Can a stock NC30 be competitive?

[racefactory]

What's the best class to race a NC30 in? Is there anything it can be competitive in with stock form?

These bikes are expensive and hard to modify and I'd rather keep it stock with just good tyres and just suspension tuning.

[Robert Taylor]

What's the best class to race a NC30 in? Is there anything it can be competitive in with stock form?

These bikes are expensive and hard to modify and I'd rather keep it stock with just good tyres and just suspension tuning.

The stock suspension on those is so far from raceable ( competitively ) that any ''tuning'' is pretty much academic. That sounds ''harsh'' but its the reality

[lostinflyz]

junk the forks, junk the shock (especially the shock) and you've made a massive improvement. Theres basic mods that makes them much much better, in both handling and engine, that don't require much effort.

a stock nc30 is pretty slow now days. its good in pre-89 but even then itll prob need mods to keep up with faster bikes (i.e. those with mods). In f3 its a no hoper.

But competitve is a realative term. Its competitive against other nc30's, and all other 400's. Against new kit it shows its age.

[HenryDorsetCase]

^^^^What they said.

If you want to be competitive, buy a sorted ProTwins SV650.

If you just want a trackday bike, use the NC. But bear in mind if its stock it is 20 years old. and look where the rear shock is (right there by the rear headers... it gets HOT in there), and how tiny the shock is. (esp the first gen non remote reservoir shock). And the forks too. If you're spending money on one, start there. bring money.

[Grumph]

It's all been said but there's one more thing too....
When you race one of these standard you may well spin a big end bearing...
Back in the day the first two to be raced in ChCh both did big ends - looking at them the problem was poorly finished oil holes on the journals.
In the motor the first step should be properly radiusing the oil holes. Then re clearance to the max available in the shell range - they're way too tight standard.

[racefactory]

The stock suspension on those is so far from raceable ( competitively ) that any ''tuning'' is pretty much academic. That sounds ''harsh'' but its the reality

By tuning I mean different spring rates and rebuilding rear shock.

[racefactory]

It's all been said but there's one more thing too....
When you race one of these standard you may well spin a big end bearing...
Back in the day the first two to be raced in ChCh both did big ends - looking at them the problem was poorly finished oil holes on the journals.
In the motor the first step should be properly radiusing the oil holes. Then re clearance to the max available in the shell range - they're way too tight standard.

Interesting. Never heard of an nc30 running a main bearing like that. Were they modded bikes or 89's do you know? 89's run dangerously lean from factory, but i suppose that would be a top end thing instead.

[Drew]

This is a long thread considering a simple NO was all that was required.

[Grumph]

This is a long thread considering a simple NO was all that was required.

I quite agree....

the two that appeared on track in ChCh were low Km imports which were very good tidy examples - couldn't tell you the year of manufacture.
I said big ends and that's what I meant...this was at the tail end of the period where VF hondas were doing cranks commonly.
The cranks I saw at the time were poorly finished - good enough for road use but sustained high revs and heat showed up the lack of attention to detail.
Interestingly enough, "ordinary" VF400 shells fitted - Casbolts didn't have anything at all on the model - not even a parts fische at the time.

Anyone know what happened to the two bikes the Roberts family had ?
Those were seriously trick - but not enormously quick...

[Mental Trousers]

There's lots of NC30's around making up the mid/rear part of the F3 fields. To be at the front of F3 you need to start with a big pile of someone elses money and go from there.

As for Posties Junior, they do better in there but still, you'll never win unless the 600's etc blow up.

[HenryDorsetCase]

To be at the front you need to start with a big pile of someone elses money and go from there.

fixed that for you ;-)

[RDjase]

There's lots of NC30's around making up the mid/rear part of the F3 fields. To be at the front of F3 you need to start with a big pile of someone elses money and go from there.

As for Posties Junior, they do better in there but still, you'll never win unless the 600's etc blow up.

The great thing about the 400's is they can do Pre89 and F3.

Depends if you want to be super competitive or do 2 classes and be happy having a battle down the feild

I would go with 2 classes and more track time ..............as long as they arnt back to back races

[Robert Taylor]

By tuning I mean different spring rates and rebuilding rear shock.

So, going internal

1) Forks. Race Tech emulators with a modification specific to road race / track day. Remove and machine damper rods so they actually assemble more concentrically within the tubes. Ohlins springs fit straight in. Bera in mind that there are likely wear issues with bushings etc, not apparent until stripped

2) Rear end. Respring at minimum, Ohlins springs often fit these with minimal adaptation. Some of these NC30 shocks are rebuildable, some are not. If it is rebuildable the stock shock piston has tiny ports and needs to be thrown away as far as possible. If its got a 46mm bore body tube we can fit an Ohlins piston and valving which actually does a better job than Race Tech, but we would also fit a Race Tech flow seperator which mimics an Ohlins shaft jet. BUT, the rear ride height in these needs lifting up considerably to attain track day / road race geometry so youd need to find some way of lifting the ride height on what is a fixed length shock.

The above is the absolute mimimum to achieve a decent standard of grip, geometry, tyre life etc.

[PirateJafa]

So, going internal

1) Forks. Race Tech emulators with a modification specific to road race / track day. Remove and machine damper rods so they actually assemble more concentrically within the tubes. Ohlins springs fit straight in. Bera in mind that there are likely wear issues with bushings etc, not apparent until stripped

2) Rear end. Respring at minimum, Ohlins springs often fit these with minimal adaptation. Some of these NC30 shocks are rebuildable, some are not. If it is rebuildable the stock shock piston has tiny ports and needs to be thrown away as far as possible. If its got a 46mm bore body tube we can fit an Ohlins piston and valving which actually does a better job than Race Tech, but we would also fit a Race Tech flow seperator which mimics an Ohlins shaft jet. BUT, the rear ride height in these needs lifting up considerably to attain track day / road race geometry so youd need to find some way of lifting the ride height on what is a fixed length shock.

The above is the absolute mimimum to achieve a decent standard of grip, geometry, tyre life etc.

I would imagine this would throw it out of Pre-89s though?

[montsta56]

As for Posties Junior, they do better in there but still, you'll never win unless the 600's etc blow up.

Thats Bullshit.