Racing shitters

Anything you like about motorbikes
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KungFooBob
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by KungFooBob »

I've been accepted on the club Friendface page, reading the posts it suggests that there might be 5 or 6 GPZ500's on the grid next season, I reckon it might be fun.
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

KungFooBob wrote: Thu Dec 04, 2025 10:39 pm
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Thu Dec 04, 2025 10:33 pm What about CX650, Guzzi V65 or BMW R65 ?

There's all manner of horrible Yamaha 4 stroke twins you could use.
Honda NT600V meets the rules, shaft drive FTW!
But no victory wheelies
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

KungFooBob wrote: Thu Dec 04, 2025 10:40 pm I've been accepted on the club Friendface page, reading the posts it suggests that there might be 5 or 6 GPZ500's on the grid next season, I reckon it might be fun.
Are there that many still running?
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by KungFooBob »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Thu Dec 04, 2025 10:42 pm
KungFooBob wrote: Thu Dec 04, 2025 10:40 pm I've been accepted on the club Friendface page, reading the posts it suggests that there might be 5 or 6 GPZ500's on the grid next season, I reckon it might be fun.
Are there that many still running?
there's a few on T'bay and even more on Friendface Marketplace.

It would be even more hilarious if it were a KLE500.
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by The Spin Doctor »

Tricky wrote: Thu Dec 04, 2025 6:22 pm don't think I've ever seen anyone race a GPZ500, but the motors go reasonably well for what they are so reckon that should be a goer :thumbup:
Mate of mine in the US raced one for quite a few years in some kind of ministocks class. Quite successfully too.

They do go pop quite regularly, though, and handling is best described as 'interesting' (speaking from personal experience on both scores)
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by Ditchfinder »

'94 Sprint 900 and the scabbiest Himalayan in the country
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by Ditchfinder »

[quote=KungFooBob post_id=389449 time=1764888294 user_id=48

It would be even more hilarious if it were a KLE500.
[/quote]

It would be slightly funnier than that on an en500
Image
'94 Sprint 900 and the scabbiest Himalayan in the country
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by ogri »

Fek fascist trump, reform and gbnews!
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by KungFooBob »

ogri wrote: Fri Dec 05, 2025 4:35 pm https://southernbikespares.co.uk/ER5.htm
ER5's have a milder cam than the GPZ, but higher compression due to the cylinder head. So a GPZ cam in an ER5 head make optimal power... not that I've been researching.
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by Skub »

Ditchfinder wrote: Fri Dec 05, 2025 4:33 pm It would be slightly funnier than that on an en500
Image
Bagger racing training school. :thumbup:
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Ditchfinder wrote: Fri Dec 05, 2025 4:33 pm [quote=KungFooBob post_id=389449 time=1764888294 user_id=48

It would be even more hilarious if it were a KLE500.

It would be slightly funnier than that on an en500
Image
[/quote]

I used to know someone who had one of those and genuinely thought it was a fast bike with great handling
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by Skub »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 8:59 am I used to know someone who had one of those and genuinely thought it was a fast bike with great handling
Depends who's riding it,dunnit?
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by Wossname »

IMG_9912.jpeg
IMG_9912.jpeg (5.24 MiB) Viewed 845 times
My Serow(XT225) is eligible. Faster than that thing ^^ anyway. If I take the baffle out.

Maybe.
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by Bigjawa »

GPZs are frigging quick, they just take off above 7k like a two stroke. Dunno about handling tweaks but younger me managed to wipe out the ends of the pegs on my one running BT45 Battlaxs.

Forget about the GS5, it's a plodder and the balance shaft will let go if you tev it too much.

If that class ran over here, I would by my old 119k courier bike back and give it a viking funeral on track
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by ZRX61 »

KungFooBob wrote: Wed Dec 03, 2025 9:52 pm I just think it'll be hilarious griding up on a GPZ500.
Especially if you stuff a KX500 engine in it....
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by KungFooBob »

ZRX61 wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 3:01 pm
KungFooBob wrote: Wed Dec 03, 2025 9:52 pm I just think it'll be hilarious griding up on a GPZ500.
Especially if you stuff a KX500 engine in it....
They might notice the spanny.
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Skub wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 11:00 am
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 8:59 am I used to know someone who had one of those and genuinely thought it was a fast bike with great handling
Depends who's riding it,dunnit?
He was slower than the bike, the side stand got more lean angle than he did.
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by ZRX61 »

KungFooBob wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 3:06 pm They might notice the spanny.
In related news....

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... l%7D%22%7D
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by Couchy »

I had a gpz500 new in 87 😃
Yeah def do it, the gpz was very popular racing in America maybe there’s some old reports on line. Be a great little bike to race I reckon
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Re: Racing shitters

Post by The Spin Doctor »

Bigjawa wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 2:46 pm GPZs are frigging quick, they just take off above 7k like a two stroke. Dunno about handling tweaks but younger me managed to wipe out the ends of the pegs on my one running BT45 Battlaxs.

Forget about the GS5, it's a plodder and the balance shaft will let go if you tev it too much.
Having owned both, the GPz was quicker, but the GS500E - the early 89 and 90 ones - with the claimed 54 horses weren't THAT far behind, and handled much better once the Biro springs at the front end were replaced with Progressives, and the rear shock modded with the same size one off the GSX600F, with a harder spring and better damping. My first one got despatched all over the UK, got ridden to the S of France on several occasions, did a few trackdays, and topped 138,000 miles before it dropped a valve.

Post 90, they got a bung in the exhaust to keep to new noise limits I believe, then there were carb mods, plus various little alloy bits like the fork brace turned to rusty steel. And the latter restyled GS500F was a horrid machine. I'd doubt they made much more than 30 hp as they wouldn't crack the ton (officer) and they also were significantly heavier which I suspect was down to low quality steel in items like the tank and frame, and low quality alloy in the wheels.

The ER5 was seriously detuned too, as well as incredibly fragile when dropped, as our trainees proved over and over. We soon put ruddy great wrap around crash bars on them so they rolled rather than crashed!
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