Bucket racing

[geoffm]

hey i am keen to give it a go...is there any way i can borrow a bike down there for practice on the track or anything like that??...talking to XJ today totally made me all hyper about it…

If anyone wants a Suzuki A100, let me know. It is the most eveil handling flexi-flyer I have ridden, but if you want cheap racing. Hasn't been going for years, but used to go. May need a new woodruff key - can't remember.
It is in Auckland, and it needs to go.
Geoff

[merv]

If anyone wants a Suzuki A100, let me know. It is the most eveil handling flexi-flyer I have ridden, but if you want cheap racing. Geoff

The first Suzuki I owned was a 1970 model A100. Great machine at the time, and just to jog the memories who remembers Tony Burrell (RIP) who became the NZ 125 road race champion on his warmed up A100. To me the only killer with those is they only had a 4 speed box then. At least they had an alloy block engine when many of the 2 strokes still had iron blocks prone to overheating and seizures.

See the pics - that's the A100 next to the Mini at Akaroa and also trail riding on the track past Lake Sumner before I owned a dirt bike.

[FROSTY:Me]

If anyone wants a Suzuki A100, let me know. It is the most eveil handling flexi-flyer I have ridden, but if you want cheap racing. Hasn't been going for years, but used to go. May need a new woodruff key - can't remember.
It is in Auckland, and it needs to go.
Geoff

thatd be a great way to get into racing i reckon -and sounds like the price would be good too

[Eddieb]

What sort of bikes do the higher finishers race in the buckets?

Is there a particular make/model that seems to do better/is faster than others, do 2 or 4 strokes tend to perform better given the short length and twistiness of the courses?

If the courses are tight with short straights is the extra power of a 2 smoke not as important as the compartively higher low end torque of a 4 stroke for getting out of those corners?

[F5 Dave]

There are 2 classes, 50cc & 100 cc. Many people go for the 100cc class as they feel they are too 'MAN' for a 50 . The RG50s handle real well & there is distinct pleasure in beating bikes twice the capacity if you enter 'all in' , either that or you race against the other 50s

In the 100 class you are allowed up to a 140cc 4 stroke (though there is some movement on this idea) & a 125 aircooled 125 with a carb restriction of 24mm.

Go along to a meeting to see what is winning. It varies quite a lot. A good rider on any decent bike can win.

[Devil]

Awww man, this looks like fun.
I wanna go!

[Eddieb]

Awww man, this looks like fun.
I wanna go!

Me too! I've got the 27th in my diary to have a look in Wellington.

[F5 Dave]

Yeah the Tawa event is pretty makeshift, but good for a laugh. The Kart track events are more structured but we are making do with what we have for the mean time.

[FROSTY:Me]

What sort of bikes do the higher finishers race in the buckets?

Is there a particular make/model that seems to do better/is faster than others, do 2 or 4 strokes tend to perform better given the short length and twistiness of the courses?

If the courses are tight with short straights is the extra power of a 2 smoke not as important as the compartively higher low end torque of a 4 stroke for getting out of those corners?

up here in auckland the tzr50 or rg50 is the 50 to buy
The dominant open class bucket seems to be the cb125 twin but changes are afoot
It seems that a lot of non compliant fxr150's are being crashed on the road -now with some sleeving you have a
140cc single with 20 odd bhp a decent brake and good handling. drop the c of g and you would have a bloody reliable and potent bucket.

[Kickaha]

What sort of bikes do the higher finishers race in the buckets?

Is there a particular make/model that seems to do better/is faster than others, do 2 or 4 strokes tend to perform better given the short length and twistiness of the courses

Down here the Championship hasn't been won by a fourstroke although that will change this year,as there were only two fast ones and one immigrated to Wellington and we can beat the other one most of the time.

In the South the fastest 4 stroke bikes are GN125 based,the usual mods,cam,carb, higher comp,but the main advantage they have is a better frame than the Honda's although there is one fast CB125 twin.

We've just done a stroker crank and taken the GN out to 139cc but at the first outing had a bit of a carb problem then a crashing problem so it's yet to be sorted.

We also run on bigger tracks,using parts of Ruapuna,Levels and Greymouth and Nelson street races.

F5dave what movement have you heard about on the 140cc rule? I know Mike Green was keen to change it a while back but didn't attract much interest,I think it should go up so at least the GL145 could be included and maybe the FXR150's

[FROSTY:Me]

In dorkland they want to keep bucketting alive so they seem to have the idea to include up to 150cc 4 strokes -in their own class

[Kickaha]

In dorkland they want to keep bucketting alive so they seem to have the idea to include up to 150cc 4 strokes -in their own class

Bring them on,we've already proven we can smoke them even on the big tracks,on the small tracks we'd well and truly slaughter them

Buckets basically seem to have a image problem and a lot of people I have spoken to reckon they wouldn't bother because they don't seem to think racing a bike with limited HP could be any fun,but I believe it teaches better racecraft.

[FROSTY:Me]

Bring them on,we've already proven we can smoke them even on the big tracks,on the small tracks we'd well and truly slaughter them

Buckets basically seem to have a image problem and a lot of people I have spoken to reckon they wouldn't bother because they don't seem to think racing a bike with limited HP could be any fun,but I believe it teaches better racecraft.

Better racecraft I'd go so far as to say it teaches racecraft full stop.There isn't an element of road racing missing from bucket racing. The only difference as I see it is the cost invoved.
Id say on a small tight track like Mt wellington or some of the old carpark tracks the 4 strokes have dominated.
on a bigger more free flowing track a 2 stroke should walk away from a 4 stroke all the time

[Eddieb]

The main reason I'm really interested in buckets is the bang for buck. If I can be involved in some competitive racing for next to no money then bring it on, and as far as racing goes less than $1000 for a year including buying a bike is very cheap.

On a short track like for gokarts or a supermarket carpark then the racing is going to be close and competitive and you aren't going to get lost or bogged down crawling down some straight, meaning it's still going to be exciting. You just aren't reaching the same speeds.

The idea does it for me, I'm hoping it measures up when I go to view in wellington on sunday.

[F5 Dave]

F5dave what movement have you heard about on the 140cc rule? I know Mike Green was keen to change it a while back but didn't attract much interest,I think it should go up so at least the GL145 could be included and maybe the FXR150's

Not sure on the 150 rule. Personally I think they would make the current 4 strokes obsolete, esp. when they are hotted up. I think the rule should probably go to 150cc single cam only (ie not FXR), which would allow people to find a piston for their 4 stroke (CB750 takes you to over 140 in most bikes) & the GL 145s would be legal.