Have just spoken to Justin Roebury - as I thought, their motor is a Kettle not a TR. From my own investigation the TR head is smooth unlike the Kettle which has small fins. Also the barrels on the Kettle are polished to give a pleasing appearance to the road user, whereas the barrels on a TR are still plain cast. Who gives a sh*t what it looks like on the outside - it's the internal porting that matters!
As everybody agrees the 2stroke cut-off date is 1967 which is why the outfit runs in P4 - I try to avoid using the words "Post Classic" as this group was formed by my predecessor, under a degree of duress, in a vain attempt to top up the dwindling grids. The plan last year was to give them honorary membership of the P3 class as they have supported the club with the Suzuki and also their solos and drop the P4 class altogether. At present the P4 stands for "Illegal P3s" more than Post Classics (sorry - don't use that word) with the two Hondas with their out of period carbs. The reason I kept the P4 going was my fear at the end of last year that we were going to get an influx of 750 Hondas which would also have illegal carbs, based on " I saw them racing last year and thought they were OK!" Early CR carbs are fine but the ones being proudly displayed by Ray Reeves etc., were not manufactured or even designed until the early 1980's - some 10 years adrift.
So, please don't anyone have any ideas of campaigning a Classic with a TZ, Konig or other such "devil" motors because, the way things are, we are doing well and don't want to spoil what we've got.
Slightly off topic (but Bob will probably not notice) the ardent "though shalt ride original outfits not replicas" supporters have to remember - if we didn't have the replica outfits emerging then we wouldn't have enough original outfits to sustain a sidecar grid with the CRMC.
Straying a little further from topic - I cannot foresee tin chassis being used in the near future. However, when it comes to beams across to the sidecar wheel, box section, square tube, round tube with flat sides, call it what you will, was used on the original Dieter Busch BMWs and various Windle replicas thereof, all certificated before my time, so it would seem churlish to stop this practice being used. I have been asked to write a set of rules for the construction of replica chassis, which I think is a sound idea. I have spoken to Mike Richards, Terry Windle and many others. If anyone has any sensible ideas please private message me rather than clogging up the forum. Hopefully in the near future I will put up a set of regs for people to peruse - I don't want to impose MY views on OUR sport without due consultation.
Anyway, better stop now 'cos Bob will spot we've gone off topic!
Ian
