Any body else out there racing an RC24???

Discussion in 'Racing & Track Days' started by Jason Light, May 16, 2011.

  1. Jason Light

    Jason Light New Member

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    I've been racing an 88 VFR750F down here for 4 years, anyone else running one? I'm looking to share tips and find some bits!
     
  2. hondarv4

    hondarv4 New Member

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    Carbon fairing and seat from the CBR600R would probably fit, take a look at my bike the RV4
     
  3. Jason Light

    Jason Light New Member

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    I like your NS400, have been thinking about one of those. Here's my RC24 in its latest guise.

    [​IMG]
     
  4. FoothillRyder

    FoothillRyder New Member

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    Really cool to hear about somebody racing an RC24! Keep us posted lad, more pics and race reports would be great! :cool:
     
  5. Porkchop

    Porkchop New Member

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    Jason, what class do you race in?? Like a vintage superbike or a 750 GT?
     
  6. Jason Light

    Jason Light New Member

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    The class is called Formula 750, it's part of the newest official historic class here called Period 6 or "New Era" which covers bikes from 1st Jan 83 to 31st December 1990. There's a 1000 class, 250GP class and so on, basically what was raced in the 80's. It's just started here but its going to grow pretty quickly. The above pic was taken at the biggest Historic race in Australia, The Island Classic where we were included for the first time. They have a big international challenge each year with big name riders of past and present getting out on the big aircooled 4cyl superbikes from the late 70's etc. We had a couple of American guys come this year and I think they were keen to make a bigger team for next year, Ed Haazer was one guy.

    I've put some more pics up here, some going back a year or three so you can see how it looked in the past. Next race is late March, the Barry Sheene memorial, a big Historic meeting in Sydney so I'll put up a race report after that one.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 18, 2012
  7. reg71

    reg71 Poser Staff Member

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    hat's pretty awesome. thanks for sharing. I've often thought something like that would be fun.
     
  8. Porkchop

    Porkchop New Member

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    What reg said....

    There is a racing series here in my area that has 3 or 4 vintage classes based on age, displacement, and modification level. I've seriously considered finding a gen 2 or 3 that isn't suitable for the street anymore, and taking it racing. I wanted to take my 500, but I decided that was not a smart decision as it would only be a matter of time before detonation. How agile is the bike for racing purposes? Does it carry its weight well???
     
  9. rc24rc51

    rc24rc51 New Member

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    what do you run for a front end? looks like a 4th gen in one pic.
     
  10. Jason Light

    Jason Light New Member

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    The forks are CBR600F3 which are pretty much the same as a 3rd gen - legs, calipers, guard all the same. Have had internals set up for my weight, race level etc. Triple clamps are stock.

    Porkchop - well, I guess its agile enough and carries its weight ok - I've concentrated on getting weight off and suspension set up, which is the best way to manage what weight there is. All depends too what you'd be racing against and how serious you want to get. The best thing about the VFR for club racing is, it's reliable and user-friendly. The downside is they are still a streetbike and not a lot of off the shelf race stuff available, so you have to spend a lot of time working out what fits off other models, tracking stuff down, engineering stuff. That can be fun too. The most common bike we race against is the 88,89 and 90 GSXR750, which is a logical choice, since it already has rearsets, clip ons, right size rims, you can still get some performance stuff etc. Not so easy for the VFR but more satisfying! Maybe in the US, being so much bigger, there is more stuff around than here. I guess anywhere they were only raced for a year or two before the RC30 came in.
     
  11. DeltaHotel

    DeltaHotel New Member

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    Hey everybody. I am new here.

    I too raced a '86 VFR750/RC24 for 3 years in the late '80's. Still have her. At one time it had some HRC kit parts bu most of that was sold off in the early '90's to raise funds. Yeah, I know..
    Below is a pic of me at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania around 1986-7. At that time bike was mostly stock with only a jet kit, Fox Shock, fork springs and fluid change and a wider set of Dymag wheels. (not pictured)
    [​IMG]

    DH
     
  12. rc24rc51

    rc24rc51 New Member

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    very nice.... love the knee sliders!!
     
  13. DeltaHotel

    DeltaHotel New Member

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    Thanks! Hey it was the '80's! We used to use old plastic numberplates cut in pieces duct taped to the outside of our knees. Dainese was the first to come out with sliders and they were expensive and lasted about half a weekend! They had little soft nylon button like pattern and they wore out real fast and were $45.00 a set! All my money went towards tires, entry fees and travel.
    The ones in the pic, were made by a friend of the same material as street hocky stick blades.
    Fun times.
    DH
     
  14. rc24rc51

    rc24rc51 New Member

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    Anyone who raced back then deserves alot of credit, riding those bikes with crap suspension,tires etc. I recently picked up a 2 disc set of the Trans Atlantic Match race series that ran for years pitting the best riders of Great Britain and USA against each other during the 84-85-86-87 seasons. Watching guys like Schwantz, Merkel, Rainey ,Haslem, Gardner, Lawson.......when men were men!! I was never a big 2 stroke fan but just being able to watch the 86, 87 races made the DVD's worth the money. It was during those races that Ron Haslem took a nearly bone stock 87 VFR to a few top 5 finishes in the wet At Donnington Park. The UK dealers sold out of them almost immediately following that weekend!
     
  15. DeltaHotel

    DeltaHotel New Member

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    Hey when it's all you know, ya just ride 'em! Those late 80's bikes were actually great compared to what I started on. I started racing WERA in 1979 at age 15 and had a 1975 CB400F and then one of the first 1980 twin cam CB750F's. It had nylon swingarm bushings and wobbled like an old Z1 with a broken frame !
    But coming from a motocross background, it was not upsetting to slide a bike around, even those big old tanks. And everyone else was on the same thing so we just raced them. Great battles we had and the real fast guys like Dan Chivington, Randy Renfrow(RIP) all started on these bikes and we chased them all over the east coast. From Loudon, to Savannah/Roebling Road, to Charlotte, to Daytona, Rockingham, all over. Fun times with great guys that lasted until the early 90's after which racing became too expensive and serious.

    Love to see the Transatlantic DVD's ya got.....

    DH
     
  16. stoshmonster

    stoshmonster New Member

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    Old School Cool.....

    +1. Kinda reminds me of the ones Fred Merkel is wearing in this old pic.

    Guessing "Flyin Fred" wasn't big into clip-ons back then,check out the handlebar set-up on the triple trees.

    [​IMG]
     
  17. DeltaHotel

    DeltaHotel New Member

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    Stoshmonster, all the HRC VFR's ran conventional superbike bars. They gave more control, and were quicker/easier to replace after crash damage.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    DH
     
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2012
  18. DeltaHotel

    DeltaHotel New Member

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    Same corner at Pocono. Year before I got the RC24/VFR. 1983 VF750F of course...
    1985. This bike was box stock too except for Jet kit, Fox Shock, Steering damper, and fork work.
    [​IMG]

    DH
     
  19. stoshmonster

    stoshmonster New Member

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    Thanks for the info. Always kinda wondered why Fred went with that set up.

    Love seeing those old school helmet paint schemes too. Coolest ever. :cool:
     
  20. rc24rc51

    rc24rc51 New Member

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    You can order the DVD's from Duke USA now. for the longest time you coudln't get them in the US. BTW .....Renfro and Chivington were members of the American squad back then and were in a bunch of those races in 85-86. Goodfellow, Bettencourt, Quarterly and Adamo were there, too.
     
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