Castrol Six-Hour?

[Katman]

Does anyone know where I could get my hands on the tape 'On the Limit' about the Castrol 6 Hour? I'm trying to gather as much info on the history of my wire wheel kat and I'm wondering whether it might have taken part in the 1982 race.

[Ivan]

I got it on DVD might get ya a copy and send it to ya

[Dadpole]

As I recall, they would have been first registered as "used". If you have the original reg details, that is one indication.

EDIT: Wellington Motorcycles may still have the records (frame no. etc.)

[Katman]

The first registered owner was Dundon & Gill M/cs (aka Wellington M/cs) and they 'owned' it for about six weeks. It struck me as strange that they would register it in their name if they didn't have a 'use' for it.

[Dadpole]

Sounds like it may be one they used. I think (Alzheimer's kicking in) they had 3 bikes for the 6 hour. Anyone please correct me if wrong.
Congratulations on having a "Wobbly Wheel Banana" anyhow. Great bikes in their time. A mate had one when they came out, and I had to fit go-fast parts in my gsx1100ez to overtake him.

[Katman]

I'd heard that Dave and Neville Hiscock had one each and Robert Holden and Bob Toomey shared one, so that would fit in nicely with your theory of three. I also seem to remember that Dave trashed his at some stage and that may fit in with the fact that mine has had the frame replaced at some time in it's life.

[nudemetalz]

My old man had two and neither were 6-hour specials. He did however clubman race them at Puke. The were both brand-new in Auckland so wouldn't be your one, Katman.

[Katman]

I got it on DVD might get ya a copy and send it to ya
Hey Ivan, you got me all excited and now I feel all let down. You know there's a name for woman that do that!

[gav]

Bike shops often register them and put them in the fleet as demonstrators too, so any young Tom, Dick or Harry gets to trash the arse off them :doh: well, maybe .....:lol: Thought if it was a race bike they would have used it for longer than six weeks? Would have raced it for the rest of the season, too?

[Katman]

Yeah you're sure to be right gav! What the the fuck would I know having been rabidly keen on the history of katanas since the year dot!

[nudemetalz]

I've been keen on them too since their conception.

This is me back in 1982 as a 12 year old boy sitting on my old-man's Wire-Wheeler while he prepares them for the day's racing.

[Katman]

Now that's a photo for the album!

[nudemetalz]

Glad you liked.
Did you notice the crankcase protectors ?
These were fashioned in the workshop at Mike Vinsens. Thankfully he never had an opportunity to try them out but from what I believe (esp on the LHS) this was a weak point when they went down.

[Katman]

Come in Ivan........

[Dadpole]

Those crankcase protectors were popular. Used a set myself, as the alternator was very vunerable. Many an 1100 was picked up only to find the cover broken. They worked well when sliding front wheel first, but dug in sometimes when the bike spun around

Don't think any wire wheel models were used as demo bikes. Seem to recall they sold as soon as they were available.

[Dadpole]

Come in Ivan........bitch!!!!!!!!

Want me to twist his arm a bit?

[Katman]

:bash: Nice one dadpole. I thought I'd sneak in and edit my bourbon induced tourettes outburst and you go and quote it. Come back Ivan, I'm sorry......honest.:doh:

[Dadpole]

Always happy to help :corn:

[Dadpole]

Arm was twisted today. The DVD is being tracked down. Wouldn't mind a copy myself, if only in the hope of seeing myself twisting spanners. AHH I was once such a wholesome and handsome young lad.....not.

[klummy]

from memory i think dave/ nev hicock raced one it was leading the 6 hour and the wire spokes broke causing nev to crash because the handling got so bad/ he contuinued racing was black flagged but ignored it finishing but was disqualified and suspened

[Big Dave]

1982 6 Hour - I was there!
Taking photos too.
Unfortunately long lost in the mists of moving.

[forkoil]

Just a littlee, the most controversial ones were the "black pipe" suzukis which came out at the last minute but were allowed in the 6 hr. They were NOT katana's, but were conventional GSX's. Dave H won as I recall. Was that the year of Vince Sharpe on the CBX?
(sorry memory fading, but I have a poster on the garage wall of Dave on the black piped suzi. Great days in NZ prod road racing)

[Skid kid]

Hey there all, Just a bit of info. The "Wire Wheel" Katana's were Chassis =#100388-101324. Unlike the standard 5xxxxx type, SZ=#SZ= 522093 on SD= 535683 on SE= 541309 on.
Just a few numbers to help clear up any issues regarding wire wheel Chassis numbers. These numbers are as clear as I can find so far. Still they all go so well that it does'nt matter any how.
Yep the Black piper was the old GSX 1100 ET type shape and also has a odd 100xxx type chasis number. They were also a 1981 production, same year as the Katana but the old shaped bike, they had a different swing arm to the standard alloy type, and a different stator winding cover. My father has one of these and it goes very well. Lovely Bike.
This 100xxx type of number seems to relate to "special" bikes?

Hope this helps and does not cause any fights.
Cheers.

[tri boy]

Good research Skid kid.:yes: :yes:

[nudemetalz]

Fascinating stuff, Skid Kid. Thanks for sharing. :)

[Dadpole]

they had a different swing arm to the standard alloy type,Cheers.

The swingarm was off the US GS(X) 1100 low spec model. It did not twist and flex like the "high-tech" alloy types.

[What?]

Just a littlee, the most controversial ones were the "black pipe" suzukis which came out at the last minute but were allowed in the 6 hr.

The black-pipers were a parts bin special, built in South Pacific Suzuki's marine shop just for the 6-hour.
My memory puts Vince on a CB1100R that year. Two CBX's were raced in 79(?) - neither finished. Great days, all right!

Skid Kid - is your father the bloke that broke down on the Kaimai with a broken ignition wire on the way to a Ulysses rally a few months back?

[Skid kid]

Yea that's the one! Nice to see that Suzuki reliability is paramount. Are you the nice fella that gave him a hand? Damn loose wires. It takes a life time to sort out electronic faults on old suzuki's.

[What?]

Yep, that was me. Fortunately the problem wasn't hard to find or fix.

[What?]

The black-pipers were a parts bin special, built in South Pacific Suzuki's marine shop just for the 6-hour.

I stand corrected - from a gentleman whom I can gaurantee knows the facts:



The "Black Pipers" were not "parts bin specials". Rod Coleman travelled to Suzuki Japan and arranged the individual E27 (NZ) spec for the Castrol 6-Hour bikes. Included was a visit to Mr Pops Yoshimura with regard to camshafts. THE BIKES WERE BUILT IN SUZUKI MOTOR CO's HAMAMATSU PLANT.

The bikes were not built in any marine shop in Wanganui or in any other marine shop in NZ regardless of ownership (South Pacific Suzuki Dist , Coleman's Marine or any other).

Following on from the "Black Pipers", the "Wire Wheel" GSX1100SXZ Katanas were also built in Japan.

[Katman]

I stand corrected - from a gentleman whom I can gaurantee knows the facts:

Yep, Carl certainly knows his stuff.:msn-wink:

[FROSTY]

As I recall the confusion comes from a bunch of "pretenders" who had wire wheels laced up and black mufflets fitted to their bikes -so there were GSX1100 (slabs) as "genuine" black pipers and Katana 750's as "genuine" wire wheelers