scrawnsenior

[scrawnsenior]

Castle Combe, March 2025.

Second outing of the year last Saturday. Further checks on my Suzuki to make sure all is well ready to start racing next month. Still a very minor oil leak but hopefully that's solved. Everything else was good and the Gixxer was going well.

Charlie, behind me in the second image, is testing his Honda for this year. He's made the leap from the Supersport Ducati V2 to the big bikes. The Superstock class is just as brutal as Supersport but getting your head around the power difference is important. I followed him for a fair few laps and he's improving every time he goes out on it. All being well he will be up to speed ready for the BSB season opener and he can qualify first time out.

Images; James Archibald

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Donington Park, March 2025.

First time out this year and first time back on the Suzuki since it was totally rebuilt after my huge crash in September.

Motor felt strong, few little issues to address including a small oil leak from the rocker cover gasket but it'll be ready for the next test day on the 15th March.

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Merthyr, Jan 2025.

Some Human powered fun. First time at the bike park with my boy. Met up with a few others and had a blast. 

Creative Commons Music:

Saltmines by Meizong

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N155 GTR, December 2024.

Little run to my Parent's house on Boxing Day. Boy filmed this on the GoPro.

I love my truck. Rolling with my little girl, listening to Taylor Swift.

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Suzuki Bandit, Jan 2025

A little more work on the Bandit build. Wheels build up with new discs and sprocket. Engine fitted to make sure all the bolts are there and everything fits. Carbs are going to take a lot of work so that's the next big job. Engine will likely come out again to fit the carbs before it all goes back in.

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Suzuki Bandit, Dec 2024.

Bandit build progress. Hit a few initial snags but managed to get some building done today. Before I got the bike it was stripped for powder coating and all the bearings were removed. The middle two needle roller bearings had been knocked out of the suspension linkage but the outer races had been left in.

I took one look at it and decided they weren't coming out so bought a second hand one from eBay. I took the powder coated one to work to see if anyone there could get them out. One guy took a couple of days of welding, heating and cutting but he got them out so I was able to use the powder coated part. I'll keep the ebay part as a spare.

I pressed all the bearings in and knocked the races into the headstock which enabled me to start building the bike up. Both tanks I have are too rusty inside to use so I'll get one from eBay once I need it. The standard seat will go and a fibre glass seat unit will fit over the complete subframe with a thin foam pad for a seat.

The carbs weren't pretty when I opened the package they were in but I've cleaned them up as best I can. I will strip them further and probably get them Ultrasonically cleaned in due course.

Next step is to get bearings into wheels, valves fitted and tyres on so I can get the chassis rolling. Brakes will need complete new seal kits and calipers will likely get vapour blasted.

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Feels a bit odd reblogging my own stuff but saw a few of these in my timeline just now and it reminded me of this beauty I saw a few years ago.

Ducati. Cotswold Bike Night, Gloucestershire July 2018. 

Hasselblad 500C/M, 50mm, Kodak Portra 800. 

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Oulton Park 2024.

First meeting of the year and I got pulled for my front number being too small so I sorted it............

Pic was either taken by Paul Hunt or Gordon Brady. Not sure who.

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Bandit 600, December 2024.

Another Suzuki to the collection. This time a 600 Bandit.

I help co-ordinate and run a programme at the race club for people who want to go racing. The idea is that as a minimum they have to be a veteran and have never raced before. We provide a bike and help them to get their licence to compete.

This bike belongs to one of the mechanics and due to a medical condition he isn't capable of riding. He has stripped and prepared the bike but has struggled to get it back together. I've taken it on to get the bulk of the build done over the winter. All being well Dan, who owns the bike, will help me finish it prior to the new season starting.

The bike will then be used by one of the newcomers who passed his licence in October. The Bandits have their own class and it's a lot of fun and a level playing field so he should do well in his first season.

I'll post up as I progress with the build over the coming months.

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Herefordshire, October 2024.

Last run of the year before the bike gets taken off the road for hibernation. If the roads are dry and there is no salt down I will always try to have one last run on the road.

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Kinsham, October 2024

Finally got to the track with our little pit bike. Unfortunately it's not the tool for the boy to learn to ride and change gear on. He was revving it out and it was blowing oil out of the crank case breather. A combination of him not knowing what he was doing and perhaps a little too much oil in the motor. It is very race oriented as the previous owner set it up that way so I may even end up putting flat supermoto bars on it until he is up to speed.

We parked it for the day but thankfully the paddock is super friendly and someone lent us a couple of bikes to get him out there for the first time ever. He rode the mini-motor for a session and then right at the end of the day when most people had packed up he got out on 140 supermoto to learn to change gear.

I've since sorted our bike, different shift lever and lowered the oil level so all being well our bike will be working better for him.

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Pembrey, October 2024.

Never take life too seriously, far too short for that business.

A trip to Wales last month for a non-championship meeting to finish the year. What a weekend.

Helped another two riders get their licence, Nathan and Jumbo.

Jumbo raced straight away and managed to get a trophy on the mini-twin. Not bad going for first time out. Nathan will be joining us next year at the club.

Chris rode the 959 for the last time before it gets sold. He managed to bag his first ever trophy too. Shame to see my old Ducati Cup bike go but the team needs the money for next season so Chris will be back on his old GSXR600.

This is what it's all about. Hanging out, shooting the shit and riding our bikes. Proud of these lads.

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Pembrey, October 2024.

Had to ride Kato, I'd broken the Suzuki so the motor was getting fixed.

Whilst waiting for scrutineering. This fella floats around the queue checking for cameras on bikes so I grabbed a photo of him.

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1993 Ducati Supermono

(via 1993-ducati-supermono-motorcycle-stratas-auction (15)_1628547080.jpg (1000×667))

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Motorcycle Live. NEC Birmingham, November 2024.

My race bike on show following a mammoth rebuild, see previous post. Managed to stop Toprak too for a photo.

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Suzuki GSXR1000r, November 2024.

The Superstock bike that I crashed at the end of September. The frame went away to be checked and unbelievably it was straight so I guess the forks and yolks took the impact. The Engine has had the crack in the cylinder head repaired and it has had a full refresh, needs to go on dyno to be run in but it's all good.

These images were shot on my phone. I had just one week of evenings after work and a Sunday to get it finished so that it could go on display at Motorcycle live show in Birmingham.

I started on a Monday night and with the exception of the Thursday of that week I worked at least 5 hours a night. I had to collect my engine on the Thursday night so that went into the bike on the Friday. I finally finished everything at around 9pm on the Sunday. A tough rebuild given the time constraints but thankfully I had everything to build it so didn't get held up by parts.

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Brands Hatch, October 2024.

Two stills taken by a spectator and sent to me on Twitter. Lower quality image is a screen grab from the TV footage.

#riderok(ish)