A supermono competitor writes...

Hello Mike, Thought you might be interested to see a picture of me, aged 4, enjoying my 1st ever sit on a proper race bike, yours at BSB, Snetterton.

Now, at the ripe old age of 16, it looks like I'm going to have to compete against rider of said bike, on a Supermono called Gordon!
Love what you're doing with your project, I'm still pinching myself about the fact that I'm competing against the legend that is Spike Edwards!!
I'm really looking forward to meeting you when the season kicks off (If my bike's finished by then and we've still got money left for tyres!!)
Cheers m8,
Az
http://www.azmanracing.com/

Gordon is really firing everyone's imagination, and becoming a celebrity in his own right - now that I've read this email - I'm begining to feel very, very old!

Gordon's dreaming!

Just an update on Gordons engine spec: the standard output is approximately 45-48bhp, but after uncles Martin and Roy at Slipstream did their magic it should be between 82-84bhp.

I think I will be able to feel the difference for sure!

It now has a Raptor crank so will spin up quicker and been bored and stroked to take the capacity from 659 to 770. All the starter gears and starter motor are gone, the water pump has been replaced by a electric one too. The clutch basket has been replaced with a 6 spring type to take the extra power. Lighter larger valves, lumpy cam and a pair of 39mm Keihin carbs all help 'pep up' the motor. A larger radiator, re-programmable race ignition and two into two light weight race pipes should stop Gordon being a 'moron'.

Chop to change.

I'm going to chop out the bottom out of the tank so that it will still work as a cover for the newly fabricated fuel tank and airbox.

I am modelling one of Gordon's fancy new fleece tops. Soon to be available in his website shop.

Motors in!

After a bit of a struggle on my own the motor is finally in the chassis. My mate Jody turned up with a bike stand I could use until my own one arrives.

Now I can press on with making the air box, oil and fuel tanks.

Using cardboard as a template I can shape and form the basic outline of the components, then recreate them in alloy....Peter are you busy?

Gordons looking hot!

Picked Gordon up from Slipstream today and he does look 'hot to trot'. Martin and Roy have done a great job turning him around so quickly at such a busy time for them, but the trip down to collect him took me over 15 hours due to the weather!

Here Martin looks like the proud father.

Oh my goodness!

Oh my goodness!
Originally uploaded by no1bloke.

Just picked up some new threads for Gordon from his new mate Ian E. in Leeds - This is apparently a 'danny pedrosa' seat unit. I just don't know how I am going to loose the 32kg necessary to fit on it!

The fairing looks fantastic and the quality of the glass is top shelf, I do hope it fits......

Check out www.iane.co.uk

Subframe doubles up!

The new sub frame is not only to hold the seat unit in place but houses the battery box and will be the area where the CDI unit, fuse box and any other electrical bits and bobs will live.

I've drawn up a wiring diagram with some help from Dave Bennett, all I need now to to figure out where the various compoments are going and get on with it!

Frost.co.uk supplied the wire, conectors, tape and all the heatshrink covering for the harness, cheers boys!

Something old and something new.

Something old and something new.
Originally uploaded by no1bloke.

Utilising the old rear master cylinder and brake lever but with beautifully sculpted 'Peter Day' foot rests and plate. Still some refining work to be done, but its coming together.

Surprise parcel

Surprise parcel
Originally uploaded by no1bloke.

Gordon is just so lucky. Got a fantastic suprise package from Swagarama.biz! Cheers. So sexy!! Off to the garage to mess about with him.

Out of interest the new bars are less than half the weight of the original - Standard 850g new bars 400g, dosn't sound much but it all adds up.

Standard stuff is fine...

Once I got rid of all the stuff at the front, I got to wondering about a fancy tacho.

And then I remembered that this project has absolutely NO budget, and thought, well, what's wrong with the original?

Nothing, it's just all the other stuff that I needed to get rid of - so I set to work, and look, I now have a perfectly fine tacho and temperature gauge.

Just need to work out how to mount them now...

Another mincepie please...

Now that I have got rid of lots of weight from the bike, I can eat more pies. To be honest, to be as competitive as possible, even I will have to drop 5kg! Here is a list of a few things I have removed so far:

Headlamp assembly 1.9kg
Oil tank 2.1kg
Airbox 1.7kg
Wiring harness .95kg
Switches .6kg
Side stand 1kg
Rear mud guard 1.5kg
Starter motor and gears 2.2kg
Fairing mounting / instruments 2.8kg

Subframe 5.5kg

Total removed = 20.25kg

Lean, mean, thrilling machine

Now that the modifications to the swinging arm have been made, the shock fits in the chassis perfectly.

New subframe, fairing mounting bracket and new rear sets, Gordon is really starting to look the part - no longer an old knacker, but a lighter, meaner race machine.

I have brought some weighing scales, and started to weigh the various redundant components. Just the subframe alone is a 4.5kg saving, starter motor 3.5kg, headlamp 2.5kg... that's over 10kg already! I'll do a complete list later.

Gordon's new bits!

Here are some pictures of the work Peter Day performed last week.


Steve Jordan had given Gordon a new GSXR1000 shocker but it was going to interfere with the swinging arm as it moved through it's travel, thus it was either buy a new shock or modify the swinging arm.











Peter Day machined away the cast section of the arm then fabricated a section to cover the hole, then welded the plate into place, perfect!

What a bobby dazzler...

Home now, and over the next few days I will show you just how fabulous Gordon looks with his new bits and pieces.

Peter Day generously took two days out of his busy schedule to fabricate some fabulous components; this pile of swarf came from just the swinging arm!

Gordon gets gripped.

Down in Cambridge working with Peter Day. Here Peter is in action fettling Gordon's bits. We did a full day yesterday 9.30am - 9.30pm, I just don't know where the time went.

Mind you they do say time flies when you're having fun!

Lots more to do today then home.

New Year - New Thumb...

I am pleased to report that Mr. Toby Branfoot at Leeds has done an excellent job repairing my thumb that I damaged at Assen in 2005; and I am almost up and running again. It is now fused with enough bend to grasp a handlebar - the most important thing is that the joint is now 'pain free' - and I just can't wait to get on Gordon and try it out. Off to Peter's tomorrow to start fabricating. Can't wait!