Just a few questions for a laugh:

1) Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki & even BMW have made 3 cylinder roadbikes -
have Honda? (just leave yes/no answer).

2) European bikes often take their final drive down the right hand side of the swinging arm - can you name some Japanese bikes that do the same? (don't include different variants/cc of the same model).

3) Name a Japanese bike with a left hand kickstart?

4) Who was the last brit to win a motorcycle GP & what year was it?

I'll try & think of some answers tomorrow.

1. yes
2.dunno
3. erm dunno
4. sheene - fooking ages ago


one more...

a. who invented KNEE DOWN

1)yes- and im looking for one now
2)some kwak (VN1800)cruiser thing has a shaft on the "wrong side" i think
3)kwak enfield bullet copy thing(i think!)
4)Jeremy Mcwillliams...2000 and summat on the Aprillia.

Knee down was Roberts, put tape on his leathers originally, then Spencer took it to its current method/look of cornering

1)yes- and im looking for one now


I knew you'd get this one right!!

4)Jeremy Mcwillliams...2000 and summat on the Aprillia.



Forgot this one - who was the previous british rider to win a motorcycle grand prix?

Forgot this one
sorry jezza:notworthy

Mmmmmmmmmm......Did Niall Mckenzie win a 500GP at some stage in his career?(we are taling 500's arent we as im sure Alan Carter won a 250GP in the 80's..)

I know he made the rostrum a copy of times anyway

Another question...what was the first production bike to be fitted with a slipper clutch...

uuuuuuuuuummmmm don't think macca won a GP, not sure though.

Slipper clutch...well the first i heard about it was 636 kwak:wonder:


Who invented the back protector?

And where did they get the idea?

Way before even the first 636...

Back protectors - the guy who invented Knox protectors, he was an ex racer and thought of the ida after falling off a few times...not sure of the year but im guessing 2000/2001

PS i havent researched any of my answers - probably why there incorrect!

Didn't the Aprillia RSV have a intake vacuum actuated/assisted slipper clutch?

I'm referring to all motorcycle grand prix - not just 500 - Could count Sidecars & say Steve Webster but I'm thinking of just solos.

Lets have some thoughts on the motorbike questions (I can think of answers to all 3).

Back protectors pre-date 2000/2001 - I had one in 1990 & can visualise Sheen wearing his post-race on laps of honour.

Honda - Yes
Right side drive? Isn't the GS850G all arse about face? Otherwise it'll be a very early Honda I guess.
Left hand kickstart? No idea.
Jeremy McWilliams was indeed the last Brit to win a GP, on the 250 Aprilia in 2001. He's also the last Brit to set a pole position in MotoGP/500, on the Proton at Phillip Island in 2002.

Knee down was "invented" - not sure that's really the right term though - by Jarno Saarinen though Kenny Roberts picked it up and refined it.

The back protector was invented, in its current form anyway, by Dainese and they got the idea from the armadillo.

Slipper clutch? Hmm...only thing I can think of is either the Honda 400T Automatic or the Guzzi i-Convert. I may be way off the mark, though.

Now here's one for you. Someone took a 500/4 Honda engine and cut in in half. Then they attached the half to another 500/4. What was the result called, what did it eventually become and what was unique about it's drivetrain?

SB

Right side drive? Isn't the GS850G all arse about face? Otherwise it'll be a very early Honda I guess.
Now here's one for you. Someone took a 500/4 Honda engine and cut in in half. Then they attached the half to another 500/4. What was the result called, what did it eventually become and what was unique about it's drivetrain?

SB

GS850/1000G/650 all had shaft on left. I can think of at least 5 with final drives on right!!

Were the 2 cylinders used as some form of supercharger or are you talking about the CB750 Auto. Then again what about the S600 sports car - haven't googled anything - just guesswork.

OK, back to the drawing board on the drives. Maybe off roaders?

No, you're way off the mark with the extra cylinders :) You're being too oblique...

SB

Now here's one for you. Someone took a 500/4 Honda engine and cut in in half. Then they attached the half to another 500/4. What was the result called, what did it eventually become and what was unique about it's drivetrain?

SB

Was that not the CBX? Please say I'm right as I've never won anything ever and my parents used to beat me :(

BTW Simon, Bren's hoping to be home tomorrow :thumb:

Now here's one for you. Someone took a 500/4 Honda engine and cut in in half. Then they attached the half to another 500/4. What was the result called, what did it eventually become and what was unique about it's drivetrain?

SB

Benelli - their 750 Sei .....
Not sure about the drivetrain - unless it's a gearchange the same as the japs - when the eyeties had it on the opposite side ....

Dave

OK, back to the drawing board on the drives. Maybe off roaders?

No, you're way off the mark with the extra cylinders :) You're being too oblique...

SB


Mondial? or are you talking CBX1000 with it's chain primary drive? Or was there something unusual about the Benelli which borrowed hondas design.

Karl, sorry but you're still wrong. Good news about Bren, though :)

Dave, you're nearly there with the Benelli. It was the 750 Sei originally, then it grew ;) I can't remember which side the chain was on but though it's do do with the chain that's not it...

The CBX1000 was purpose made, and it had 4 valves per cylinder so no relation at all.

SB

Dave, you're nearly there with the Benelli. It was the 750 Sei originally, then it grew ;) I can't remember which side the chain was on but though it's do do with the chain that's not it...


SB

Was it made of spagetti?

OK I give up on this one (have only seen 2 in the flesh & didn't notice aything unusual about the chain).

*Jumps out of office wndow* :(

Dave, you're nearly there with the Benelli. It was the 750 Sei originally, then it grew ;) I can't remember which side the chain was on but though it's do do with the chain that's not it...
SB

Oh, it wasn't a 2-stage chain drive was it? The engine sprocket drove another sprocket on the swingarm or somewhere that then drove the rear wheel? As the engine was so side that was the only way to make up for the offset?

Dave

*Jumps out of office wndow* :(


:lol1:

Mr Sheene (barry not the polish) made the first back protector outta old visors, then sold the idea to dia...dian...dianeseeeeeee

Ian Mcconnacie was the last british rider to win a GP . I think before that it was Alan Carter and then Sheene.

Haslam and mackenzie were both close but no cigar.

Of course, tha actual correct answer is Steve Webster but im sure you didnt mean to include the 3 wheelers.:)

Edit: i think this is what the poster is getting at excluding mcwill

Heres one then:

Main difference betwen the original VFR750 and RC30 derivative was the crank phase and firing order.

One enterprising engineer pr-empted Honda, and made a sucesfull race bike out of the VFR by basically chopping the crank and cams and re-welding them. Honda copied this and released the RC30 after.

What was his name?
what was the code name of the bike?
Name me someone who rode it?

All very interesting...and now im lost !

I havent a clue about splicing 400/4 engines together , i did meet the bloke who spliced two RD250LC engines together, which was a very smart looking bike

I believe the Hayabusa was the first proddie bike to have a slipper clutch in 1998 but prepare to be corrected! Did the Mille come out in 99?

Ian Mcconnacie was the last british rider to win a GP . I think before that it was Alan Carter and then Sheene.

Haslam and mackenzie were both close but no cigar.

Of course, tha actual correct answer is Steve Webster but im sure you didnt mean to include the 3 wheelers.:)

Edit: i think this is what the poster is getting at excluding mcwill

Yep Ian McConnacie at Silverstone 1986 (on the Saturday), plus Steve Webster and Jezza McWilliams. Didn't Dixon win some Sidecar GPs too?

Re the RC30/VFR cranks - obvious answer is Moriwaki but I seem to recall an english company doing this to a VFR featured in PB years ago - however wasn't this a copy of the old VF750D which had the same firing order etc as the RC30.

V4 Honda riders - gotta be Joey?

It was not Moriwaki, nor was it an english company.

It was an individual engineer (antipodean) - a non factory effort that Honda copied. Pretty certain Joey did not ride it.

Was going to say Tony Scott but I think Joey rode some of his stuff.

Was going to say Tony Scott but I think Joey rode some of his stuff.

nope, this was before Tony scott was synonomous with Honda V4's

Are we talking a current race engineer?

No, he is dead now actually. He died in a rather strange boating accident a few years ago!