CBX Racing

[Warwick Biggs]

I was not going at 10/10ths but even so it is evident that I have plenty of ground clearance as a result of further extensions to the rear shock and stiffer front springs, increased quantity (315ml after draining) of fresh 15 wt fork oil in the front and 15psi pressure.

Remember the earlier picks showing a noticeably sharper swingarm angle when unladen. The angle is such that the chain is rubbing on the swingarm. However, with me sitting on the bike you can see it is only slightly off horizontal under full power. This has meant that with the big improvement in carburetion I can get onto the throttle much earlier and harder resulting in immediate improvements in lap times.

This brings us back to the rider. at 72 I'm only likely to get slower from here on in. In the pic below you will see I'm dicing with a guy on a Ducati and Brett on the GSX1100 who beat us all. This was on a bike he had never ridden b4 the w/e and he was lapping within fractions of a second of the class lap record. Of course, he is a much younger rider who normally races an immaculate TZ350 Yamaha - a very different bike indeed. My point is that it doesn't matter how much I improve the Lump I am never going to beat the likes of Brett, whatever he is on. In this case he said he "only had" 150hp at the rear wheel.

[Warwick Biggs]

These will probably be the last pics of the Lump racing so I will just put a few more up. I must now firmly challenge the often sneering comment that the CBX is not a sport motorcycle, not a good basis for a racer being too heavy and "just a tourer"

First, these statements are inevitably from armchair experts, many of whom have never ridden a CBX. Second, they have never ridden the Lump. Third, they have never bothered to look at the CBX laptimes. Even with me in the saddle the Lump has lapped Mac Park a very technical and fairly tight circuit at 1'25 which is considered a respectable modern Supersport time. It goes even better at a high speed flowing track like Phillip Island. Finally, it completely misses the point of classic racing which is to get out on a racetrack on classic old bikes and have fun riding them to their old analogue limits. A big part of it is the aesthetics, the preparation and presentation of lovely old bikes by enthusiasts. The technical challenge of getting 40 or 50 year old bikes to go almost as fast as modern superbikes.

At the end of the day real racers don't care about laptimes. They just want to have good hard battles riding to their and their bikes' limits and to beat the other guy. Even the beating part is not the fun part. It is the ebb and flow of the race which is a bit like a dance where you can slow the ryrhm to a waltz or toss it into a tango - the strategy of working out where other riders are strong or weak be it braking into an off camber corner or hesitancy at a spot they might have had a tumble at or a particular machine foible.

So, no more sneers please, it only demonstrates to me that the sneerer not only doesn't have a clue but they are silly enuf' to make a spectacle of their ignorance

[Warwick Biggs]

So finally, we reach the end. Or is it?

Today, I am up and walking. Hesitantly and careful how I put weight on the leg that was run over by the Ducati. It is still very sore.

Later I might make it over to the workshop to survey the damage. The 400 is still in the trailer and the 80kgs of my toolbox still sitting in the back of the Subaru. Plus all the tasks associated with 6 acres of gardens at the end of summer.

Here is the final pic taken by Bec this time and appropriately from the rear with me waiting to go out on the dummy grid. The Lump is burbling away underneath me at a busy 1200 rpm and I'm probably getting impatient to get going. The silky smooth scream up to the limiter at 11,500 rpm is always exciting when we accelerate out onto the track as is the slight tendency to lift the front wheel on a full throttle upchange from 4th to 5th down the back straight where there is an almost imperceptible wiggle of the bars and I always ever so slightly squeeze the Brembo brake lever just to make sure the pads are still where they should be.

I reckon I can continue to do this for a while yet at ride days. Just no more racing

[Syscrush]

What great photos.

Thanks for being so candid about all of this, it's really interesting and informative - both about bike stuff and life stuff.

Some somewhere within your area has to be willing and able to capture some high quality footage and audio of you on that CBX during a track day - with everything you've put into it, a mini documentary or even a series of you telling these stories would be an amazing artifact to the effort and energy you've put into this whole campaign.

[Warwick Biggs]

I've been hobbling around in the workshop. Thankfully, I no longer need a Zimmer frame to get around altho' I still have to limit my time standing and walking to prevent my left foot ballooning. I was even able to get out on the tractor this morning to remove some large tree branches torn off during some high winds recently.

One of the unexpected minor consequences of lifting the lump up so far on it's suspension was that in the pits the rear stand kept sliding forward causing trouble during our last outing. I've never installed bobbins on the swingarm preferring to simply have a U shaped fitting on my stand that fits under the Prolink swingarm. But by lengthening the rear spring in an effort to increase ground clearance it has increased the angle of the arm and suddenly I was finding the rear stand sliding forward. So, I have adjusted the height of the stand and applied silicon to the cups to counter that unexpected and annoying tendency.

On the 400 I have straightened the rearsets and clipons and removed what remained of the fairing. It did it's job of absorbing most of the impact so the cycle damage is surprisingly little and with a new fairing it will be ready to go again altho' where and with whom is still to be resolved.

Back to my earlier observations about the weight of the CBX. It is interesting to compare it's 211 kgs with the latest Ducati MotoE racers that come in around 220kgs. Ducati racer Chaz Davies has been reported as saying that you really do not notice the extra 50-60 kgs on change of diretion compared with the Ducati Superbike because the MotoE bike is so well balanced. It is also interesting to compare the weight of modern endurance racers for things like the Suzuka 8 Hours. They also come in at well over 200gs. Do I hear anybody criticising them for obesity or being unfit for racing?

When people criticise the CBX for it's bulk they really are exaggerating and identifying the wrong element of the Honda packaging. I have said many times that the CBX is an exceptionally well-balanced bike. It is one of the main reasons it is so enjoyable to ride fast. For some reason people get too caught up with power to weight ratios and often ignore the most important aspect of any bike which is balance. Where you do notice the extra weight is in braking and acceleration. To help make up for that the CBX has superior brakes compared with most of the competition in the historic heavyweights. Its biggest impediment is lack of power due to the compromised limitations of the cylinder head. That is also a packaging issue determined by fitting the carbs into a V formation so the rider can be accommodated. That is the CBXs biggest racing impediment - lack of power.

The reason I believe people identify the wrong packaging limitation of the CBX as a sports bike is simply visual. They look at that massive wall of 6 cylinders and they think it must be a real beast to handle on a racetrack. It is not. It's a pussy cat. When you look at my pussy cat you will see nothing very radical. Just a close to stock 40-year-old road bike with some very standard and fairly inexpensive mods.

The chassis, brakes and suspension are basically stock Prolink, just lifted and tweaked. Gearbox stock other than dogs undercut to prevent it slipping out of gear. Engine has been very mildly ported and another 15-20hp is probably there if it were properly flowed. Crank has been lightened for faster pickup, stronger clutch, higher compression forged pistons and a phased exhaust for a bit more power, stronger rods for reliability and improved crankcase breathing. Electrics are probably the most modified but could be taken much further. I'm still using stock Honda coils. And in the right hands this 'old dynosaur' can lap a racetrack just as quickly as a modern Supersport machine. I paid $9.5K for my Prolink. Have you looked at the price of a very ordinary Supersport like an R6 recently?

[Warwick Biggs]

Historic racing in Oz remains pretty healthy, if the sale of my NC30 is anything to go by - it was sold within 1 hour of listing. Sad to see it go as it has served me well with minimal attention but I have a bunch of trophies to remember it by.

What to do with the Lump tho'?

[Dynamohum]

How bout one last pic then?

[Warwick Biggs]

One option is to put one of our quicker youngsters on it. Another is to put it on Club registration and turn it back into a road bike (sacrilege?). Lounge room furniture is definitely out. Or, just do the occasional track day on it. Or, sell it to some other sad bastard who "likes a challenge".

Then there is Fran's old suggestion - take it down to Port Mac, push it off the pier and turn it into an artificial reef! That was after a series of early disappointments when I was struggling to come to grips with the bike. Come to think of it, it is only fairly recently that it has started to behave itself and return the love.

Here is a pic of how it started out when I first acquired it as an unmolested fairly well restored Prolink.

[Warwick Biggs]

OK, I've announced my retirement from racing but nevertheless have relented and entered the Lump in my favorite event, the Seniors in mid May. This is where there are categories based upon rider age and combined bike and rider age. A minimum age of 45 applies.

I'm still sore from my crash and limping a bit but should be fit enuf' come race day. I just could not end things on an 'off'. It will be my last race, so I intend to enjoy it.

I'm also preparing the Husqvarna having entered that in the modern Limited class. I've removed the cat, done a 520 chain conversion with gearing changes front and rear, drilled the 7 oil bolts (it has 4 filters) and lock-wired it, fitted a toe protector and am about to fit GB Racing case protectors. I had already upgraded the M40 Brembo to M50 with Z04 pads and fitted a bikini fairing.

The Lump will get an oil change and that is it. Both bikes will run on the Pirelli slicks they already have fitted.

Oh yes, I nearly forgot. I have also replaced the NC30 with another V4 - a hardly ridden mint VFR800 road bike that cost me $300 after selling the NC30. So, I've essentially swapped a crashed race bike for a nice road bike.

Finally, I will be at the track in a few days with the 701 to complete a session and to comply with our new rules covering 'Return to Sport Following Concussion'. A bit silly in my case because I've had more knocks than I can remember and already lost a significant part of my brain (the right basal ganglion to be precise) but it is the fashion. Anyhow, the rules are the rules.

More interestingly, I will be there for the running in and setting up of a very special race bike. Only 1 of the 25 Crighton rotaries, modern successor to the all-conquering JPS Norton rotaries that were effectively banned by the FIM. I will post some pics and perhaps a short video because this thing really howls and has a better power to weight ratio than a motogp bike. Whether that translates into a competitive racer will be the big question.

[Warwick Biggs]

Here is a pic of my new V4 roadster... Strangely, for the era, it lacks a linkage meaning it is not easy to set the gearbox for race shift or GP shift that I run on all my racers.

I will have to try and make one as the only aftermarket one for this bike is the Sato at nearly an AUD$1,000!

[Warwick Biggs]

Today was my first time back at the track since my crash and we had some interesting bikes for testing. My modified 701 is unusual but not so interesting altho' it was of interest to the owner and rider of a modern G50 race replica who rode it.

Then the 2 Daves had Dave 1's VRS V4 Panigale racer out as well as Dave 2's factory WSBK 748 racer. Both Ducatisti exotica.

Brett had the 160hp GS out on which he cleaned up in the recent Classic riding shotgun for Nick's Crighton rotary. Actually, both bikes belong to Nick who is 6'7" in the old units and normally races a diminutive 250LC. Even tho' it was supposed to be a closed session for the 5 of us we could have charged admission as word had got out about the Crighton and it attracted quite a crowd.

Yes, it does have a metre of flames shooting out the exhaust on gear changes altho' the sound was a bit disappointing sounding more like a 600 but then, we CBX owners are a bit biased when it comes to aural taste. In the attached pics you will see multiple bodies underneath it. This was perhaps to be expected given that it was the first time it had been run and there are always teething issues with race bikes. In this case heat and you can see the blowers being used to cool it down from around 130 degrees to a more appropriate 85. It was also consuming a bit of oil altho' how much or from which oil supply was not immediately apparent. It runs 50:1 2 stroke oil in the fuel just like a 2 stroke and has no sump but runs separate oil supplies for both crank and primary drive with oil level not easy to measure being contained in the beam frame. It also uses a venturi intake system a bit like Ilmor and Harley experimented with some years ago. In other words lots of radical stuff to get your head around.

Certainly, Nick was riding cautiously given the enormous power to weight figures and with no modern electronics to keep the front wheel on the ground or moderate traction at the back so it was not surprising to hear him opine that he would be quicker on his LC but I'm sure we will see more of this interesting racer and no doubt Nick will eventually get the hang of it.

I can't help thinking back to the 2 rotaries that I have owned - all Mazdas and all seized. Not thru' any fault of the Mazda design I hasten to add. The first was as a result of hitting a kangaroo while crossing a cattle grid that caused a leak in the radiator (and was terminal for the roo) that was not apparent until it just locked up. The second one was a softly sprung RX3 carrying 3 blokes plus all our scuba gear. We went into a dip too fast for the load and knocked a hole in the sump. So, both were my own fault really but I have to say that once a rotary seizes it is very hard to unseize it. In that respect it is unlike a 2 stroke.

[Syscrush]

WOW - I can't believe you got to share track time with a CR700!!!

IMO that's about the most interesting motorcycle since the NR750.

[Wheels24]

Warwick, I just stumbled upon this string of posts today and absolutely love it. Good for you for carrying the CBX flag on the track. I come from a racing family and thoroughly enjoy stories like yours.

My dad initially raced flat track and scrambles here in the US and later switched to road racing...ultimately on a TZ750 for a Yamaha dealer. He always described that bike using a few 'colorful' words. Dad quit racing but never left the track...doing track days well into his 70s. His last bike was a 2003 Ducati 999...which is now in my garage.

I started out with motocross and switched to road racing after knee injuries ended my motocross pursuits. My first race bike was a 1981 CB900F due, in part, to the Freddie Spencer influence...but Freddie's was far faster than mine, and he was/is a far, far, better rider. It was all great fun for about 5 years until work and family obligations ended that part of my life. My last race was on the high banks of Daytona in 1987...an absolute blast! There are still a couple Ducatis in my garage that would be great for track days...but I might need bigger leathers.

I've had a couple 1981 CBXs and never thought of racing them. I now have a 1980 CBX that I'd be inclined to take to the track for all the many reasons you noted above. It's one thing to ride a 'brisk' pace on the road, but something altogether different to find the 'zone' on a racetrack surrounded by fellow enthusiasts, with no cares about cars, bicycles, joggers, intersections, road debris, guard rails, etc. The sounds, the smell, the adrenaline, the stories, the comradery, the laughter...I do miss it.

All the best to you! Gary

[Warwick Biggs]

Thanks Gary and yes, the CBX is great fun on the track and it is a pity more owners don't get them out to run as they were designed to run. Sunny Sunday jaunts on the public roads are pleasant enuf' but the CBX is a different thing altogether on a race track.

Yes Phil, I normally race Nick in the historics where his tall frame barely fits on his LC so it was a surprise to see him buy a heavyweight 4 stroke in the GS and then give it to young Brett to race. Size wise it suits Nick better but Brett is a fantastic rider and creamed all of us on it in the recent Classic. That was surprise enuf' but then we have this new Rule about "Return to Sport After Concussion', an insurance confection if there ever was one. That required me to spend a full day at the track as the final step to getting the suspension on my race license lifted, so a private track day was arranged.

Then, as always happened DT1 wanted to fiddle with something on his V4R Ducati, DA thought OK I'll come out and test the race fairing on the 748. Meanwhile unbeknownst to us Nick has gone off to the UK to purchase the Crighton and lobs back in Oz with it wanting to give it a run in 'safe company'. He talks to Brett who talks to Mick and now we have surprise #2 and 5 bikes with Brett riding shotgun to the CR on the GS (and staying a healthy distance behind the flaming exhaust.

I have to express some skepticism however, as I don't see the Crighton as much more than a rich man's toy or possibly, an investment. Interesting, certainly but it will never be raced and at most, it is a track day special. Even then it must be restricted to limited outings in select company. Having said that I will be looking forward to seeing Nick out on it again.

Meanwhile, on Saturday I had another track session on the 701 to make sure that the new exhaust or anything else was not going to fall off and that it would run cleanly without the cat. My upper thighs are still full of lactic acid from tossing it around so I need to do some exercising. I had some good dices too altho' my corner speed was poor and I had to use the 701's grunt on exit to repass the guys who were carving me up in the tighter corners. I was simply not going fast enuf' to find that essential feel that inspires confidence. Hopefully, a full day's practice b4 the Seniors will get me back in the groove. My mind returns too easily to the horrible memory of being flung into the air.