Finally got to round up folks to watch the Valencia MotoGP finale last night. Gives me pangs for how long 'til 2018's track days... This poor thing isn't getting nearly the exercise it should, and that feels like a crime against machinery.
Finally got to round up folks to watch the Valencia MotoGP finale last night. Gives me pangs for how long 'til 2018's track days... This poor thing isn't getting nearly the exercise it should, and that feels like a crime against machinery.
Can't remember if I posted a pic of my 850 LeMans after the freshening and new paint, so here it is:
In reply to AWSX1686 :
I picked it up Saturday the 9th. It was snowing, so no ride. Put a few miles on it Sunday, but not enough to really get a good idea. It's been a long time since I've been on two wheels, so there's lots of rust to shake off me. As far as I know it's an inline 4 cylinder. My last bike was a carbureted, air cooled, piece of crap, so this will be a significant step up. Pretty sure this will be the last bike I ever buy. The exhaust note is a touch whiny, but I'll learn to live with it. I like the fact that there's no large hot piece of steel hanging off the right side. Only two and 1/2 more months until spring time in N.C.
I'm nearing completion of my '74 OSSA Phantom project, or at least stage 1 of said project. My father started building this bike when I was 12 or 13, and mothballed it when he saw how much the expansion chambers were trading for. I'm 30 now, so it's been going between the shop and the greenhouse for roughly 17 years now. I brought it home last November and have been pecking away at it as I find the time.
It's missing the high-strung Phantom / Stiletto motocross engine, and has the much more sedate Pioneer lump in it's place. The exhaust is a Six-Day Replica pipe that I modified into submission.
It should make a really fantastic woods bike; the lightweight cromo frame paired with the Enduro motor should be a winning combination. The plan is to title and plate it here in Washington state, since the laws allow such a thing.
I'll do a build thread if there is interest slash if I find the time.
There was an OSSA dealership about ten miles from my house when I was a kid. I remember their slogan, "OSSA, She's a Bear." The same shop also sold Norton, BSA and Ducati. Their building was kind of a pit, but the showroom was a cool place to hang out anyway.
Found this old pic of me probably from 1987.
ZX1000R Ninja, supposedly the 1st one sold in Illinois per the dealer in February or March of '86.
Kept the bike until 1999 and put over 70,000 miles on it.
Ran low 7's at the 1/8 mile strip at a bit over 100mph. Was just hitting 3rd gear at the finish line.
Nice!
My BIL's best friend from college was an editor at Cycle mag way back in the day. I still remember him brining over the first 1k Ninja in the US and I drooled all over it!
In reply to Rodan :
Thanks.
Up until I bought the Ninja, I was trading bikes every other year. Never found anything I liked better than that one.
I don't ride anymore, but sure miss that bike. It hadn't been out of the garage for 3 years when I sold it, but still looked good and ran like new. Or better. Had some carb work, mild cams, Yoshimura exhaust, Vance and Hines ignition and clutch and was re-geared.
I took it out for one last blast before the buyer showed up, almost changed my mind.
Found another pic of the Ninja. Looks like it could be the same day.
I'm 6' tall, just for a height reference of the wheelie. The bike was a bit of a handfull off the line, but was a lot of fun. I usually did a much better job of launching it, but I REALLY wanted to beat the guy in the foreground. I don't recall his name, but he was a bit arrogant and very consistent. Sub 5 second bike, turbo, big displacement Kaw IIRC.
And a pic of my '72 H2.
Bored to around 830cc's, Fast by Gast top end and clutch, 40mm Mikunis, air shifter, stock-ish tranny. Swing arm was stretched 6", home made struts and wheelie bar.
Don't recall the brand of the chambers. Ran on a mix of Turbo Blue race gas and a nitroparaffin additive.
Best time in the 1/8 was 6.70's and a little over 100mph.
I only had around $2K in the bike in the late 80's.
I picked this one up last month.
Got it from Max in NH and had it shipped 4 weeks ago. The day before it arrived I got the flu, so today was the first day I was able to really take it out. I put 50 miles on it and could not be happier, have not ridden for 2 years.
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