Norton wins again and again

SteveA · Jul 16, 2017

Gary is fun to watch like I said, and I do 'cheer him on', but generally I am the silent type in these circumstances

Really I was only saying that it would be interesting to see how the race actually panned out.

Full event results here, and you can get lap by lap progress. I will take a look in more detail later. You can see the SBR progress clearly too.

https://speedhive.mylaps.com/Events/1424405

Race pictures here also show progress.

http://www.sport-pics.co.uk/newsite/bz_ ... =galleries

Gary chasing Alex! Honest!

http://www.sport-pics.co.uk/newsite/BZ_ ... ra2493.jpg

The Alex chasing Gary!

http://www.sport-pics.co.uk/newsite/BZ_ ... ra2528.jpg

But even just following the race result sheet there is a story, Alex did his fastest lap on lap 2, so the tyre warming looks like a non issue. But Gary did his on lap 3, where I would guess he passed Alex, he is near 8 tenths faster, but ends the race about 8 tenths in front of Alex, pretty evenly matched I reckon, apart from the hero moment likely caught in the photo you posted Jim!

Also note how the race quickly falls away behind Alex.

And spare a thought for the Norton rider who battled just to get to the event, Chris;

http://www.sport-pics.co.uk/newsite/BZ_ ... ra2529.jpg

Chris · Jul 16, 2017

Hi

Ahh Steve Rusty takes a nice photo.

I would like to say that " if you look at my lean angle! & then take note of the clear field ahead of me! I am clearly the fastest rider out there

When the race was stopped because of an accident & the officail asked me if we had done enough laps to call a result. I told him we had'nt.
Which in my case is true!

Roll on Donington. Where I will have help to get out again. ps dont look for me in the results. The Wheatcroft trophy is the only race I will be trying to qualify in. I have a new project which may!!! be ready to run in, in the parades.

Keeping Nortons name alive. Cant miss me its orange.

all the best Chris

Fast Eddie · Jul 16, 2017

Chris said:
Hi

Ahh Steve Rusty takes a nice photo.

I would like to say that " if you look at my lean angle! & then take note of the clear field ahead of me! I am clearly the fastest rider out there

When the race was stopped because of an accident & the officail asked me if we had done enough laps to call a result. I told him we had'nt.
Which in my case is true!

Roll on Donington. Where I will have help to get out again. ps dont look for me in the results. The Wheatcroft trophy is the only race I will be trying to qualify in. I have a new project which may!!! be ready to run in, in the parades.

Keeping Nortons name alive. Cant miss me its orange.

all the best Chris

Good on yer Chris. And good luck for Donnington!

peter12 · Jul 16, 2017

Chris, looking at your lean angle and body language you were clearly the fastest out there, must have had a faulty transponder!

acotrel · Jul 16, 2017

Perhaps tyre warmers give you a psychological advantage ?

Chris · Jul 17, 2017

Hi all

Tyre warmers? Croft in the sunshine bloody brilliant weather. I must try new tyres one day!
Peter the batteries in the rev counter (Scitsu) didnt charge but the transponder 2nd hand when I got it. Purchased when we started using them with the classic club, worked well. I was going to say transponder fault but hey I got out there & did not expect to. See you at Donnington.
Eddie, you should come & hunt me down?? Criptic clue? no I dont think so.

Chris

o0norton0o · Jul 17, 2017

Nice bike Chris.. Is that a yamaha rear hub on your bike? I have a similar set up in a yamaha cast wheel on my commando which has the brake drum on the timing side . I assume you do it so you can switch rear sprockets to adjust your drive ratio more easily rather than disassembling the primary to change the front sprocket. My modification looks similar...

SteveA · Jul 17, 2017

o0norton0o said:
Nice bike Chris.. Is that a yamaha rear hub on your bike? I have a similar set up in a yamaha cast wheel on my commando which has the brake drum on the timing side . I assume you do it so you can switch rear sprockets to adjust your drive ratio more easily rather than disassembling the primary to change the front sprocket. My modification looks similar...

Chris' frame and swinging arm is Seeley, mine is Rickman. Seeley and Rickman rear hubs don't have cush drives, Commando does. I think Chris' rear wheel is Honda with cush drive, mine is Rickman without!

acotrel · Jul 17, 2017

jseng1 said:
You can see thet Gary has a bit more lean angle - Compare the centerline angles of the ft tires, the fork leg angles, the elbows, and the proximity of the brake lever to the ground. Alex's knee is hanging out further while Garys is tucked in a bit.

Isn't #42 a Ducati and #77 a Seeley. In that photo both bikes seem to be at a disadvantage. Perhaps the Seeley should be turning under the Ducati ? The Ducati usually has slow steering which makes them more suited to taking the high line in corners, so the move is to ride AROUND your opposition. With the Seeley, it is better to go under. Perhaps the Ducati was slower in corners but arrived at the corner first, forcing Gay Thwaites to go over the top ?

Chris · Jul 17, 2017

Hi Frank

Not a big fan of cast wheels in old bikes

says the man with a proddie racer with cast wheels

Same reason as you I assume, cush drive in the rear wheel. mine are Commando rear with the Drum shrunk in but the front end (I didnt get the forks) was xs Yamaha with twin 11 inch discs the front wheel weighs a ton.
Reason for the Honda K4 drum in the back of the Seeley is two fold. One the disc set up on my 750 shattered the rear bolts & ruined the Dick Hunt Seeley rear wheel. It was disc rear with no cush & the allen heads shattered & elongated the holes in the hub. I have salvaged it but only by going up to m10 threads & re drilling my sprockets.
The second reason was I fitted a 960 to the Mk2 & could see the torque doing similar damage. The other reason (I am a practical man) was the replica frame was built for left foot gear change & all the brackets were cack handed.

Yamaha stuff is a good fit with Nortons because of the metric bearings. Did run a TZ front end once Ceriani yokes. Stunning bit of kit but magnesium craced up badly.
Your bike looks good.

All the best Chris

acotrel · Jul 17, 2017

I run a Ceriani front end with TZ fork yokes in my Seeley. The brake is a Suzuki aluminium hub with twin hi-speed steel Suzuki discs. It is not so heavy and I use two magnesium Lockheed callipers with asbestos pads, so the brake is one-finger operation with the rest operating the Yamaha twin-pull twist grip. It means I never have to take a second grab at anything.

o0norton0o · Jul 17, 2017

Chris said:
Hi Frank

Not a big fan of cast wheels in old bikes says the man with a proddie racer with cast wheels Same reason as you I assume, cush drive in the rear wheel. mine are Commando rear with the Drum shrunk in but the front end (I didnt get the forks) was xs Yamaha with twin 11 inch discs the front wheel weighs a ton.
Reason for the Honda K4 drum in the back of the Seeley is two fold. One the disc set up on my 750 shattered the rear bolts & ruined the Dick Hunt Seeley rear wheel. It was disc rear with no cush & the allen heads shattered & elongated the holes in the hub. I have salvaged it but only by going up to m10 threads & re drilling my sprockets.
The second reason was I fitted a 960 to the Mk2 & could see the torque doing similar damage. The other reason (I am a practical man) was the replica frame was built for left foot gear change & all the brackets were cack handed.

Yamaha stuff is a good fit with Nortons because of the metric bearings. Did run a TZ front end once Ceriani yokes. Stunning bit of kit but magnesium craced up badly.
Your bike looks good.

All the best Chris

My wheels story is that I needed new tires and I didn't want to use the original WM2 rims or the early model non-cush bolt up hub. I priced out the cost of new alloy rims, new spokes, new tires, and one of Madass's beautiful cush drive rear hubs, and I thought I could adapt cast wheels for half the price. In the end I did so much fabricating and machine work that it probably cost me a little more than just buying all the new alloy parts... It does work really well so I can't complain.

You have a production racer too? Pictures.. . please... and a better picture of your seely too... I love seeing norton race bikes...

Bernhard · Jul 18, 2017

Chris said:
Hi Frank

Not a big fan of cast wheels in old bikes says the man with a proddie racer with cast wheels Same reason as you I assume, cush drive in the rear wheel. mine are Commando rear with the Drum shrunk in but the front end (I didnt get the forks) was xs Yamaha with twin 11 inch discs the front wheel weighs a ton.
Reason for the Honda K4 drum in the back of the Seeley is two fold. One the disc set up on my 750 shattered the rear bolts & ruined the Dick Hunt Seeley rear wheel. It was disc rear with no cush & the allen heads shattered & elongated the holes in the hub. I have salvaged it but only by going up to m10 threads & re drilling my sprockets.
All the best Chris

#you need to use only high tension bolts on mounting discs, anything else is asking for trouble……….
Don’t ask me how many people I have seen doing that

SteveA · Jul 18, 2017

Bernhard said:
#you need to use only high tension bolts on mounting discs, anything else is asking for trouble……….
Don’t ask me how many people I have seen doing that

I guess that is why the brake disc bolts and caliper mounting mounting bolts on my bike have a light layer of rust on most of the time, most everything else is stainless. :wink:

Norton wins again and again

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