Archived Posts

Post by **Admin** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 12:50 pm

Had a great time at Barber, what a fantastic track located in a country club like setting. The museum is incredible, certainly worth going to if anyone is visiting in the area.

I arrived Thursday evening, found my bike that was transported from California and pitted with Glenn Maxwell and Hurley Wilvert form ABQ. It rained cats and dogs Thursday night into Friday morning, but cleared up Friday for practice day.

Barber could be a tricky track to learn the lines on, fortunately I got to follow Glenn Maxwell around on his SR500 in practice to learn the lines. I started off turning 2:05's, learning the shift and brake points. Fortunately I guessed correctly on gearing and jetting before leaving California, I never had to fiddle with either the entire weekend.

Racing on Saturday I was entered in F-500 and F-Vintage. For F-500 I had a good battle with a Kaw #629, Jeff Moyers bike riden by Adam Kirian. We battled back and forth throughout the race, swapping places several times, with #629 finally getting the best of me, I finished 7th.

I should also mention that T500 rider John Cooper had a good showing racing his newly aquired Can-Am 250. That bike sure is light and boy can it corner. In Saturday's F-500 race John got by me on the next to last corner, but he mis-shifted on the front straight and I motored by him.

In Saturday's F-Vintage I got to race against someone, #382 riding I think a Yamaha 750 twin. Again this was good racing, I got around #382 and was able to hold hin off for an 8th place finish.

Sunday was pretty much a repeat of Saturday's racing, battling against #629 in F-500 and #382 in F-Vintage. It sure is a lot more fun to race against someone vs. riding around by yourself. In Sunday's F-500 race I managed to turn my best lap time, a 1:54, shaving 9 seconds off Friday's practice times. It felt good to be able to pull the Kawi triple on the straights, nice to have a strong motor.

This was a great fininsh to my AHRMA season. I did 5 events (Willow, Mid-O, Miller, Sandia, Barber) and feel like I've really made some big improvements this season. My bike held up well, main problems I had this season were welds breaking on my new chambers. Otherwise the bike held up well, sure do like those Wiseco Pistons.

Next season I'll be starting off at Daytona, I'm hoping to have my new chassis ready but that have to wait until the Willow Springs event.

The new chassis is an RD350 frame with a GT380 swingarm. I plan to swap out my engine, chambers, wheels over to the new chassis. I'm looking to sharpen up handing a bit by and reducing weight going to the RD chassis. So the bike will be a Suzuki RD500?

I'll be putting another Sundial engine into this year's chassis and selling it, could be a good starter bike for someone looking to go racing next year?

Post by **Admin** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 4:30 pm

Good show desmocat. But something better than the RD frame is in the works. Both John Cooper, Keith Sutton and I are in line for one.

A Seeley frame for the T500. They first one is being worked up now. Interested?

Post by **Admin** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 4:48 pm

Zook-e wrote:A Seeley frame for the T500. They first one is being worked up now. Interested?

Oh yeah I'm interested, looks like the RD might be an interim solution....

Post by **Admin** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 6:34 pm

Robert Taylor is doing them. He said he had talked to you. I don't know the time frame as he has to tool up for them and all.

Post by **Admin** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 9:52 pm

I saw you racing, Ralph, but I never made it around to the pits. My RD was parked at the Motorcycle Classics area for the "show", so I stayed on that side, all day Saturday. I guess it wasn't a bad choice, as my RD and Frank's 69 T500 got picked to be in the magazine!!

Glad you had a good time.

Lane

Post by **Admin** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:09 pm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16120081@N ... 750388068/

Post by **Admin** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 8:07 am

Has anyone ever tried to lace up an aluminum rim from a Yamaha xs650 or TX750 to a T or GT500? I'd like to swap out my rusty rims for a set of lighter and nicer looking aluminum rims without paying a hige amount of money.

Post by **Admin** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 4:15 pm

I would think that as long as the Brand-Y rims are 36 hole they should work.

Post by **Admin** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 8:56 pm

I wonder if some from a RE5 would fit up ?

Post by **Admin** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:35 am

I saw another post about the RE5 wheel working as a bolt on wheel for the front, but I think they said the rear wasn't for the 500. Desmocat....what brand wheels do you have on your racer? Very nice looking bike by the way.

Post by **Admin** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 10:29 am

RE5 wheels should bolt up to a GT550 or 750, but the 500s use a different rear axle arrangement. The rim should work.

Lane

Post by **Admin** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 7:25 pm

Just wanted to post a link to my T500 build page. Bike is still in process but you might like checking it out. lots of work done.

http://good-times.webshots.com/slidesho ... 6430gqqZfk

Post by **Admin** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 7:35 pm

That thing is going to look super with you aluminum swingarm on it. It should be there just after Christmas. It will have a Yamaha pivot and a Suzuki pivot for you to work with.

That bike is looking awsome. Especially the paint scheme.

Post by **Admin** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 8:12 pm

i like the way you did the rear sets, and those pipes are awesome. well the bike entire bike looks great!

Post by **Admin** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 8:41 pm

There's some really nice work in that one. It almost looks like you're building a showbike instead of a racer.

Lane

Archived Posts

Barber Race Report

Vintage race bikes

Aluminum Rim conversion

Building a T500 Racer