Well it's cool and wet here today in the southern extremeties of the wonderful land of Oz, but summer is just a few more rainy weeks away, which will hopefully give me time to finish my racer project.
I've been planning/dreaming/putting off building this thing for 5 or 6 years now while I've slowly collected (mostly on Ebay) as many "period" accessories and "go faster" parts so as to be able to just start bolting it together and minimise the need to compromise just to get it done, as so often happens when hurdles are encountered during a build, whether they be technical or financial.
With some prodding from Sean Condon, I loosely assembled the modified K0 frame recently with an F2 swingarm, Marzocchi Strada shocks, Suzuki GSXR1000 rearsets, an F1 hubbed 18 x 3 inch (WM5) Borrani alloy rimmed wheel with a trick 5mm thk cast iron disc and Brembo caliper, with a new Bridgestone 130/80 - 18 BT45R tire.
I'm just assembling the font end at the moment, using German "Telefix" adjustable clip ons, magura levers, verlicchi throttle assembly, Honda CBR250RR triples with CB750F1 steering tube, "allballz" taper roller bearing kit, Suzuki GS1000S 37mm legs clamped with a "Daytona" NOS fork brace over a Kawasaki GPZ250 steel front fender, with a "White Brothers" steering damper, GS750 hub laced to 18 x 2.15 WM3 alloy rim with GS1000E twin discs and custom axle, Brembo twin piston calipers mounted via custom billet alloy mounts, stainless steel lines and GSXR1000 MC, phew! Ooh, nearly forgot, I'll be adding air via an S&W air kit with external gauge, and a BT 45R front tire.
As I'm only in the "mocking up" stage, I'm going to install the engine outta that black K2 I bought last year, on closer inspection the ports look awfully smooth and I believe that it may be running a big bore kit (175 psi is unusual for a tired looking old engine) or at least it's had some recent work, so I'll throw in a fairly wild cam that I've got in a box (no-name regrind) to top it off while I wait (and wait, and wait) for the H/D stud kit to finally materialise, so I can assemble the K6 engine with new 836 kit, Mike Riecks stage 3 head, Megacycle 125/75 cam, M3 racing cam chain and tensioner, Keihin CR29mm carbs, "Porky Allen" tuned length race pipes, ARD magneto etc etc.
With the old engine in, I can finish the frame bracing. (frame came to me braced, it's from an old race bike, but I didn't like a lot of the gusseting, so I'm re-doing it with thin walled 22 and 25mm dia tube ala the famous American "Big Benly" racer built by Cycle World a few years ago) I'm using a NOS alloy 32 litre (8.64 US gallon) endurance racer tank (Seeley, I think) which extends back a fair way so I need to build/buy a race seat with ducktail (preferably in alloy too) that will provide some space for my re-located electrics to give the "under-seat" area a cleaner, uncluttered look.
As I type this I realise that I still have so much left to do, but as I really want to be riding it this summer, I'll be pulling out all stops to make it happen. I'll post some pics shortly, and there'll be more "progress" pics to (hopefully) maintain your interest, and keep my motivation up.
At the same time (and partially to help fund the continuation of the project) I'm going on a diet in an attempt to lose about 30-40 pounds so my leathers will once again fit, and I don't have to lower the gearing for fast take-offs, ha ha! I won't bother posting any pics of my own personal progress, if you've seen one pic of a rotund grey headed old man, you've seen them all, ha ha! Cheers, Terry.
