Sand racer 500

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.

No expense spared on the race numbers ;D


The unlimited road bike class FTW, where else can line up a load of mostly unsilenced road bikes and blast up a beach. It really is a field racers dream ;D







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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.

excellent pics, just been having a nice slow look over the lot of em, that sky blue and orange paint scheme is inspired.

Just in from work, pics loading as I type, hopefully have time to post them before I go out for the night

I'll start with the start

Lining up on the gate for the road bike unlimited class


And we're off


No pics on track as the lens on the work cam ain't big enough to zoom in for a good pic. Got plenty in the paddock though.




Fun for all the family




Speedway boys ain't messing






Tasty Trumpet




Loads of DT's, only this one with the low and speedway foot peg mods




Yes it has the engine to go with the tank ;D




One of my fave bikes of the meet this Kwaka









And there concludes the pics from the last meeting on 23rd of Jan, hope you like them.

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