Brad The Bike Boy: November 2009

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Busy

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When I started out Dave Ward at Moto Italia told me to take it slowly and not worry because before too long I'd be a little overrun. He was right. Compounding this is the fact that since I opened one of the Ducati dealers (Ducati Melbourne / Zagame) and a non authorsied shop (Bob Brown's Melbourne Desmo Centre) have closed. So I'm getting quite a bit of Ducati work and a surprising amount of Guzzi work (compared to what we used to get at Moto One). Which is good, but it's putting my skills at things other than working on bikes to the test. It's amazing how some days you can lose a few hours doing seemingly nothing, even though you don't stop.

Nothing new to report playing wise, as much of the work I've been doing lately has been service based. Which is good. Turnover is the word many would use. I'm hopefully heading to the dyno tomorrow morning for a little play with a 955'd 916SP, as long as I can get there before it gets too hot. First time I've been there for a while, and still no closer to getting my own dyno going - too busy it seems. It's hard to complain about not having time to do that sort of thing, but is frustrating just the same.

I do have one new report set to be up soon - a 996SPS with heads by CJS in the UK. Running 748R inlet cams and a Akropovic 45 - 60mm tapered system (I think they call it that) it went rather nicely. 142hp, with a std SPS making 124 or so on this dyno as the comparitor. Certainly looks nice from 7,000 rpm upward, although being a track bike I didn't get to ride it so don't know how it felt.
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The 851

The 400SS

I bought this 400SS (genuine 93 model Australian delivery! Woo hoo huh.) after seeing it in Ebay for what was possibly an good price. As ever, good was too good to be true. Badly repaired and rusted out fuel tank, badly repainted side panels, lots of km (83,000 of the bastards), etc. You know, the usual. Purchased in October 2012, as of now (Jan 2014) I've nearly finished a major service. The cam timing is done with some of the Madasl adjustable pullies that have been drilled in 4 different settings for easy dyno testing. And I have some 900 headers to try a 40mm dual exhaust set up on it (ala M400). Not a great deal of progress for 15 months, so it's taking on a long term feel. There's an F1 endurance style seat base (more taper at the rear) and front fairing sitting around, which will require frame mods to fit. It's a bit of a mental sticking point as this time. But hey, it's not like I can devalue it much more.

The Mighty KR1S 250

How it looked the rainy night someone came to take it away. Painted all black when I bought it, at some point later I realised i could rub the black off and have much of the original colour scheme underneath. Although the main fairing was originally from a red KR1 I think, and definitely badly repaired more than once, so it stayed black. And the tail panel shown was bought to replace the one I smashed the only time I crashed it and the last time I rode it at a Sandown track day. A sensational little bike, holed pistons and frequently failing stator windings aside. The first bike I rode on a race track and the first bike I had my knee down on. And a great commuter too I found. It's sometimes nice to have a bike that won't wheelie past the city speed limit in first gear.