| Author | Message | ||
     Gearhead |
Greetings guys, A group of us are in the planning stages of prepping an XB9R for competition at Bonneville next summer. We are building a 500cc engine for this chassis and after dog-earring the rule book and looking through the Rookie Orientation handbook, it's very apparent we still have a lot to learn!! I'm hoping you salt veterans will share some of your thoughts and feel free to give us some guidance. We're involved in roadracing so the bike prep seems to be similar but we just don't want to miss things that are obvious to you guys. Thanks in advance and we'll start posting photos as the build progresses. | ||
| 46champ |
What event are you planning on going to? The SCTA rule book that governs Speed week and the AMA rule book that governs the Bub motorcycle meet have some differences that you need to account for. These differences are present in both how you set up the bike and in your personal gear. | ||
| Gearhead |
We are currently planning on SCTA SpeedWeek in August, which is the rulebook I have. I am painfully aware of SCTA's gear rule on leathers and I'm looking right now for options on that. I called Vanson yesterday, the guy I need to talk to will be getting back to me. | ||
| 46champ |
If you poke around on Landracing.com there are many threads on the motorcycle leather controversy. Several people have gotten leathers that fit the rules without spending thousands of dollars. I have a set of Langlitz 1 piece leathers that are all leather that I bought used. I think they were new in 1989 when most leathers were made that way. So remember to check out used too. | ||
| Gearhead |
Thanks for the tip, I have NO problem borrowing, renting or buying used leathers for this effort! If it turns into another obsession then new will be in order. I just got registered on Landracing.com, I'll start checking right away. | ||
| Buelliedan |
what are you using for an engine. A 500cc Blast or some sort of heavily modified twin? What class are you hoping to run? Modified, or altered? | ||
| Gearhead |
We are building an XB9 with one cylinder removed. It was our CCS Team Challenge bike back in 2010 so it's been a race bike for a long time. Now it's going a different way, is all… We're buiding it to run in Modified Production and Modified Production / Partial Streamlining. | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
Shame the teamelves.com site is no longer. Rocket in England | ||
| Gearhead |
I agree Rocket, we know we're not breaking new ground here as many have gone before us. I went to Bonneville Speed Week in 2012 as a spectator and got a bad case of salt fever! This project looked like a possible way to go back as a competitor since we already owned the bike. The 1000cc class looked very difficult to even be part of the program and none of us were comfortable with the amount of cash outlay. So we thought about a small cc bike to just have some fun with and to be able to check racing at Bonneville off the bucket list. Now we know it still takes some bucks to put this effort together but the faster you want to go, the costs go up, way up!! Then someone suggested this adaptation so now we're deep into the planning and head scratching stages. We'll keep you posted!! | ||
| Firemanjim |
Feel free to call anytime. 707 548-7906, and let me look as I bought a set of leathers recently for decent price and talked guy through SCTA specs. Pushrod classes are a bit easier than OHC stuff esp as you go smaller or hit the blown classes. ---That was why I turboed my S-2! What specific class? | ||
| Firemanjim |
And the records are way softer at Bubs as they have been at it for less time than SCTA. | ||
| Gearhead |
Thanks for you offer, Fireman! I wear a size 48 US / 58 Euro suit, I just received Vansons info in the mail. Their price is a little frightening but I've got to come up with something sooner than later. I want the leathers issue to be over by the first of the year if at all possible. The bike is being built to compete in M-PG and MPS-PG in the 500cc class. My engine guy wanted to run fuel or turbo it but I'm sticking with gas as we've got enough stuff to sort out as is. | ||
| 46champ |
Ralph you guys are going after some pretty stout records good luck. With a good fairing the MPS record should be easier to get. | ||
| Gearhead |
You're right, 46! Our plan is kind of falling together only because we already own the XB with the chain drive swing arm and we're just crazy enough to take on the challenge. The M-PG record is 121.903 set in 2003 The MPS-PG record is 126.595 set in 2010 | ||
| Ezblast |
JetLee - a really nice guy may be able to help in the tuning area as well - you can contact him there - http://buellridersonline.com/forum/forum.php EZ | ||
| Firemanjim |
You sticking with FI? | ||
| Ezblast |
Hell yes - I would hope - that's why I mentioned JetLee! EZ | ||
| Buelliedan |
"And the records are way softer at Bubs as they have been at it for less time than SCTA" That is no longer true in 1350 MPG!!!  | ||
| Absurded |
Was the 1350 MPG done with the yellow chopped tank bike, Dan..? | ||
| Buelliedan |
no it was done with the pink bike. The yellow bike is faired so it runs in partially streamlined class. | ||
| Gearhead |
The Bonneville Buell 500cc project is officially under way. We pulled the engine out of our broken CCS Team Challenge bike, Sunday. Fortunately, the melted rear cylinder will not be used anyway. Now the teardown can begin!   | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
Wow, I've never seen meltdown like that before. What was the cause in detail? Rocket in England | ||
| Reepicheep |
Dang. Looks like it got hit with a plasma torch. | ||
| Gearhead |
Well, guys, I wish I could tell you what caused this but I really don't know yet. What I can tell you is that we (I.F.M.Racing) bought this bike from a well known and successful Buell racer back in 2010. He'd been racing for a cuople of seasons at a very high level so we knew we'd be alright with it. We prepped it with the help of Mike Kirkpatrick to compete in the Team Challenge race at Blackhawk Farms, May, 2010. After a handful of laps the bike started running on one cylinder, we thought it had lost a spark plug wire only to find the airbox full of oil. Since all of us had our own bikes, 3 of us on XB12's and 1 on a 1125R, to race, this thing has just sat since. My guess is that even though we ran 100 octane race fuel, it needed even more. It never knocked or rattled when we tested but it's pretty obvious it had a very thin cylinder wall and got REAL hot! | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
Please do post pics when you tear it down. Rocket in England | ||
| Firemanjim |
Wow, only seen damage like that from failures on nitrous or turbo bike when they go lean! | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
That's exactly what I was thinking Jim. But it was a circuit racer? It's also on the inlet side too which I find odd. One would imagine that kind of meltdown would start on the exhaust side, but then you never know where a hot spot will develop when detonation occurs. Rocket in England | ||
| Hurricaneleah |
The head bolt studs are infamous for pulling out on the intake side of the case first. When you get it apart would check that the stud isn't pulled out of the case. you can check it by trying to torque the head bolt as well. Unfortunately, in my experience anyway, case inserts are just a temporary fix. Maybe not a big deal if you are going to run it as a single. Same thing happens with the XR1200 engines. Not sure if it is just pure coincidence or not, it appears there is a correlation between valve to piston contact and pulled intake side studs on the ama xr1200 motors. | ||
| Gearhead |
Well guys we got the engine torn down last weekend. Pretty obvious the engine was suffering from detonation issues on both cylinders but the rear got hot enough to actually blow the head gasket out which in turn started melting parts. The front piston melted enough that it weakened the ring lands which eventually collapsed. Both cylinders had a lot of piston rocking, scuffing and ring sealing problems. Needless to say all those pieces are now paperweights. The crankshaft is off to Hoban Brothers in Wisconsin next week for spacers, lightening and a much better (expensive) connecting rod so the project is now offically under way.     | ||
| Gearhead |
I hope you guys can help clarify a question for me. It appears that Modified Production bikes are naked, no bodywork at all. Is that correct? If anyone has a photo of a Buell running in that class I'd really appreciate it. I'm trying to figure out the best way to cover the tail/fender area since I don't believe I can use a Firebolt tail section. We're going to run the bike in Mod. Prod. Partial Streamlining, also, but I've got that part figured out. Thanks in advance! |
