Ready to Race Finally

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Sorry fellas, I'm just jealous. I wouldn't try to ride a boxer BMW fast, however I love them. There is a Rob North Rocket Three here which never gets raced, and I'd really love to get on the start grid beside it. It is a fantastic bike, it gives me an adrenalin rush just thinking about it. I saw the ultimate Trident at Winton a few years ago. The guy told me the motor has cost him $28,000 up to that stage. It was on 14 to 1 compression, so the ignition system was a problem. The rear of the crankcases had been welded where the back had been pulled out. It is really impractical to go down that path, however the guy was in love with the bike, and full credit to him. It was bloody fast !
Have you seen the magazine articles on the Rennsport RS255 racer of about 1938. I wonder if it is possible to fit a Zoller type supercharger to a late model 1000cc boxer BMW for historic races - we could paint it black to make it authentic ?

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20469/lot/440/
 
Brooking 850, thanks for the photos of the Seeley - very inspiring. I am becoming enthused again.
 
My concept for the perfect classic bike classes, is capacity classes for aircooled two valve single, twin and triple cylinder four strokes. In Australian historic races Commandos, BMWs, Triumphs, Ducatis and Guzzis are always confronted by what are effectively large capacity four cylinder superbikes or by two strokes. Bikes such as the Rob North Triples or the commandos rarely appear in our historic races where the outcome is pretty much pre-determined, by bikes which monopolise the classes. If I was racing for sheep stations, I would never ride an 850 Seeley commando - a TZ250 will crap all over it. However even worse, if you ride a TZ250, it costs a bomb and you again race against superbikes. The bullshit does my head in so I rarely race these days - the cost is not justified by the experience, and I'm now retired and short of cash.
 
It is not a Seely, it is a frame fabricated by the rider Steve Bridges, based on a well known frame made for Nortons by the late Ray Breingan who also fabricated another style that was nicknamed 'The Drain pipe' due to its centre spine and down tube. Daniel Hanley is leading our class on one of these framed bikes.
Regards Mike
Ready to Race Finally
Ready to Race Finally
 
Acotrel , might pay to reread the placings on Page 7 that I posted , you will see that that the Norton wasn't exactly 'crapped all over' by TZ250's, and the class you describe is the how the class is here in NZ, come on over with your 850 Seely.
Next year at Eastern Creek there will be some Kiwi bikes coming for the Barry Sheene Trans Tasman Challenge, not sure how many at this stage, last weekend here in NZ for the same challenge the Aussies turned up in force in most classes including the side chairs. Great effort on their part. That would be a good weekend to race your Seely.
There were no Aussies bikes in the class I race.
Regards Mike
 
I watched the Youtube videos of the 'drainpipe' Norton a few years ago, looks really good. There must be a market for those frames, another export opportunity for NZ ? Also I think the Britten design should be exploited when if you guys ever become financially viable.
 
Mike, WHEN I win Tattslotto, I will certainly come over and race with you. Our next ride day at Winton is on 1st December. It costs $210 plus fuel, and I'm starting to save up right now. I've become convinced I have to find another earner. I am running out of time, and it is a life experience we are talking about.
 
I thought the Norton Drainpipe referred to the exhaust.... :roll:

Hey Acotrel, on a good day the old BMW can deliver the goods:

05 February 2012 Race No. 34 3:56pm to 4:02pm

POS. BIKE RIDER MAKE-OF-BIKE LAPS ELAPSED BEST-LAP DIFF.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1ST 146 JOHN COMER BMW R90S 4 5m35.12 1m22.29 +0.00s
2ND 170 DENNIS ISBISTER 1 BSA GOLDSTAR DBD34 4 5m37.52 1m22.55 +2.40s
3RD 89 DANIEL HANLEY 2 NORTON DUNSTALL/NTH 4 5m46.66 1m24.48 +11.54s
4TH 179 NICK CASTERTON BSA GOLDSTAR 4 5m50.12 1m25.52 +15.00s
Click to expand...

Its not every day you beat a Norton and 2 BSA Goldstars :lol:
Long straights suit the Bavarian Tractor.
 
72Combat said:
I thought the Norton Drainpipe referred to the exhaust.... :roll:

Hey Acotrel, on a good day the old BMW can deliver the goods:

05 February 2012 Race No. 34 3:56pm to 4:02pm

POS. BIKE RIDER MAKE-OF-BIKE LAPS ELAPSED BEST-LAP DIFF.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1ST 146 JOHN COMER BMW R90S 4 5m35.12 1m22.29 +0.00s
2ND 170 DENNIS ISBISTER 1 BSA GOLDSTAR DBD34 4 5m37.52 1m22.55 +2.40s
3RD 89 DANIEL HANLEY 2 NORTON DUNSTALL/NTH 4 5m46.66 1m24.48 +11.54s
4TH 179 NICK CASTERTON BSA GOLDSTAR 4 5m50.12 1m25.52 +15.00s
Click to expand...

Its not every day you beat a Norton and 2 BSA Goldstars :lol:
Long straights suit the Bavarian Tractor.
Click to expand...


Can you lay your hands on the results of the 2001 Pukekohe races ? ( Feb 2001) Seem to have lost mine and I'd like a record of the races if possible.
Thanks
john
 
'Long straights suit the Bavarian Tractor.'

I usually used to find myself in the situation where I'd choose where I was going to lose the race - at the start, or a the ends of the straights, depending on the gearing. Should be different with the 6 speed box. I might finally get some sense out of the bike.
 
Really lovely photos, Mike. There must be a market for drainpipe frames. It is a pity there are not booming race classes for air cooled four stroke singles, twins and triples. It could be a good earner for NZ. Is it possible to buy one of those frames at a reasonable price ?
 
Chris, the photo indicates that Dunstall built it. Do you know if it was raced pre-1980 ? The link you supplied contained a comment from Doug MacRae about seeing one at Grattan, and I presume that was fairly recently. If the frame is recent, it has little value other than just being a good thing. If it authentic and was raced early, that is a different matter, and makes it more interesting and valuable. To my mind a Seeley commando built with the correct Mk3 frame is more desirable than one using a Mk2 or Mk4 frame. Peter Williams was successful with isolastic commandos, and at the same time so was Gus Kuhn using a Mk3 frame. My own 1966 Mk3 frame was set up originally intended for a commando engine. I did not get the mounting kit that arrived with it, however my friend saw it when the frame was freshly imported back in the 70s.
I know this might seem like nit-picking , however I really like to know these things in advance of the time when opportunities a rise to buy old stuff. The drainpipe frame looks as though it is very effective . Does Ray Breingan have the rights for copying and selling it ?
 
The Dunstall was raced....and it was copied...in period....if not as early as '66, but actually I don't think the Seeley Mk3 was around in '66 either? In '66 Dunstall was following the Rickman Bros project

In late '74 I met Bob Smith, a then future British Champion, the frame of his Norton was a copy of the Dunstall 'low boy' as he referred to it, I never knew who actually made it, same upright large tube as oil tank, same underslung engine....Bob won 50 races in one year at Cadwell Park alone on this bike before moving on to TZ750s/RG500s, then coming back to twins on Gary Bryans Weslake BoTTs contender.....

Another similar frame was made by Nick Parravani and ridden by Greg Page under the Iceni Racing banner.....another successful bike that I saw around '75/'76, Greg better known however for his exploits on production Hondas from 500 to 1000 including the CBX1000 6 cylinder.

But consider that Colin Seeley geared up with the Seeley Mk3 then Mk4 and Rickman were still selling their frame as a chassis (something that Dunstall was originally involved in), Seeley and certainly Rickman options probably worked out cheaper and a simpler route to success than either the Dunstall or copying it.
 
Theres a artical on it in the period motorcycle mechanics mag . Says they were twisting the F'beds with the power , so came up with this . Have it somewhere .

Ready to Race Finally


" The ultimate Dunstall Norton racer was built for 1969, featuring a new frame to cope with the 70-plus horsepower that the team was wringing from Norton's 750cc Atlas engine. Designed by Eddie Robinson, who also worked for the Seeley equipe, the open-bottomed oil-carrying structure has a spine of large-diameter tubes that earned it the drainpipe nickname. "

hAVE A WORD TO this hILLBILLY : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QreNam7_wmY

AND while were at it , WHAT does anyone know about THIS thing . armstrong-t17789.html PLEASE . :twisted:

NOW , ACC , we'd better fit some lights and a Battery to that thing of yours . I could nip down to the Island on it then . And tell you if its runnng properly . :p :D :D :lol: 8)
 
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