Brodie Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 Why are there so few takers in this brilliant format? I have my own opinions but what does everyone think? '......in yer bike!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Robinson Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 I am considering this option if money picks up, but have to confess that class 5 puts me off somewhat. Having seen you on the top few bends at Loton last month I know I wouldn't stand a chance against you. That makes me think of putting money into making my current car faster in class 3. Hope that doesn't sound like I'm dissing the class 3 quick boys, I just feel that if I have more power than Adrian/Dave/Rob/David then I can beat them, whereas I doubt I could get my car quicker than yours Brodie! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david nelson Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 I think that if I was to go faster I would need a new set of overalls for each event. I find it hard enough keeping in the black stuff with 140 bhp. Bike power does seem to be an intresting way to go but not for me at this time,may be when i grow up. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irrelevant Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 Brodie: There will be at least one more next year Steve: What you need is a nice powerful Crossflow installation, over 170bhp, dry sumped, twin 45s, fully aeroquipped, etc. etc. with a nice Quaife cr/sc overdrive box . . . . if only there was someone about to take all this out of his car and replace it with a Hayabusa engine Accumulating bits . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Robinson Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 Adam - what are your finance rates like ??? start talking 12 months at 0% and maybe you could have a deal 😬 Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irrelevant Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 Steve: If you're really interested, we can chat about it at Curborough . . . as long as I get my rear dampers back in time ☹️ Accumulating bits . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 What can I say but BD's as ever are amd always in true Lotus 7 style..... Now honestly Adam what would you prefer a nasty high revving bike engine that wins hand down (rats) or the great sound of the BD with Webbers on full chat. Ok its a bit quieter now that the silencer has a little wadding and has stopped putting out 4 foot flames on overrun. Also has stopped scaring other drivers on the M40 on the way home Ps take the wadding out and I can get the 4 foot flames back PPs anyone going Sunday with a trailer that is not in group 6 is a WIMP or scared the cars is not reliable and they will not make the event or is expecting to drive very badly or hates driving the 7.... think that about cover some of the wind ups 😬 PPPs OH where and who is Ewoke, then again the boy racer cycle wing lot has gone rather quiet these days knowing they were wrong and ill equiped in many ways 😬 PPPPs BORED..... not going sprinting this weekend as I was expecting to be working ☹️ (sulking) 😬 PPPPPs look forward to something cheering me up seeing you lot on Sunday God knows why ..... . then again might not as I may not get the new or rather newer tin top for the weekend. As ever best regards PPPPPPs maybe I should change sig to 'MARVIN the robot' .... as ever member of the 7 Curmudgeon Club 'Can you hear me running' ......... OH YES and its music to my ears 😬 😬 😬 1988 200 bhp, 146 ft lbs, 1700cc Cosworth BD? engineered by Roger King, on Weber's with Brooklands and Clamshell wings, Freestyle Motorsport suspension. Edited by - Bilbo on 23 Aug 2004 21:51:18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickaddison Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 Bilbo, as you can't put a towbar on the back of an Elise I will be driving my Blade to every event when I give this sprinting lark a first go next year 😳 So I won't be challenging for a class 5 win but I'll be happy so long as I manage a faster time than David Scream if you wanna go faster! Caterham FireBlade NJA509 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irrelevant Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 Bilbo: I would love to get my car back to this (right click and save locally) with a mechanical injection 2L Richardson BDG, but at almost £40K, they're a bit out of my price range ☹️ I totally agree, BD engines sound absolutely superb - I sometimes just loop that video and listen to the engine, kind of hypnotic 😳 Hopefully my Hayabusa will be spitting plenty of flames though 😬 Accumulating bits . . . Edited by - AdamHay on 23 Aug 2004 22:40:04 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmar Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 ultimatelty I would love to go to a bike conversion, and have looked into this in a little detail, funds and SWMBO are what is stopping me ☹️ plus I know there is a lot more I can get out of my superlight yet so there is the challange of doing that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Robinson Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Adam - nice clip I'm assuming it was a private test track 😬 Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy. N Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Brodie - back to your original point, reasons why there are only a few BEC's competing: Most 7's are a compromise between road & track, but this is probably less so for a BEC (I know there are exceptions). This may lead people to believe BEC's are less easy to live with for road use; You make driving one look a bit fearsome (meant in a very complimentary way ); Some people may prefer more cubes & less revs; BEC's may be less suitable for the non-fettlers amongst us. On the up-side the performance is just stunning, and it looks like a cost effective route to achieve a massive smile per mile ratio. Anyone seeing Andy Griffith's face after his runs in his new car will have witnessed the ear to ear 😬. I guess there'll be a steady increase in the numbers competing over time. Andy Nicholls C7 AJN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Hi Adam Bit of a quite one 😬 😬 😬. But as Andy says back to the point. Well it has to be admitted and very clearly demonstrated by Brodie they are light and very quick of cause we all know his driving ability has no impact on his success.... yar right ... I think not *thumbup* . Funny thing all those that are quick in any car seem very laid back and Brodie no exception to this rule. Ok they do not have what could be called "grunt". but make up for that in high revving tones. Reliability well most bikes these day with big engines can put a large amount of miles on the clock. Still they are as yet in the unproved by years class. They are also more complex to build or were thing the bugs and linkages are now ironed out. They are not seen as traditional Chapman design personally I think that's wrong as in all his cars less weight was at the start of the design. Well excepting, hopefully, I never likely to part with my car or swap engines in fact never drop the carbs but you never know. I do accept the car would run massively better on injection and cure the off cam problem at places like on to the straight at Curborough the jury is still out on more top end power. Still you never know I might eventually go that way if I look for a few more BHP no other option really. Still I digress. What I am going to say is if I was building another car I would have to chose between a bike or Duratec engine. Think currently at my err modest weight the bike engine would be the option. That is assuming I could not get another BD currently that is just about possible however, regrettably a 40K on an engines well out of my price range. I am sure we will be seeing more bike engined cars, Brodie is rather ever consistently proving a point. Still they will most likely end up in a new class of their own on the club sprints. As to a trailer well for me driving there is part of the overall day experience, so I am a traditionalist in the matter. Lotus 7 were always drive to the track and compete. It was the big selling point. I rather think we are all taking it a tad too seriously and those with a trailer are missing out on part of the overall day. Still as ever recently the times get lower as the cars are better set up and the engines push out more power. Ability is as ever important and the help others camaraderie is still as strong as ever and long may it continue. The increased cost of the cars and I must get it home afterwards is also a big factor and most likely the biggest but I rather think trailers have ended up more of a fashion accessory like furry dice. Still these days most of us are luck enough to own 2 cars, including me, but for some the 7 is still their only car. I do not hate trailers nor am I bothered that others have one so please do not miss interpret the above. As ever a bit of a wind up but I rather think as stated driving to the event is all part of the day out. I have little doubt I would take more risks with a trailer to take me home but doubt it would improve my driving. In fact proberly just the opposite. 'Can you hear me running' ......... OH YES and its music to my ears 😬 😬 😬 1988 200 bhp, 146 ft lbs, 1700cc Cosworth BD? engineered by Roger King, on Weber's with Brooklands and Clamshell wings, Freestyle Motorsport suspension. Edited by - Bilbo on 24 Aug 2004 19:40:59 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickaddison Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Apart from the lack of practical towing options that's exactly why I remain a road warrior on Le Sept - a good chunk of the fun is the road driving in between.... And of course the fun of proving that a bike engined car can be driven on a 3,000 mile trackday trip without a hiccup (just "new bushes please" when we got home) 😬 Scream if you wanna go faster! Caterham FireBlade NJA509 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 Hi nick Nice to see tradition is not dead in fact we are not that rare a bunch. The comment on milage and therefore reliability is very interesting to Brodie's original post. 'Can you hear me running' ......... OH YES and its music to my ears 😬 😬 😬 1988 200 bhp, 146 ft lbs, 1700cc Cosworth BD? engineered by Roger King, on Weber's with Brooklands and Clamshell wings, Freestyle Motorsport suspension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickaddison Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 Everyone assumes that bike-engined cars are fragile and not really up to that kind of use They are obviously subject to the same issues/things to look out for with the running gear as a normal 7 (A frame bushes on the live axle for example) but I have found the engine bullet-proof , more than many car-engined owners can claim! I haven't had a single problem other than a lesson not to let rainwater into the airbox 😳 The reverser is the only thing that causes any kind of reliability worries for me. I had to replace the chain at 3,000 miles and as I've done another 3,500 since then I'd better have another look over the winter. Sounds OK at the moment though Don't know how competitors find them reliability-wise for sprints tho.... Oh yes and it has been surprisingly good on the consumables thanks to the low weight (and probably my numpty driving ) Scream if you wanna go faster! Caterham FireBlade NJA509 Edited by - nickaddison on 26 Aug 2004 19:54:10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irrelevant Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 nickaddison: You should edit your post to say, 'touch-wood', 'fingers crossed', 'not wishing to temp fate' or something . . . ."bullet-proof so far" is not enough to cover your 🙆🏻 😬 Wrt sprinting reliability, as far as I've heard, Brodie and Jes have had no problems with their cars (apart from Jes's Curborough Low Flying incident). Dont' know about Andy Griffith's car. Maybe something's happened I'm not aware of though? Accumulating bits . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickaddison Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 😬 Scream if you wanna go faster! Caterham FireBlade NJA509 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted August 26, 2004 Author Share Posted August 26, 2004 Thanks for the comments but its mainly the noise that is scary!I think that now all the Jap manufacturers have achieved parity with their injected 1000's it would be fantastic to introduce a bike-engined class for up to 1000cc over the next couple of years? Its been done before I know and Paul Harvey and James Whiting have done a wonderful job,however no sooner had they finished the 918cc version people were asking when the 954cc model would be ready!!Present superbike regs look likely to stick with the 1000cc limit so engine evolution shouldn't spoil the party.Its much easier said than done which is the other big stumbling block,however if there's enough genuine interest I'm sure Jez and I would be at the front of the queue and do everything to make this new formula become an exciting reality! ANY TAKERS?? '......in yer bike!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry.h Posted August 27, 2004 Share Posted August 27, 2004 So what will you do Brodie - flog the car or just the engine? Interesting concept though. Would be even better if it were accepted as class for sprints/hillclimbs generally. I could possibly be persuaded down this route. Anybody want to buy a couple of Blackbird engine/gearboxes *wink* Barry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver 21 Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 Barry Don't tempt me 😬 😬 😬 😬 Graham Competition Secretary 2004 Speed Championship - 9 events Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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