Desmo Due - a wider view
 

This is a first post, but I have been watching with interest the Desmo Due thread. To keep it simple why not just have the 80 hp and a set weight limit, say 172 kg, and leave it at that.

Why? It's going to be tough to get a 600 (or 675) anywhere near 80 at the rear wheel. The factory TT2 didn't do it, and a near stock 600 (stock head, no porting) wont. Such an animal would clean up in MiniTwins if it existed. It can be done but surely is expensive. Even a 750SS will need encouragement. Stock 900SS come close. Same for Monsters.

With a weight limit instead of a capacity limit you can measure it at the circuit with a set of scales. Same with the rear wheel horse-power; there are portable dynamometers used in support of other controlled series. Most people these days get unhappy about capacity measurement at a circuit as it can expensive in head gaskets etc.

172 kg is the FIM Supersport limit for a twin, but equally could be another number. Most SS models appear to be 185 kg or thereabouts.

The rules are easy to apply. If you are below the weight you add ballast. If you are above 80 bhp you add ballast at the rate of 2.15 kg per bhp over 80.

Keep it 2 valve which then controls the frames.

If you are sceptical I can point out a VW car series in which New Beetles, Caddys, Boras, Mk 1,2 and 3 GTi compete happily. In theory this proposal pitches the series wider and cheaper. Virtually any two valve since the start of belt drives would be eligible and stand a chance. Apart from race or track day preparation some of the eligible bikes can be standard. Surely that is as cheap as it gets.

The slide rule racers will now be working out best options. It is very easy to apply the weight/hp rule to ultra light machines as well, so no factory TT2 replicas.

Or have I misjudged the intentions of your proposals.

David

i remember a wider view discussion that a few of us had to do with a DSC race series and members current bikes it was based around

Standard 900SSie with cans and power commander
900SS out to 944/K&N/Dynojet or Smothebore carbs but not both
Standard 748's apart from cans and no R or RS versions
ST2's with cans/power commander

as with all discussions like this there were pros and cons, the current format decided on by the MT seems as good a starting point as any.

Not a bad idea, but way too late - most decisions have now been made - we just need one more - IS IT ON!!!!!

well this weekend a mate of mine has just bought himself a 600ss for this................

Hmmmm.....ST2 Racing :cool:

He must know something we don't then - not a case of insider trading I hope??????

Tim:frog:

Jools your the reason ST2s got included in our discussion.
We were considering what bikes members already owned and likely mods and then also considered the cheapest bike worth racing ie a 748

Interesting ideas David, but very open to 'cheque book' racing which is precisely what we are trying to avoid. It will also be much harder and more expensive for the club to police-I know portable dyno's are available but to have one at every round would be prohibative-and that's what we would need other wise you could have someone with a 900 pushing out 95bhp getting away with it as we can't prove what power he has.............
The idea to use 600's and 620's is to keep the cost down and also for the bikes to not be intimidating for novice riders. I also don't believe we would be allowed to run a race with 600's to 900's on the same grid-it would basically be dam dangerous, the speed difference is too great.

John

My thanks to the guys who took a little time to read and comment on my post. Much appreciated.
Yes, it was probably too late to be of use. But it was directed at avoiding cheque book racing, and broadening the access to the series.
Anyone looking for a Monster to race I seem to remember two damaged-repairables in Bike Direct in Bristol. I think they were 600s.
Regards
David

The other effect of your proposals David would be to migrate the whole thing to 900's-as you point out you won't get 80bhp out of a 600, and to get anywhere close will cost serious money. I realise that for anyone who currently has a 900 or even 750 then they will have to get a different bike to enter, however I believe the same thing applies using your proposal-why would you try to race a 600 or 750 when you are against 900's? You will inevitably end up with an all 900 grid-which was considered-in fact was my original proposal. The reason we went away from that was to keep the power levels down as this is intended as an entry level series.
I think most people will build a race bike but the opportunity to 'dip a toe' using a road bike is there-providing it meets ACU regs.

John