The Place

Hi All,

Good news for all of the current Honda SOHC 4 cylinder powered classic sidecar crews and of course for any new crews that can be tempted to come out to play. The cc restriction on the Honda engine limiting it to 836cc is in the process of being scrapped, so as of next season the only limit to apply will be the 1300cc that's applied to all P3 sidecars. I believe the main reason that its gone is due to the Imps and BMW's all moving on and creeping up into 1100 and 1200cc capacities so to enable the Honda to compete the restriction has gone.

Before changing your hard earned pounds into dollars and sending across to the good old US of A for your BIG BIG Bore kits please check with Ian Johnson (CRMC Sidecar Bloke see CRMC website).

cheers Steve

Why not instead just reduce the capacity limit to a 1000cc,with 2 years grace to allow those over that limit time to comply,then other engines,and not just the Hondas may be competitive again(Tridents,Vincents,Nres etc)?

Nice and simple. Well done Tony !!!

Its a good suggestion to reduce the capacity limit,it most certainly would be allow some other makes to be more competitive but most of the old brit engines are stretched to the limit and would need lots of time and money to be spent to put them on par with the BMW's and 1000cc IMPS.Although lowering the limit would help us greatly as we run a 750 BMW on 16" wheels pushing us a little closer to the front. The other problem with the lower limit would be that those who have spent shed loads of cash on their big engines would have to spend even more. So i believe the best way forward is to allow those with Hondas to increase their capacity to 1300cc if they wish,as this seems to be the least expensive route for the class.

But why would you want to spend shed loads of cash on racing a classic? Surely its supposed to be a bit of fun? its not like anyone riding is going to make a living out of it,or become World Champion?

You are correct Tony, it's supposed to be a bit of fun.
Make the limit 1000cc and put a stop to all the huge Imps and BMWs that are NOT classic.
I raced a 1000cc Honda in 1972 and there were no 1200cc Imps about then.

Better still...look at what was the capacity limit in national sidecar racing championships in mainland Europe around 1972/73...750cc...and use that as maximum. Cheaper all round.

The point of Classic racing is it is supposed to recreate the period,it doesn't in the period BSA/Triumph triples were 750cc,Honda`s 750 to 812
BMW`s nowhere near 1000cc and Imps were 875cc but I think one variant was 990,this is all brought about by people who are happy to spend
££££££`s to win a plastic cup,its time the CRMC changed the "C" from "Classic" to "Chequebook" you should be able to win a race with talent not a deep pocket

it's allway's been the same in any form of sport,them with the biggest wallet's will be able to get the biggest or the most competitive it's frustrating when they go past you and knowing on the same tackle they are no better than you

The classic capacity limit was always1300cc pre 1972 which is the classic cut off date,there were Vincents bigger than 1000cc,Triumph's at 1000cc, 900 A65's, 1000cc IMPS. And had people wished to build bigger they could have! and now you can with CB's! Racing has always been expensive but to say that we only do classic racing for a bit of fun and the only reward is a plastic pot is not true we do it to WIN and the buzz you get from going as quick as you can. We would be racing with the same passion and commitment in whatever class we chose to be in. There are lot of crews out there who moan about not having fast enough bikes but have the talent which i can believe ,but there are a lot of those peeps who like a lot of beer and ciggy's which are enormously exxy. So it's possibly the time to quit moaning about expense and pack it in and put that money and effort into the bikes.I think it's better to do 1 thing well than spread your money too thin. There are three of us in our team, all OAP's one nearly 70 the others 71 and 73, I have been on a disability pension since 1980 so money is scarce but we are still close to the big engined big tyred bikes with our 750cc BMW on 16" wheels so please stop moaning and do your best. The sport we are all involved in is called RACING and I for one want to win, not just go roundy round.

Just had a look at the 1967 Bemsee Norwich Trophy meeting at Snetterton,you are correct the capacity was 350cc to 1300cc however apart from 6 or so Vincents and 1 I.M.P. Special which may have been 1000cc the rest were Triumphs/BSA/Nortons/Tritons all around the 650cc limit,you say that had you wanted to go bigger you could, that is not true,you may have been able to overbore or mess with bore and stroke but you could not get the massive increases that are available today, and to reiterate that is the point of "Classic" racing it is to re-create the period and what was running not what MIGHT have been able to run,well done with your 750 BMW, I do not wish to race something that is not period but the point is that there are people who spend bucket loads to win a pot,it is becoming like the solo classes, Manx`s G50`s 7R`s all remade, nothing like the original so it becomes a sillouette class

John,I respect what you build and what you and your team have acheived,but,well said Peter,nail on head.

As I said in my previous post I think that peeps want to do as well as they can by going as fast as they can ,it's NOT about a pot.I understand that you run a TZ750, is that not expensive to run, I know they are as i had one in period. Peter there were quite a few brit twins up near 1 litre.

The Classic Club ( sidecar ) seem to be very much like the FSRA ( Formula Two Club ). In as much as however good their origional intentions were , have let things slip to the point where things have become crazily expensive. At least in the classic situation there seem to be plenty of older riders with lots of cash.

I agree Geoff but there are also lots of older riders with no money.