I really love Gunstock. Even though I am retired from racing, I'd build an authentic Gunstock bike and run there.
I always treated it as a fast street ride. If I couldn't catch somebody at my pace, then I couldn't catch him, and that's the way you had to ride that place. I won the pre-50 class there, going away one year (toot, toot!)on a BSA B33. That was the cast iron 500 single (whereas the B34 Goldstar was alloy)in an old rigid frame. It was raining, that was the first time I raced that bike, and I just loved that thing right off. That bike was probably the fastest B33 ever built as they're a plodder/sidecar type of motorcycle, not meant in any way for racing. It wasn't as fast as one of my Goldie's, but it made nice power and there's something very pure about a big single in a rigid frame that's hard to explain. It's motorcycle racing in its most elemental rudimentary form. Aaron probably knows what I'm talking about. He used to race Jay's Goldie. The frames are shit, mine really used to load and unload coming up over the hill at NHIS, like a flexible flyer, but it didn't matter because you simply adjusted yourself to the motorcycle as there isn't much you can do to adjust it to you. And the front suspension is the only suspension you have, so the bike pogo's like a hobby horse or something. I know that maybe this sounds like you'd never want to ride a rigid, but rigids force you learn to pick the perfect line more than any other type of bike, and you learn to be smooth. Greg Nichols loved to ride Jay's Goldie because he said it taught him so much.
That year I also ran a 750 Triumph, great bike. I got a good start at Gunstock and had the lead, Andrew Murray was right on my ass but I wasn't letting him by easy. So about the 4th lap I'm coming up the hill where it was smooth(er) on the outside, as the inside line is as rough as a plowed field, and I hear a motorcycle on my left and look over, and here comes Murray on the inside, and he's up on pegs while the bike is boogy'ing like crazy under him; I mean I can hear the engine revs jumping as the rear wheel comes off the ground. I was like, "Dude, if you want it that bad, you can have it", and I rolled out of it enough to let him over, then chased him over the top and down the hill, made a bid for the inside at the lower hairpin, didn't get the wheel, and I didn't get another chance after that. Andrew is a great rider, I never could beat him.
I'd probably build an old Triumph for Gunstock, maybe a pre-unit in a rigid frame. In fact, I may even build one to bring up and race at NHIS in the pre-50 class. It would be fun just to have something to buzz around on in a non-serious way, plus you're definitely getting (an absolutely meaningless) trophy. Maybe I'll come across something, we'll see.
Oh, the other thing that happens with rigids is, if you hit a bad bump while braking hard, and if the rear wheel lofts, you will continue to bounce as everytime rear wheel comes down and gets traction, it bounces up again. This means you've got to let off and go straight so you don't wreck until the bike settles back down. I look in amazement at all the bobbers/choppers being built today without a front brake. Apparently they are unaware of the boucing phenomona that rigids are prone to, plus they stop like they're in shit even if they don't bounce. It's tough thing to learn when a car pulls out in front of you.
Well, enough about me, how are you today? Chatty, aren't I.
Dgy
I always treated it as a fast street ride. If I couldn't catch somebody at my pace, then I couldn't catch him, and that's the way you had to ride that place. I won the pre-50 class there, going away one year (toot, toot!)on a BSA B33. That was the cast iron 500 single (whereas the B34 Goldstar was alloy)in an old rigid frame. It was raining, that was the first time I raced that bike, and I just loved that thing right off. That bike was probably the fastest B33 ever built as they're a plodder/sidecar type of motorcycle, not meant in any way for racing. It wasn't as fast as one of my Goldie's, but it made nice power and there's something very pure about a big single in a rigid frame that's hard to explain. It's motorcycle racing in its most elemental rudimentary form. Aaron probably knows what I'm talking about. He used to race Jay's Goldie. The frames are shit, mine really used to load and unload coming up over the hill at NHIS, like a flexible flyer, but it didn't matter because you simply adjusted yourself to the motorcycle as there isn't much you can do to adjust it to you. And the front suspension is the only suspension you have, so the bike pogo's like a hobby horse or something. I know that maybe this sounds like you'd never want to ride a rigid, but rigids force you learn to pick the perfect line more than any other type of bike, and you learn to be smooth. Greg Nichols loved to ride Jay's Goldie because he said it taught him so much.
That year I also ran a 750 Triumph, great bike. I got a good start at Gunstock and had the lead, Andrew Murray was right on my ass but I wasn't letting him by easy. So about the 4th lap I'm coming up the hill where it was smooth(er) on the outside, as the inside line is as rough as a plowed field, and I hear a motorcycle on my left and look over, and here comes Murray on the inside, and he's up on pegs while the bike is boogy'ing like crazy under him; I mean I can hear the engine revs jumping as the rear wheel comes off the ground. I was like, "Dude, if you want it that bad, you can have it", and I rolled out of it enough to let him over, then chased him over the top and down the hill, made a bid for the inside at the lower hairpin, didn't get the wheel, and I didn't get another chance after that. Andrew is a great rider, I never could beat him.
I'd probably build an old Triumph for Gunstock, maybe a pre-unit in a rigid frame. In fact, I may even build one to bring up and race at NHIS in the pre-50 class. It would be fun just to have something to buzz around on in a non-serious way, plus you're definitely getting (an absolutely meaningless) trophy. Maybe I'll come across something, we'll see.
Oh, the other thing that happens with rigids is, if you hit a bad bump while braking hard, and if the rear wheel lofts, you will continue to bounce as everytime rear wheel comes down and gets traction, it bounces up again. This means you've got to let off and go straight so you don't wreck until the bike settles back down. I look in amazement at all the bobbers/choppers being built today without a front brake. Apparently they are unaware of the boucing phenomona that rigids are prone to, plus they stop like they're in shit even if they don't bounce. It's tough thing to learn when a car pulls out in front of you.
Well, enough about me, how are you today? Chatty, aren't I.
Dgy
