX7 cases and barrel. Basically a 20mm square hole between 1-2 and 3-4, half in the cases half in the barrel. Allegedly worth 3-4 HP at around 6 grand. The early GSXR750's had bigger passages cast in...

Tony's bike had Astralites. He saw an opening to make money and imported probably most of the Astralites that are in NZ.

The blown bike, I built. For all purposes it was Mark Taylor's Once he'd gone TZ it sat with an unblown engine in it till Kirby asked for a loan of the roller. Trev wanted a presence for Budget at the first meeting of the extended Ruapuna. One of Kirby's ex speedway GSXR1100 engines was slotted into the roller by Mark Robertson - the roller was after all basically a GSXR750J so the 1100 dropped in easy. Kirby's Marvics and a set of RS36's and the job's done...
Mark Robertson rode it. I wasn't at that meeting but I was told all about it....Throttle stuck open at the end of the front straight. Mark R laid it down and rolled off but it stood up and kept going. Hit a pile of dirt and launched like an Exocet missile over the fence and away...The bits were all over the next paddock and also up a tree...End of that one.

[Grumph]

More progress. The forks are done. New seals and re-oiled. Seals I could do simply by dropping the sliders off but the oil was a tad harder...They have top caps retained by wire circlips - std EX Kawasaki stanchions. But we added ride height adjusters into the top caps which gives sfa area to push on to drop the caps to the point where you can even see the circlips...Last time it was done, it was a 2 person job. On my own, no...so after reassembly, I pulled the covers over the antidive holes and put the oil in through there. One leaked of course...now sorted. Sliders are GSXR400 which drop onto the Kawa stanchions - well with adaptor bushes for the bottom damper screws. Suzuki 10mm holes, Kawa 8mm bolts.
They sit in GSXR750J triple clamps bushed to suit the smaller stanchions. The offset is pretty much the same as the Kawa originals - but we needed the width to accomodate the GSXR front wheel and twin discs. From memory, either Mark or I swapped in a stem from my scrap box which had the right bearing sizes.

One thing I didn't want to have to do is change the chain size. We used 530 - remember that late 80's 530 was just coming good and smaller sizes were crap..
Going to have to change to 520 as I can't find a good/affordable 530. The 530 on it was free - it was the spare chain from Kirby's 1100 so was top quality...
Will remachine the sprockets to suit...

I'll get the wheels in after a cleanup of the discs. I'm always happier putting the engine back in something sitting on wheels. Engine in maybe this weekend.

[Grumph]

Engine in thanks to the kindness of some visitors - they didn't expect that. LOL. Now just piecing everything back onto it with fresh nuts and washers where needed. The pipe and the brakes are the last major jobs - and I'm waiting till I'm in the right mood for the brake work...
The pipe is disgusting. Really needs gritblasting but the budget says wire buff.

Found this pic today. Mark in full flight in I think the first season. 18 inch rear Dymag and 750 swingarm say very early on anyway.

[Grumph]

Pipe's done. Dirty job but....Anyway, before I put it on I thought I'd better do the back brake setup as it's easier to refit without the pipe in the way.

The M/c is dead basic. diecast piston with only one cup on it - and that's not at the working end. 14mm bore so the 1/2in one Rob donated doesn't have interchangeable guts. Piston came out without too much hassle and the bore should be OK with a light hone. The one cup is intact and looks good. Fingers crossed....It's all soaking prior to a repaint and reassembly.

The rear caliper is actually the OE front one. A two piston sliding arrangement hung on a home made carrier. It stripped in good condition. A clean and reassemble and it's done. But I need pads for it....Well I suppose as they're actually the originals from first purchase they've lasted quite well....But if I had a dollar for every rider who told me "I don't use the rear brake" I could easily afford the pads....

[Grumph]

Work has not ceased....But the rear brake is proving just as much of a prick to bleed now as it was originally....
You've got to put the caliper on a plate substitute for the disc well below wheel level - but in it's designed orientation. Bleed screw uppermost.
M/c is working fine but getting all the air out even with a vacuum bleeder is proving f'n near impossible. Still, I did it once before...

Pulled the fronts apart. Don't think I'll have to kit the front M/c, it still had good fluid in it and seems to work OK. So it's clean up the calipers.

[HenryDorsetCase]

brakes are my least favourite thing to work on.

[jellywrestler]

Work has not ceased....But the rear brake is proving just as much of a prick to bleed now as it was originally....
You've got to put the caliper on a plate substitute for the disc well below wheel level - but in it's designed orientation. Bleed screw uppermost.
M/c is working fine but getting all the air out even with a vacuum bleeder is proving f'n near impossible. Still, I did it once before...

Pulled the fronts apart. Don't think I'll have to kit the front M/c, it still had good fluid in it and seems to work OK. So it's clean up the calipers.

i force a syringe full in from the bottom, then use it as an open cylinder and bleed both ways a few times, ie pump the brake so fluid air goes into the syringe which is raised up via a tube, let it settle, then pump it the other way.

[sidecar bob]

i force a syringe full in from the bottom, then use it as an open cylinder and bleed both ways a few times, ie pump the brake so fluid air goes into the syringe which is raised up via a tube, let it settle, then pump it the other way.

A method I use, and it saves fluid, is to pump the caliper Pistons out as far as I dare, then hold the caliper so the brake hose banjo is at the highest point, then retract the Pistons back in, forcing fluid & any air back to the master cylinder.
This can be repeated often with no mess & no fluid usage.
You need to sit the resivoir cap on to prevent the fluid that comes up the port from hosing out the top.
I really enjoy working on brakes, surprised how many people don't.

[Grumph]

That's an interesting method. We all seem to have our own ways of doing it...

One of the problems here is that the vertical M/c has a side entry and a top exit with a banjo and an immediate downward turn on the hose.
I may try angling the whole rearset assembly a tad.
It's not helped by having to attatch a temporary reservoir to the short hose which is the reservoir when in use....If you don't do this, you're running out of fluid every 20 seconds or so.

[Grumph]

Right - after a couple of side issues, reviving the rideon so as to mow the acres (worthy of a thread of it's own....) and a wounded hand (healing, thanks for asking) I got pissed off at this rear brake. Looked around the stored stuff - she calls it junk...and found a M/c on a swingarm which came with the FZR250 stuff from Flettner. Believed to be a latish GSX250 arm, brake and wheel, the M/c had the right bolt spacing to go on the 500. It's 1/2in bore rather than 14mm but it had good fluid in it....It was earmarked for another project but....
Anyway, 10min after fitting it, it was bled and working. Bit more powerful than before - but everyone tells me "I don't use the back brake" so fuckit.

The pipe stays as is. We did some dyno work with the downdraft head engine and found that there was more power with bigger OD headers. This is a restoration not a redevelopment so it stays.

[malcy25]

Great fun watching and reading all of this. Reminds me of a few of the projects I've done of the years - the satisfaction gained of making stuff work again is great eh!

I guess you are aiming for the CAMS SC in December? I'll be down so hopefully we'll get to see it.

[Grumph]

Great fun watching and reading all of this. Reminds me of a few of the projects I've done of the years - the satisfaction gained of making stuff work again is great eh!

I guess you are aiming for the CAMS SC in December? I'll be down so hopefully we'll get to see it.

Yes, aiming for the SCF. What are you bringing down ?

It looks like this will be paraded. I've made contact with Mark Taylor - who coincidentally has just been rebuilt himself....He needs gentle running in so parading should fit the bill.

Front brakes are rebuilt and awaiting bleeding. Hororata swap meet tomorrow so they'll have to wait.
What I initially thought was a seized M/c turned out to be the bloody lever seized....

[malcy25]

Greg

At this stage my TZ350F McIntosh that I have raced for the last 21 years. Will be at least 2 more McIntosh TZ350's in the container along with a well ridden TR3 that I know about. We had all 6 TZ350 McIntoshes together a couple of years ago. I'm in contact with Dave R regularly and are currying guys up here to come down and make use of the support being offered get a good crop of bikes from yup here. I sent an email on Sunday to every old bike racer in my email address book, who lives north of Taupo.

I've promised my 750 to Yamaha NZ for their stand at the bike show the prior weekend, so it's staying up here. As much as I'd like to bring it down , the container leaves before the show, not after and the excess baggage on the plane trip may be a bit over the top! Added to that, the 350 is a good old bus that I really enjoy racing, but not ridden to any real extent in the last couple of years.

[Grumph]

The 350 should be fun on Levels. It's a "levelling" type of circuit. I've a customer who usually rides a 650/750 Kawasaki four and almost invariably finishes up in a little battlegroup with Pero and Paul Mclauchlan on TZ350's. They have fun.

Last time I saw a TZ750 on Levels was the Marlboro Series....

[jellywrestler]

The 350 should be fun on Levels. It's a "levelling" type of circuit. I've a customer who usually rides a 650/750 Kawasaki four and almost invariably finishes up in a little battlegroup with Pero and Paul Mclauchlan on TZ350's. They have fun.

Last time I saw a TZ750 on Levels was the Marlboro Series....

what about howard gregorys sidecar or does that not count?

[Grumph]

what about howard gregorys sidecar or does that not count?

Um, have to admit I'd forgotten that - but at that time I wasn't paying much attention to the chairs. I wouldn't have realised what he was using...

Both the short Ruapuna and short Levels as used during the Marlboro series were visibly hard work on the 750's. Watching them it was a very high speed precisely timed wrestling match. Get the timing wrong and you were gone.
Magee on the 500 was probably just as fast a couple of years back - but it was so much more civilised....And quieter.

[jellywrestler]

Um, have to admit I'd forgotten that - but at that time I wasn't paying much attention to the chairs. I wouldn't have realised what he was using...

Both the short Ruapuna and short Levels as used during the Marlboro series were visibly hard work on the 750's. Watching them it was a very high speed precisely timed wrestling match. Get the timing wrong and you were gone.
Magee on the 500 was probably just as fast a couple of years back - but it was so much more civilised....And quieter.

yeah those un baffled two smokes from the 70's must have killed a few peoples hearing. there was a tz750 there last year, from Tane's motueka motorcycles

[malcy25]

it was a very high speed precisely timed wrestling match. Get the timing wrong and you were gone.


That describes riding the 750 in general:cool:

[Grumph]

Right - got my camera back. It goes walkabout.

Front brakes are bled and fitted. Easier to bleed these off the bike as it's so tight around the inner bleed nipples. Still wiring to do though - which can wait till some newer rubber goes on. What's on it now was fitted in '92 for Brighton. As stated previously, Impulse calipers. The adaptors are steel as they had to be 6mm...

Pic of the LHS shows how I did the gear linkage. Hanging it off the motor is quite useful and might help someone sometime. Obviously still a chain to go on too...

Pic of the tank breather again might help someone who needs a high volume breather for alky. The plastic disc sits down on the tips of what's left after slots are cut. Air can pass around it. Soon as air or fuel goes the other way, it's hard up against a flat surface and nothing can pass. Surprisingly sensitive too.
I did two of these for Kirby's alky 1100 - and there were no fuel flow problems when it was timed at 190mph at a flying quarter...Remember in the 80's you couldn't go on trademe and buy a one way breather. Made in brass cos the hex alloy I could get then was shit to machine.

Waiting now for an ignitor plug and some harness from Pete Sales. Once upon a time I had an adaptor piece which let me use a std ignitor on this harness. Lost in the mists of time....The Electronic R&D boxes used a different plug setup. If memory serves, I kept the wire colours the same as OE for the same functions.

[Grumph]

Ignitor plug and piece of harness turned up today. Some dicking around and a prolonged soldering session saw the 9 wires inserted into the two 4 pin plugs on the harness. In the right order even ! For those who can count, two of the wires going into the ignitor are earths so can be amalgamated...

Did the old trick of pulling the sidecover and flicking the pickups with a fat screwdriver - and it sparks. Easier than pushing....

New HT leads and caps went on as a matter of course. The caps were the 1986 originals....Didn't even test them, in the bin.
The NGK 10.5's fitted cleaned up well and went back in.
Even got the oil light working. I was a tad surprised to find I hadn't wired in a neutral light. Everything since has had one.
Won't know if the tacho is working till it's fired. Hoping it's not solid rat piss.

[husaberg]

Ignitor plug and piece of harness turned up today. Some dicking around and a prolonged soldering session saw the 9 wires inserted into the two 4 pin plugs on the harness. In the right order even ! For those who can count, two of the wires going into the ignitor are earths so can be amalgamated...

Did the old trick of pulling the sidecover and flicking the pickups with a fat screwdriver - and it sparks. Easier than pushing....

New HT leads and caps went on as a matter of course. The caps were the 1986 originals....Didn't even test them, in the bin.
The NGK 10.5's fitted cleaned up well and went back in.
Even got the oil light working. I was a tad surprised to find I hadn't wired in a neutral light. Everything since has had one.
Won't know if the tacho is working till it's fired. Hoping it's not solid rat piss.
SO it runs as a TCI with a set of magnetic pick ups?
ie battery coil without the points

[Grumph]

SO it runs as a TCI with a set of magnetic pick ups?
ie battery coil without the points

Yeah, the Electronic R&D boxes simply had a more agressive advance curve and a higher rev limit. Both the ones we had died of old age.
Last time I had a spark was around '96 when I took it to a Canty club day at Ruapuna to give someone a ride. From memory, two bangs and that was all she wrote. Dead electronics. Parked up after that.
Does a day's racing fine on an 8 amp hour battery, total loss of course.

Any luck finding that article on Tony's bike ?

[husaberg]

Yeah, the Electronic R&D boxes simply had a more agressive advance curve and a higher rev limit. Both the ones we had died of old age.
Last time I had a spark was around '96 when I took it to a Canty club day at Ruapuna to give someone a ride. From memory, two bangs and that was all she wrote. Dead electronics. Parked up after that.
Does a day's racing fine on an 8 amp hour battery, total loss of course.

Any luck finding that article on Tony's bike ?

Not yet i suspect i put it to one side

[Grumph]

Well, thanks to the generosity of Rob - who now earns the title "sponsor" - there's a chain on it and oil in it....The water I could afford myself.

If I'd felt better today, it may have had a kick in the guts and been fired up.
As things stand, I'll sort out some Dzus buttons for the seat and fairing next week in town which should make it rideable.

Had a quick Google to see if the article on Tony's bike was on line. Couldn't find it but did find this pic. I've been in that workshop, LOL.
Tony and Amanda and the 500 special. Pic is dated '88 so it's the final version. 2:1 pipe and frame with an extra 1in high box piece welded around the top as a brace. In the first season, Tony complained it felt a bit vague...Both Mark and I had a ride at the GP practise day at Ruapuna - Tony had a ride on my one too.
Anyway, Mark agreed but couldn't pin point the problem. First time I put it into the Ruapuna esses hard the front end nearly walked me right off the track...But I was then and still am about 20kg heavier than Mark and about 30 heavier than Tony...So I'd loaded the frame up much more than either of them.
Without a VFR750 lump bolted into it on solid mounts it was flexy as fuck.
I believe the bike still exists. Billie said at one point he knew where it was. Be good to see it going again.
Amanda was a Pharmacy tutor. I told her what i'd found on Toluene and oxygen bearing fuels generally. She did further research and turned into a very good fuel engineer indeed.

[jellywrestler]

i rode that bike to the brass monkey two up when it was a vfr750, my Darmah let me down late in the peice and my mate said hop on, shared the riding most of the trip too

[Grumph]

i rode that bike to the brass monkey two up when it was a vfr750, my Darmah let me down late in the peice and my mate said hop on, shared the riding most of the trip too

I'd heard it was a Wellington bike in it's first life. What happened that Tony finished up with the frame ?

[jellywrestler]

https://www.google.co.nz/maps/@-39.9172534,175.0617305,3a,75y,229.78h,103.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2_Kyzalw0owN824A-ZQkmA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 the guy was trying to pull a wheelie and hit the hospice shop, it's a long way from the corner he came out of, that's in wangavegas

[Grumph]

Well, I've had an interesting day...Went looking for about 10 Dzus buttons, the shortest 3/8in shank version. These were once the most common of all...

Anyway, Reid & Twiname no longer have the agency - referred me to "Pattersons" This was R J Patterson panelbeaters supplies from whom I've bought buttons previously. Well, they've moved and changed name - now RJP. A "long term" staff member declined all knowledge of Dzus fasteners - "never had them" interesting...So, google Dzus fasteners in ChCh and come up with some names. Some of whom were mentioned in the last thread on here about fairing fasteners. Even with their listing on google saying they carried them, three declined all knowledge of them...again interesting.
Finally found a fastener co - one man band - who knew what I wanted and immediately referred me to one of the failures - "they carry them in stainless".
He was interested in that firms denial...Anyway, he's seeing what he can find for me.

A mate from speedway referred me to The Edge performance shop in Hornby. Yes, they carry Dzus buttons, yes, they had what I wanted - but sold the last of their stock that morning....And are not restocking till Christmas. Bugger me, season's just starting and that's the most popular size and they don't have any.
Don't think much of that business model...

[husaberg]

Well, I've had an interesting day...Went looking for about 10 Dzus buttons, the shortest 3/8in shank version. These were once the most common of all...

Anyway, Reid & Twiname no longer have the agency - referred me to "Pattersons" This was R J Patterson panelbeaters supplies from whom I've bought buttons previously. Well, they've moved and changed name - now RJP. A "long term" staff member declined all knowledge of Dzus fasteners - "never had them" interesting...So, google Dzus fasteners in ChCh and come up with some names. Some of whom were mentioned in the last thread on here about fairing fasteners. Even with their listing on google saying they carried them, three declined all knowledge of them...again interesting.
Finally found a fastener co - one man band - who knew what I wanted and immediately referred me to one of the failures - "they carry them in stainless".
He was interested in that firms denial...Anyway, he's seeing what he can find for me.

A mate from speedway referred me to The Edge performance shop in Hornby. Yes, they carry Dzus buttons, yes, they had what I wanted - but sold the last of their stock that morning....And are not restocking till Christmas. Bugger me, season's just starting and that's the most popular size and they don't have any.
Don't think much of that business model...

Rangavegas Cheap prices too
https://www.aircraftlogistics.co.nz/shop/list/dzus-fasterners

Dunedin
http://www.racesupplies.co.nz/products/dzus-fasteners-1-4-turn-race-fasteners

Aukland
https://www.flamecrusher.com/category?CatID=40


dzus like
http://www.cycletreads.co.nz/products/2284-keiti_road_bodywork_protectors/7895-keiti_quick_release_fastners_d.aspx

[HenryDorsetCase]

Well, I've had an interesting day...Went looking for about 10 Dzus buttons, the shortest 3/8in shank version. These were once the most common of all...

Anyway, Reid & Twiname no longer have the agency - referred me to "Pattersons" This was R J Patterson panelbeaters supplies from whom I've bought buttons previously. Well, they've moved and changed name - now RJP. A "long term" staff member declined all knowledge of Dzus fasteners - "never had them" interesting...So, google Dzus fasteners in ChCh and come up with some names. Some of whom were mentioned in the last thread on here about fairing fasteners. Even with their listing on google saying they carried them, three declined all knowledge of them...again interesting.
Finally found a fastener co - one man band - who knew what I wanted and immediately referred me to one of the failures - "they carry them in stainless".
He was interested in that firms denial...Anyway, he's seeing what he can find for me.

A mate from speedway referred me to The Edge performance shop in Hornby. Yes, they carry Dzus buttons, yes, they had what I wanted - but sold the last of their stock that morning....And are not restocking till Christmas. Bugger me, season's just starting and that's the most popular size and they don't have any.
Don't think much of that business model...

aliexpress to the rescue

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Dzus-Fasteners-Fairing-Quick-Release-Dzus-Race-fairing-Dzuz-Fasteners/32824882479.html?src=google&albch=search&acnt=479-062-3723&isdl=y&aff_short_key=UneMJZVf&albcp=749199961&albag=39438926055&slnk=&trgt=aud-165594907443:dsa-42862830006&plac=&crea=176770942541&netw=g&device=c&mtctp=b&memo1=1t1&albbt=Google_7_search&aff_platform=google&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrszdBRDWARIsAEEYhre_3fk8rEtjzmduFA01 WklJvYV0s_qBoaUUjbygV1CV2pReSzYDs0waAlbHEALw_wcB

[eldog]

Dunno if this is what you are after - Dzus -information always seem elusive
otherwise I might have used them myself :brick:

http://www.edlfast.co.nz/products/index.php/catalogsearch/result/?q=dzus

[sidecar bob]

I'll PM you Bernie Gillon's cell number from flamecrusher.
He's going through a major transition at the mo & I'd be fairly sure his landline won't work, but I'm sure he will have what you need.
Get him to drop them to me if you do a deal.

[Grumph]

Dunno if this is what you are after - Dzus -information always seem elusive
otherwise I might have used them myself :brick:

http://www.edlfast.co.nz/products/index.php/catalogsearch/result/?q=dzus

One of the ones who denied all knowledge....

Thanks everyone. Plenty of leads I didn't know about.

[malcy25]

One of the ones who denied all knowledge....

Thanks everyone. Plenty of leads I didn't know about.

Had same problem earlier this year - chased all over with an example and all the places that showed they sold them (including EDL) , "yeah,......nah".....ended up buy out of UK (where these came from fitted to some bodywork I bought). I found with a bit or searching a spec sheet that showed dimensions and product codes which made life easier.

Hope you find some in the end.

[Grumph]

Had same problem earlier this year - chased all over with an example and all the places that showed they sold them (including EDL) , "yeah,......nah".....ended up buy out of UK (where these came from fitted to some bodywork I bought). I found with a bit or searching a spec sheet that showed dimensions and product codes which made life easier.

Hope you find some in the end.

Oh, I will. the Rangiora one Husa posted can have them for me in 10days - but I'm following up others just out of sheer cussedness.
I've been appalled at the shit level of knowledge in the fastener trade now.

[husaberg]

Oh, I will. the Rangiora one Husa posted can have them for me in 10days - but I'm following up others just out of sheer cussedness.
I've been appalled at the shit level of knowledge in the fastener trade now.

You must know someone that works as a aircraft mechanic bet they have boxfulls of them.
Seems pretty shit all arround i noticed that the electrical trade use them as well.
maybe walk into the place that is meant to have them with a picture or a example they might just call them something different?
Isnt Dzus actually the manufacturer name?

here is some similar qd stuff from nz
https://www.comac.co.nz/modules/SP_webshop/products.php?cat=2246


rs components also stock Dzus but for the electrical trade.


http://www.jtctools.co.nz/
IN CHCH
these guys are meant to be a distributor
But i cant find them on the webpage but they are local
transport tools and parts
22 Byron St Sydenham Christchurch 8023
(Corner Byron & Hawden Sts)

[F5 Dave]

It's all retail. When I walk into a shop I should be the stupidest person there for product knowledge (instead of just in general) . But I'm constantly finding I'm better informed just through experience or 5min on Google than they are of their own product line.

Just occasionally like a breath of fresh air. . . But usually sheesh!

[Grumph]

It's all retail. When I walk into a shop I should be the stupidest person there for product knowledge (instead of just in general) . But I'm constantly finding I'm better informed just through experience or 5min on Google than they are of their own product line.

Just occasionally like a breath of fresh air. . . But usually sheesh!

Yeah, which is why, when I've found a good knowledgeable supplier, I stick with them.
Locally, Blacks fasteners impress me. At the height of the rebuild, you'd go in and it was full of guys getting huge bolts for structural work. More than once I saw a staff member say "No, that's not what you'd use. For that job this is what's wanted" I couldn't fault their material selection either...
They know me now - and don't argue, LOL.

[Grumph]

Aircraft Logistics are supplying. No Husa, I didn't know him - but he knows Neil....I suspect everybody in the light aircraft world in NZ knows Neil.

FWIW, He's NZ agent for Aircraft Spruce stuff. I've seen them mentioned on the ESE thread as carrying some good stuff.

[Grumph]

Just tidying minor stuff now. The battery box had been lowered in the subframe at some point by adding a couple of rusty mild steel straps - and a couple of cable ties. Can't remember what battery it was built around but obviously when it came time for replacement, it was dearer than optimum so a taller one went in. Did it proper now with alloy and stainless extension mounts.
Deleted two of the three engine breathers. Only the one from the OE position top of the gearbox left now. Tidied up the top of the motor noticeably.

Town tomorrow for more Doctor so I'll pick up some 4-5mm nylon sheet for the shark fin.

Dzus buttons should arrive shortly so the seat can go on which will make firing it on rollers quite a bit more comfortable...

[Grumph]

To all intents and purposes finished and ready to be fired. NPD 100 on hand....

Still to refit the fairings. Must look at the signwriting on the lower. As previous pic, it was black writing on a broad white band.
I'm of a mind to replace with a white vinyl strip with the lettering lasercut out. Dark red will look like black from a distance.
The original was poster paint and removed when the Budget partnership broke up.

Then of course fresh rubber. What's on it dates from the Brighton outing in 1992.

The seat and tank are both oxy-acetylene welded alloy fabrications. My good mate Gary did them both. He's back in business now so I should probably get him to remove the odd dent and stone pimple then get a mould off the seat. It's just a generic 80's breadbox shape I sketched for him - but it's quite a pleasing shape without any immediate associations with a particular brand. I'd certainly like to use this shape again.

[sidecar bob]

I've thoroughly enjoyed following this build. It's only taken you two & a bit months, which must be some kind of record. Kasper the K100 took me two & a half years.
Ok, drag the next one out while you still have our attention.:niceone:
What size are the tyres?

[Grumph]

I've thoroughly enjoyed following this build. It's only taken you two & a bit months, which must be some kind of record. Kasper the K100 took me two & a half years.
Ok, drag the next one out while you still have our attention.:niceone:
What size are the tyres?

Shit, I could have done this one with my eyes closed...at several times in the past when it was in regular use, I probably have.....

Rubber will turn up. It's on 17's - 3 1/2 front and 4 1/2 rear so 120 and 160 section tyres. Mark reckoned he had a new front in his stock when I spoke to him.

Next build scheduled is another twin, build from scratch - but a 250. Pre 82, plus eligible for CAMS 150/250 class. Collected everything I need now, just time and enthusiasm needed. Oh and refill the gas bottles too.
I don't actually have access to a stock of unrestored bikes, sorry.

[F5 Dave]

That bodywork makes it look real smart. Nice effort.

[sidecar bob]

Shit, I could have done this one with my eyes closed...at several times in the past when it was in regular use, I probably have.....

Rubber will turn up. It's on 17's - 3 1/2 front and 4 1/2 rear so 120 and 160 section tyres. Mark reckoned he had a new front in his stock when I spoke to him.

Next build scheduled is another twin, build from scratch - but a 250. Pre 82, plus eligible for CAMS 150/250 class. Collected everything I need now, just time and enthusiasm needed. Oh and refill the gas bottles too.
I don't actually have access to a stock of unrestored bikes, sorry.

I have a few good slightly used 120 front Pirelli slicks, the rear is a tad small for me, I have 180's if that would go on, free and hand delivered of course.
I am happy to send you bikes for refurbishment upon request. What about a S Rad Suzuki to build before the next classic TT? Can deliver.;) (I'm actually serious) or would you prefer the RC30 packed into fish bins?

[Grumph]

That bodywork makes it look real smart. Nice effort.

Thanks Dave. The pic I can't find is the CB350 Gary did for the late Maurie Smith here in ChCh. Polished alloy seat, tank and fairing. Stunning.
Maurie had played around with rephasing the crank too so it was pretty special. Maurie sold it to the US where we were told, once developed a bit more it had a class win at AHRMA Daytona. The alloywork got a lot of comment.
I've always rated Gary's work right up with the local legends like Steve Roberts and Robin Officer.

[malcy25]

Shit, I could have done this one with my eyes closed...at several times in the past when it was in regular use, I probably have.....

Rubber will turn up. It's on 17's - 3 1/2 front and 4 1/2 rear so 120 and 160 section tyres. Mark reckoned he had a new front in his stock when I spoke to him.

Next build scheduled is another twin, build from scratch - but a 250. Pre 82, plus eligible for CAMS 150/250 class. Collected everything I need now, just time and enthusiasm needed. Oh and refill the gas bottles too.
I don't actually have access to a stock of unrestored bikes, sorry.

I've found the 160's seem to be a touch big for 4 1/2's (on the 750 they leave a 1cm chicken strip even with someone useful riding it) so if you do have to go buy new, don't discount 150's as an option to consider. Dave Freeman used to regularly race on a 150 on the 4 1/2 on his pre 82 postie GSX. Bridgestone do their new R11 (which are soft as buggery) and they are a pretty good price ($279 retail vs left kidney for the Pirelli = $409 retail)

[husaberg]

Thanks Dave. The pic I can't find is the CB350 Gary did for the late Maurie Smith here in ChCh. Polished alloy seat, tank and fairing. Stunning.
.
I am guessing he did Brian Humms seat on the Cheney as well.

[HenryDorsetCase]

I have a few good slightly used 120 front Pirelli slicks, the rear is a tad small for me, I have 180's if that would go on, free and hand delivered of course.
I am happy to send you bikes for refurbishment upon request. What about a S Rad Suzuki to build before the next classic TT? Can deliver.;) (I'm actually serious) or would you prefer the RC30 packed into fish bins?

RC30 packed into fish bins?!??!

send it to me.

[Grumph]

I've found the 160's seem to be a touch big for 4 1/2's (on the 750 they leave a 1cm chicken strip even with someone useful riding it) so if you do have to go buy new, don't discount 150's as an option to consider. Dave Freeman used to regularly race on a 150 on the 4 1/2 on his pre 82 postie GSX. Bridgestone do their new R11 (which are soft as buggery) and they are a pretty good price ($279 retail vs left kidney for the Pirelli = $409 retail)

Point taken. Dave''s had the 'arris down here a couple of times - but has had a 5.5 rear in it every time I've seen it....
This thing is narrow enough with everything tucked well in that it gets to the edge of a 160, no probs.

[Grumph]

I am guessing he did Brian Humms seat on the Cheney as well.

I think so, yes. He did a few interesting bits and bobs around that period. Then dropped out of bikes for some time.

[sidecar bob]

RC30 packed into fish bins?!??!

send it to me.

Only until Dukic does the suspension, but I'll swap you some pics of it for some pics of your NC30, if You still have it.
I may have found an engine builder for the RC via the PM system though.:msn-wink:

[malcy25]

Point taken. Dave''s had the 'arris down here a couple of times - but has had a 5.5 rear in it every time I've seen it....
This thing is narrow enough with everything tucked well in that it gets to the edge of a 160, no probs.

Lol, I'll have him on if he's burgling it in pre 82. He may have the bigger rim when it's open up to pre 89 and no pre 82 maybe (Like the GP was a couple of years ago).

Good to see the 500 in the sun light!

[Grumph]

Well, it's a runner. Rob came round with his rollers and eventually - after memory kicked in as to where the choke was - it ran. Long enough to cure the paint on the pipe and warm it through anyway. Didn't like starting in 2nd so used 3rd in the end - lot of compression....Idle needed winding up a long way too - which didn't help starting.
Water pump is leaking a bit so I'll bite the bullet and order up OE gaskets - inner and outer.

Sounds just as it used to - a tad flat. Might bump up the advance a bit if I can be bothered.

[Grumph]

OK - Open call, does anyone know the whereabouts of Tony McMurdo's Pink special ?

I was told some time back that it was somewhere east coast North Island. I'm assuming Bob would know of it if it was in or around Tauranga but that still leaves a lot of room...
Be nice to have both of the 500's out and running. I've got no problems rebuilding it if it's blown or no engine, still have spares here.

One of the Wgtn old-timers once told me they see Tony at a gym regularly, can't remember who it was. Probably should ask Tony where it went...

[husaberg]

Long hair acid wash jeans and a pink and Green bike
339224

[sidecar bob]

OK - Open call, does anyone know the whereabouts of Tony McMurdo's Pink special ?

I was told some time back that it was somewhere east coast North Island. I'm assuming Bob would know of it if it was in or around Tauranga but that still leaves a lot of room...
Be nice to have both of the 500's out and running. I've got no problems rebuilding it if it's blown or no engine, still have spares here.

One of the Wgtn old-timers once told me they see Tony at a gym regularly, can't remember who it was. Probably should ask Tony where it went...

I'm well aware of exactly which bike you mean, I've never heard of it being around these parts, but will ask around.
Might get a facebooker to ask on there on your behalf.

[sidecar bob]

https://uhcl.recollect.co.nz/assets/display/50078-max
Acid wash jeans and a pink bike

He was a mega cool dude to be around, always had a big solid plait bouncing down his back when racing.
That hair was halfway to his bum.

[husaberg]

He was a mega cool dude to be around, always had a big solid plait bouncing down his back when racing.
I remember him.
I keep threatening to find the Kiwibiker piece they did on the bike. I have just not summonsed up the energy to go through the required number of bookselves

[F5 Dave]

He even did his Indian that colour scheme. I think he gave a rats what anyone else thought.

[sidecar bob]

Chris & Ritchie Lawrence weren't afraid of a bit of pink either.
They even had flowers.
Looks like they borrowed it off a girl.

[jellywrestler]

He was a mega cool dude to be around, always had a big solid plait bouncing down his back when racing.
That hair was halfway to his bum.

used to put motion sickness tabs behind his ears for the cemetery circuit too i'm told...

[Grumph]

used to put motion sickness tabs behind his ears for the cemetery circuit too i'm told...

I think that's right. Amanda had him on food supplements too well before they were mainstream. The guy who said he saw him at a Wgtn gym said he was working as a personal trainer. Health and fitness was always a big thing with them both.

[jasonu]

Chris & Ritchie Lawrence weren't afraid of a bit of pink either.
They even had flowers.
Looks like they borrowed it off a girl.

A couple of good cunts right there!!!!!

[Grumph]

The "leave it as it finished" approach....Some would automatically replace the screen. Not me, breaking it holds memories.

We'd gone up to that Superbike round having already started on the new bike. This was supposed to be the old girl's last hurrah.
Anyway, doing it on the cheap, we'd gone to Picton in my van, Mark had ridden the bike onto the ferry and I and his partner had walked all the gear aboard.
Mark picked up a van in Wgtn from a mate for the weekend.
We were booked to come back on a mid morning Monday ferry so I was left in the wait area with the bike and a jacket full of tie-downs while Mark returned the van.
Come time to load the bikes I had a go at push starting it - usually it was pretty easy - but it had been a long weekend....
Clumsy me, broke the screen with the jacket full of tie-downs...as you do if you're fucked and barely awake.
Nekminit, about ten South Islanders appear from the line of waiting cars - some of whom I recognised. Hop on Greg I'm told and I get a push that nearly got me right up the ramp...
Tie it down, fuel off, battery disconnected - and into the bar where half the roadracers in the SI are already waiting.

Anyway, all the budget was going into the next bike - so it was repair the screen and use it as it was. It stays like this now.

[Grumph]

Picked up a used 160 rear today. Dated '15 - it'll do. Supposed to have two meetings in a Suzuki series on it.

Happier about taking it up the road on this rather than one dated '92....

A 120 front will appear. It's the easy one.

[layton]

Picked up a used 160 rear today. Dated '15 - it'll do. Supposed to have two meetings in a Suzuki series on it.

Happier about taking it up the road on this rather than one dated '92....

A 120 front will appear. It's the easy one.

nice job! looks great.

[kiwimacchi]

Looking good, Greg. Have happy memories of riding this bike- be good to see it out on track again.
Gary made the 'Macchi tank, too. I was always in awe of his abilities. Think it might of been the last one he did before he 'retired'.

339300

[Grumph]

Well, the signwriting's done. Sharper job than the hand painted original. Maybe I should have asked for a couple of wavy edges, LOL.
Smartsigns in Chch did it at a very good price. One woman outfit - and her husband races in CAMS.
Fairing is RG500 Mk4/5 from I think Foxton. It was a popular one at the time, we squeezed one onto the Budget GSXR1100 with the aid of a lower seat and tank. Pretty sure it's also the one used on the Roberts built F1 suzukis.

Water pump leak didn't go away with OE gaskets. But putting another pump outer cover on sorted it. No visible reason for the leak...

Still a 120 front to go on before levels.

When he first saw it painted, Kirby immediately asked where the "Budget orange" was....So I went to Bob Buchanan who had a dive and marine supply place in Ferry road and got some orange spiral wrap for the front brake lines. Happy Trev...
If anyone's needing some, apparently it's available in a range of colours as hi-vis wrap for divers air lines.

Dammit, sites stopping me posting pics.
Thanks Husa.

[husaberg]

Well, the signwriting's done. Sharper job than the hand painted original. Maybe I should have asked for a couple of wavy edges, LOL.
Smartsigns in Chch did it at a very good price. One woman outfit - and her husband races in CAMS.
Fairing is RG500 Mk4/5 from I think Foxton. It was a popular one at the time, we squeezed one onto the Budget GSXR1100 with the aid of a lower seat and tank. Pretty sure it's also the one used on the Roberts built F1 suzukis.

Water pump leak didn't go away with OE gaskets. But putting another pump outer cover on sorted it.

Still a 120 front to go on before levels.

Dammit, sites stopping me posting pics.
Email them to me Greg.

Pics care of Grumph
339474339475

[malcy25]

Looking great, Greg.


Pretty sure it's also the one used on the Roberts built F1 suzukis.



Looks Mk4/5, but not the same as the Steve Roberts (and now Spyda's) Plastic fantastic.....I heard a rumour that when Croz landed back in NZ with the 1980 XR69 Suzuki gave him, it ended up in Whanganui at Colemans and a mould of the bodywork might have been made.....

The Plastic's fairing is def XR69 ish....The alloy bike is a little different again.

[Grumph]

Looking great, Greg.



Looks Mk4/5, but not the same as the Steve Roberts (and now Spyda's) Plastic fantastic.....I heard a rumour that when Croz landed back in NZ with the 1980 XR69 Suzuki gave him, it ended up in Whanganui at Colemans and a mould of the bodywork might have been made.....

The Plastic's fairing is def XR69 ish....The alloy bike is a little different again.

Can't see it in the pics but there's a step out at the point where the bellypan attatches. That's what made me think the Roberts bikes were the same fairing as they have the same step...
Yeah, I understand Croz gave permission for at least the shocks on the XR69 to be copied/borrowed - For Hiscock's IOM bike ? - but was a tad upset when he found out how much else had been copied...

[malcy25]

Can't see it in the pics but there's a step out at the point where the bellypan attatches. That's what made me think the Roberts bikes were the same fairing as they have the same step...
Yeah, I understand Croz gave permission for at least the shocks on the XR69 to be copied/borrowed - For Hiscock's IOM bike ? - but was a tad upset when he found out how much else had been copied...

Bodywork. Aha!

Shocks - probably for the McIntosh in 81 maybe before Dave went on the alloy bike in 82?

[Triplenut]

Looking sharp Greg :)

Finalising program this weekend, let me know if you have a rider sorted for Past Masters parade

Cheers
Dave

[Grumph]

Looking sharp Greg :)

Finalising program this weekend, let me know if you have a rider sorted for Past Masters parade

Cheers
Dave

Will if I can.

Sideways progress....The 160/60 Pirelli slick I fitted is about 12mm wider than a period Michelin 16/62. Very tight indeed. Too tight IMO.
So I bit the bullet and bought a pair of 2CT Michelins. Yes, treaded....But I know what they're like as we used them on Kev's GS1000, beating plenty of people on slicks. And I went to a 150 rear too...Don had done a deal cornering the market and did a very good price.
Fit them in the cool of the evening probably. Should be able to run it up the road before Levels.

Depends how the old girl goes. If it feels as good as ever, this rubber is certainly good enough to race on. Also depends who wants to ride it....

[Grumph]

Okay...it's had a run on a "private road". The std ignition box is noticeable, bit flat till the advance catches up. Then very strong from about 7000 to std rev limiter of about 10300. If it ever gets raced seriously again, I must see if I can find a competition ignitor, that midrange punch it once had was very useful. As was the extra 2000 plus revs before the limiter cut in.
Suspension was good, brakes bedded back in fine, no oil or water leaks. What more could I want.

[husaberg]

Okay...it's had a run on a "private road". The std ignition box is noticeable, bit flat till the advance catches up. Then very strong from about 7000 to std rev limiter of about 10300. If it ever gets raced seriously again, I must see if I can find a competition ignitor, that midrange punch it once had was very useful. As was the extra 2000 plus revs before the limiter cut in.
Suspension was good, brakes bedded back in fine, no oil or water leaks. What more could I want.
What about a ign off the GPX250

[Grumph]

What about a ign off the GPX250

I'd need to see the advance curve. It's not just the extra revs, it's more advance, earlier, to fatten the low end up.
And no, an ignitech isn't an option. Any more mass on that end of the crank is asking for trouble.

[husaberg]

I'd need to see the advance curve. It's not just the extra revs, it's more advance, earlier, to fatten the low end up.
And no, an ignitech isn't an option. Any more mass on that end of the crank is asking for trouble.
Michael Moore will have the curve.....
paging Mr Moore..

I used that same exhaust on all 5 versions of the bike it wasn't broken so I didn't fix it.

[Grumph]

Well, I've finally got an answer from E R&D in Auckland. They can do me a replacement race ignition.
If it's ever going to be raced half seriously, it really needs the agressive advance and more revs.
So I'll start saving...

Looks like it'll be paraded by Kiwimacchi at levels. Testing showed it's a pain with the std ignition. On track should be easier.

[husaberg]

I'd need to see the advance curve. It's not just the extra revs, it's more advance, earlier, to fatten the low end up.
And no, an ignitech isn't an option. Any more mass on that end of the crank is asking for trouble.
http://i1036.photobucket.com/albums/a441/Nikos_Microulis/NinjaIgnTiming_Graph_zpsf5ae5b17.jpg
I will email it to you greg

[Grumph]

The std 250 curves are very like the std 500 - full advance is reached very late on.
Whatever the aftermarket ? one is, it's very like the E R&D boxes with the agressive advance curve and flat line following.

Interesting though. If I ran a Ninja in 250 prod or the 300 class, I'd have a few options to play with...

[sidecar bob]

Could you runa dyna 2000 module using the standard pick up?
They're a great little unit, especially when compared to the rubbish German one I had to work with recently.

[jellywrestler]

Looking great, Greg.



Looks Mk4/5, but not the same as the Steve Roberts (and now Spyda's) Plastic fantastic.....I heard a rumour that when Croz landed back in NZ with the 1980 XR69 Suzuki gave him, it ended up in Whanganui at Colemans and a mould of the bodywork might have been made.....

The Plastic's fairing is def XR69 ish....The alloy bike is a little different again.

two people took copies, one very early in the peice then when it was in southwards mr coleman borrowed it and did the deed damaging some of the stickers etc. croz wasn't happy and took it back, don't blame him either.

[husaberg]

The std 250 curves are very like the std 500 - full advance is reached very late on.
Whatever the aftermarket ? one is, it's very like the E R&D boxes with the agressive advance curve and flat line following.

Interesting though. If I ran a Ninja in 250 prod or the 300 class, I'd have a few options to play with...
Some stuff i found the STD 500 is very slow advancing. not full until near peak........
I also included a VT250 spec TCI as i have one (i think)still in the Shed.
I have emailed the pics as you cant see pics on your 1970's internet connection:bleh:
339693339694

[Grumph]

Could you runa dyna 2000 module using the standard pick up?
They're a great little unit, especially when compared to the rubbish German one I had to work with recently.

Done quite a bit with them myself - including running the pickups "inverted" on Kev's GS1000 - which saves about 50mm of engine width.

BUT - the kawa pickups are on a large pcd vs the quite small pcd of the Dynas. Don't know how that would affect the advance curves - specifically the rpm at which it changes. I think it's on a time basis so everything would react later....but I could be wrong.

The E R&D box should sort it. And cheaper than a Dyna.....

[Grumph]

Well, Levels is done and dusted. The bike went as required all weekend. I'd told Ade to get into it a bit more on Sunday so he did...Had a fun little dice with Croz on an RGB. The kawa didn't look out of place.
What happens next ? Don't know yet. Have spoken to a suitable rider, wait and see.

What I was happy to see is that if we do race it seriously (cough) it shouldn't be out of place. In that group - pre 82 senior and pre 89 F3 - only DC on the big MacIntosh was into the 1 . 10 bracket. The next few 82's and the quickest F3 were in the 1 . 13 range.
Mark Taylor was doing 1 .13's on this bike in 1988/89....

Modern rubber is worth what ?

Heard today that the big CB350/4 I built for Pete Anderson a few years back finished up 3rd in it's class of pre 72 for the weekend in the hands of it's current owner. Well done.

[Triplenut]

Great seeing the old girl out there Greg, and the old rider :)

looked good and went well

pic below

cheers
Dave

[kiwimacchi]

Great seeing the old girl out there Greg, and the old rider :)

looked good and went well

pic below

cheers
Dave

Thanks for your comment Dave- only forgiven 'cos of the photo!
Who took it? Been looking for any from the meeting, you know, might be the last ride, and all.............. Ha ha.
Really keen to get 'Macchi put together after Levels!!

[Grumph]

There's a CAMS meeting at Ruapuna this weekend. If the race ignition box arrives in time - and i'm not too hopeful there - it'll get a run with a young gun aboard. Geoff Cain wanted to buy the bike late 90's to run his boy in F3. His boy is now an experienced rider with international experience too...
But he's never ridden this bike - yet. We'll see.
Anyway, it dawned on me that it'd never run on the extended Ruapuna....Pretty sure the gearing is what we used for short Ruapuna and Levels. But my spare front sprockets have been eaten up by certain GS1000 and Z1's...the spline is the same.
So a 1T bigger front has been ordered - just in case. Funnily enough it's the standard OE no of teeth - and width. We'd always run 530 but it's now on OE width 520.

Might happen, might not.

[guyhockley]

May be just the angle of the picture, but you look a bit cramped?

Quote from Graham Dyson of Nova:

"We use the generic dimensions adopted years ago by the big japanese manufacturers: 12 splines on a 22mm shaft, 13 on a 25mm shaft, 16 on a 30mm shaft and so on."

[Grumph]

The pic is kiwimacchi - AKA Ade...He fits fine. Just not getting down to it, LOL. Recent visitors at the time of the NZGP had a sit on it and commented how roomy it is. It's general seat/bars/pegs dimensions are very close to a Manx - which is the most comfortable race bike I ever rode so most of what i've built has similar diensions.

[guyhockley]

Oh, sorry. When you said last ride, I thought you meant yours.

[husaberg]

Okay Grumph
if you had any idea how many times i scanned this today.
This is the best i could do on my Laptop without the proper software

340638

[Grumph]

Thanks - and well done. I'd been told about that article but had never seen it.

It'd be interesting to hear Tony's views on it now - and the political wrangling that forced him onto a ZX4 after two seasons on the twin.
At least he made money with the fours by selling them off at the end of each season, LOL.
I'd still like to find the pink twin.

My bike didn't run at Ruapuna at the weekend - the race ignition hasn't turned up.

[husaberg]

Thanks - and well done. I'd been told about that article but had never seen it.

It'd be interesting to hear Tony's views on it now - and the political wrangling that forced him onto a ZX4 after two seasons on the twin.
At least he made money with the fours by selling them off at the end of each season, LOL.
I'd still like to find the pink twin.

My bike didn't run at Ruapuna at the weekend - the race ignition hasn't turned up.

Kiwirider mags from the 80's are printed on some real low class uv unstable paper.
Plus trying to get in in place and to then stay on the scanner bed.
its still yellow and crinkled and straightening it out cut of tiny bits of the lower text but unless miss 11 gets off the Computer its going to stay that way.
i have a A3 scanner upstairs but i just couldn't be arsed.
i think there was write up arround the same time one more about going F3 racing that had a photo of Tonys bike and a run down of stuff as well.
i recall it was a series where they looked at all the classes. F3, buckets etc

[jellywrestler]

I'd still like to find the pink twin.


one of my fantasies too Greg....

[husaberg]

I found this on Tony about the Carbon 600 but 5 time i never realised that i thought i was 3 F3 in a row

Stolen off an arsebook feed of Cycleworks
Cycleworks - DAMON Gruenwald
15 December 2015 ·
Some time ago a very vibrant personality dominated racing in New Zealand, a certain Tony McMurdo. At the time, you could not miss seeing him at the track.
Always coloured in bright pink and lime green including bike, leathers and himself. Long red hair and always smiling, no way could you miss Tony.
For those of you out there that appreciate real craftsmanship, determination as well as good old fashioned ability, here is a little known, (these days anyway) and forgotten bike.

Tony McMurdo built and raced this Formula 2 bike in the same year.
By that I mean he was building it throughout the year, developing it as he went. I was involved with Tony for many years previously as well, during the time of him winning
Formula 3 an incredible 5 times (years) in a row. A truly amazing feat in itself. In any sport to be good enough and consistent enough, plus with a little good luck is
extremely hard to achieve. Tony McMurdo did. He dominated in the 1990s. After proving without doubt he was Formula 3 champ, he went on to create this 600 Formula 2 bike.
Starting with a ZXR400 frame we stuck the 600 motor in the aluminium frame, strengthening the frame as we thought required. Then a number of changes to get the handling the way
Tony wanted it.

Then Tony recreated the frame in carbon fibre, as well as the swingarm, fairings, fueltank, parts of the carbs as well as the muffler. Now to truly appreciate this you have to understand
that no-one knew much in those days about how strong carbon was or how to use it. The Britten was being built at the same sorta time. Carbon had been used for muffler skins
but not for anything like frames or wheels. Today it is widely used in motorcycle, bicycles and many other special projects.
Tony then took to every individual part and lightened anything he could. The concept was to build a lightweight 600 that handled like the ZXR 400s that Tony rode so well to victory.
The result was a spectacular bike. Tony finished 2nd that year to Bruce Anstey, who is currently a formidable Isle of Man TT Champion.
I think Tony rode very well, but the bike was only finished at the very end of the season.

He would be building the bike, throw it together, aerosol paint it, and go out and race in the weekend. Simply he did not get enough ride time.
Tony has retired now, gone on to other interests, but my time with him building bits for his race bikes as well as obviously the exhaust systems is important to me.
The ZXR400 was where I experimented a lot with various designs for lightweight full tapered header pipes. All Tony’s bikes were fitted with these, including his ZXR600 Special.

Last I heard the bike resides in a shipping container and stored, should be on display somewhere.
340642
Cheers Damon

From memory Martin Van Boomen helped with the carbon
i have a small bit somewhere out of an aussie mag somewhere.



i found this pic as well not sure what the 39 hes astride is
340643

[Grumph]

Good searching Husa... The small pic with the two bikes is Tony and Amanda with a GSXR1100 he raced for Bike Clinic - and the GSXR400 which won the first year of F3. The whereabouts of that is known.
The carbon F2 bike was bloody fast when it was sorted. I'd forgotten the name of the guy who was the fiberglass specialist who worked for Tony on that. He was down here in ChCh for a while and I did know him slightly before Tony got him involved. I believe he went to Australia when it all turned to custard.
Best i ever saw the F2 go was the last ever Wigram bike races. They came in a gap between the SI Nationals and there was a very good entry. All - in races of course with individual class winners. Tony won F2 on it - and ran 3rd on the road, against 750's - and the Britten. On the fastest circuit in NZ.
Big doses of nitro of course...The motor was an odd one. Japanese domestic 600 which was a big 400 rather than the export 600 which derived from the 550 family. Never seen another like it.

He'd been offsetting race costs and the development costs of the F2 against advertising for his business. At the end of the first season of F2 with that bike, the IRD caught up with him and it all got cut back severely. There was talk of a development grant for the carbon work - but that went to John Britten.

[F5 Dave]

Yeah I remember popping in either Cycleworks or KI or whatever Melmac called his business and seeing Tony machining axle slots in ally to bond into a Carbon structure .
Antamac or something like that was Tony's video copying business. He saw the writing on the wall and sold up as it was still making money and went into importing dreadful American cars I think.

[Kickaha]

I'd forgotten the name of the guy who was the fiberglass specialist who worked for Tony on that. He was down here in ChCh for a while and I did know him slightly before Tony got him involved. I believe he went to Australia when it all turned to custard..

Paul Taylor? Racelines?

[pete376403]

Yeah I remember popping in either Cycleworks or KI or whatever Melmac called his business and seeing Tony machining axle slots in ally to bond into a Carbon structure .
Antamac or something like that was Tony's video copying business. He saw the writing on the wall and sold up as it was still making money and went into importing dreadful American cars I think.

Almac? In Thentham - makes (among other things) the bodies for the Graham Berry Cobras

[F5 Dave]

Nah. Melmac was Martin (Hulst?), he was on another planet was the reason given. Kiwi Ingenuity Engineering. He made my carbon kevlar RG tank and lots of ZXR stuff for Spargo etc, was an engine reconditioner by trade and had heaps of machine tools of varying levels of disrepair.

[Grumph]

Paul Taylor? Racelines?

Hell no. The guy named in Husa's post - Martin Van Booyen - which I'm not sure is the correct spelling. Little dark wiry guy.
Paul Taylor imports chinese farm 4 wheelers now - and last time I saw him, didn't know where his old moulds had gone.

Tony's business at the time was Antamac Video. Bulk copying for the hire companies and agencies. Small shed lined with shelves with about 30 video machines running 24/7 copying from a couple of master machines. Problem was that copy time equalled run time - so he was at it 24/7.

I met Melmac a couple of times. Off the planet was right. I found it hard to hold a conversation with him....

[Dodgy]

Yes, Tony still has the 600 in his possession. I prob see Tony once a week and he is certainly into other pursuits these days. Lost the ponytail and now has a mowhawk.

He has mentioned the 500 in the VFR750 chassis quite a few times.

[F5 Dave]

Ahh Simon good timing, just trying to remember the story of the reputed magic KHI 400 pipe that went from bike to bike but had to be given back or some such? Nathan's bike didn't have it when we picked it up to dyno.

[Grumph]

Yes, Tony still has the 600 in his possession. I prob see Tony once a week and he is certainly into other pursuits these days. Lost the ponytail and now has a mowhawk.

He has mentioned the 500 in the VFR750 chassis quite a few times.

Please give him my regards - and tell him Greg Thomas would like to find the Pink 500.

If he's still interested in bikes, I'm happy to give him a ride on my 500 - which he's ridden before. Reading this thread would bring back a few memories.

[F5 Dave]

Hell no. The guy named in Husa's post - Martin Van Booyen - which I'm not sure is the correct spelling. Little dark wiry guy.
.
...

Yeah not correct spelling. There are many other ways that have been suggested by those that dealt with him.

[Grumph]

Yeah not correct spelling. There are many other ways that have been suggested by those that dealt with him.

One of several reasons he left Chch I believe.....

[pete376403]

Nah. Melmac was Martin (Hulst?), he was on another planet was the reason given. Kiwi Ingenuity Engineering. He made my carbon kevlar RG tank and lots of ZXR stuff for Spargo etc, was an engine reconditioner by trade and had heaps of machine tools of varying levels of disrepair.

Used to work out one of the industrial buildings down in Bell Road, Gracefield?

[husaberg]

Good searching Husa... The small pic with the two bikes is Tony and Amanda with a GSXR1100 he raced for Bike Clinic - and the GSXR400 which won the first year of F3. The whereabouts of that is known.
The carbon F2 bike was bloody fast when it was sorted. I'd forgotten the name of the guy who was the fiberglass specialist who worked for Tony on that. He was down here in ChCh for a while and I did know him slightly before Tony got him involved. I believe he went to Australia when it all turned to custard.
Best i ever saw the F2 go was the last ever Wigram bike races. They came in a gap between the SI Nationals and there was a very good entry. All - in races of course with individual class winners. Tony won F2 on it - and ran 3rd on the road, against 750's - and the Britten. On the fastest circuit in NZ.
Big doses of nitro of course...The motor was an odd one. Japanese domestic 600 which was a big 400 rather than the export 600 which derived from the 550 family. Never seen another like it.

He'd been offsetting race costs and the development costs of the F2 against advertising for his business. At the end of the first season of F2 with that bike, the IRD caught up with him and it all got cut back severely. There was talk of a development grant for the carbon work - but that went to John Britten.

ti think here was a better pic of the GSx and Amanda already posted


this was the blurb that goes with the acid wash jeans pic

She was a pharmacy tutor at the Technical Correspondence School; Tony's work was not mentioned.
The bike shown was a hybrid; Kawasaki twin 500 cc engine; Honda 750 frame, Suzuki 750 forks and custom wheels from England.
They owned eight bikes at the time; two for Jared, 8.
Tony had started racing seven years ago, on Amanda's Suzuki GS750, and had recently won the national points series for the second time.
In the last season, between them, they had also won three class international series, New Zealand Grand Prix tourist trophy and the New Zealand air championship.



Yeah not correct spelling. There are many other ways that have been suggested by those that dealt with him.

i think my spelling was actually pretty close on this occasion:killingme

Although it might have been Van der Boomen ,Van Boomem, Van Den Boomen, Van Den Boomer. van Booma, Van den Booma, Van Den Booma

[F5 Dave]

Used to work out one of the industrial buildings down in Bell Road, Gracefield?
Yep. I helped move him more than once. He was capable of good work and some good ideas, but you, as one person put it, you wanted mk1 or mk4 version. Mk2 & 3 , not so much.

Melmac was a good guy back then but he needed a business partner.

And a new welding machine.

[Grumph]

Race ignition box arrived today. Waiting for some sidecar gearbox bits to be welded so made up the adaptor bits for the race loom.
I'll pick up some fresh 100 next time I'm in town and we'll see how much of a difference it makes.

Won't be run at the CAMS meeting this weekend. I'll wait till after the nationals as the prospective rider wants to stay in one piece
till they're done. And CAMS are running pre 89 F3 with the class he usually rides in - can't ride 2 bikes at once...

[kiwimacchi]

Trolling thru a few old photos today- came across these. Think the one where Mark is gassing up the Kwaka must have been early nineties, judging by Grumph's hat............ And van! The other, me at Ruapuna getting down to it, when I had it!! Photo;343674343675 E Cameron

[Grumph]

I'd date it earlier. '87 - '88 probably. It's got the Dymag 18in rear fitted which only stayed in for one season.

Memory says Mark only wore that outfit once - he copped a lot of stick that day, LOL.

[Kickaha]

I can remember doing a tyre on the CF with the bike in the back when I worked at Firestone Moorhouse ave

[husaberg]

Well, I've had an interesting day...Went looking for about 10 Dzus buttons, the shortest 3/8in shank version. These were once the most common of all...

Anyway, Reid & Twiname no longer have the agency - referred me to "Pattersons" This was R J Patterson panelbeaters supplies from whom I've bought buttons previously. Well, they've moved and changed name - now RJP. A "long term" staff member declined all knowledge of Dzus fasteners - "never had them" interesting...So, google Dzus fasteners in ChCh and come up with some names. Some of whom were mentioned in the last thread on here about fairing fasteners. Even with their listing on google saying they carried them, three declined all knowledge of them...again interesting.
Finally found a fastener co - one man band - who knew what I wanted and immediately referred me to one of the failures - "they carry them in stainless".
He was interested in that firms denial...Anyway, he's seeing what he can find for me.

A mate from speedway referred me to The Edge performance shop in Hornby. Yes, they carry Dzus buttons, yes, they had what I wanted - but sold the last of their stock that morning....And are not restocking till Christmas. Bugger me, season's just starting and that's the most popular size and they don't have any.
Don't think much of that business model...


http://www.bslracing.com/#!category?name=new-products&category=c2e85590-441d-50cd-9ead-45426cb26069&store=207532189288562

http://www.bslracing.com/#!item?name=dzus-fasteners-5-16-suit-1-4-midget&item=313c5403-f871-5b1c-b658-bc99ab3789f7&store=207532189288562
http://www.bslracing.com/#!item?name=dzus-button-steel-winged&item=9d99c2e4-9901-5b67-a0ba-bf0bf1c4bada&store=207532189288562
http://www.bslracing.com/#!item?name=dzus-springs-small-for-1-4-midgets&item=d1c06a35-8290-5da8-9b1e-5938ba4e3a9a&store=207532189288562
http://www.bslracing.com/#!item?name=dzus-springs-small-for-1-4-midgets&item=d1c06a35-8290-5da8-9b1e-5938ba4e3a9a&store=207532189288562

348077348078348079348080

[malcy25]

Scott Buckley's

[husaberg]

Scott Buckley's

I am guessing that's where the B came from. :)