Classic TT

[Duccout]

A couple of very good results by a Dutch rider at this week's Junior and Senior Classic races in the IOM. Any connection with Eldert?



Cheers,

Colin

[LaceyDucati]

Yes Colin, Eldert was on the Island and is part of the team. The 350 was new and the 500 has been around for a few years now. It was the teams first entry to the Classic TT, so an excellent result. Congratulations to Eldert and all involved, I'm sure Eldert will elaborate further.

Regards Nigel

[Duccout]

Thank you Nigel. It is an achievement for any classic racer to finish a race in the IOM (I know they were shortened races) but to do so well against a lot of highly developed bikes is impressive.


Cheers,

Colin

[themoudie]

Aye Colin,

Paddock Gossip!

The Eldert 500's cylinder head apparently has narrower valve angles than standard, machined from solid and the cylinder capacity is a full 500cc. It also has a 6 speed gear cluster (Eldert, in a later post in this thread, has kindly pointed out that this is incorrect and the gear cluster fitted, was a Nova 5 speed cluster, my aplogies to him and his team.) and putting out a reputed 62bhp at the back wheel. That is similar to a good Yamaha XT600 race engine. A comment in the paddock was "Not much of the engine ever saw Italy"! Usual paddock bitching/politics. However, achieving a 11th place as a Newcomer, with a lap speed of over 100mph, proves that Jeffery Vermuelen is no slouch and hats off to him. I also believe that he was riding a Ducati 350 as well, but against the Honda 350 K4 Armarda, had a tough time. Whatever the why's and wherefores, the winning NZ Norton ES2, the 2nd place RE 500 Bullet and the 3rd place Matchy G50 in a Seeley frame, would all be using heavily modified engines, with modern pattern castings, rather than modified OME castings, due to the stresses of racing and general wear and tear. But it is good to see the pushrod singles beating the twins and Manx OHC engines.

Tom Snow was also racing a 450 Desmo in the Historic Senior and came a creditable 13th, running a Gardener carb that ran rich and whilst in practise was running up the Mountain Mile in 5th and pulling well, come the race decided to sulk and would only pull 4th at 8,000rpm up the Mountain Mile on the same gearing! Achieving a 98+ mph lap speed. Running a 450 engine at 8,000rpm, would I suggest test it's reliability. I don't know what the engine condition was after the race.

Both riders have bigger nuts than I do and hats off to them both. How much longer the Mountain Course racing will continue remains to be seen? What with all the politics and a lack of volunteers to Marshall the events, time will tell.

Good health, BillR

[Duccout]

Hi Bill,

I spoke to Eldert at a CRMC meeting at Brands years ago (possibly 25) about his 500 and he told me that there was not much Ducati left in it then! I can't remember if Eldert or his brother was riding, but their bikes were fast and sounded crisp; accelerating out of Clearways they picked up cleanly and went. This was when Anthony Ainslie was THE UK tuner, before Nigel took over the mantle, and Eldert said that he and his brothers had to learn to tune because there was nobody in Holland who could do it.

The Lindsdell Enfield shows what can be achieved with knowledge, skill and money; who would have thought a Bullet could be made to go like that. Of course it helps when there is a ready supply of new, cheap parts available. I remember an interview with Franco Farne when he talked about racing the Singles in the late Sixties and Seventies, and said that because they had unlimited parts available they would try all sorts of crazy things in the engines, and didn't care what happened as long as the engine lasted the race.



Cheers,

Colin

[themoudie]

Aye Colin,

..... and didn't care what happened as long as the engine lasted the race.

Typical racer mentality and little mechanical empathy. Just wring its neck and if it grenades as they cross the line in 1st place, job done!

Cheers, BillR

[Eldert]

no six speed cluster in the bikes . Nova 5 speed clusters are used .

but the 350 could use a 6 speed gearbox . i had a few 6 speed gearboxes made about 20 years ago
and stll have one fitted to a 350 engine . i am thinking of taking it out and have a few more made
but the minimum order is 10 gearboxes .

so would there be any interest for a six speed gearbox ?

Regards Eldert

[bendik]

After hearing the cost for one gear from Nova I am dreading the price of a full 6speed gearbox these days..

[themoudie]

Aye Eldert,

Please accept my apologies for the incorrect information contained in my "Paddock Gossip", in this thread, I shall amend the post accordingly.

Thank you for posting the images of the 6 speed cluster and their ancillary parts, a bit of engineering art.

If my memory serves me correctly, Doug Snow's 350 had a 6 speed gear cluster that had been made in the Snow's workshop and with which he missed out on a 100mph lap time by 100th's of a second in his final race on the Island.

Thank you for the offer of a share in a batch of 6 speed gear clusters, but my lack of riding talent precludes me from ever making proper use of them.

Good health and more success to you and your team, BillR

[Mr R]

I got home yesterday from my 10 day MGP/Classic TT holiday. Managed to get close up looks at all the Ducati's in the paddock.
Eldert's bikes were beautifully turned out. I didn't disturb the team as they were eating their lunch, but would have loved to chat with Eldert.
Loved hearing/seeing the singles thunder by, I viewed from the outside at Hillberry whilst sitting on the wall.
12 DayS riding covering over 1200 miles and only rode in the rain when I got back to Dartmoor on my way home to Cornwall.
Shame it was on my Yamaha, but next year I will be riding my 956cc '79 900SS with hopefully my daughter riding my '74 tuned 250 Desmo.
If that turns out to be the case then a lap of the Mountain Course on the 250 will be a must do event.
Only downside of the holiday was the cancelling of the F1/Classic Superbike race, as there were 4 Ducati's entered all Desmoquatro's one of which was a 888/996cc SP2 or SP3.
Along with a lifelong love of the little singles I also own a race spec 955cc 851, that I love almost as much as my old '79 Bevel that I've owned from new.
I would have ridden my SS but a special exhaust purchased from a LONG, LONG, LONG way away didn't fit and left me no time to repair the old system.

Steve R