Vincent's £12,000 problem. Vincent Davey of Gus Kuhn Motors has a problem - a £12,000 one. That's the amount of money he has spent on returning to racing with a special GS1000 Suzuki with Ken Spayson/Reynolds frame and he now finds it may be wasted. "Problem is that while the bike is competitive in Formula One events when fitted with the 31mm Keihin racing carburettors it simply is not fast enough when using the standard 26mm roadsters carbs." explained Vincent who sponsored BMW's in endurance races for many years.
Oddly enough the big carbs are allowed on the Suzuki in endurance races where anything goes but are not permitted in Formula One events because they are not standard and have not been homologated by the manufactures.
To be homologated the manufacturer is supposed to have sold 200 bikes fitted with the big carbs. I don't know anyone who has seen a Honda fitted with the 31mm racing carbs but they are homologated and it means we cannot really compete. Trouble is that Suzuki are too honest," said Vincent.
What he proposes, and it certainly seems a good way out of what is likely to be an increasing problem, is that all makes should be allowed to use proprietary extras (such as carburettors and brakes) once they have been homologated for any one make.
For example as Honda have homologated 31mm racing carbs then anyone else racing a machine of similar capacity should be allowed to use the same size and make of carburettors.
"If I can't get some sort of go-ahead then I'll have to pull out of the Mr Topps Formula One Championship, the British Grand Prix and the Ulster Grand Prix." concluded Vincent. |