Topic: The Pepsi Racer

[GoatBaSS]

Still love the old tail.

[EBCB]

The advice given by the pipe fabricators was to use 2 hacksaw blades taped together and cut through the pipes 3 times but not all the way through (leave 2 cm of pipe on the outside of the bend) but that doesn't take away enough materiel to effect a bend and would require 12 cuts. So I made 6 cuts using a single blade and opened out the pipe and then ground down the material in a wedge using an angle grinder. This gives a better mating surface for welding  all around the pipe and adds enough bend into the pipe.

So that's what the weld rings are on the pipe that is bent up - makes sense.

[Skunkmiester]

Made the hump tonight. I used extruded foam sheet (the type that they use for insulation between bricks or under floors).

Cut out some blanks and then glued them together. I then carved them with a bread knife and sanded them down to the correct contour that I wanted.

Here is the test for the hump, sitting on the frame rails.



I then added a piece of foam on the bottom so the mould would cover the rails. I then applied the Woven matt and the glassfibre, why does that damn stuff always start to go off 2-3 minutes before you have got everything perfect??

Here is the piece with the matt and glass on it.


Once dry I hollowed out the foam, here it is in progress.


Once all the foam was removed, it was time to trim the hump to shape and check it out on the bike.







Next up is finishing off the bends in the aluminium seat base and welding the cuts, then drilling holes in the rear so it can be glassed into the hump. Strengthening the hump from the inside and filling it and painting it. I will add thin foam padding to the seat and I would like to cover the seat in Alicantra. With a velcro fixed back pieced so I can access a hole in the hump where I can keep some tools etc.

[GoatBaSS]

Great vision. Impressive bumstop.

[The_Crippler]

Yeah, I'm following with interest as well.  I'll be doing a custom tail on mine, too - and this method looks like it turns out well.

[Skunkmiester]

Hi there,
nothing has really happened, I'm waiting on my exhausts so I can make the exhaust brackets and get them painted.

I am working on the bikini fairing brackets at the moment. The current fixings are mock up but the angles and position are final.

[Zaipai]

Wow that is one nice looking ride.. Awesome work

[Skunkmiester]

Cheers Zaipai, it's taking a little longer than I hoped but the longer it takes, the more time I have to plan out the final touches.

I carried on with polishing the tank today. This Nuvite Nushine II aircraft polish is amazing. Really nice to work with.

He the side of the tank after using the mid stage (G-6)



And here it is after using the fine polish (A) on the rear of the tank. Less than 5 mins using each compound. Rub in with clean cotton cloth then buffed off with furry mop mounted on a vari speed hand drill running at low speed (wish I had a proper polisher).

[Zaipai]

Wow that is awesome... Man I have to get some of that Polish that tank looks almost chrome!

NICE!

[Skunkmiester]

Seat is coming along here is the inside.



I did not like the lights though, too protruding and messy. So I cut down the lenses with a dremel.




Brake lines turned up from Venhill, and they work quite nicely for now. If they prove as bad as I have read I will replace them with twin piston calipers, new discs and master cylinder, I like period kit but I prefer the feeling of brakes that work.







Just noted that I need to sort out those manky bleed bolts.

[Sam Green Racing]

Hi there,
nothing has really happened, I'm waiting on my exhausts so I can make the exhaust brackets and get them painted.

I am working on the bikini fairing brackets at the moment. The current fixings are mock up but the angles and position are final.

Looking really good Alex but have you figured how you're going to remove the rear wheel with the pipes covering the rear axle?
The CR pipes terminate just before the axle to allow access. Just a thought not criticism.

Sam.

[Skunkmiester]

Cheers Sam,
I did consider shortening the pipes but decided that i preferred the longer look and didn't fancy any more cutting. It's a real pain finishing these pipes off seeing as they are £400. I have yet to sort out the brackets.
Also for the amount of times that I will be removing the rear wheel, I can just take off the exhausts cans that cover the spindle.

If I was to take it racing, I would be doing a hell of a lot of extra work anyway and I would probably change the pipes. This is just to get the bike on the road at the moment.

[bigsherm]

Hey Skunk-

     My last exhaust covered the rear axle, too.  I found it easier to put a jack under the bike and disconnect the shocks, allowing the swingarm to drop low enough so the axle is clear of the pipes.

     Your build is awesome.

Sherm

[srook]

Nice build.  You can also pull the rear wheel by removing the bolts that hold the axle stops from the swingarm and just roll the entire wheel assembly out, after you have disconnected the brake linkage of course.  I find this much easier than pulling the axle while trying to support the weight of the wheel and catching the spacer as it falls out.
Scott

[Skunkmiester]

Over the winter I managed to get some milling & turning time in at the local machine shop. Alan who is taking over the shop is mega helpful and friendly. He gave me a quick brief ref safety and basics regarding the Colchester Lathe and then let me crack on, same with the very large Mill with automatic bed. I was like a kid in a sweet factory. Alan at Sandhurst engineering is very helpfull and knowledgable, and pretty special with a Mig or Tig welder as well. If any of you in the UK need something fabricated, let me know and I'll see if he wants to expand into one off bike parts / work etc.

A few hours later and I have some Bar ends and footrests made up and ready to fit, I'm quite pleased with them and it is another piece of the bike that I can say that I made myself. Next up is some micro indicators that I have some ideas about.









It's been pretty cool over in Blighty this last couple of weeks with 12-15" of snow round these parts. Of course, most countries have a good infrastructure in place and 12" of snow would be a problem for only a couple of hours. Not here, roads blocked, cars crashing, schools and companies closed. A sad little nightmare.

Anyway to celebrate the start of the melt,  instead of painting the exhausts and doing it properly (using POR-15 Black velvet). I decided to fit them on the bike and flash her up.

14 months since she last ran, a full strip down, sand blast of engine, paint and rebuild (my first), oh and my own build electrics and a strip polish and rebuild of the carbs.

No way was she going to start was she. I was bound to have left something loose or connected up the electrics wrong.
Well that is what I had convinced myself.

Well after 30 mins of turning over, fiddling etc, I found that the stator was in the wrong position, so I moved it around a bit and bloody hell, she fired up. The biggest grin that I have had on my face for a while......soon turned to.....OH MY GOD IT's LOUD!!!!!!!

I knew that those 4 into 4 megas would be a tad fruity but nothing like this. It is way louder than my GSXR 750 with obnoxious race pipe and that is pushing 107db during sound testing at the track.

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[KB02]

You've just got to love that first start up, huh?  I know I did.

Those pipe do look killer, that's for sure. I wonder if you could just insert a baffle into them?

[Skunkmiester]

Another startup, you can hear the starter slipping at the first attempt. Can anyone throw any light on what this problem is? The teeth on the starter and generator ring are fine. Maybe I have the spacing wrong.
At 1:00 minute into the vid you will see that by putting my hand over the 2 left exhausts ups the revs and the bike sounds smoother, methinks that it had been running on 3 cylinders until then.

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Now I need to fabricate some baffles

[andy750]

Wow those pipes sound great!! I am sure they will sound even better when flying down the motorway ;-)

Its looking really good! 

Good luck!
Andy

[KB02]

Another startup, you can hear the starter slipping at the first attempt. Can anyone throw any light on what this problem is? The teeth on the starter and generator ring are fine. Maybe I have the spacing wrong.

Might be the starter clutch slipping. It doesn't sound like mine on my start up, which was slipping completely. I would say an intermittent slip possibly?

[Zaipai]

Awesome work.. Those pipes do sound great.. You must be really looking forward to riding her around the motorways soon!!! Nice mill work on the pegs and stuff.. Wish I knew some one with a shop like that I would have things different on my build.

.: Scott :.

[greasy j]

nice work!! looks great. man, the whole starting up after 14 mo.s thing got me drooling. mine hasn't run for about 12 mos. I have been waiting to take an engine overhaul class at the cc here in San Francisco. it's nice to have a pro helping out and the teacher is super cool and knowledgeable. started the class a week ago. I just finally got the engine out last night and I will be cracking her open on tuesday. fingers crossed!

threads like yours are a great inspiration. glad you got her going and hope your weather clears up soon.

[Skunkmiester]

Well it's been a while since my last update, and to most it won't look like I have done much.
However I have done a fair bit, but lack of funds, home DIY etc have got in the way.

Anyway, I have finally finished the exhausts. And I would never buy the damn things again. I ended up having to make up my own baffles, aluminium end pieces with perforated stainless steel inners. I crushed the inners end piece and then covered them in glass matting. I turned up the end pieces on the lathe, lots of measuring etc to get them the same.
The cans now sound very nice and rorty. The pipes as they were sold sound nasty and are way too loud, even for racing ( I doubt even Pembrey would allow them).
The cans were then painted using Hammerite high temp paint (not sure if it will last), the finish is perfect and far far better than the dross I tried using before, JP1 fast black was as thin as maidens water and the POR-15 was bloody horrific (almost dark brown and didn't apply well).
For my next project, I'll make my own pipes using stainless steel, instead of paying £450 for 4 pipes that need drastic cutting, welding and brackets making and welding, painting and a lot of effort to make them sound good. They are about 107-108 db now compared to my race bike.

I have also got the final design of front fairing bracket almost finished.
Rear brake linkage fabricated, gear linkage left to do.
Rear indicators connected.

Work left to do:
Mount front fairing
plastic weld the side covers
hook up the main light and front indicators and brake / rear light.
Either paint or pay someone to paint the fairing properly
Final polish of parts, ride and fix any bits which fail / fall off.


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[wannabridin]

looks great!!!  that black is a nice color, although not what i would of gone with.  those baffles are SO NICE!  ever think about making them on the side???  i'd buy one for my carpy pipe!!

and just FYI, they sound AMAZING!!!  can't wait to hear it under load on a long stretch of road/track!!

[Zaipai]

Your bike is fantastic, wonderful look on the pipes well worth the effort. I bet she sounds awesome.

Great Job!

.: Scott :.

[traveler]

What a wonderful bike!

~Joe