CBX Racing

[Warwick Biggs]

The issues with silicon gasket goo dissolving and blocking oil lines can be highly problematic as has been observed. I have already been warned about this by the mechanic who helped with the Ignitech when he noticed I had used silicon gasket goo on my crank end caps because I didn't have time to make any gaskets at the track. Use it sparingly was his advice.

I spent a couple of hours carefully removing the ordinary stuff from the floating pins this morning and have refilled them with high temperature Loctite SI-5920 silicon. I also thought of using an epoxy/alloy weld but opted for the former. Unfortunately it's pink so I will have to paint them with some engine enamel. All very fiddly and annoying.

The rules actually say floating disks are banned in Period 5 unless used in the period and of course the CBX was the first road bike to employ floating disks but calipers, not rotors. Of course everybody on the grid has them but they are disguised to look solid. It is another of life's little ironies that I have to follow suit even tho' my floating disks are largely genuine period items, unlike most of my competitors. The only reason I have floating rotors is that the cut down stainless VTR rotors were the only ones that fitted the VTR rim and my CBX calipers. I have a lovely set of custom cast iron rotors but they only fit the 18" boomerangs and I couldn't afford to have another set made for the VTR rim. If there are any out there, I'm a willing buyer.

[Mouse]

Good luck with painting the silicone as nothing that I know of will stick to the stuff. Not even new silicone.

[Warwick Biggs]

Ceramic aluminium paint seems to stick. time will tell but its all back together and torqued up for the Island.

Is anybody aware of a 70's or early 80's Honda ( racer or other brand) with 8 spoke disk carriers with the distinctive Honda profile? The CBX had the right 'V' of the spokes but was only 5 spoke. I need to find a 'period' 8 spoker with the same pattern in case there is an argt about the VTR carrier not being 'period'.

R.

[FalldownPhil]

Yes, I think so but are the Racetech valves really that effective and will they fit into the CBX forks? I have suspected they are a bit of a fashion item.

Warwick.

Yes & Yes !!

[Rick Pope]

We've had two bikes with them. An SV650 Suzuki, and a CBR-XX. I was very happy with the results. That said, I'm no racer.

[Warwick Biggs]

Come on guys! I need intelligence on any period Hondas (up to 1984) with 8 spoke disk carriers in the typical Honda 'V' pattern. In other words anything that looks vaguely like my VTR rotors. Otherwise I'm at risk of being excluded from the Island Classic on a technicality.

Here is the latest news:- http://www.mcnews.com.au/island-classic ... w-zealand/

Photos would be fantastic. I will again ask Nils to post a pic of my problem rotors so you can see what my issue is with the rule that the brakes must replicate the appearance of something that was used in the period.

R.

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Not quite sure what you are needing Rick.
Something that looks like this '98 VTR1000 rotor but was it has to have come from a pre '84 bike?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/98-HONDA-VTR10 ... LD&vxp=mtr

[EMS]

Rick:

There is none, sorry. The 8-spoke design was conceived for the floating rotors. Pre-1984 Honda worked with a couple of different rotor designs. Some higher performance brake rotors were ventilated. There are only a few bikes that had rotors you could consider for a racer: CBX, CB750/900/1100F, CB1100R, some GLs and early VFs. None of them has what you are looking for.

Does it have to be Honda? In the U.S., any period part, even from another bike would do:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/80-Suzuki-GS-1 ... Bn&vxp=mtr

[NobleHops]

[Warwick Biggs]

No it doesn't have to be Honda but has to look similar to my modified VTR rotors above. That is 8 spoke (& 8 bolt) in a similar pattern.

I know the CB1100R that was developed in Australia (for production endurance races like the Castrol 6 Hour) as Honda's first production racer had a mixture of rotors depending on individual race mods. Stock there were apparently at least 2 rotor designs, the most common the black 5 spoker (5 bolts, too) the same or very similar to the Prolink but with thinner non ventilated iron rotors. However, in the later post '81 models I understand Honda used carriers with more spokes and they were gold anodised and not painted black but I can't find any pics, just verbal descriptions. Then most of those raced had modified brakes too, many looking almost solid.

But basically anything pre '84 that has 8 spokes and looks a bit like my VTR's should satisfy the scrutineers. You will note that the Harris Honda above is running Brembo single piston calipers with unknown rotors and what looks like a poor effort to blank off the floating pins. I think my efforts are a bit more subtle and the real difference is the spoke pattern with the Harris having solid spokes and the VTR having 'split' spokes. I need an 8 spoker with the split spokes. I think some Suzukis might have used a similar design.

Does the CBX Brains Trust know?

R.

[Warwick Biggs]

One other point to note is that the Harris Honda above is a bike I actually have to compete against, usually ridden by Chas Hern a young professional racer for a very well set up team with a superbike budget. You can see it in some of my pics above from the Southern Classic at Broadford. Oh yes, it has at least 180hp in a 165kg package and I'm told cost over $100K. I currently have 105hp in a package weighing 230kg (half wet) with a scooter budget (actually no budget at all most of the time).

Another interesting piece of trivia is that in the early 80's the CB1100R absolutely dominated races like the Castrol 6 Hour where Wayne Gardner kicked off his career riding one. But the really interesting thing is that there was a lone CBX in the '81 or '82 6 Hour against a score of 1100R's and altho' it crashed out towards the end it was consistently lapping within half a second of the leaders.

I believe that the CBX was under rated as a proddy racer and its main drawback for teams seems to have been the price with Honda undercutting its own model with the 1100R. There must have been some interesting discussions within Honda at that time.

[EMS]

The first year (1981) CB1100RB had solid rotors, similar in design to the CBX/CB900F, but with a larger diameter. The last two years RC and RD (1982/83) had vented rotors that were actually taken over from the 1982 GL1200 Aspencade.
The Suzuki rotors I posted a picture of are probably the only pre-84 ones out there that would come somewhat close to the 8-spoke look of the floating units you have, although they are technically a 10-spoke.

[Mouse]

Hummm?
Obviously that bike has some growing up to do yet. When will the two missing cylinders grow in?

[Mouse]

The owner of Zdeno Cycle in Guelph Ontario Canada raced a 79 CBX in the superbike class in Ontario in the early 80's. I can remember him saying the biggest draw back to the bike was its cornering ability. I can recall seeing photo's of him with the front wheel in the air at the start straight at Shannonville raceway.

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

I have seen that same pic, Mouse.
Have a look in the background from this newspaper article.
Visited Zdeno's many times over the years but never got along with Al.
https://www.therecord.com/sports-story/ ... l-of-fame/

Sorry for the hijack, Rick.