Height gauge addition.

[Toolmaker51]

Let's see; most expensive Aermacchi engine ever + incredibly well engineered chassis x obviously uber talented designer x rider = few want to race him?

tonyfoale, do any factory teams race same class you compete in? They might have backing, yet not been R&D'ing life long.
Even as a spectator, racing talent [and dedication] exhibited by garage teams make corporate efforts pale indeed.

(edit) Had to play with my metric convertor. 50kg solids were ~110 lb. Last report pared that to 17kg ~39lbs. His target is 9kg 19.8lbs. Increased bore [stroke unknown, but billet likely stroked as well] might put displacement 500cc or better.
What's going to keep it on the track?

[tonyfoale]

tonyfoale, do any factory teams race same class you compete in? They might have backing, yet not been R&D'ing life long.
Even as a spectator, racing talent [and dedication] exhibited by garage teams make corporate efforts pale indeed.

In the 60s and 70s I raced in some professional classes although I was an amateur in the sense that I always had a real job. Well that was until 1973 when I started a business making cast wheels. At that time it was mainly factory and some well funded teams that used cast wheels, I was the first in the UK to make them available to the average racer. Out of the blue I was asked by a previous Australian champion, then racing in the world championships, to make him a couple of chassis. He knew that I made chassis for my own use. To cut a long story short, he did very well from the start on my chassis and orders started to come, although I had regarded those as a one off job. I was in the wheel business but that soon changed to being in the specialist frame business. There were other chassis makers at that time, most in the UK, but basically the people involved were generally skilled artisans. As an engineer I had a far greater knowledge of structures and other theoretical aspects and the chassis that I designed had a high success ratio straight out of the workshop.

In 1987 I had had enough and closed the business and moved to Spain. Since then I earnt a living consulting on chassis design and handling for several motorcycle manufacturers and race teams. I have also given seminars on the same subject, both public and closed corporate (mostly in the US), as well as writing and selling software for suspension design and setup. I was 75 a few days back and now I only accept consulting jobs which are unusual and interesting. I just try to spend my time working on my own stuff. I always feel anxious when I am not in my workshop.

To return to your question (I seem to have wandered off that). I now race in classic races (called Vintage in the US) and although there are some very well funded teams there is no factory team participation. Like building chassis I got back into racing almost by accident. I had long been retired from racing, bringing up a family etc., but in 2005 I was contacted by a bloke from Sacramento who had bought a chassis for a race Aermacchi that was loosely patterned after my early 1970s bike. He suggested that I come over to race it at Daytona in 2006. It was such a crazy idea that I spent a whole millisecond thinking about it. That sucked me in and I came over twice more that year to race at Mid Ohio and Barber. In 2007 I raced here in Spain on modern bikes in endurance races with my son as the other rider.
Then in 2008 I moved to the US for 3 years. I had given a seminar to engineers at Segway and that led to a job offer as director of advanced product development, so my wife and I came to experience the American Dream armed with a 3 year visa. I had many friends there and the day after we arrived I was racing at Loudon on borrowed bikes. That continued until i got a workshop together there and built my own bike. After three years I returned to Spain with bike and much workshop equipment (more available and cheaper in the US). I never expected to race in the US again but i kept getting work offers there and so I timed my work availability to coincide with the race calender. However, each year it got harder to buy accident insurance and in 2017 I could only get insurance with barely enough coverage to cover the ambulance ride should i need it. I reluctantly decided that I could not continue to race in the US. I loved the atmosphere at the US classic events. Last year i had a rest from it but I intend to get stuck in again this year here in Spain and other European events.

Daytona 2006

Loudon 2008, the day after arriving in US.

[Toolmaker51]

We should all cultivate and display that talent for clear historical descriptions. Of the cast wheel segment, that in any way connected to Lester pattern wheels? Always thought it odd, standard on that era Triumph and Yamaha alike.

[tonyfoale]

We should all cultivate and display that talent for clear historical descriptions. Of the cast wheel segment, that in any way connected to Lester pattern wheels? Always thought it odd, standard on that era Triumph and Yamaha alike.

No connection with the Lester wheels. I did two styles;

First style.

Later style.

I had magnesium castings for racing and aluminium for road use of the first style. Only magnesium for the later type.

[Toolmaker51]

Pondering Lesters', stumbled across a neat discussion of moto-wheels https://thunderpress.net/editorial/c...2016/08/20.htm a lot of misunderstood physics connected to wire spokes, cast and ugly Honda composite efforts. But they introduced tubeless tires on motorcycles!
A whole afternoon worth in other articles too. [ie] Jerry Branch hint hint.

[tonyfoale]

A whole afternoon worth in other articles too. [ie] Jerry Branch hint hint.

Jerry was a smart cookie. i'll have a look at your link.