Cool Kork Ballington/KR500 Vid

[Sully60]

From Soup yesterday:

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2007/...1031hallow.htm

It's cool seeing older GP bike technology being a relative youngn'.
I didn't realise they used monocoques in that GP era.The monocoque and the eccentric axle carrier (though I must say I've only seen this on rear axles) are features used in subsequent Kawasaki road models, then they left GP's for over twenty years. Imagine what a ZX-10 would be like now if they stayed in GP!

I must say,I would love to have Kork as a neighbour, as well as his cool bikes, it would take the attention off me when I'm, ahem testing my race machines

Braaaaaaaaaaap, Brap a Brap Braap Braaap Brap Braaaaaaahhhhh!

[Skunk]

Great find mate!

[Sully60]

Great find mate!

Thought you might like this one, go the green!

[slowpoke]

I saw that last night but didn't get a chance to open it up, glad I did now.
Interesting that Kork rated the anti-dive mechanism so highly. First time I've seen a fabricated triple clamp too, rather than a billet or cast unit. Ooooh, lotsa stuff you wish you get a closer look at on such an interesting machine.....not to mention the bloody thing just sounded so damn HAWT!

[twinshock750]

There is nothing so cool as a big capacity 2 stroke of 3 or 4 cylinders....whether idling, warming up or "on the pipe" hooking gears.

Viva la 2 stroke era of F750 and 500GP.

You can keep your lazy 4 strokes. I mean, why only do the power thing once every SECOND revolution and then have the grief of slipper clutches to get rid of the engine braking....

Funny thing - the MotoGP bikes are now turning nearly twice (well 1.5 times!) the RPM of the old 500's , they might as well have just left them 2 strokes if they wanted that many power making strokes!

[Sully60]

There is nothing so cool as a big capacity 2 stroke of 3 or 4 cylinders....whether idling, warming up or "on the pipe" hooking gears.

Viva la 2 stroke era of F750 and 500GP.

You can keep your lazy 4 strokes. I mean, why only do the power thing once every SECOND revolution and then have the grief of slipper clutches to get rid of the engine braking....

Funny thing - the MotoGP bikes are now turning nearly twice (well 1.5 times!) the RPM of the old 500's , they might as well have just left them 2 strokes if they wanted that many power making strokes!

Sigh...
There are factors at work well beyond even my powers (15hp, whoah!) that mean that we will never hear this lovely sound in anger again.

Slipper clutches are only the start of back torque limitation on the MotoGP bikes. It's all computer controlled these days, Casey and the rest are great riders don't get me wrong, but it would be interesting if they had to ride something like this.

[sAsLEX]

Sigh...
There are factors at work well beyond even my powers (15hp, whoah!) that mean that we will never hear this lovely sound in anger again.

Slipper clutches are only the start of back torque limitation on the MotoGP bikes. It's all computer controlled these days, Casey and the rest are great riders don't get me wrong, but it would be interesting if they had to ride something like this.

The first time you ride a 500 its like ..... fuck!

Some of the current riders have.

[Sully60]

Some of the current riders have.

Yeah you're right and the cream will always rise to the top.
But the 500's that the current guys rode had twenty years of being eveloped by the likes Roberts Snr, Lawson, Spencer, Rainey, Doohan, Scwantz etc from the earlier 500 2 strokes. Crossply tyres, steel brakes, drone engines (though this went backwards and forwards) etc. all things that the later 500's had moved on from.

I ask how many racers in MotoGP have had operations for carpal tunnel syndrome?

The first time you ride a 500 its like ..... fuck! .

Maybe we should've asked Jorge the same question when he jumped off M1 after his first ride, what's the Spanish word for Fuck and how do pronounce it with a lollypop in your mouth?

[nudemetalz]

Lovely machine !!!!!!!

Makes me glad I once owned a KR-250 and an RZ-500...