Chassis Cracks and Broken Brackets

[Ji Gantor]

Walter,
Lets use my Maico again.
Its rear axel is 290mm long and is 17mm diameter CrMo.
It came from the factory solid but two years ago I bored my out.
So now it has a 12mm diameter hole in the centre.
Original weight 1777g
Bored weight 885g
Weight saving 892g
 49% saving.
There would be a small saving using Ti but as all the knockers keep saying and in this instant I agree it would not be worth the trouble.
Ti would be 500g bored out, a total saving of 1277g

I do not advocate boring out your axels this is just what I have done.

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

I build bikes as trick or even tricker than most but I NEVER use technology I couldn't buy during the bikes competitive era

How about plastic mud guards and air boxes on Bullies? They had fibre glass ones
How about PD valves?
If I had time I am sure there is a huge list of parts that are used now that were not around in the day.


Ji

[firko]

Re read what you wrote Ti......everything you said about BSA and Husky and even Rogers Suzuki (of which I don't get your point but whatever..) backs my point. All of those things, the ti frames were available in the day.  What you're doing is reinventing the wheel by building Ti bits today that were never available back in the day. I'll repeat myself..VMX is not the place for new technology.

That wave disc is in my mind not legal but I wasn't the scrutineer so I'll bow to his opinion. However, I reckon it's a long way from being in the spirit of VMX. There was no need to use a wave disc when a conventional disc would have worked just as well and would have made the bike look far more in keeping of its era. The fact that the rulebook allowed the wave disc is more about the book not covering certain areas because if the inadequacy of the regs rather than the book specifically saying "Yep Geoff, you can run a wave disc on your Honda old mate, good on you for finding a loophole".
Vintage racings about capturing the feel and technology of an era, not building parts that have not relationship to the era.

Actually I enjoy Gigantors posts , its quiet a change from reading E-bay stories.   There no rule that you HAVE to bling up your bike , but there also no rule that you cant. A nice restored or era correctly blinged up bike makes me stop and admire it everytime. But thats me , I like when people take pride in things they do . Dont stop Robert , there is a few that enjoy your work 

I agree, I enjoy Roberts posts but sometimes we need to stop and think about what our sport's about. Because the rulebook doesn't say you can do it doesn't make it morally right. If that was the case, I might as well build a carbon fibre tank and bodywork, titanium frame and cast up mag cases and hubs for my upcoming Metisse. Sure it's not going to happen but I could if I was rich and didn't give a shit about tradition. Why could I do it? Because the rulebook doesn't say I can't.  Imagine the shitfight If I turned up with that bike?

[jerry]

It's only a shitfight if you got found out Firko. If I was going to spend a shitload on lightening a bike and using exotic unobtanium etc and therefore well and truly encroaching on the spiit of VMX I would then have to go the whole hog and disguise the components so they "look heavy" and then hope like hell that no one has a set of scales handy.Cheers Jerry

[Ji Gantor]

Okay so some things were made back then and some were not.
I am sure if you scanned every MX magazine going back to when ever the first one rolled off the presses you could find some engineer has made just about every part.
I am not saying I am the first to do any of this stuff, I am just exploring what can be done.

My point was if you fit new plastic mud guards to a bultaco it is no longer in the sprit. There may have been after market plastic ones available a few years after their release but that would not be in the class for some bikes.

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

This is going to bring on the hurt.

I my opinion the class scrutineering at the 2009 VMX nationals was a joke.
This is as you say was because of the rule book. Well the rules need changing.
Until then I will make parts just like every one else.
Who hasn't drilled out a bolt?
You say hang on that was done by Roger's engineer in 1976 as illistrated by MX Monthly.
So if you drill out a bolt you now have to take a copy of an old magazine to every race ready just in case someone sees it. Get Real.

Ji

[firko]

I give in.....I've argued this point so many times it's like talking to a shed full of bowling balls. While I really do give a shit about this stuff infiltrating the sport I love, my sprouting off on a bloody forum isn't going to change diddly squat. My concept of the sport is light years different to yours Ji. The hollow axle on the Maico thing broke me. I'm laughing and crying at the same time. The sad thing is that I know you're dead serious........I'm off out to the shed to work on my bike for CD7 (and polish the titanium brake pedal on the Boyd and Stellings. )

ps...For what it's worth...I had a period aftermarket hollow Chro-Mo axle on the rear of my Champion Honda MXer. It lasted three laps of Amaroo Park before it bent like plasticine. I needed to oxy cut the bloody thing out.

[Ji Gantor]

My Maico Axel while installed on the bike has ridden at Conondale 3 times since I bored it out.
Conondale Classic
CD6 &
The 2009 VMX nationals.
Still going as before.
This is not a fight with you mate just telling it as I see it.

Ji

[Freakshow]

Can i just say ( and i have been meaning to post this for a while) was the scuitineering for the 2010 Nats was the best i have ever seen, fast easy and no bullshit, you walked up they looked at the bike, you walked off.  The guys were smart enough to see if the shit that mattered worked and if it looked right, then you walked off.  THAT is HOW it Should be, hats off to you Tanner and fat boy.

PEople dicking around with screw drivers on your spokes and tape measure is a freakin waste of time and all you end up with is a line so big it takes an hour to get one bike through and that sucks if you have 3 and your first race.

These guys looked at the right stuff and if there was any doubt you were taking out of the line and asked to make right, while the rest of the line kept moving.  thanks christ someone is finally getting this part sorted out, it makes the event enjoyable again.

[Tim754]

Firko that is bowling balls covered in concrete skins............. "Period machines" what is so f@%king hard to understand  Ji your info is very entertaining and somewhat informative .But ...... you know the old " cannot see the forest for the trees thing...... How about some info on bronzing or braising Renolds tubing of the sixties /seventies era for balance sometimes?

[Ji Gantor]

Tim,
I am not the only one on this forum with a camera and a blow torch.
Those that are expert in brazing renolds should start a topic just like what I have done.
I start topics about what I know and what interests me.

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

Re read what you wrote Ti......everything you said about BSA and Husky and even Rogers Suzuki (of which I don't get your point but whatever..) backs my point. All of those things, the ti frames were available in the day.  What you're doing is reinventing the wheel by building Ti bits today that were never available back in the day. I'll repeat myself..VMX is not the place for new technology.

I have to thank Firko and many more members on this forum for educating me on the 1965 titanium framed BSA MX bikes. From that education and some I have done indipendently I know that BSA made just about every part of those bikes from titanium including the crank shaft and conrod. What does this mean, it means that the gear shift lever, brake lever, brake rod, brake stay and so on were made out of titanium back 1965. FIM did ban titanium as a material for the major components ; frame and swingarm.
Other than that this material can and was used by other race teams back in the day.
I am not reinventing the wheel nor is this a new technology.

Some CZ's came out with the levers perch welded onto the handle bars though I saw the national winner using modern Fat Pro Taper bars on his CZ.

Some of our rules contradict this spirit or moral judgement.
1 We have to run a handle bar pad
2 We have to install a chain guard

My Maico never came out with either and I am not even sure there was an aftermarket part back in the day.

To put an end to all this why don't we change the rules to say your bike must be as per when it left the factory.

Ji

[jerry]

I have just found out I have to have a knee replacement. Does anybody know what material it will be made of and whether you can get a lightweight trick one. I already have a titanium screw in my shoulder and it definitely works better than the original old school heavy bone model! Jerry

[firko]

I have just found out I have to have a knee replacement

How weird.....I've just returned from a 2.30 appointment at the specialist where I was given the same prognosis. I'm getting an ankle fusion as well to top it all off. I want titanium, none of that old fashioned heavy stainless steel or ceramic shite for me.

[jerry]

Heh Firko had an arthroscopy last Friday. Had the opportunity to stay awake (spinal block) and watch it on TV. Facinating stuff. If you ever get the chance do it you wont regret it plus it gives you the chance to stick it up all the soft cocks who have to have a general. Cheers Jerry