In the beginning

[F5 Dave]

. . . Well at least when I started in the late 80s



Bucket tracks were laid out with tyres & cones. Usually on large airfields.

I remember my first goes at Ohakea. You arrived after getting through the gate which you had to have your name on the list. You were presented with an abstract collection of markers spread out on the tarmac. They were not close together, maybe 6M between markers, so after someone explained which way the track went you went out & wobbled around following the leader.

After a while you slowly formed the direction of the track & which side of the cones or tyres you had to go around & it started to make sense in your head. A race track appeared.

Inevitably in the first race there were still people getting it wrong which could be quite dangerous as they cut out an S section or something & rejoined the frey at a bit of a tangent.


After a while you got used to it but my first race at a kart track was like bliss. The road ccts were pretty easy to work out too.

No pics to post sadly as I didn’t have a photographer (so nothing’s changed)


But I miss those days. & even those ambiguous tracks. They changed every meeting. Track wasn’t small, could be flowing or technical. & the traction was great.

[jasonu]

. . . Well at least when I started in the late 80s



Bucket tracks were laid out with tyres & cones. Usually on large airfields.

I remember my first goes at Ohakea. You arrived after getting through the gate which you had to have your name on the list. You were presented with an abstract collection of markers spread out on the tarmac. They were not close together, maybe 6M between markers, so after someone explained which way the track went you went out & wobbled around following the leader.

After a while you slowly formed the direction of the track & which side of the cones or tyres you had to go around & it started to make sense in your head. A race track appeared.

Inevitably in the first race there were still people getting it wrong which could be quite dangerous as they cut out an S section or something & rejoined the frey at a bit of a tangent.


After a while you got used to it but my first race at a kart track was like bliss. The road ccts were pretty easy to work out too.

No pics to post sadly as I didn’t have a photographer (so nothing’s changed)


But I miss those days. & even those ambiguous tracks. They changed every meeting. Track wasn’t small, could be flowing or technical. & the traction was great.

Nobody cares ya boreing old fart!

[avgas]

I remember the days when you used to be able to rock up to a track, unbolt all the road kit, do a race.
Then bolt it all back on and go home....on the same bike.

If you were lucky you could store you lights in the back of your mates kingswood wagon - cos the back window could wind down.

How its all changed.

[Kickaha]

I think the first race I ever did was the last time they ran at Wigram (mid nineties?), I turned up on my road bike and was bullied into racing by Tony Mac and Mark Buchart

I didn't even get a practice and got thoroughly lost around the cones as F5dave describes and finished last

[speedpro]

I think the first race I ever did was the last time they ran at Wigram (mid nineties?),

I've still got that GP trophy. Nice sunny hot day as I remember.

[koba]

I remember the days when you used to be able to rock up to a track, unbolt all the road kit, do a race.
Then bolt it all back on and go home....on the same bike.

If you were lucky you could store you lights in the back of your mates kingswood wagon - cos the back window could wind down.

How its all changed.

The Mrs will be doing that this weekend...
Her FXR is road legal and still an OK bucket. (9th at GP in 2009)

Shit, I did Wanganui F3 on my '86 VFR that is an unmodified roadbike.
All I did was take the lights off. Still on treaded Crossplies and all. I didn't even come last.

So whats changed?
The attitude of a proportion of people?

[Skunk]

So whats changed?
The attitude of a proportion of people?

People wanting better and better at the cost it was in the early days in a PC world.

Look at the Bucket cost thread - people want to win but seem to think it should be able to be done on a shoestring budget.

[koba]

People wanting better and better at the cost it was in the early days in a PC world.

Look at the Bucket cost thread - people want to win but seem to think it should be able to be done on a shoestring budget.

Note Fishies expenses...

Ahh, Ignore me, I agree with what you posted there.

[Bert]

I recall watching my first race in the Pak'n'save car park here in Palmy (~94).
Got hooked and got my first real bucket (~$400).

Went to race it at a esplanade Palmerston North; but as it was a road circuit I wasn't allowed as I didn't have (to young) my road licence...

First race ended up being out on Ohakea base. Dad was chuffed he could buy cheap beer afterwards.

[F5 Dave]

Pack & save carpark was great. I won my first ever race there when I finally got my MB50 running well enough to beat the dominant RG50s. One year it was wet & tehy had a wooden ramp over a drain. Fell off on that.
Last year it was run I fell off 5 times, once when a hail bail blew onto the line around a corner & last time when my rod broke. I think Mike said something rude about the Yamaha piston wanting to get out of the Honda.

[speedpro]

& last time when my rod broke. I think Mike said something rude about the Yamaha piston wanting to get out of the Honda.

It did look like the piston wanted to be somewhere else. Didn't Darren get up close and personal in that crash as well.

[koba]

Pack & save carpark was great. I won my first ever race there when I finally got my MB50 running well enough to beat the dominant RG50s. One year it was wet & tehy had a wooden ramp over a drain. Fell off on that.
Last year it was run I fell off 5 times, once when a hail bail blew onto the line around a corner & last time when my rod broke. I think Mike said something rude about the Yamaha piston wanting to get out of the Honda.

It did look like the piston wanted to be somewhere else. Didn't Darren get up close and personal in that crash as well.

*Flashback* to the old mans mates talking about running BSA pistons in Bonnevilles...

Turns out one has a severe cam shape and he other not..

The solution: file it down!

by hand!

Geeze I love this of of shit!

[TZ350]

*Flashback* to the old mans mates talking about running BSA pistons in Bonnevilles...

Turns out one has a severe cam shape and he other not..

The solution: file it down! by hand!

I have a 2-Stroker running a piston hand linished down 0.004" and cammed and tapered by hand. Ran on the dyno and Taupo practice's OK, no wets so didn't go out in the rain on race day.

[Buckets4Me]

I recall watching my first race in the Pak'n'save car park here in Palmy (~94).
Got hooked and got my first real bucket (~$400).

that looks like an expensive bucket ($400)

rg50?
special frame
rear wheel
ally tank
fairings
all it's missing is a coat of paint (I think thats the difference betwen now and then)

talk about chequebook racing
I thought that was a new thing (having a highly modified bike that looks nothing like it did on the showroom floor)

[speedpro]

I had a problem with a hay bale at Masterton one year. Came round a left a bit quick and ended up rubbing along a row of bales on the outside right hand side on the exit. All good except the last bale was placed differently with the twine on the track side. One second I'm doing 70-80K and the next a 60lb haybale has snagged the brake lever, the front brake is jammed on hard and a 60lb haybale is attached to the right handlebar. I went quite a bit further than the bike.
As for filing things, I cracked the cases through #2 main bearing support on my Kawasaki. I got it welded at Machine Part Welding (gurus) and then filed it back to size, very very carefully. Checked with bearing blue and it's 90+% contact when torqued up with the crank in.