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.
Bookmarks