by pacomotorstuff » Tue Nov 27, 2012 10:53 am
Holy Crap Allan, didn't realize the Baby Duke had so little power! Rode one really briefly back in the '60's and it seemed to be able to keep up with traffic and whatnot but wasn't particularly fast.
But then again, we're talking stock...
Your comment on the various HP of the bikes is well taken. Given a full tilt engine program on the F7 and spending some time and money to make it into a true race bike you could probably get 25 "real" - not advertising - horsepower out of the Kaw 175 single (think one third of an H1R motor here, never mind the rotary valve).
I was mystified when I read the rulebook and found a mid-70's bike was allowed to race against old crocks but the reason why I was looking for one myself for about 2 months.
Doesn't really matter anyway, at least to me, as I've found the CA95 / CB92 project. Fortunately, as I've dug into it, except for the seized piston, the engine internals look better than I hoped. The bike needs a huge weight reduction program (me too) but the idea is to make it look like a 1963 race bike and I'm on track with that.
I'll probably have enough issues coping with the (few) horsepower I'll have at my disposal to worry about Rick (and everybody else) passing me all the time, but I want to finish the race, so reliability first.
Rick, thanks for the lead on the tires, I'll check out the prices and work them into my budget somehow.
Pat.