old roadracing

[jssport]

I raced SoCal in the early 80's at Willow Springs and Riverside (AFM south and ARRA).




This is (was) my 74/75 Kaw factory H2r, only 10 of these were made, I wadded it up at Riverside then repaired and sold it to a Japanese collector, it's supposedly on display somewhere in the land of the rising sun. It was the last GP750 (or F1 if you like) to use a street based engine.

*notice the dry clutch !




This is (was) my 75 H1F 500 street bike, that I started on. Actually in my very first race on it, Wayne Rainey was in that class (but he was on a 4-stoke), just a smart ass dirt tracker who was trying out roadracing. Yes he was fast, but not fast enough to win that day (I was way behind but not lapped). Somebody died in that race, sad.


These bikes had a lot of soul, some of it dripped out in the form of 2 stroke oil from various places.

If it has two wheels and a motor, I like it. Don't be a snob.

[TheX]

Originally Posted by jssport

If it has two wheels and a motor, I like it. Don't be a snob.

Amen to that.

[sugarhillctd]

Starting back in '78 I did 2 years of AAMRR (Association of American Motorcycle Road Racers).

They used 2 tracks- Bryar (now New Hampshire Speedway) and Bridgehampton (now a "luxury golf course" )

I began with a Kawasaki H1 also! and got a 2nd place in my first ModProd race. Seized the motor at Bridgehampton later that season and had enough with the $h!t handling so I didn't rebuild.

Finished my first season and did the whole 2nd year on my lightly modded Yamaha XS500 (4 stroke twin- good handling). Down on power compared to the H1 but at least I didn't crap in my leathers like I almost did each time I went down the Bridge back "straight" on the Kaw.

I have some photos that I will scan and post here.

BTW, nice H2r

[davy.j]

I raced this 500 Daytona in '72
Recently found a pile of bits on ebay & am reproducing it again as accurately as I can only this time with a Grimeca 4LS front brake instead of the 2LS John Tickle one.
The frame is from a 1967 bike & the motor is from the last year of production, '73/74
Head came already flowed & the cams have pretty wild timings so are not stock Daytona (which are pretty hot already)
The frame is stove enamelled already & I just bought a brand new pair of Norton short roadholder forks from the UK as well as a Bob Newby primary belt drive kit and all alloy dry clutch with Sureflex plates.
Rims are Morad vallanced alloys and the rear wheel just arrived back today from Ash's spoked wheels in Brisbane with the Honda CB350 rear hub & brake laced into it with butted stainless steel spokes.
I'm keeping as many original steel parts as possible, stripping & nickel plating them as I go.
The original rubber and copper external oil lines are being replaced with braided stainless steel ones with AN fittings, ignition system is Aussie made Trispark solid state setup.

Love these Daytona's, they have so much history ( Not to mention Soul )
Triumph won the Daytona 200 in 1962 (Don Burnett), 1966 (Buddy Elmore), and 1967 (Gary Nixon) on them against 750cc Harleys.

Triumph also campaigned the bike in Europe, as a Grand Prix racer.
During the late 1960s, Triumph used the T100 Daytona to compete against dedicated race bikes such as the MV Agusta 500cc three & four cylinder machines.
In July of of 1969, Percy Tait (the Triumph factory rider) came in second at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Tait was the only rider not to be lapped on the Spa Francorchamps circuit by Giacomo Agostini's MV Agusta, in fact leading the race for 3 laps.
One month later, at the Swedish Grand Prix in Anderstorp, Tait won the non-points race.
On the longer circuits they were getting close to 150mph.. not bad for a 4 stroke 500cc parallel twin pushrod converted road bike.
1969 Triumph Daytona GP500 (Percy Tait) Classic Motorcycle Pictures

I always deeply regretted selling that bike, but then I'm getting a huge rush from re-creating it again, better than it ever was originally with modern materials & technology.

[TheNibbler]

Originally Posted by jssport

This is (was) my 74/75 Kaw factory H2r, only 10 of these were made, I wadded it up at Riverside then repaired and sold it to a Japanese collector, it's supposedly on display somewhere in the land of the rising sun. It was the last GP750 (or F1 if you like) to use a street based engine.

*notice the dry clutch !

That's a bad-ass lookin' bike. What's that wheel thing inside the tank?

[sugarhillctd]

Where a quick-fill port would be fitted if mounted on a European enduro race bike?

[jssport]

Originally Posted by sugarhillctd

Where a quick-fill port would be fitted if mounted on a European enduro race bike?

That's what I was told,.....


I've never seen one of the quick connect gas port mounted on any of their tanks in person though.


Here's some great links to other H2R pages, really great static and action pics: (page 1 on the first link seems to show a pic of the quick break option)

http://www.ozebook.com/h2ra.htm

http://www.mojokawasaki.com/photos/photos.html

This truly was the "Golden Age" of motorcycle racing IMNSFHO

[jssport]

... the greatest race I ever saw occured at Riverside in a practice session, in 82 i think.

Yosimura was there still developing Wes Colley's #34 Suzuki's 1024cc 4 stroke superbike, and "Champion Moriwaki's" (Moriwaki was Yoshi's son-law) TZ750. All other competitors left the track while these two went at it. I'm not sure who was riding either bike.

Everyone became a railbird watching these two, The TZ 750's were still the reigning champs of anything they entered, but the Yosh machine was pretty strong. These guys were neck and neck, slicing and dicing cutting across each other lines with with only inches to spare. Everyones jaw was dropping. The Yosh 4 stroke seemed to be the TZ's equal and we all knew we had witnessed something special that day.

Team Hammer was there, and Code's California Superbike school was just getting started, Wayne Rainy was their first star pupil ! Of course you know the Wayne started off on a Kaw.

[Werfel.gartner]

Very good friend and Fellow roadracer stacy summers 38, of Willown Grove, PA passed away March 1st in a motorcycle accident. Stacy died doing what he loved - Helping people.

[MongoWERA]

Originally Posted by Werfel.gartner

Very good friend and Fellow roadracer stacy summers 38, of Willown Grove, PA passed away March 1st in a motorcycle accident. Stacy died doing what he loved - Helping people.

Stacey was good people.