Sprocket Challenge Series

So, when does the sprocket challenge series begin?

I've been looking around and it looks like you could build a pretty decent $100X sprocket challenge series bike.

Discuss................

The drags and concours would be pretty straightforward. You run into trouble w/ the handling portion of the event. The ideal would be a road course, but i doubt the magazine or anyone would want that level of an insurance nightmare... And there's no sanctioned moto-gymkhana style events to attach ourselves to like the Challenge's autocross.

perhaps a wheely contest instead of an autocross then.

or wheelie, however its spelled

and stoppies.

But the type of bike I'm looking for next would be hard pressed to do a decent stoppie. Darn long travel suspension on a converted dirtbike...

It could be a trials-type riding event. Think precision, not speed.

At last year's challenge, there was a wicked looking bobber-style J-bike that I really liked. Would be totally achievable in that budget range.

Tom has it right. You could do stuff like The Weenie Bite.

I'm looking into buying an old Yamaha. I'd already decided before I started this thread that I'm going to shoot for the $1009 range.

Having to hit a budget number make for creative projects.

12 Hours of RatBike.

Allowable budget is $1000, less one dollar per CC of displacement.

Tires are open - three tires for the whole race though - and new stock or dimensionally identical brakes are allowed with track pads and fluid.

Hmm... Trials, i wasn't thinking in that direction.

Something like the following, yet appropriately sized for the typical UJM's that would probably compete at a Sprockets CHallenge:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiTId2TFPIs

That would suck on anything more than a vespa of a trails bike. What about the cop style competitions?

The answer is obvious

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpHC8HQyKgE

I'm thinking something like a turbo'd XR250

Hmm that always makes me smile. I think there'd have to be different classes man, that's a big can of worms to organize.

So you'd have

Supermoto

Motorcross

Street only bikes (sport and cruiser styles)

Then trials type.

Anyone who can do trials with a cruiser is going to be a maniac on pcp, I'm thinking some one with the physique of the incredible hulk.

I think the event should be held at Barber Motorsports. (10 inutes from my house)

The problem with a gymkhana or trails event is you really do end up making it a rider competition. I do track days and as long as the bike can pass a reasonable safety inspection, they have a good helmet, guantlet gloves, boots and leathers, they get on. 1 bike at a time on a smaller slower track. I know the guy here that runs them and he gets insurance and the whole deal and gets folks on the track all day for $150-$200 depending on the track.

If only our favorite grassroots magazine owned a go kart track or something...

But really, its an academic pursuit, becuase I would be the Hongers of a Sprockets Challenge and whuup the crap out of the lot of you.

Tom Heath wrote: It could be a trials-type riding event. Think precision, not speed. At last year's challenge, there was a wicked looking bobber-style J-bike that I really liked. Would be totally achievable in that budget range.

That is actually a Honger creation, they let him run it down the dragstrip and it was impressive. He let me ride it around the lot and what surprised the heck out of me was how nimble it was. Its not a small bike, and the you felt the weight in how solid the bike rode, but he did a great job of making it rideable.

IIRC He told me he had around $750 or something like that in it, of course, not counting the labor

$1000.

Dude, I wish you'd stop posting that. I get weaker every time.

alex wrote: Dude, I wish you'd stop posting that. I get weaker every time.

Yeah, it would suck to have that bike, take it to the local cruise. Knowing its a Six-fitty and can hold its own. Of course the guy that build it being the same creator of the Batvan, did some fo the work on a lakewood Vair, is on his 2nd 914 and the sweet 3 Series he had, you know you couldn't trust it to be well built, shaken down and ridable. and to get all of that for $1000. As an engineer, I am certian he has no concept of attention to detial, and as a biker, probably never did any real work to make it fun and comfortable.

Stay strong, I am sure that by resisting as the weather gets warmer you'll find a better....well that won't happen....Well I am sure that by reisting you can feel good watching TV on warm Saturday evenings when everyone else is out riding..

..if I wasn't in CO and already had 6 bikes, it would be mine

I am all over that, already have the project in boxes on the porch. This would be the motivation to actually finish it!

I vote for:

1) A concourse to judge overall style, engineering creativity and theme. 2) A Poker run, to judge street performance and...well pretty much just because it would be fun. 3) A "mission accomplished" test. Is it supposed to be quick? Take it to the drag strip. Is it supposed to go off road? Take it to the dirt track. Is it a bar hopper? Take it to a biker bar. Points awarded for how well your ride does what is was built for.

Nothing too dangerous, land ots of opportunity for beer and BBQ

for bar hoppers, anonymous judges should be recruited from inside said bar to judge the cool factor of said ride...just a thought

or we can take after that old ROAD RASH video game and just ride out in one caravan beating each other with chains. Last one riding wins.

pinchvalve wrote: I am all over that, already have the project in boxes on the porch. This would be the motivation to actually finish it! I vote for: 1) A concourse to judge overall style, engineering creativity and theme. 2) A Poker run, to judge street performance and...well pretty much just because it would be fun. 3) A "mission accomplished" test. Is it supposed to be quick? Take it to the drag strip. Is it supposed to go off road? Take it to the dirt track. Is it a bar hopper? Take it to a biker bar. Points awarded for how well your ride does what is was built for. Nothing too dangerous, land ots of opportunity for beer and BBQ

This is a really good idea. Hold a poker run in conjunction with the Challenge. Then let us have a a few turns down the drag strip. Completing the poker run gets the streetable challenge down, and the strip gets a test of speed. Of course the weighing of the pionts would be a piont of contention, but given the nature of most challengers, I think it would work as a fun sidebar kinda event for the magazine.

I think I'd do alright with my beast, a '71 CB750. I traded an '87 Escort I had $150 in for it and two parts bikes. It had transmission problems, but I swapped out the engine for one of them from one of the parts bikes, a '76 CB750F Super Sport. The only actual money I've put in it is a few cans of spray paint, Dyna electronic ignition and coils, and carb rebuild kits. So I've got about $500 in it right now, but could easily sell off the original purchase price of $150 from the parts bikes.

mental likey!