It never rains!!

Just had a call from Steve, the guy that prepares my engines, he was heating the crankcases to fit the new bearings when he found one of the cases has a crack and cannot be used. He will have to use the cases from my spare motor but they will have to be machined out to accomodate the bigger barrel, so more expense but essential if the bike is to be ready for the first race at Cadwell, May 16th. Steve assured me it will be ready for next weekend, and as that is a bank holiday I aim to get the engine in and hopefully fire her up, then it will be down to the dyno to find out what the motor is capable of doing.

My namesake in Indiana, USA has also run into problems with the jetting on hi Yamaha 400 so if you can give him any words of advice check out his blob, http://davesfzr400.blogspot.com (click on the link from my site).

Ash at Snetterton

Ash Norrington, (my rider for 2009), was attending a track day on his Honda Fireblade at Snetterton so as I was working in the area I dropped by. He seemed quite comfortable on the bike even though he has not had much track time this year. All was going well until he decided to change groups so he was in the same as his 2009 team mate Andy Duncan, (Tigcraft Yamaha). Andy had already gone out onto the circuit when Ash arrived back with the amended wrist band and hastily got onto the circuit himself, I went to watch from Pit lane and on his first flying lap Ash was really motoring. As he went out of view into Riches Corner I looked back to see where Andy was, just then the red flags were waved and the session was called to a halt. As the riders came back in I could not see Ash! I waited a few minutes before strolling back and as I neared I could see the tell tale signs of mud and grass caught in the tyre wall. Ash was unhurt apart from a bashed knee and a slight headache, the bike was not badly damaged, just cosmetic but Ash said he was sticking to Mono's from now on!! Needless to say I did mention that if he done that to my bike there would be trouble!! he let out a nervous laugh.....

Just a quick update

I haven't had chance to do much on the bike this week but I have managed to sort a few things out! The 2nd gear from Rotax, Austria finally arrived this week so as soon as Steve gets back from his Easter break he can crack on with the engine, hopefully having it finished so it be be put back in next weekend. I also visited Ray of LRM Fibreglass to see what fairing would be better, I opted for the TZ250E which has a slightly wider front than the D, and Ray says it should be ready for me by the end of the week, however I may not have time to have it sprayed as it will need mounting when the engine and exhausts are in place in case of any alterations. The first meeting is at Cadwell Park, May 16th & 17th, then the following week at Angelsey, Ash has already said that he will not be doing this round as he will be unable to get time off work and the running costs will be coming out of one months budget. June sees the European Supermono Association racing at the British Superbike meeting at Snetterton, and if Ash is able to lose his novice vest he will be eligable to enter. I entered this race last year but came off at the Bombhole due to water running over the track, even so it is a prestigious event that can only be good for our class.

My name sake in Indiana, USA. has almost finished his Yamaha FZR400 and its looking the Dogs Swingers too, we have really hit it off yet we have never spoken,(something I intend to remedy in the near future!), and its uncanny how much alike we are, although Im sure he is a better rider than I was or ever will be!! I wish him the best in his racing.

TZ Droopy seat unit

I had purchased a TZ250E Droopy
seat unit from LRM Fibreglass several weeks ago and was very impressed with the quality, however in comparison to the original seat the new one was quite heavy. This was not a problem but I emailed Ray at LRM and expressed my views. I was not trying to get a discount or refund I just wanted to say that other makers of fairings and seats do not use as much glass and he may be able to cut the cost of manufature! Ray replied saying he was aware and as a gesture offered me another seat that is thinner FOC. I was gobsmacked that a company would offer this in the current climate and even offered to pay half, but Ray insisted that it will be gratis. Anyways I picked the seat up this morning and Ray explained that he had made it even thinner than he said, he has asked me to try it out and after drilling the mounting holes it was fitted in about 15 minutes, I had to make a few alterations, ie the oil filler cap is under the seat and it was a tad too long going towards the tank, but as you can see it looks the buisness. I have asked Ray for some LRM stickers as I will be more than happy to advertise his company as in this day and age there are not many firms that value their customers as much.

Starting to take shape

Well I managed to get into the garage and fabricate the front caliper bracket, Rob Hunt had kindly sent up a selection of wheel spacers so I could get the front wheel centralised. The making of the bracket turned out to be a tedious but rewarding job as the AP Racing 6 pot caliper and the 320mm dia PFM disc will stop a train me thinks. One downer to the day was when I positioned the other front wheel on the spindle I found that it was also buckled! so I have now 2 wheels that need straightening. I have been told they could be used but me being a perfectionist I want them to run true.

I was contacted recently by a guy from Indiana, USA and at first thought that it was an April fools joke, his name was Dave Bennett!! yes there is more than one of us, " Oh bugger" I hear you cry! he is also carrying out a bike rebuild, a Yamaha FZR400 that he intends to race, it also turns out we have a lot in common and he is a genuine guy that loves racing bikes so check out his blog: http://davesfzr400.blogspot.com/

I could not wait till Sunday to start on the bike so disappeared into the garage as soon as I had eaten. as you can see its actually looking like a bike again and its about bloody time too!! The work Steve's engineers had done was perfect and the forks and top yoke slipped on with ease an I also fitted the clip ons and levers, I must admit the Brembo front master cylinder looks the dogs swingers! I positioned the AP Racing front caliper where I think it should be and was amazed to see that the holes on the caliper and the holes on the forks are in a line, so a simplistic support bracket is all that is needed

Here we go at last!!!

Right! just picked up the fork yokes from Steve and I must admit the engineers Steve uses are first rate and the work looks spot on. Just to reiterate I had to have the bottom fork yokes milled out from 41mm to 43mm to accommodate the R6 forks, the top yoke did not have enough meat on the clamps to mill out so I used the CBR600 top yoke and the engineers have fitted a small bush in the centre hole,(where the spindle goes through), as the original TZR spindle is narrower than the CBR, I also had the clamps for the "Vortex" clip ons milled out too as I purchased them before I decided to upgrade the forks.

With the itch to start the rebuild getting unbearable and the first race looking ever closer I started rebuilding the bike in the garage, so I have decided to pass on the offer of James lock up as most of the hard work has been completed. I have contacted James to inform him and have offered my services when he gets back to the UK. I also managed to move a lot of the contents of the garage, (CRAP!!!), into the garden shed for the duration of the rebuild so I have gained a lot of space around the bike bench.

Not much happening

I seem to have come to a stalemate in the rebuild! Steve still has the fork yokes that are being bored out to 43mm, and without them I have come to a halt. I have been trying to space out the rear wheel but have hit a snag with the rear caliper mounting bracket, it just doesn't want to line up! Hugh Freeman was kind enough to send me another rear TZ wheel but when I positioned it on the bike I found it was slightly buckled, I will find out how bad when I fit some newer bearings to see if it is uasable. He also sent me a selection of rear sprockets saying they were "well used"! well after inspection I think I can "use them well" !!!! a big thankyou to you Hugh.
James Bensley got in contact about the lock up and Im now waiting to hear the word from his brother Richie as to when I can get in there, soon I hope. This will give me a lot more room to get all around the bike, I also spoke to Ash today and have asked if he could give me a hand on a couple of things, just think a fresh pair of eyes on the subject will help. I put the original FZR wheels on ebay and was happy to see them reach my lowest price, just waiting to see the final bid, I also put the Mikuni carb on there too after a mishap in the garage! I was looking at the carb to sort out jet sizes and gaskets when I dropped the bloody thing on the floor! when I picked it up I noticed the outlet track was broken. The carb was originally a 38mm but had been bored out to 40mm weakening the track. I contacted Allens Performance who informed me that they cannot supply that part so I have put it on Ebay and will at least get some money back. I will use the Del Orto 42mm carb that came with the bike, Steve gave me a carb mounted choke and the service kit from Euro Carbs is only about £12.50, plus a selction of jets are about £4 each, I have used Del Orto's in the past and had no problem with them.

Fairing bracket & Scitsu in place

I had ordered a new racing fuel cap from Ebay and was eager to see it on the tank, as you can see I went with the black to keep it in the colour scheme. I also fitted the front firing bracket and Scitsu tachometre just hope the pick up wire is long enough to reach the HT lead.

Shock is fitted

Managed to get into the garage today and get on with fitting the rear shock, as I mentioned before the dia of the spring is larger than the original item but not by much. I will have to shave a nikky whisker off the swing arm plate so the spring does not impede when compressed. When I put the shock in place I marked where I had to grind it back to, the shock was then removed and I set about the task with a drill extension and a small grinding wheel. I had given this job about two hours in my head but when I started I realised that it was not such a hard job and within 30 minutes I was ready to try the shock for size.

When I fitted the shock I was pleased to see the spring was well clear of the swing arm plate where I had ground it back, the next job was to space out the top fitment of the shock. After measuring the shock, then the gap I knew how much spacing was needed, this was done by using thick stainless washers and then everything was bolted tight. I let the preload right off so I could emulate the movement of the shock, and after several mimicked movements I was happy that the spring was clear.

Just a quick update

Just thought I would let you know how things are progressing: I managed to get a Suzuki K6 6oo/750 rear shock that fits almost perfectly, just got to shave a nicky whisker off the swing arm plate for the wider spring and space out the top mount, but it looks great,(photos to follow).
I dropped off the fork yokes and clip on brackets to Steve who is having them taken out to 43mm from 41mm, the original top yoke does not have that much meat around where the fork passes through but steve will let me know. But Ash gave me a CBR 600 top yoke which is 43mm and is the same spread as the TZR, the only thing that will need to be altered is the center hole, its just a tad too big so if Steve bores it out a little more I can fit a top hat spacer, so either way the forks should be in the bike by next weekend, fingers crossed! I also picked up the TZ wheels when I was at Steve's, and as they are in pretty good condition I can save some cash by not haveing them powder coated, just need a good clean.

The wheels are turning, shame about the shock!!

When I got the bike it had Yamaha FZR400 wheels, but when I upgraded the forks it became apparent that I had to either use a thinner front spindle and use spacers in the forks, (this was due to the bearing size of the wheels and the dia of the R6 spindle), or obtain better wheels. When I spoke to Steve Ruth I mentioned about the wheels and he was sure that he could get a pair of old TZ wheels from the Late Geoff Sawyer's place, and sure enough he called me a few days ago to say he had 2 fronts and a rear. This means I will still have to use the FZR rear with the original sprocket carrier for wet tyres, and the TZ with the 5 cush rubbers for the slicks. The fronts would not be a problem as the bearing size will allow spacers to stay with the wheels for ease of changing.

I had taken the shock in to a reputable place in Bury St Edmunds for a service, this was a bout 5 weeks ago, so 2 weeks ago I called to see how things were going. I was informed that they were just about to get on it and would it be a week or so, however after a further 2 weeks wait I called again only this time they said that they could not get the shock apart to carry out the service. Now I had to make all the calls to them even though they had my number, and 5 weeks is not a good service in my books, needless to say I will be picking the shock up this week and will not be going back there again. I have put out a plea on the Supermono website www.supermono.co.uk for a replacement or after market one but funds are quickly fading, but Im sure there will be a savior one way or another.

The rebuild begins!!

James had not got back to me regarding the use of his lock up, but with the itch to get on with the rebuild getting progressively stronger I decided to start it today!

The first thing to do was to attach the seat subframe, I had drilled out the top holes so a larger and stronger bolt could be used. Then I fitted the swing arm, (less the shock), and I was very surprised how easy it went together. Next was the oil tank, (situated under the seat), then the rear wheel. I tried the seat for size but found the the front lugs need to be adjusted, but thats Mono's for you!

TZ250D seat unit

Also picked up the seat unit from Ray at LRM Fibreglass, Watton. It has been made with good quality fibreglass and I will be using LRM again to get a TZ250D/E fairing at the end of the month. The foot rests and levers arrived from Dennis Trollope Racing Spares yesterday so as soon as the hangers have beeen powder coated I can fit them.

AP Racing 6 pot caliper

Managed to see Mick James to pick up the AP Racing 6 pot caliper, Im glad I did not put the disc on the front wheel as I was under the impression it was a right hand mount, as you can see that is not the case!

End cans and tank

Just picked up the tank and exhaust end cans from Richard, (TFL), and again I was more than pleased with the finish.

When I took the tank off the bike there was a lot of rust inside, but when it was taken to Nick at BPS he assured me that he would be able to get a flexible lance inside the tank. He done a great job I just need to get the half a kilo of fine sand thats still inside!!!

The original carbon fibre exaust end cans had seen better days, to be honest when I took the exhausts off the end cans just crumbled in my hands! I decide to go with Stainless steel to keep the cost down and Richard informed me that he could powder coat them black, so he did.

The megaphone part of the exhausts were taken to Nick Piravani as the perforated innner tube on both sides had come adrift, Nick is also pricing up a new set of megaphones and slip on cans as the originals are all in one from just below the engine. I hope to get the exhausts back in the next few days.

Got new discs!

Managed to meet Mick James this wekend and pick up the PFM discs, Mick did not have the caliper with him but we struck a deal and the discs were mine. The two carriers are different in that one has the normal plugs and circlips, where as the other has a large circlip that sits inside a recess and is very quick to change the rotors. I intend to only use one discs on the front wheels so the carriers being different does not cause an issue.

The rebuild is about to begin!

I have just been informed that James lock up will be available for me to move into very soon, so when I was sorting out the bike bits I took a few snaps.

Frame

Frame

Swing arm

Sub frame

FZR400 WHEELS

Fork yokes,fairing bracket, engine bracket and tank brackets.

As you can see all the components have been powder coated satin black but these photos do not do the work that Richard,(TFL), has done any justice at all, the only thing I have to do is re tap all the threads.

British Supermono Association Championship 2009 dates

The rider, Ash Norrington #23

The guy that will be riding my Yamatax this year is Ash Norrington, a very likeable chap from Manningtree, Essex. He has been involved in Mono's for some time starting off as spannerman to Nigel (Peds) Manual, he then got himself a RGV rotax and had a couple of races before selling that and getting a Tigcraft SRX. Unfortuanetly he had a startline incident at Mallory Park in 2007 that put him out of racing for teh rest of the season. He bounced back at the last 2 meetings of 2008 on a Mono 450, which in effect was a Honda CRF450 crosser with the forks changed and race bodywork, it was a very tidy bike but Ash was dispondant about his results so decided to part with it.
Ash asked what my intentions were for the Rotax that he knew I had just acquired, and after a very short conversation we agreed that he would ride it with the first refusal of actually buying it if that was the case.