Coming together nicely

The FZ is coming together nicely now and we're really confident of making it to Mallory next weekend.

All my paperwork and enrty forms turned up today, leaving me with butterflies and a pounding heart...then i opened the bill for all the parts I have been buying over the past month... needless to say I was rather shocked... lucky I am busy with work to pay for it all!!

Tomorrow, or rather today as it's nearly 1.30am, should be the big day! we're hoping to get the motor fired up!

Most of the bike is complete but there is still quite a few things left to do, but even so we are hoping we should have a few days in hand in which I can get the paint work done and finnish fabricating the catch tray and side panels. I've also to sort the van, which is a right old mess at the moment.

One other thing is to strip out the drive on my wife's scooter, bloody thing. Never having had one apart before, I am going to have to wing it. I could really do without it this week and I'd rather be messing with the FZ.

A couple of people have said I should post a pic of me, so reluctantly, here you go.... :-(

Rushing about alot

What a busy weekend!

We made stacks of progress over the weekend although we still have enough to do to keep us on our toes.

One big headache has been discovering the exhaust system bangs on the bottom shock linkage and the slip-on can hangs in mid air, half a mile away from where it should be.The bike is going into a local engineering firm tomorrow to have the problem sorted. I'm sure it will be ok.

There has been all kinds of little headaches but our combined resolve has over come them all, and most sorted with bits and pieces just lying about the place. It's been good fun trying to be creative.

I would love to have the time to write about each individual job we have done, but I just don't have the time at the moment. If any FZ fans out there have anything in particular they would like us to reveal, I would be glad to answer, Just leave a comment!

I have been busy rushing about alot, buying and ordering loads of last minute stuff.

I'm really looking forward to seeing my nice new HEL brake and clutch lines on my doorstep in the next couple of days.

We are looking at getting the motor fired up this weekend coming, hopefully without too many dramas! and with most bits either on order or bought this week, we are confident all will be ready for mallory Park in less than 2 weeks!

I bet we will still be messing about with her when we roll up at the track.

Because of time getting short, we are concentrating on getting the thing running with everything bolted on and skipping things like cosmetics and using older fittings that are a bit scabby.Once the Mallory test day is over, We'll have 3 weeks to tweek and paint things and replace the scabby bits. She'll be nice and shinny soon!

up beat

The nice new ohlins is in position, but not without drama and a little bit of blood.
All in all though, it looks good and it looks right. Bearing in mind I don't know what I'm talking about! I am feeling up-beat and a bit more confident the bike will be ready for the 18th feb.

Now I gotta go and get on with it!
more photos and words when I'm not in the workshop over the coming weekend!

patience.

After spending Saturday morning with Darren, welding in the shock mount and sorting out a sub frame, we realised the hose from the gas bottle was in the wrong place.The hose where it joins to the shock was at the wrong angle. Not wanting to risk loosening the connection and loosing pressure, we halted proceedings until the following Thursday while I consulted Steve Jordan to make certain, as none of us were, that we could do the job ourselves.

So in the meantime, the FZ has been piled in the corner while I get on with sorting the XJR ready to be sold. She looks the business now! and is ready to go. I shall miss the old bus and am rather emotional about letting her go.

The FZ should keep my mind off the XJR.

While the XJR has been taking up all the room in the shed, the FZ has been scrutinised and we have decided the refine the design of the shock mounts and the sub frame, so maybe having the hose hold things up has been a blessing in disguise.

With almost all components in my possession now, I am hoping to get things together swiftly.Whether that is the case or not will have to be seen.

Ooops!

I accidently bought a spare engine! My finger just slipped and i clicked the "commit to bid" button...ooops! I guess now I'll have to accidently buy a set of files and get Phil to point me in the right direction.
I'd really like to get the maximum power allowed by the series regulations, so now we have something to play with between races!

Steve....do you think your Mrs will mind if I move into your workshop?

lovely job

A very good sight to see the shock in my hands.

Myself, Phil, Steve and Darren all met up last night to size up the shock and work out what else was needed. So Steve made tea, I got in the way a lot and Phil and Darren did all the work, lovely! Looking like the unit will do the job nicely although i get a feeling it will need a different spring but that's not a problem.So with smiles all round and hope in the air that this isn't all just a waste of time, we agreed Saturday was best to do the job.

Nice one Boys!!

Thanks to Steve and Sarah Jordan for getting the shock so quickly for us.

I wonder how long it'll look that shiny for!

Square eyes !

My eyes are going square through staring at the pages of e-bay, the postman is doing overtime and I must have contributed more in co2 output through all these deliveries, than a whole life time of track activities.

It is kind of nice spending loads of dosh on bike parts with the knowledge I'm gonna be finally racing, but, I'd rather be playing in the shed at the moment....maybe I'll be eating my words soon when I'm working every hour to get the bike ready in time!

Jordans m/c have made my week with a phone call telling me, the shock should be here later this week.Darren Nash of Nash fabrications, here on the Isle of Wight, is going to be on hand to sort the subframe out and the mounting of the shock. There a few small jobs for Darren while he is at it, but once he has done his bit it will open the flood gates for us to get the bike ready in time for Mallory on the 18th of feb.

The seriously long line of deliveries has started and i get the feeling I'm going to be running to the collection yard on a daily basis for the next 2 weeks! Phew!

At least we'll have plenty of boxes etc. to use for our FZ unwanted parts sell off.

Meanwhile I have set about sorting out our Transit van. It's nearing the later portion of it's life so there are loads of jobs to get done.Besides the mechanical side of things which I'd rather pay someone else to do, I am building a new interior and buying a big awning in an attempt to be a bit more organised and comfortable in the evenings.I watched Phil suffer from a few bad nights sleep in the back of the big old bus last season and I'm sure he doesn't want a repeat of all that. I know I don't!

While my van is off the road having all the brakes done (not by me....big grin!), I am using my Yamaha XJR1300 to get to work...glad it's not raining at the moment.

Once the van is done, the XJBUS, as she is affectionately known by us all, is up FOR SALE.

It's with great reluctance, but I can't have all the cake i guess, and I really dislike riding on public roads since i started riding on the track. Here's a pic of her last summer. She needs a darn good clean at the moment and a new set of pads (which are still in their boxes!) and then she'll be sweet again.

Hurry up postman!!

I have not posted for some time, due to nothing much happening.

We are waiting for the rear shock to turn up.

Steve and Sarah Jordan, of Jordan motorcycles,have sorted a shock for us that is a brand new Ohlins unit, with the remote gas bottle we require, fully adjustable and with a built in ride height adjuster which should help us get the shock where it needs to be.

Anyway.... I have been test fitting the tank, fairing, seat unit and belly pan and furiously buying various bits and pieces. Ive spent more time on ebay than in the workshop.

The seat unit is new and is from an OWO1 and the belly pan is new and from an FZR1000.
I found a spare rear wheel and disc, which completes the spare set for wets, so another set of wheels to paint!

I really hope that shock turns up soon. Less than a month left before the CTC tset day at Mallory.

I think I'll be using my RSV for that!

The new additions to the bodywork fit a treat.

Not so sure on the look of the bellypan but it has to stay to act as a catch tray in the event of an oil or water leak.

We agree here that the seat unit is in keeping.

Time is getting short.....i feel a rush coming on.......hurry up postman!!

Im still worrying

Our friendly fabricator turned up yesterday on his lovely new gsxr600,..nice bike Darren!, to take a look at the lardy old girl.
"No problem mucker. We'll just do....bla blah"
Excellent!
The top shock mount needs relocating to where, hopefully, it needs to be.
We know there is a big issue in getting it in the right place, I'm finding it rather worrying but Phil seems to be un-fazed by it and thinks it'll be ok, so I'll stop worrying then.....ahh...Im still worrying.



We think we can use differant length dogbones on the linkage to help get the shock performing it's stroke correctly and also a built in ride height adjuster on the shock would be a great help.

I have be talking to Jordan Motorcycles, near Leatherhead, about sorting the right shock for the job, and I'm hoping we'll have one soon.We are keen to use jordans as they are at all the Thunderbike races, with their race service.

Steve has been scouring e-bay for a decent seat unit and has come up with a nice ow01 unit that looks like it will be suited to the FZ looks and keep her looking like a Yamaha. It's a bit pricey, but we need to get it quick, so Darren can get on with the subframe.The same goes for the shock.
So by the time the subframe and shock are sorted, the valve clearances should be done.
I'm sure i can find time to give the motor a coat of paint to tidy her up and then it should be time to get it back in the frame.
I am due at Mallory park on February the 18th, to do the CTC course (competence to compete),
so time is getting short. I can see the RSV coming out of the shed for that, which should be ok for the course, but, it's only 3 weeks later, and the Thunderbikes first race.......not too confident we'll make it at the moment!
Ok, I'll stop being negative.... smile..

Daylight robbery!

spent the evening painting the wheels and weighing various stuff that has been taken off the bike.....A 22kg loss so far. I can't see too many more areas that we can loose weight so i sat myself on the scales....80 kg....what a fat git! I'm sure when i finally lay my hands on a new push bike I could loose a couple of kilos.

Phil was busy messing with the shims. After a hunt all over the Island motorbike shops, and no luck in finding any new shims, Phil "doctored" the shims himself. We could have ordered some from the local Yam dealer for the sum of £5.60p each!!!!!..... daylight robbery if you ask me!

what ever happened to the old days when you could exchange shims and they were about £1 each!?..

I will find out how Phil got on last night later today when we meet up with our fabricator.

Steve doing what we built the workshop for........ watching bike racing in peace!