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Post by twoblackcats on Feb 1, 2011 23:07:42 GMT
Some time last year a good friend of mine found out about the Mablethorpe sandracing club. We liked what we saw so a date was set. The event consists of 5 4 lap races plus a practice session on a oval track on the beach. There's a proper elastic start gate the it's super fast on the straight and speedway styley in the corners (that last bit takes some practice ). The cost of getting to Mablethorpe aside (170 odd miles from here) it's cheap racing. £40 first race and then £30 after. For more details check out the website>>> www.xtreme-action-images.com/sandrace/index.htmlSo, I have my trusty rusty CB500 road iron and some knobblies, surely that's all is needed, right? Here she be, the mk1 CB500 sand racer in all her glory.
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Post by twoblackcats on Feb 1, 2011 23:38:15 GMT
So, I'm guessing you all want to know more of this fabulous machine. It's a mostly standard cb500 bought 3 or 4 years back as a stop gap bike that by rights should of lasted a couple of months before dying. It seems £500 buys alot of Honda these days as it's got 95 thousand miles to date and has succumbed to plenty of abuse by my hands plus a previous life as a London courier hack. You can't knock it, such a sweet handling machine too. It gets regular fresh oil(not to self; change oil) and new parts as they wear/fall off and that's about it. There came a time when I was getting a little bored with it on the road and had thoughts of a replacement, something more exotic/faster. This in basic form relates too temperamental/expensive so I knocked that idea on the head and splashed out on the fruity end can which makes in go nay, sound much faster ;D For the first 2 races the bike was put back on the road after the event so it was kept simple and easy to convert. Name of the game is cheap racing here so it's made up of parts that were kicking around at the time of conception. 17' knobber with tube on the back cb hoop. Already had the tube in my tubeless road tyre as it had punctured some time ago. Note valve poking out through the drilled sidewall to stop it getting beheaded when all 57(when new) of the mighty ponies are unleashed. First effort for the front was this kx80 19' wheel which fitted snug under the original mudguard but spacer/spindle issue's put paid to that. So next bike to get plundered was a Honda crosser which kindly donated it's 21 inch front wheel. This may well be better for stability in the corners and add a little ground clearance. Or on the other hand may just lock dead on the headers before reaching the first corner as clearance there is a bit tight . It passed the full compression ratchet strap from spindle to bars test anyway and so did the fork seals, which was nice. Front brake removed for safety reasons* as I don't want a big panicky hand full of that in the sand and clutch lever and perch swapped with an old one as any sticky out bits could well meet their maker on the day. Managed to get the throttle cable stretched onto some wide steel bars although I'm sure I have a set of renthals kicking around somewhere for that pro look. Also removed the clocks and lamp as they are the only vulnerable bits that I don't have on the spares bike. All packed up for the first race, van fuel purchased and just need the few last little tweeks to the bike. Pulled it out the van this afternoon to do a quick 20 mins or so changing the bars for the pukka Renthals I found under the kitchen sink, remove headlight and clocks then splice in the lanyard kill switch to compile with the regs. Easy. 2 hours and 8 blown fuses later....... Bars, clocks and light sorted no problem though... Kill switch was a complete mare, works in reverse from the Honda one and what with me not been a master of the black art of electrickery I made a right performance of it. Blew 8 fuses before finding some fuse wire then flatted the battery ::)and had of course already used the fuse from the battery charger I cut through wires I could of left, and blew apart my £11.99 kill switch. Nightmare. Couple of calls to mates got a better perspective on it Once I'd found another lanyard which was destined for my boys bike to link up to one of them retractable dog leads so I could kill the motor when he gets too throttle happy it was fixed as quick as it should of been at the start, easy when you know (someone who knows) how Behold the race ready machine mk2 ;D So got a few bits to sort on my mates bike which will naturally be done in the pub car park on Saturday night before we get too inebriated then racing Sunday morn.
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Post by twoblackcats on Feb 1, 2011 23:52:31 GMT
Camped Saturday night in the back of the transit at the excellent Denehurst guest house. At a fiver a night for 2 of us with an on site watering hole and entertainment from the locals thrown in for free it was superb. The heavy headed awakening on Sunday quickly became excitement as we made or way to the beach where I proceeded to bury the van up to it's axle in the soft sand. We were greeted by a race marshall in good cheer observing that it was our first meeting and pointing me to the van route as opposed to the 4x4 route I had plumed for. Good start many hands made light work, for me sitting in the drivers seat anyway. Thanks chaps. Both of us were riding in the same class so not many pics of us racing plus the weather was shocking and the expensive camera was on loan from work. Needless to say a fantastic time was had. Even the icy winds and driving rain could not damped our enthusiasm for what is a completely bonkers sport. Wet wet wet Signed on then hung about waiting for scrutineering whilst figuring out what the order of events will be. Nothing much happen for half hour or so until a kid ran past shouting to his dad that bikes where been 'inspected' and from then on it was all action. The troublesome lanyard kill switch were not inspected after all the grief and expense with mine and the (slightly) drunken sorting of Neils not that many hours previously Got pulled up on having a side stand fitted so put a rock under said stand whilst fetching the toolkit (cable ties) from the van, came back to a bike on it's side but did the deed and got my sticker to say the machine was 'safe' to race. As soon as people got there bikes checked they quickly got into groups on the start line of the track. We joined in with bikes that looked like ours and raced along side a old Kawasaki 750ish looking machine a cbr 400 a Armstrong rocking a Triumph 955i lump and a heap of other suitably inappropriate/interesting/homemade and hand developed machines machines. Some are works of art whilst others are shall we say a little more frankinstien in their creation.. There were classes for kids, motox, proper speedway cycles, 125 trail bikes, road bikes, sidecars and quads. All I can say is do it. Check the web link, sort a machine and get stuck in. Gonna be back for the next one for sure which is the last of the season as donkeys and ice cream takes over as the weather warms Have some pics and please excuse any rain/sand/dirty finger prints on the lense. Quad class too, check out the lowered chassis, Side cars can compete too but none in there this time. Motox class out the gate, these guys were full bore. Long travel suspension had them fighting to save the dreaded high side. Couple of other race bikes,Honda xl/rs 250/500 seems a popular and competitive choice. My trusty and now even more rusty steed You know when you stand in wet sand and your feet slowly sink, my van did that too Many thanks to the lad with the 4x4 and note to self, take random bits of ply next time for parking on. More pics and race bike development coming soon.
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Post by twoblackcats on Feb 1, 2011 23:59:29 GMT
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Post by davytelford on Feb 2, 2011 0:25:54 GMT
so thats where you've been lol
nice looking sand racer love the pinkish honda
is it really that cheap as im sorely tempted
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Post by twoblackcats on Feb 3, 2011 15:05:49 GMT
so thats where you've been lol nice looking sand racer love the pinkish honda is it really that cheap as im sorely tempted Cheap as chips, £40 gets you registered for the season and your first race then £30 for each race after that There's no reason not to give it a bash, very freindly and relaxed atmosphere which makes for a good day out. Back today for the last race of the season. Complete contrast to the previous one weather wise which was very welcome. We are starting to get the hang of things a (little) bit more, but still have a lot to learn. Went mob handed today, 8 of us from the Archway Project made the journey from Sunny Thamesmead including 6 sand race virgins and all thourghly enjoyed the experience. Much delays today what with the tide being in on arrival (time for bbq on the beach for breakfast, yum) also a couple of airlifts needed for the unlucky few delayed racing a bit My fav bike of the meet, Triumph 955i lump in Armstrong chasis, all road register too complete with flame throwing big bore exhaust. Another pic of my war torn cb One of my fellow road bike unlimited competetors machine being ogled by a passer by. Whooped him ;D shouldn't gloat, but I shall 'cos he was the only one of the 2 I managed to pass all day that I've got a pic of. Check this out Omnomnomnomnom For sale too, don't know how much just know by looking that it's out of my price range. Pretty perfect IMHO though I'd swap them grips for black or grey ones if it was mine, which I wish it was.
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Post by twoblackcats on Feb 3, 2011 15:11:27 GMT
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Post by TerraRoot on Feb 3, 2011 20:20:29 GMT
excellent pics, just been having a nice slow look over the lot of em, that sky blue and orange paint scheme is inspired.
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Post by twoblackcats on Feb 3, 2011 20:42:03 GMT
excellent pics, just been having a nice slow look over the lot of em, that sky blue and orange paint scheme is inspired. Agreed, it's the one that stands out that's fro sure. It was bought by another competitor and was back up there at the meeting 2 weeks back which is the first we have got to this season due to the condition of the beach interfering with play. More pics coming soon of the last meet and we're off again this Sunday
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Post by twoblackcats on Feb 4, 2011 17:55:02 GMT
Just in from work, pics loading as I type, hopefully have time to post them before I go out for the night
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Post by TerraRoot on Feb 4, 2011 18:32:20 GMT
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Post by twoblackcats on Feb 4, 2011 18:39:20 GMT
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Post by twoblackcats on Feb 4, 2011 18:51:35 GMT
Hahaha, missed that between posts. That lot took chuffin ages to load, the price you pay for borrowing a good camera I guess. Thanks boss. Race bike development ;D Home made Exhaust tip as I was going to trash the Beowulf end can + it's too quiet. Zorst is simplely a section off a mates t4 van pipe that I saved from the frag pile. Also in this pic is the new fangled fancy pants swinging speedway peg made up from a old shelf bracket and a set of steel bars and then braced up with a off cut of van exhaust. Not pretty though hopefully should do the job and let me stand up weighting the front end a bit more. Found a little mudguard to keep the beach out of my face too
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Post by twoblackcats on Feb 9, 2011 19:54:02 GMT
Up racing again on Sunday. Sun was out, well it weren't snowing ;D Good days racing had by all, except maybe that bloke who rolled his Firestorm quad! The foot peg made a real difference and I started to build more confidence in the turns and experiment with different techniques. Exhaust pops a treat on the overrun too low tech side stand holder in effect
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Post by davytelford on Feb 9, 2011 20:58:17 GMT
sorry to be a bit sizist but your bike looks tiny here and what was this powered by it looked as big as your van lol
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