500 Space Frame
- Thread starter mikenaz
- Start date
Fitz
Senior member
- Location
- Cheshire UK
If you are thinking about racing in the UK, in BHRC BEARS classes, there are rules about the design but the people that look at these things are not too interested unless you are blatant and deliberately trying to cheat. I have seen Duke Pantahs on the grid using much later forks, brakes and brand new frames
You do see the odd box section swing arm that is not allowed, some dodgy looking front ends and wheels
With regard to the 500 twins, the monty is pretty good as it is, if you can get to the point that the chassis is giving you worries, good on you
There are a few mods to do if you are going racing with some stiffening around the headstock and swing arm, I also got rid of the swing arm bushes in favour of needle rollers
Once you get a feel for how good the bike is you will be amazed, I lost a lot of weight personally which helped me a lot
The brakes and discs look puny compared to modern standards but as I have repeated before as advised by Phil - brake later - go in faster you don't need much more than the standard set up apart from really good pads and blind faith
The only real mods I made are the forks, I paid a lot of brass with a pro suspension guy to have custom made springs and internals and I use Davies Motorsport rear shocks to give me full rebound and compression adjustment front and rear. I don't have pre-load adjustment on the forks. I have only ever changed the settings for wet or dry conditions and even then at my skill level its probably more to make my head feel better than a massive change to how the bike behaves
If anyone cheats and tries to get a later looky likey bike through they are still likely to get pasted by someone like Phil Bootherstone on his aged 500 Triumph. I have had Phil do me over on more than one occasion I doubt there are many 500's around that could keep up with him on a good day - the top class bikes and riders tend to go in other classes so we dont really get Manx's, G50's or the like in the BEARS F3 class
I know Robin swapped over to the Classic club with his Barca / Monty but they run an air cooled 500 class that has a lot of Pantah's, Honda Twins / fours, RD400's etc so a 500 Monty is never going to be at the front, all of the competition is using brand new stuff from people like Davies Motorsport for the Hondas. I was at the Manx Classic watching practice when somebody on a 350 Honda came down the Glencrutchery road at nearly 120mph - on an air cooled 350 twin - yer arse is all I can say
Come to Mallory this weekend, I am there, hopefully my pal Gareth will be there with his 500 and possibly a couple more from what I hear, BHRC is great for beginners and clubmen who just love to race. My mate Nic Powell won the F2 class on a ropey looking Moto Guzzi but you have never seen anyone as enthusiastic and competitive
The only thing BHRC do object to is the noise, a standard Monty exhaust will not pass the noise police, I run a factory Barca system and got a lot of grief last season and warned about this season so I have had to have the baffles modified to try and reduce the dB - I will let you know what it measures on Monday - hopefully they will be chasing Gareth who's bike sounded like a rocket launcher last year
Just get a Monty - tweak the motor a bit, get some more ground clearance, sort the brakes, tyres and suspension and go racing - the picture is me chasing a 1000cc Guzzi with massive brakes and pretty tricked up all round in four races at Anglesey I beat him twice and he got me twice, I think that's Bob Bevan up the inside of both of us, I didn't see much of Bob as he is away at the front winning the F1 title
You do see the odd box section swing arm that is not allowed, some dodgy looking front ends and wheels
With regard to the 500 twins, the monty is pretty good as it is, if you can get to the point that the chassis is giving you worries, good on you
There are a few mods to do if you are going racing with some stiffening around the headstock and swing arm, I also got rid of the swing arm bushes in favour of needle rollers
Once you get a feel for how good the bike is you will be amazed, I lost a lot of weight personally which helped me a lot
The brakes and discs look puny compared to modern standards but as I have repeated before as advised by Phil - brake later - go in faster you don't need much more than the standard set up apart from really good pads and blind faith
The only real mods I made are the forks, I paid a lot of brass with a pro suspension guy to have custom made springs and internals and I use Davies Motorsport rear shocks to give me full rebound and compression adjustment front and rear. I don't have pre-load adjustment on the forks. I have only ever changed the settings for wet or dry conditions and even then at my skill level its probably more to make my head feel better than a massive change to how the bike behaves
If anyone cheats and tries to get a later looky likey bike through they are still likely to get pasted by someone like Phil Bootherstone on his aged 500 Triumph. I have had Phil do me over on more than one occasion I doubt there are many 500's around that could keep up with him on a good day - the top class bikes and riders tend to go in other classes so we dont really get Manx's, G50's or the like in the BEARS F3 class
I know Robin swapped over to the Classic club with his Barca / Monty but they run an air cooled 500 class that has a lot of Pantah's, Honda Twins / fours, RD400's etc so a 500 Monty is never going to be at the front, all of the competition is using brand new stuff from people like Davies Motorsport for the Hondas. I was at the Manx Classic watching practice when somebody on a 350 Honda came down the Glencrutchery road at nearly 120mph - on an air cooled 350 twin - yer arse is all I can say
Come to Mallory this weekend, I am there, hopefully my pal Gareth will be there with his 500 and possibly a couple more from what I hear, BHRC is great for beginners and clubmen who just love to race. My mate Nic Powell won the F2 class on a ropey looking Moto Guzzi but you have never seen anyone as enthusiastic and competitive
The only thing BHRC do object to is the noise, a standard Monty exhaust will not pass the noise police, I run a factory Barca system and got a lot of grief last season and warned about this season so I have had to have the baffles modified to try and reduce the dB - I will let you know what it measures on Monday - hopefully they will be chasing Gareth who's bike sounded like a rocket launcher last year
Just get a Monty - tweak the motor a bit, get some more ground clearance, sort the brakes, tyres and suspension and go racing - the picture is me chasing a 1000cc Guzzi with massive brakes and pretty tricked up all round in four races at Anglesey I beat him twice and he got me twice, I think that's Bob Bevan up the inside of both of us, I didn't see much of Bob as he is away at the front winning the F1 title
Attachments
KERMIT1200
Hero member
- Location
- Worcester,UK
Laverdalothar
Hero member
- Location
- Germany
not my cup of tea. not at all... :-X
G
Grant
Guest
Designed with one aim in mind.
Form follows function.
I think it meets all the criteria it was designed for.
Form follows function.
I think it meets all the criteria it was designed for.
Laverdalothar
Hero member
- Location
- Germany
Grant said:
What function does a tail-piece have that you almost can't lift your leg over, please? never understood this "street-fighter"-crap...
G
Grant
Guest
Very little 'street' about this.
D
Davo
Guest
Laverdalothar said:
Allowing for (a lot) or rear wheel/swingarm arc.
Laverdalothar
Hero member
- Location
- Germany
Davo said:Allowing for (a lot) or rear wheel/swingarm arc.
but it does not really look like a dirt-bike, does it? 8)
Grant said:
then even more so: what is the function of this tail piece in any application you could think of except for show, please?
G
Grant
Guest
Seating position on the racetrack?
Just a wild stab in the dark...
Just a wild stab in the dark...
Yogi
Hero member
- Location
- Bellingen NSW Australia
I?m beginning to feel the love coming through in this thread..
Yogi
Yogi
G
Grant
Guest
:-*
Laverdalothar
Hero member
- Location
- Germany
no offense intended to people (and especially not to Grant :-*), I just don't get what people think that alter their bikes to "street-fighter" looks, especially if it comes to classic bikes like Laverdas... :
G
Grant
Guest
I would think that race bike weighs the bare minimum it can so every part on the bike is there for a specific purpose.
I can only assume that seat gives the right ergonomics, and fits the overall modernistic aspect.
Not all Laverda racers need SFC style seats.
I'm also guessing the extreme angle of the silencer is dictated by ground clearance issues too.
Maybe Kermit can give us the scoop on it?
I can only assume that seat gives the right ergonomics, and fits the overall modernistic aspect.
Not all Laverda racers need SFC style seats.
I'm also guessing the extreme angle of the silencer is dictated by ground clearance issues too.
Maybe Kermit can give us the scoop on it?
KERMIT1200
Hero member
- Location
- Worcester,UK
Its a race bike Lother, the backend looks like it is at a steep angle due to the paddock stand lifting the back end off the ground. Not the best of pictures I agree but for christ sake 'Streetfighter' .
Andy
PS Its same bike as per my profile picture.
Andy
PS Its same bike as per my profile picture.
Attachments
chrisk
Hero member
- Location
- Brisbane, Australia
Grant said:
And somewhere to rest your heel.
Rob
Hero member
- Location
- Midlands, UK
streetfighter indeed!!!
