CBX Racing

CBXs, new bikes, old bikes, cars, trucks, general chat, off topic, this is the place to post it.
Post Reply
Warwick Biggs
Amazing Poster
Amazing Poster
Posts: 952
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2015 9:23 pm
Location: Australia
Location: Australia

Re: CBX Racing

Post by Warwick Biggs »

Happy News! The lump is back up and running. Sad news. I've had to jump thru' a small elective surgery window and as a consequence my left hand has been immobilised and I cannot hold a sensible conversation, much less a clip on handlebar. The conversation I would like to have will only get me into trouble in today's crazy world so it won't happen but my physical impairment may prevent me entering the CBX in the Seniors race at the end of August.

Currently I can't make a fist but that might improve once the sutures are removed and with a bit of physio. Gee, now I might find out how these MotoGP riders feel when they fall off, break a leg and 3 weeks later they are dicing for the podium. My injury is age related rather than the consequence of youthful exuberance - rectifying a Dupuytrens contracture for those of you old enuf' to be interested n old fella stuff.

I discovered that I could locally source O ring gaskets for the extended sump in lieu of TIMS or Silver. At greatly reduced expense too. 190 mm x 3 mm is the correct size and they work. Secondly, Phil you may be interested to know that the polyolefin heat shrink tubing (don't you love that word - 'polyolefin', sounds like music) seems to have worked in sealing the split carb rubbers - time will tell.

Now I just need to work on the rider to get back to fitness. I still have my eye on the National Championship in November but I will need to get the lump back on the track for a shakedown well b4 then. Covid related border closures that I suspect are unconstitutional (part of the conversation I alluded to earlier) could frustrate my ambitions however. Its a long time since I appeared in the Oz High Court and I have no desire to revisit my own vomit but I may have to dust off the old wig and gown in order to get the lump back on the grid, the way things are going here.

User avatar
Syscrush
ICOA Member
ICOA Member
Posts: 1714
Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2012 2:29 pm
Location: Toronto, ON
Location: Toronto, ON

Re: CBX Racing

Post by Syscrush »

Good luck to you with your continued recovery.
Warwick Biggs wrote:
Tue Jul 14, 2020 8:20 pm
Secondly, Phil you may be interested to know that the polyolefin heat shrink tubing (don't you love that word - 'polyolefin', sounds like music) seems to have worked in sealing the split carb rubbers - time will tell.
That's good to hear. It almost seems too good to be true, I really hope it works out for you! In the video I shared, I even thought that the pieces looked a bit better after the treatment. Were you happy with how they turned out?
Phil in Toronto
A cool guy deserves a cool bike, a dork needs a cool bike...
Pics of Perry, my '79.

Warwick Biggs
Amazing Poster
Amazing Poster
Posts: 952
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2015 9:23 pm
Location: Australia
Location: Australia

Re: CBX Racing

Post by Warwick Biggs »

They look schmick. I'll post a pic. Better still, I'll make a film and see if I can post that because it needs to be heard as well as seen.

My hand is thankfully out of plaster and it looks horrible. It was opened up like butterfly wings, I think they call it a fasciectomy. Luckily it was the left and I'm the other way round so that is good. It also hurts a lot but now I can make half a fist by squeezing it with my other hand. Maybe once the knitting is removed it will work a bit better.

They say you need to be totally relaxed and light on the bars. Hold on with your knees. Steer with your hips, your feet and your head but hold the bars like a baby. That is what they say altho' its not how I do it. If I could it would be easier on my hand because I'm a heavy counter steerer. Maybe I can change my style but at 68 its asking a lot. Necessity is as they also say, the mother of invention, so I guess its possible.

Anyhow, I have a film to make.

Warwick Biggs
Amazing Poster
Amazing Poster
Posts: 952
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2015 9:23 pm
Location: Australia
Location: Australia

Re: CBX Racing

Post by Warwick Biggs »

Before I do that, here is a pic of how the lump was with the Pipemasters fitted. I swapped these with Roly for an Ignitech digital ignition. Just te recap a few tech details - Ported and polished head with 2 mm o/size valves, stock pistons crank, rods, bucket setup, clutch, etc. Electrics stripped out and running total loss off twin 20 cell Antigravity Lithium Phosphate batteries, Ignitech digital ignition off stock 2.4 amp Honda coils and custom 5 wire loom. Front end steering head angle (rake) modified to 24 degrees, Front forks re-valved and heavier springs fitted, VTR front wheel and modified rotors, stock 4 piston CBX calipers fitted with spacers and HH sintered race pads, Bridgestone Battleaxe slick, rear fully adjustable Wilbers racing shock with variety of custom length dogbones, Prolink swingarm linkage ground back to accommodate 160 Battlaxe slick, on modified Kawasaki ZZR rear rim and caliper, stock axles, modified 31 mm CR Special carbs #118 jets and manifold, extended sump and CB1100F oil cooler, stock oil pump & pickup.~ 110rwhp, weight 213kg half wet (110front/103 rear). Since then I have fitted a lighter 6 into 1 Delkevic exhaust.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Warwick Biggs
Amazing Poster
Amazing Poster
Posts: 952
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2015 9:23 pm
Location: Australia
Location: Australia

Re: CBX Racing

Post by Warwick Biggs »

Lots of other minor but important mods such as the CSMoto engine sliders (a great mod for all CBX's to protect those wide cams in a fall), custom Colin Marley billet crank end caps, 520 chain conversion, 20 tooth engine sprocket and wide variety of rear sprocket sizes, period correct Raasq rear sets, reversed SL gearshift and Rickmans ducktail, chopped stock frame and it still has made in Japan matching engine and frame numbers, etc. etc. A genuine, largely original 1982 CBX race bike that can still boogey with the best replicas.

User avatar
Syscrush
ICOA Member
ICOA Member
Posts: 1714
Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2012 2:29 pm
Location: Toronto, ON
Location: Toronto, ON

Re: CBX Racing

Post by Syscrush »

Warwick Biggs wrote:
Sat Jul 18, 2020 8:26 am
They say you need to be totally relaxed and light on the bars. Hold on with your knees. Steer with your hips, your feet and your head but hold the bars like a baby. That is what they say altho' its not how I do it. If I could it would be easier on my hand because I'm a heavy counter steerer. Maybe I can change my style but at 68 its asking a lot. Necessity is as they also say, the mother of invention, so I guess its possible.
"How do you hold on to the bike?"
"I don't hold on."

Phil in Toronto
A cool guy deserves a cool bike, a dork needs a cool bike...
Pics of Perry, my '79.

Warwick Biggs
Amazing Poster
Amazing Poster
Posts: 952
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2015 9:23 pm
Location: Australia
Location: Australia

Re: CBX Racing

Post by Warwick Biggs »

Yes, and the last thing you want coming out of a bend on the edge of traction is a motor on 4 or 5 cylinders suddenly chiming in on 6. This is the problem I've been struggling with for the past couple of years. It doesn't matter how smooth you are on the throttle, you still need to be ready to gently correct that sudden oversteer from the rear breaking away b4 it flicks you off in a high side.

As for the baby hands theory. Mick Doohan, the maestro of those violent 500 2 strokes has observed that the safest place to be is on the edge of traction because you can see and feel the edge of the cliff and are less likely to fall over. It is probably the Mark Marqez school of thought too (did anybody see his amazing recovery after throwing it away over the w/e at Jerez?). There is an element of truth to this but conversely if you spend a lot of time balancing on the edge of a cliff, your chances of falling off increase with time because none of us are perfect all of the time.

Irrespective of riding style, the CBX does require an aggressive approach with lots of body English, because of the problems associated with reducing it's ground clearance by 2" in the move to 17's and slick tyres. Even with the suspension jacked up to the max it is necessary to hang off a lot and stand the bike up to achieve good corner speed to keep the cases off the deck. In this regard it is no different to the CB1100R's and Katanas. It is one of the reasons these old air cooled superbikes are so much fun to ride and so popular to watch. But it is very physically taxing, especially for geriatric's.

I need to move some bikes around today so it will be the first test for my torn up hand.

Warwick Biggs
Amazing Poster
Amazing Poster
Posts: 952
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2015 9:23 pm
Location: Australia
Location: Australia

Re: CBX Racing

Post by Warwick Biggs »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxy-nbFulSE

Marquez has set a new standard in road racing. Riders must now be able to push their machines well beyond 2 wheel slides to the absolute limit of crashing and then recover - routinely. That is both wheels off the deck and the bike sliding along on it's side with the rider then able to push it back up using his elbow and knee.

How this is possible without having the arm and leg snapped off in the process is part of the skill set required. Marquez was doing over 90 mph when he hit the deck and how he pushed himself back up at that speed without losing limbs would take considerable analysis. You might say it was a fluke except he does it regularly and none of his rivals can comprehend it either.

I well recall seeing Graeme Crosby for the first time sliding the front and thinking, 'how can he do that?'. Now we have a new standard - shall we call it 'the crash test dummy' technique? Except Marquez is no dummy. Just a totally focused, supremely superior motorcycle racer. Then he crashes again after going from stone cold last to challenging for the lead and this time shatters his humerus but after operations and physio is back on the bike 4 days later lapping at record pace. How demoralising for his competitors. It is beyond comprehension.

Warwick Biggs
Amazing Poster
Amazing Poster
Posts: 952
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2015 9:23 pm
Location: Australia
Location: Australia

Re: CBX Racing

Post by Warwick Biggs »

I promised to upload a film showing the Lump running and carb rubber repair but am still working out how to do this. In the meantime here are some pics.

The first shows how I set the bike up to run with the tank off so I can adjust the carbs because getting at anything on a CBX can be difficult because of the packaging problems. With the CR specials you need to pull the top off the carbs to get at the needles which is really all about the upper range. But first you have to synchronise the slides. I do this by sight and sound. Then I attend to the tiny mixture screws that control everything from idle to one third throttle and a narrow long screw driver is required for this. However, be warned. Before any of this can happen I fit equal length clear hoses to the external air inlets that are situated on the separate choke circuit. The choke plungers are prone to sticking and flooding the carbs and must be kept clean because this problem is not immediately obvious other than a lot of black smoke. If you have also removed the diaphragm on the fuel line for maximum flow it can have catastrophic results if the fuel line is left connected and the downdraft inclination leads to fuel leaking into the combustion chambers. Thus the quick disconnect on the fuel line.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Warwick Biggs
Amazing Poster
Amazing Poster
Posts: 952
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2015 9:23 pm
Location: Australia
Location: Australia

Re: CBX Racing

Post by Warwick Biggs »

Here are some pics of the carb rubbers showing how cleanly the 80 mm heat shrink tubing sealed the split rubbers. A new set of CR Special rubbers was nearly $1K landed. The rubber tubing was $50 so that was a much cheaper fix, thanks Phil. Looks like it worked.

But with the air leak solved and the valves cleaned up and re-seated it needs re-tuning so that is what I'm currently working on. #4 is running at half temperature so there may still be a problem somewhere deep in the heart of #4 carby. The drain screw on this carb had a tendency to rest against the primary chain protrusion b4 I filed it down and my suspicion is that the vibration may have worn the needle just enuf' to affect the fuel level.

One feature of Lectron carbs that I love is the clear float bowls where the fuel level can be seen at a glance. They are also better able to handle the slight downdraft design of the CBX carbs because the CR's are really only designed to sit horizontally. Fuel injection is the best answer to this problem and issues with the high density modern PULP fuels but I am not allowed to run anything later than primitive round sides and I'm not allowed to use methanol or avgas under our race rules, either. Doesn't help at all. Neither were restricted back in the day so they are silly rules - like boxing with one hand tied behind your back.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Warwick Biggs
Amazing Poster
Amazing Poster
Posts: 952
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2015 9:23 pm
Location: Australia
Location: Australia

Re: CBX Racing

Post by Warwick Biggs »

By the way, the wire thingy's on the end carbs are there to stop me knocking the velocity stacks off with my knees as I clamber around the thing trying to hang off.

User avatar
Syscrush
ICOA Member
ICOA Member
Posts: 1714
Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2012 2:29 pm
Location: Toronto, ON
Location: Toronto, ON

Re: CBX Racing

Post by Syscrush »

You may have saved $950 but the result looks like a million bucks!

Good luck getting #4 sorted.
Phil in Toronto
A cool guy deserves a cool bike, a dork needs a cool bike...
Pics of Perry, my '79.

Warwick Biggs
Amazing Poster
Amazing Poster
Posts: 952
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2015 9:23 pm
Location: Australia
Location: Australia

Re: CBX Racing

Post by Warwick Biggs »

I wish I could say the same for my hand Phil. Real questions about whether I can ride due to loss of ability to grasp anything with it. A showdown with the surgeon at the 'not-OK Corral' is looming.

The Seniors is off. Skittled by the second wave. Oz Constitution also skittled as States scuttle to close borders and Balkanise. Federations are problematic in a crisis because most politicians are genetically programmed to fiddle and duck. Then they tend to wander off aimlessly in different directions looking at their feet. The opposite of what is usually required.

I also wish I could find somebody with a CBX who has tried Lectron carbies. Does anybody know?

Warwick Biggs
Amazing Poster
Amazing Poster
Posts: 952
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2015 9:23 pm
Location: Australia
Location: Australia

Re: CBX Racing

Post by Warwick Biggs »

No dice on Lectrons for a CBX? Somebody must have tried them, surely?

House bound with lots of time on my hands and I'm still fiddling with the CR Special carbs. There are 7 notches on each needle and adjusting the tiny circlips on the needles of 6 hard to access carbs is a delicate operation. If one takes flight I will never find it again so I do it with great care in a shallow tray under a magnifying glass/light.

Stock they come with 120 main jets. I'm running 118's and it is still a bit rich. As an old stroker I'm of the view that better too rich than too lean. Roly runs 110's in the Beast but it is the slow jets that are the most finicky. Achieving a clean pick up from a closed throttle is essential on a racer because most of the time the throttle is either wide open or snapped shut. A crisp throttle response in that first third of the range is in the slow jets, not the mains

For a start the slow jets are tiny and easily gummed up by modern fuel residues meaning fuel must be drained every time after use. Apart from various main, air and slow jet sizes, there are a variety of main jet pick up levels and different needle tapers. Removing the jets for cleaning requires removing the entire bank. Then there is the separate choke circuit that can affect the main fuel circuit. Did I mention that I don't like Keihin CR Special carbs on a CBX? Might be OK on an SR500 single but not 6 of the ******!

As for racing, at the moment it is impossible to get to the track because of some of the strictest border and movement controls in the world. I haven't been able to get there since June. Some States have adopted an eradication policy meaning no cases and life carrying on pretty much as normal such as in South Australia while here in Victoria Melbourne has been clobbered by a second wave worse than the first and so the entire State is in strict lockdown. Numbers are coming down fast but not enuf' to help me. The border is just up the road from my place and the track is only a pleasant rural 20 minute drive away over the other side but I can't get there which is very frustrating not to mention creating a Constitutional crisis. Currently Australia is 6 different countries, all paddling in different directions. Nothing like a pandemic to demonstrate the fragility of Federations.

On another subject and just for the record; something I have been meaning to say for some time, the pics I have posted here or elsewhere on this site have either been taken by me or by Fran Thompson unless otherwise credited. I would ask anybody wishing to reproduce them to first contact me for permission and probably Larry as well.

User avatar
Syscrush
ICOA Member
ICOA Member
Posts: 1714
Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2012 2:29 pm
Location: Toronto, ON
Location: Toronto, ON

Re: CBX Racing

Post by Syscrush »

I don't think it's a given that somebody's tried the Lectron x6 setup. They seem to mostly be popular with the thumper crowd, and are a niche product even there. And they're considered a race-only carb for 4 cyl bikes. So, racing is a niche, vintage/carbed racing is a niche within that, the CBX specifically is an even smaller sub-niche, and then you're looking for someone running a niche carb that's most popular for a totally different application within that already-tiny subset.

I think that the good news is that if you get them going, you'll be the world's foremost expert on Lectron-equipped CBX's. :)

How's your hand?
Phil in Toronto
A cool guy deserves a cool bike, a dork needs a cool bike...
Pics of Perry, my '79.

Post Reply

Return to “Daily Discussion: By, For & About CBXers”