Subject: was: Last race, now Loop vs Tonti
Author: Ken Pitts
Date: Oct 23, 2002, 5:44 AM
Post ID: 1711256040
In a message dated 10/22/02 2:30:23 PM, msse-@classicguzzi.com writes:
| I really hope you stick with the Loop so we'll have somebody to cheer on |
chance to help >you upgrade the Loop....I've helped in the past and am
willing to do so in the future
Mike, your help with parts for the race bike has been invaluable & your
offer of future help is one of the reasons I love Guzzi so much. As we have
seen time & time again from this list, people that ride & work on Guzzi are
the best......bar none! The thought of asking for donations has crossed my
mind before, but I have never been comfortable with this idea because it is
my choice to go racing & I'm the one out having the fun doing it. Why should
someone else pay for my fun? Having said that I have thought of doing up some
T shirts for sell, what does everyone think?
The reason I have been able to do as well as I have is that in my current
class no modifications are allowed. Once I change classes engine
modifications are pretty much unlimited which means I will be running against
people with 30 more HP. Also, once I change classes, the caliber of riders
will be higher, no amount of modifications to the bike will guarantee I have
the skills to use them.
I really would like to stick with the Loop, but there is going to be some
barriers to over come, not the least of which is the non existent go fast
parts like cams, intake manifolds & rear sets to name a few. Things like the
cam can be adapted from the Tonti frame motor whereas other things will have
to be one off hand made items. Another issue that I'm not yet sure how to fix
is the front end hop I get at speed.
One of the classes I'm considering moving to is "BEARS" (British - European
- American-Racing - Series), the cut off for manufacture date is 1969, which
means the only reasonably competitive Guzzi allowed would be a Loop. The good
thing about sticking with the Loop is that it is already built, it just needs
to be breathed on, whereas building a Tonti would require starting over from
scratch. Another class I have considered is "Sportsman 750," this class will
allow a 750cc Tonti frame bike. This is a very competitive class & as much as
I love the Loopframe bikes the Tonti frame is much easier to ride at speed &
I need all the help I can get.
I am very interested in everyone's ideas & thoughts on any of the above.
Thanks
Ken Pitts
Asheville, NC