Kiwi Biker FAQ

[merv]

What about the Farmbyke (I think that was the spelling) it had a Suzuki 120cc motor but was made here I think and then there was the N-Zeta scooter with a Jawa motor. I think these were both New Zealand concoctions in the 60s.

[merv]

All that world champion stuff I was talking about I see MNZ has a roll of honour here http://www.motorcyclingnz.co.nz/rollofhonour.aspx which gives New Zealanders results through the years.

However, I'm not sure if its complete because wasn't Stefan Merriman actually the world junior trials champ at one time? That's not listed nor does it appear his enduro championship is either.

The other thing I noticed elsewhere is that Ronnie Moore was actually born in Australia but he rode as a Kiwi so we should keep counting him as our own.

[merv]

Looks like this FAQ thing isn't going any where. I guess you can find out all you want by searching the net anyway so no real need to have another database here, except I guess Spank was trying to get a Kiwi flavour to it. Oh well I tried to help.

[SpankMe]

I guess it's just gonna build up over time. I haven't had much of that to work on it. Been busy with moving the site to a new server. Will try and do some more on it soon.

[SPman]

How about the Autobahn at Bombay - also a meeting place for South or north

The BSL was all in house until the last year when they bought in a motor

Ken Macintosh builds new Manx Nortons - the engines are made in the UK I think, but Ken does the rest

 

[What?]

Originally posted by SpankMe
Are there any New Zealand made motorbikes?

The only one I know of is the Britten. Anyone got details of any others?

There has been a few - the first was the Maori, built between 1913 and 1917, featuring a JAP engine and belt drive through expanding pulleys.

Then there was the Stewart scooter in the late fifties - early sixties, and the Mountain Goat (aka Mountain Joke) which was similar to the Farmbyke - absolutely bloody awful!

[bluninja]

What do you need to go start road racing in NZ ?

First you need a race license. To do that you need to be a member of a motorcycle club affiliated to Motorcycling New Zealand Inc. These clubs will also be a good resource for help advice etc going racing. There's a list on the Motorcycling NZ webpage if you really don't know of any in your area.

After that you apply to MNZ for a race license, which apparently can take up to 14 days to process.

First Time License Application Form

Licenses run from July 1st to June 30th each year. Cost is $60 for a senior license and $100 for a championship license.

You will need a race license to compete, but you don't need it for trackdays, or practise days for the track.

You then need to submit entry forms for the races you want to compete in. Some will let you enter on the day, others require you to enter at least 1 week in advance. Your bike needs to conform to the rules both generally for racing, and for the class that you want to race in. Basic preperation should be (I know it's obvious):-

•  Remove or tape up all lights and indicators (horn shold be disconnected or removed).
• For water cooled bikes, the coolant should be water, or water with a non-glycol additive. Normal antifreeze is very slippery and almost impossible to clean off tracks.
• Lockwire oil filter and sump plug and any other fastening that could come loose and dump oil on the circuit.
• Any breather and drain tubes shold exit into a sealed container and not onto the track.

Anything else needed it's up to you to go read the rules, or ask someone that knows to make sure your bike will pass scrutineering.

You as a rider also need to pass scrutineering. This means full leathers, either one piece or zip together. Gloves, boots, a back protector, and an approved helmet.

HTH TTFN

 

 

 

[Racey Rider]

Originally posted by bluninja
What do you need to go start road racing in NZ ?



You will need a race license to compete, but you don't need it for trackdays, or practise days for the track.

 

So would I need a race license to ride in the clubmans class at Taupo on the 15th?


I rang the MNZ last month to get one organized, but was told I couldn't get one yet as they hadden't sorted out the new fees for the coming year. So I missed the first race of the VIC club at manfield. Not a good way to encourage new people into their sport I thought. They should have just given me a free starter race license to get me straight into it, rather than tell me to ring back at the start of June to see if their organised! I'll be ringing them tomorrow to get one sorted before the 29th. Maybe I'll tell them I'll take my motorbike raceing money and go skiing or something!

[bluninja]

Afraid so. They will charge you some sort of fee for the remainder of the year (they did for me last year) but it should be with you quicker than 14 days at this time of year. they also may be able to fax you something to cover for 15th June.

So you going to be racing 150 street stock? Or joining the legions of novices in clubmans ?

TTFN

[Racey Rider]

Originally posted by bluninja
So you going to be racing 150 street stock? Or joining the legions of novices in clubmans ?
TTFN

If I can get to Taupo, (Wifes birthday on the 15th! A weekend away for HER me thinks ) I'll take my KR1 out for my first (track) spin on it, in clubmans. Still testing it out basically.
When I get to Manfield, I'll ride the RG in streetstock.

[Andrew]

How do I know when to replace the chain on my motorbike? And since I'm riding something that doesn't put as much power throught the chain, can I get away with being a cheapskate and only replace the chain when its that stretched that its draggin on the ground!

[wkid_one]

Noticed a number of people asking questions that would be best suited to this thread - eg Octane/Detonation - is it worth restarting this....

However, some people are confusing FAQ's with FACTS.  I think what Spanky was trying to say is that this is a thread for frequently asked questions (FAQ's) about riding/maintaining/developing your bike and riding skills - not pub trivia questions.

So far we have had people ask about Octane/Detonation, 250 Learner Bikes, Replacing Chains, Poor Starting, Detectors, Wheel Alignment (thanks BBird - it rocked) - this is all stuff that should be in this Thread -

Eg Changing Chain - how do you do it?  Wiring Detector - how do you do it?  So people don't end up asking the same question a hundred times - and newbies can get information immediately without having to filter through the whole site and its various threads.

In fact there should probably should be a seperate forum for FAQ's. so people can load up with DIY's/How To's and advice (constructive but) - how about it Spanky?

[wkid_one]

And Andrew in answer to your question...

What does the chain do?

In a motorbike, there's limited space. The engine, being heavy, has to go in the middle of the bike. The wheels have to go at the front and the back. Since the engine and the rear wheel are far apart, we need some way to joining them together so that the engine can drive the rear wheel. One method is to have a cog (aka. sprocket) on the engine output shaft and the rear wheel and use a chain to connect the two. Another method is to have a sealed shaft connecting the engine and the rear wheel, with suitable joints at either end to turn the drive round by 90 degrees.

What goes wrong with a chain

Chains lead a hard life. They're exposed to the little bits of grit which get kicked up from the road. They spin round at high speed, which tends to throw off what little oil gets puts on them. Chains either break (very bad), get seized up (bad) or get worn (inevitable).

To put a chain on a bike, it has to be broken to get it round the swing arm, and then rejoined. There are two main ways of joining a chain. Firstly, you can use a special joining link which clips on to the side of a plate and holds it in place. The other way is to rivet the chain closed, which involves hammering a special pin until the end is smeared out a bit over the side plate and holds it in place.

If the chain becomes un-joined at speed, you're in big trouble. Chains are heavy and if it becomes detached while the bike is moving, it's going to cause serious damage and probably lock up the bike. For this reason, be very careful when joining chains. Don't reuse the closing links, since they get weakened when you take them off. If you have a rivetted chain, check the rivet link to make sure it's flattened enough to stop the side plate from coming off.

The most common way which my chains die is through corrosion. Winter takes a heavy toll on chains with salt and grit on the road and freezing temperatures make it less attractive to go outside and work on the bike for any length of time. Generally, by the end of winter there's a good few seized links in the chain which hop whenever they go over the sprocket. Time to replace the chain ...

There are lots of ways to prevent corrosion, though careful choice of what chain to buy, and regular maintenance. Most bike chains are o-ring chains. This means that there is a small rubber ring at each pivot point. The purpose of this o-ring is to trap grease inside the pivot and keep it lubricated. This means that o-ring chains have a much longer life than plain chains. However, one problem with the o-ring is that if the grease ever gets washed out from within the chain then the o-rings will make it very hard to get grease back in it. Additionally, the o-rings themselves can be damaged by various fluids and by rough treatment. The instructions which came with my last chain recommend cleaning the chain by wiping with a paraffin soaked rag, and then re-oiling.

All chains 'stretch' during their lifetime and eventually need replacing. Chains don't stretch in the same way elastic bands do - they get longer because the metal in the links gradually wear away and makes the overall length of the chain increase. As the chain stretches, the amount of free play increases and you eventually have to move your rear wheel back a bit to take up the slack. If there's too much slack, the chain will jump around lots whenever you change speed. If there is too little slack, the chain will get overtensioned when you slow down and the back end of the bike becomes unweighted.

Replacing the chain

When you replace the chain, always replace the sprockets too - they're much cheaper than the chain anyway. It's a false economy not to, since putting a new chain over worn sprockets will make your chain wear out faster. It's much easier to loosen the bolt which holds the front sprocket when the chain is still on the bike. You put the bike into a high gear and get someone to stand on the rear brake while you loosen the holding bolt a bit. Since the front sprocket is still attached by the chain to the rear spocket, it can't spin around while you try to loosen it.

[Misssy]

Originally posted by 750Y
What about the BSL? I'm unsure as to whether it was made completely in House but it was rumored to have chewed up millions of dollars.

Yes this was built and designed totally in NZ. Very cool machine.
Have seen it run twice. (have friend who works at BSL) I can't imagine it to have been cheap no.

[Kwaka-Kid]

incredibly commonly asked question:

How do i go about Racing my Motorcycle?

or anything along the lines of that, constantly getting ppl like me etc who get to a stage of street riding where they are really limited and just want to hit the track and see how they go.