850 Lemans on the track

[steven c]

Got to get mine back on the road!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqOpbkI5NwU

[spmoto]

Just watched that one last night. It's been a long winter and I'm running out of good YouTube stuff. That LM sure sounds nice!

[PeteS]

 Curious what rear drive ratio he is running. Mine will pull over 8200 in fifth easily with more on tap.

Pete

[Turin]

Do not judge your bike by that video. That bike is way above and beyond a stock LeMans.

[PeteS]

Do not judge your bike by that video. That bike is way above and beyond a stock LeMans.

Neither is mine. Maybe not to the same degree which is why I am curious about the mods. 6500 on up seems pretty slow. Mine winds up like a two stroke.

Pete

[Turin]

Can't say. The rider could be sandbagging for all I know.
I have two big valve bikes ( LeMans SE and Cali 3 ) with similar specs from two different tuners and have totally different characteristics. I believe the biggest difference between the two are cam choice and piston domes. Unfortunately, I have no idea what cam Charles Rice put in the cal3 but It's not as nasty as the RR3 in the Lemans.
What did you do to your hotrod?

[PeteS]

Raceco heads with heavier springs, stock cam rejetted, lightened flywheel and close ratio transmission. I suspect the difference is the gearbox and rear ratio. Stock a 850 LeMans pulling 7200 RPM will do around 130. The close ratio trans has a lower fifth so at 7200 will do about 125 but with the heavier springs at 8000 RPM should be doing over 130.
If the bike in the video has the stock gearbox but a 8/33 rear it could likely do over 140 at 7200. A friend was clocked at 142 on shortstroke 850 running 750 GP at Daytona. (Won the race BTW). I know they can be made to run.
Anyway that could explain the slower revving to top end.
I have done over a dozen track days on my Lemans. I doubt my skills were ever as good as the guy in the video but I enjoy seeing these bikes being ridden the way they were built to be run and not decorating living rooms.

Pete

[Turin]

Amen!
I have a close ratio on my SE and I love the tall first gear. That bike is a pretty conventional hot rod with 94mm big domed pistons, major headwork, big carbs, RR3 cam, and lightened flywheel. It was a AMA ProThunder racer in the late 80's /early 90's and likes to run wide open. It's okay putting around. I have no clue what the top speed is.

[huub]

wow , proper riding skills here...

[chuck peterson]

Got to get mine back on the road!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqOpbkI5NwU

Great video Steve! I love this kind of shot…

With the camera in a fixed unmoving position on the bike it creates a crazy effect…

Hold the phone upright in front of you playing the video…but left and right, horizontal

Rotate the phone to the left on a left turn, trying to keep the horizon level…as if your using a steering wheel to make the left hand turn

Same thing on the right turns, rotate the whole phone to, again, keep the horizon level

All the while keeping your head straight up and down

After some practice it starts to feel like you’re there

Alternatively, keep the phone in one place and tip your head to keep the horizon level as you go thru the corners

It gets freaky! Hat tip Freddie Spencer during an interview

This is one of the best I’ve seen…a Guzzi le man on laguna seca corkscrew! Thanks Steve!