Archived Posts

[Admin]

I don't know Diamond, that one look pretty good, and the price is right. I bought one off Ebay not long ago that's similar, but cost more. Oh well, mine does have a handle to push on, BUT it's not as adjustable.


Lane

[Admin]

All the high-class racers like myself demand the finest in equipment.
this fine example of state of the art paddock equipment was picked up at a walmart in the middle of the night driving down to putnam one friday evening for around $11.

Hey Todd,

I didn't think you were allowed to race anymore.....

Good idea though!

Jim

[Admin]

I cursed those damn jack stands every time i used them. I still curse them when i trip over them in the garage.

Seriously, the stand from Cosmo for $69.99 looks like a good deal. Having the width adjustable is nice to have.

[Admin]

I don't know Diamond, that one look pretty good, and the price is right. I bought one off Ebay not long ago that's similar, but cost more. Oh well, mine does have a handle to push on, BUT it's not as adjustable.


Lane

Hey Lane,

I also found these on ebay as well:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BLUE-MOT ... 0770QQrdZ1

Very similar to the stands I've seen used in the Sundial pits. The only thing I'm not wild about is the weight of the bike rests on the two steel support pins extended from the sides of the stand. Then again, I don't think I've EVER heard of anyone breaking one and a T500 is hardly a heavy race bike.....

Jim

[Admin]

This is what I bought. It's OK, but when I put it together, some of the holes were drilled wrong, so it was crooked (I HATE that!). A drill and some pop-rivets fixed it!


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MOTORCYC ... dZViewItem


Lane

[Admin]

Hi Jim,

I don't know what changes you're making to the swingarm, but I drilled the 1/4" plate at the back (low and just in front of the axle) and then mounted spools. I have a couple of spare spools here, if you need a set, let me know.

Eugene

[Admin]

Hey Eugene,

Yes please! That would be great! I am only planning on welding on a brake stay at this point. Of course thinking forward with it, I could also weld on a small piece of steel tube on the bottom of the swing arm so I can use one of those triangle stands I bought from the Cannondale clearance guys at the swap meet... I'd still want a race stand for leaving the bike parked for long periods of times though.

Jim

[Admin]

The other great thing with those triangle stands is you can drill out one of the big bushings on the swingarm gusset and put the stand in there. I find it easier to put the stand in when its near the rearset since I just stay on the bike and bend over to one side. If the bushing were at the back you would have to get off the bike and hold it with one hand while wrestling with the stand in the other.

Besides this way you're taking weight off the bike, not adding it on.

[Admin]

Hi Jim,

Unless you're going to change the size (diameter), the shop making it can figure out how many teeth. Take in a set of the old ones and they will be able to run the formulae to determine the number. After all, its a ration of the pitch diameters that determine the ratio.

Eugene

[Admin]

Hey Eugene,

I got it figured out. One of the binders you gave me has TR500 specs in it and it lists the primary drive ratio and gears - 68/31 and 2.193. Nova lists theirs as being the proper 2.2 ratio and I suspect they are just rounding up. This is different that the stock ratio given by the helical gears which is 2.5 (I think).

I drilled the primary off one of the junk clutch baskets I had (missing teeth) and I'll have to figure out how to be more precise on that job when I do it for real as I made a mess of the rivet bosses on a couple of them. I suspect center punching and some very careful pilot holes are needed. Or perhaps I should have ground off the rivit heads on the gear side?

I handed the gears off to my packaging vendor that "knows a guy". I asked him to just get a quote on making the gears. I hope he doesn't turn up in a few weeks with new gears and a $1000 invoice!

Jim

[Admin]

Maybe I can add to this topic from my experience. I raced a T500 from 79-84. Had some successes as a WERA vintage champion and an AMA middleweight superbike #3 (was #1 until some FL rednecks scheduled an after end of season race in a parking lot complete with pylons). Managed to do fairly well in F2 and 750 superbike too. I basically built my GT500 from scratch with little-no help, and was about the only T500 racing on the east coast at the time. Later, I got some grudging help for the Suzuki dealer that I worked for - but it was mostly jets, gaskets, and all the cheap stuff.

The first thought is that doing it like a week-end fun activity will give you no fun on the track, and could be dangerous. None of the instincts from fast street riding apply. When your biggest relief is realizing that there is no danger from cross traffic, you will crash next. Road racing is planning and concentration in minute detail - not feeling your balls. And that planning and concentration needs to happen nearly all of your waking life for more than just the racing season. You need to carry around in your brain the top 20+ issues that you have on your bike working on them, never risking safety, and always improving in baby steps.

Starting a little slow on the engine is a good idea. I never did stock but went with 3mm raising and lowering of ports and street chambers. I got a little kick out of it, but it was easily controllable. The only suspension changes were Koni shocks using the stock mounts, aluminum rims with stronger spokes, brake pads, tapered head bearings, bronze s/a bearings and air fork caps. After a few races I put a frame brace in.

I raced every class I could get into - sometimes as many as 7-8 per week-end - and shorter endurance races. I setup a street bike in the same riding position as my race bike and rode it always. I'ld go to the GA/NC mountains on off weekends and ride all day. That took a big variable out of race weekend.

It's true that the T500 can only possibly be competitive at places like Daytona where running wide open for long periods and few tight turns play to it's strengths. It has a 3 speed transmission for all practical purposes, and is freightening going into and out of tight turns even with good brakes and well sorted semi-stock suspension. Beyond that, nearly every racing organization on the planet has found a reason to put the T500 in classes that don't reflect the year of introduction or the simplicity of design.

The T500s strength is its durability even when racing. You will beat a lot of RD/RZs and H*s just because they will be sitting by the track. I had 1 engine problem in 5 years, and it was due to a personal issue that shouldn't have happened. And that reliability comes cheap - 1 set of pistons per year (used the original 35k mile ones the first season), never took a crank apart (replaced one outer bearing), no clutches or transmissions on the GT500 for 3+ years. Switched to the 68 (for vintage) engine with the same results except no crank bearing replacement.

I second the 'don't over-engineer' warning from Krash. So much of my bikes were stock that it was scarey. If you feel compelled to do something, take off weight - both the bike and you. Mine weighed in at 275lbs with 2-3 gal in the tank. I made a series of 3 changes in the first couple of years. Porting from 3 to 5 to 7mm, carbs from 32 to 34 to 37.5, and chamber changes to match. The stability of the bike meant that I usually put jets in before I left for the weekend and seldom changed them a lot at the track. The real fun in racing is riding around the track doing the best you can do. The most super mods you can find to do don't mean s*it if you aren't going around the track with them. The T500 gives excellent return on modest investments of time and money for racing, but has monumental limitations when trying to turn it into a modern day race bike.

HTH - have fun!

[Admin]

Confession is good for the soul...or ... pass the mashed potato's.

I stand at 6'2" and currently tip the scales at 280lbs nekkid(I had lost 40lbs at one point but it's come back, ...damn)

I was always around this size and thought that there was no way in blazes I would ever be able to race. The first year I came to Mid-Ohio I met a Titan racer named Doug Fleming (I hope I got that name right, and if not, I changed it to protect the innocent). While Doug was my height he was easily my size ... but larger and could consistantly run in the first half of the pack.

True, whatever bike I get on it seems to immediately get smaller, but look at it this way, I never have to let off because the bike is in a wheelie, and I never worry about spinning the back tire.

MAX TRACTION, gravity loves me, baby

[Admin]

Hi folks,

Saw this and thought somebody (especially those who are sitting on the fence) may be interested in getting a jump start on a race bike for Mid-Ohio.

Don't know the owner, but it is a beginning....

Ebay Titan Racer

[Admin]

Looks like my Chambers only the Head Pipes are Different.Mine have Originals Welded to the Chamber Bodies.If you look those Headpipes look like the ones that Arne Bought for his Buffalo.

[Admin]

This was also posted in the Ebay Watch section. I wonder if it's more a cafe racer than an ex-road racer? Sounds like the fiberglass tank has had it if the "bondo is popping". It would be helpful if the seller posted a few more pictures of the bike....

Jim