[Geeto67]

Hey Gang,

This is a simple question with a long narrative leading up to it. I used to live in New Orleans. When I did I bought a really cheap 1974 h1 kawasaki. It was cheap because the front and rear suspension were waisted, but it ran. Rather than pony up the dosh for stock parts I miunted an fzr600 front end to the bike, and an fzr400 rear swing arm and wheel and brakes. Really I did it because I wanted to see if it was tough to do (it wasn't).

At the time WERA ran at No Problem Raceway and a friend of mine convinced me to setup the bike to run in one of their classes, (I think it was formula 500). I set up the bike, ran one track day practice, and realized that the bike needed rearsets, pipes, better clip ons, and a host of fine tuning. I also realized from watching some of the other racers that my 6'5" 280lbs frame was not ideal for motorcycle roadracing. I moved to NY, and shelved the bike.

But the itch persists. I want to have some fun with the bike on the track. WERA doesn't exist anywhere close to NYC. I spoke to a local AHRMA racer and he tells me the bike would not qualify for any class there. Is there any place close to NYC that I could run this bike in a race? It is something I have always wanted to do at least once. What are my options?

 

[texmawby]

well i guess the first question to ask yourself is; how far do you want to travel?

once your done answering that you must ask how much you still desire to race?

o.k., got those two questions answered and still want to do it.....?then come on down to summit point, wv, travel over to beaverun (wampum, pa), or even a bit farther, nelson ledges, near warren, ohio for your closest wera races. you can race formula 500, formula two-stroke, vintage three and clubman on sunday!

and i don't know who that ahrma dude you talked to is, but he/she should look at the 2005 rulebook. the kawa h1 (gp kitted) is open for formula 500 and formula vintage, if it is in street trim you could run it in heavyweight production. check out the rules yourself at: www.ahrma.org you might want to forward a copy of the pdf to that ahrma dude too.

wera season is over. if you hurry you could make the gnf on thursday! ahrma has one more at barber. and the good ole' uscra just wraped up on uncle toad's wet & wild ride (frontierland) this weekend). get wrenching, the new season is approx. only five months away (that would be wera at v.i.r.) good luck!

tex

 

[FR]

Well it seems to me you could run it at Loudon in the lrrs series, but you'd be racing with more modern bikes, which can be kind of lonely if you know what I mean. It sounds like it could be fun to race though, make a good hillclimb special, but I don't know if they allow bikes at Mount Washington etc.
My background is with flattrack, and we let anybody race anything, but you'd probably want to make a few more changes to the bike if you want to try that...

FR

 

[Geeto67]

I read the rules for ahrma - the H1R is approved for formula 500 but not the h1. Since my bike is a 74 I don't think it qualifies, although I do have a 1973 frame that was made in december 1972. I also run the fzr600 brakes wich are definatly not within the rules: "Calipers must be period, two-piston type. Late-model alloy types are prohibited." I don't think the bike is eligible for forumla vintage either. In wera the bike qualifies for formula 2, and clubman.

AHRMA isn't really close to me, but with someone I knew in the series I could travel with them. For WERA the closest is Wampum, PA which is 6 hours away - might as well compete in Ohio at that point. I am strictly a weekender (my day job it pretty rigid), and the appeal of driving 6 hours at night after working a 12 hour day on friday wanes fast.

Are there any other roadracing organizations I am unaware of?
The NESBA sets up track days in the north east but as far as I know there is no competition in chasing mostly squids on new sportbikes around pocono on a 1974 kawi. Plus they get all pissy about the two stroke smoke. Louden, NH runs its own racing class but I think it is limited to stock components in everything but thunderbike.

Ironically enough I have a 1971 t500 that is bone stock that could probably qualify for most of the racing series, but I have so much into the h1 and I would rather run that.

Still looking for options to compete in at least one competitive road race in my life before it ends (which isn't anytime soon so I have time)....

 

[joe c]

yeah, that brake and swing arm combo could be problematic for vintage classes. tex is right though. there are alot of guys who make the drive to wva or louden or the beav. id say most people pick a class they want to run in basd on the bikes and mods permitted. and then also on skill and ability and based on the speeds/agressivness in that class. youve kinda gone at it backwards. but get out and race with us.


jc

 

[racerchris46]

Good vintage racers aren't afraid to drive. In fact, most of us will tell you the races start on I-95. I find if you just drive all night, you go really fast the next day. But I digress.

Change your brakes to something that is legal and put the stock swingarm on. Race the thing. No one will give a shit that its not exactly legal until you beat them.

adios muchachos

 

[joe c]

and hurry up and find a real job before race season starts. you have 4 months.

jc

 

[texmawby]

yeah muchacho!

el tex

 

[Geeto67]

quote:and hurry up and find a real job before race season starts. you have 4 months.

My current job allows me to have a stable of really cool japanese motorcycles and project bikes (13 to date). With a "real job" I might have to give up my bike buying habits. Actually I am trying a few things out and if they pan out I'll have a lot more freedom and a lot less aggrivation.

Ok so the H1 is back to being a street bike. Here is what I have in my stable that I could build a race bike with:

- 1971 T500: Not really keen on cutting this bike up because it is clean nice running stock street bike. However it came with two other engines (one already prepped for comp) and I have a line on a spare frame. Not really keen on racing on a drum.

- 1974 GT380s: I have two that I using to make one cafe racer bike (actually Rosko is holding one for me at his place). One has a really nice front end and brake setup, the other has a good clean running engine. I was actually going to sell these because I really don't need them, but If I can find a purpose for them all the better.

- 1976 Kawasaki h1: My former drag bike. They closed the local drag strip to me and I don't have NHRA approved drag leathers nor a desire to drive an hour to a track that will only let me compete in a bracket class. Lot of stuff braced on this bike, safety wired, etc. Currently torn down for conversion to road use.

- 1978 Cb750F. Converted cafe racer. Bought this From Rosko (who turned me on to this site). Makes a nice street bike. I have a spare 811cc engine I could throw in if rules allow. Heavy bike though.

- 1976 kz400: Currently selling this bike because I have no room. Nice clean one owner bike, bone stock. I really don't care about this bike and I am too big to ride it (6'5"). That also means I really wouldn't care if I slid it into a haybale.

- Additional parts I could throw together: 1974 h2 750cc two stroke engine, 1973 h1 500 cc frame. Honda 305 Dream. 1976 cb750F w/811 and GW front end.

So I probably would want to try racing in WERA at PA or at Louden since they are closest.I am not looking to do a full seaso since I am too big and heavy to be cometitive, but I really want to see what it is like in the heat of battle roadracing. A long time ago I did a Time Trial once at Bridgehampton road course before they closed it down. But they were singular passes and I was riding my father's 1986 1000r Ninja. Fun time but still not rubbing elbows in the heat of combat.

ok so recomendations as to which bike I should take the torch to?

Questions on modifications:

- Will they let me run any kind of disc on an original drum brake bike or does it have to stay drum. For example the t500 went to disc when it became the gt500, can I run a gt500 disc on the t500? How about the GT380 since it was around the same time period?

- Engine mods: some of my bikes already have cut heads and portwork. Are they going to care? What about aftermarket chambers or exhaust?

- Should I try and run the bike stock, or spend the money on tank, seat, fairings?

Thanks for the responses so far guys.

 

[texmawby]

geeto,

we were busting racerchris' balls about the job search. sorry! i need to think over your bikes for potential racers a bit longer.

i recommend that you travel next year to the first summit point round on the wera schedule even if it is to spectate (in april). we have better grids there and thus there will be more people to talk to and get ideas with. summit is 1 & 1/2 hours south of harrisburg, pa.

your always welcome in my pit, unless your an axe murderer, then your only allowed in aaron or joe c's pit.

some fellow nyc'ers travel down to summit for each round.

check out: www.teamincomplete.com or www.nycnorton.com

all good dudes!

i'll respond to bike worthy-ness question later.

caio,

tex