Post race, methanol and castor oil

johnm said:

Ok. When you said any bike into a shit heap I wasn't considering the specific cases of exposed valve gear. However you may find methylated spirits can help with cleaning that regard. I would certainly not risk using methanol to clean an engine. It is definitely poisonous and I immediately wash my hands if I touch it.

Many of the replica motors have also now incorporated covers to control the oil. The original hairsprings having been converted to coil.

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The effects of methanol are cumulative. I usually get a bit on my fingers when I remove the caps from the bottom of the carbs after a race meeting. The amount absorbed through the skin would be almost nothing. All solvents are dangerous. I would be more worried about benzene in petrol. Washing your hands after using solvents does not do much. Just drying your hands would do similar. I was brought up doing chemistry in laboratories - I should be totally brain-dead by now. We used to almost swim in solvent. It was the reason I left one job. We were on the 14th floor of a high-rise building in Melbourne and the fire risk was huge.

Wotcher do is drop it inna crock pot , in antifreeze . If ya wanna get rid of the boint on oil . 3 days will do it . ( Model Aero disolve coke & varnish ) Come up well .

One thing I have found which will dissolve most things is a product called Yuk-Off. It is a graffiti remover. Its problem is it contains ethers which cause reproductive sterility. If you spray it anywhere near plastics, it unlocks all the stresses- things such as plastic tail-lights just fall apart. A man's balls might drop off.

" Do not use nitromethane. "

But you HAVE TO , if you wana do 200 m.p.h. .

Matt Spencer said:

" Do not use nitromethane. "

But you HAVE TO , if you wana do 200 m.p.h. .

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Why is it that a MotoGP bike of similar capacity to a Commando do 200m.p.h without nitro - magic ? I suggest a bike with a motor as ugly inside as a Commando, creates a defeatist attitude. I never believed my 850 motor had potential, until I really started tuning the bike. What it can do surprises me. I built the bike in 1978 and it sat unraced until 2003 because I did not believe in it. I still think it is a joke.
Something so bad cannot be good.

Some things rate Williams 73 I.o.M. bike at 175 m.p.h. , Reads Daytona ' COMBAT ' at 175 .


These things wernt much more than fiddled with Commandos .


Heres a 200 m.p.h. Norton 750 , on pump gas . https://amcn.com.au/editorial/1970-one-hell-year-land-speed-records-bonneville/

but near 280 , on NITRO .

Nitro usually creates more torque. The gearing on my Seeley 850 is already absurd. I wonder how many guys progressively raise the gearing on their road-race bikes ? I run extremely high overall gearing with close internal ratios in the box. It is amazing what gearing the 850 motor will pull.
One of my mates uses a Featherbed 650 Triumph in the same way - he never revs it over 6,300 RPM, and it is very fast, even with standard internal ratios.
I tried to use the wide ratio Norton box with the 850 motor - it was hopeless. The bike was not fast enough anywhere. With close ratios, it is a different bike. Every time I raise the overall gearing, the bike becomes faster - does not make sense ?

Have a look at the size of my rear sprocket :