It's a black one

[Kendog]

It was interesting to read the description of my previous bucket plan.

Those that know me know I am not a mechanical type, preferring to get things serviced or repaired by others. I am also lazy so the thought of building a decent bucket did not really appeal to me.

So the plan was to let someone else do the hard work and buy a ready done bucket. I had my eye on a couple on Trade Me, but they had older engines that may need work to keep them going. So a new plan was formulated to get a Loncin engine and 'simply' put it into a frame and get riding.
That was sooooo not the right plan for a 'ready done bucket' Even after countless hours I still had so much more I wanted to do to get the bike right.
On the positive side, I have learnt so much over the past year. But I was over it :argh:

I was thinking about what to do next, keep working on the Loncin or get something else. I had been contemplating picking up a FXR, stripping it down and turning it into a bucket.

Then I saw a black FXR on TM. All the bucket building work was done, just put numbers on and go racing. Perfect. A little bit of research and it turned out Bren chch was selling it. Ironically he had sold me the RG frame I used on the Loncin bucket a year ago. There is a great thread (http://www.fxr150.co.nz/discussion/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=101)on FXR150.co.nz showing the building of it and Brendan sent me some more info via email. After one night sleeping on it I hit 'buynow' and it was mine. Three days later it was in my garage :2thumbsup

So, this is how I wanted my bucket to be last time round. Took it for a ride down a quiet road, felt really good.
First time on the track was the 2 hour endurance event. I felt a lot quicker than the last bike straight away, but had carb issues (it fell off three times :oi-grr:)

Since getting it I have added a RS tail (I need to get some gloss black paint for this), replaced the exhaust (thanks Sketchy and Skunk for your help), added clipons, replaced the throttle, swapped the rear slick for a wider one, braced the carb :laugh:, swapped the front and rear sporckets, new chain and added nylon to all the right places.

Spent yesterday on the track with F5Dave giving me some very helpful riding tips, thanks Dave.

The more I ride this bike the more I like it. Bring on Taupo.

[Skunk]

Bastard. A grade for you!

[James Deuce]

Dude, Bren is the man. I saw the secret workshop when I was down in Christchurch in August and I can safely say that any performance issues will be in your head.

I just had an idea too.

Hang on, I need to book a ferry trip........

[Kendog]

Bastard. A grade for you!
A quick bike does not make a quick rider, I still have much to learn.

[woodyracer]

A quick bike does not make a quick rider, I still have much to learn.

but a quick bike makes a slow rider faster :buggerd:

[Henk]

Kendog

I went in with the same "Buy something done" attitude and bought a CB125S for cheap with the idea that I didn't want to spend a heap of time and coins building a bucket only to find that buckets weren't my cup of tea. Did one practice day and one race meet and two months after I bought the old nail was the proud owner of a crash damaged FXR as well. Then I started on the conversion.
Bike collected on tuesday, raced that weekend with the headlight and tail light replaced with duct tape and some nylon fitted. a month after that the build was almost complete with a tailpiece and number board from Hazzard and a fair bit of work with an angle grinder, GSXR wheels fitted and the hmurphy pipe mod. The following month a GN carb had found it's way into the mix via trade me and the pegs got raised thanks to some scrap ali in the garage. Job now pretty much done.
To anyone considering getting into this game I'd recommend the FXR conversion, it has to be about the easiest build out there, all you really need to do to have a bike that you can go out and play on is some quality time in the shed with a grinder.
I had thought that I was no faster on the FXR than on the old girl, just felt more comfortable on it and riding it is easier with no 20 year old gearbox quirks and missing the throttle that has to be used as a switch on the cb due to the cavernous hole in the mid range. Then bloody Sydwyz put a stop watch on me on Sunday for some obscure reason and showed me that I've gone from high 36s to mid 32s. Looks like the FXR just threw me out of the B grade.

[nudemetalz]

Well done, Nigel.
The bike looks fantastic !!!!

Good luck for Taupo.

[F5 Dave]

Is that your back yard view? I feel a BBQ coming on if it is.:cool:

Was a pleasure at the track, gave me the chance to fix the float height issue I'd introduced on the dyno & some time to think about my own riding. Did you get back to the track Wednesday? If not just keep thinking about those things & practice in your head.

What was the result of the 'breather' pipe? Vacuum hose or genuine breather?

[Trudes]

Yes, well.:calm:
FXRs still suck, real men ride two-strokes.:laugh:
Anyway...... you're definitely more comfortable on this one and Dave's tuiton is doing something, you were fair hooning around yesterday and looking real smooth and settled. :niceone:
I agree with Skunk, I reckon you'll be hard to beat in B grade next year..... A grade here you come!:banana:

[nudemetalz]

HOWEVER....I hear there's a mighty force coming next year to topple everyone over in B-Grade on a nice light blue Loncin/RGV.... ;) :girlfight: :buggerd:

[Kendog]

Is that your back yard view? I feel a BBQ coming on if it is.:cool:

Was a pleasure at the track, gave me the chance to fix the float height issue I'd introduced on the dyno & some time to think about my own riding. Did you get back to the track Wednesday? If not just keep thinking about those things & practice in your head.

What was the result of the 'breather' pipe? Vacuum hose or genuine breather?
Unfortunately that is not our view, but the new houses going up there will be very nice.
I was on the track again on Wednesday, was great being able to practice what we had discussed again so soon.

I am still looking into the carb.

[jasonu]

What's that clamped to the right fork? Surely not a catch bottle right next to the front wheel.

[kiwifruit]

Looks mean, good luck for Taupo :rockon:

[Pumba]

What's that clamped to the right fork? Surely not a catch bottle right next to the front wheel.

My guess would by nylon track crash protection

[jasonu]

Na man have another look. It looks like a bit of alcathene pipe strapped to the lower fork. I am stuffed if I can figure out what it might be fore. Certainaly not track protection.

[Trudes]

large lumps of nylon for track protection.

[Kendog]

Na man have another look. It looks like a bit of alcathene pipe strapped to the lower fork. I am stuffed if I can figure out what it might be fore. Certainaly not track protection.
It's nothing exciting, just some nylon block I had in the garage hose clamped to the fork so the axle can't touch the ground.

[gav]

I've ridden that bike, it seems strange when you first get on it, revs so fast. Had no rev counter so I had no idea what it was revving to, where as mine does. Only had one six lap race but i reckon I went alot faster than my own bike, so easy to ride too. Told Bren it needed a tail section to finish it off, not just for looks, it felt like the standard seat was a bit high, but again my bike has a lower seat than standard too, maybe just what Im use to.
Good to see youve made some mods to make it ven better, its a cool bike, enjoy!

[Bren_chch]

different engine gavinator! :cool: its in the bike i loaned to warwick but modded a bit more now! wooop!


I've ridden that bike, it seems strange when you first get on it, revs so fast. Had no rev counter so I had no idea what it was revving to, where as mine does. Only had one six lap race but i reckon I went alot faster than my own bike, so easy to ride too. Told Bren it needed a tail section to finish it off, not just for looks, it felt like the standard seat was a bit high, but again my bike has a lower seat than standard too, maybe just what Im use to.
Good to see youve made some mods to make it ven better, its a cool bike, enjoy!

[Muzzab]

Fark me, if ever an evil looking beast deserved #13 that had to be it.
Talk about the "Dark Side", good on you, may the force be with you :0)
Cheers Muzza

[Kendog]

Bring on Taupo.
What a great event. This really is one every racer should try and get to. Great track and racing, nice relaxed atmosphere, huge yummy feed + alcohol + live band at the end of the first day, another huge feed and alcohol at prize giving at the end of the second day.

I was rapt with how well the bike went, it never missed a beat. On the first day I quickly discovered I had the wrong gearing. Bert to the rescue again with a 14 front sprocket that I fitted ready for day 2.

Day 2 and the weather was a little marginal, but luckily the buckets had mostly dry track conditions. The GP qualifying had me on the grid next to a couple of riders I race with in Wellington (Skunk and All450s) Both these guys I would rate as faster than me, so my aim was to stick with them in the GP.
I got a pretty good start in the 10 lap GP, coming out of turn 1 I was in front of Skunk and All450s :2thumbsup and was a little way behind Malcolm Skachill (riding on his son Glens bucket). I decided to make my aim now to stick with Malcolm as he had been riding consistently in front of me at a pretty good pace.
The first 5 laps of the GP were awesome, I was feeling really good on the bike and had Malcolm just in front of me. I could see Skunk and All450s a fair way behind me on pit straight so was really rapt with how it was all going. Then the red flags came out, Richban had had a 'little' off and was knocked out. Glad you are feeling better now Rich, you were really flying out there and were in contention for the GP win for sure.

We formed up back in the pit area and went out in the grid positions based on the first 5 laps. I got another pretty good start and caught up to Malcolm again. We caught up to another rider that seemed to be going really slowly, but then sped up when we arrived. Malcolm got passed but I didn't and I fell behind a little. My concentration dropped and then out of no where I was passed by two bikes, one of them being All450s :argh:
I simply couldn't catch these guys and felt like I circulated for the last couple of laps to the finish.

The last two races of the day I was off the pace. I couldn't get my head back into racing and could not catch the guys I had been riding with in the morning.

Overall I am pretty happy with the weekend. I have plenty to work on riding wise, and now I feel I have a good bike to help me improve my riding with. (I was about 20 seconds per lap faster than last year)
Next year I aim to take another 10 seconds of my time :)

[James Deuce]

20 seconds.

You might find you have to work 10 times harder to get 2 seconds more off that next year, so maybe wind the expectations back a bit and then crow loudly when you do knock 10 seconds (seriously once you get to the pointy end of the field a 10th of a second is something to crow about).

Very well done.

[Grahameeboy]

They say that once you go black you never go back

[Kendog]

20 seconds.

You might find you have to work 10 times harder to get 2 seconds more off that next year, so maybe wind the expectations back a bit and then crow loudly when you do knock 10 seconds (seriously once you get to the pointy end of the field a 10th of a second is something to crow about).

Very well done.
I was still slow this year, 10 seconds would put me mid pack. The bike is easily capable of doing it (7 of the top 10 finishes were on FXRs).
Going 10 seconds faster is a mental game and a target I am going to have a serious crack at.

[ajturbo]

in all of Quassi's photo's, you were not far behind me matey!!!!

great looking bike and i am glad you were behind me..

lol

[all4A50s]

I was impressed with your riding. You looked alot more confident in all aspects and are developing a brilliant smooth style.

[Number One]

I was impressed with your riding. You looked alot more confident in all aspects and are developing a brilliant smooth style.

Actually Mr Kendog was already blessed to behold a brilliant smooth riding style...he comfortably pisses off into the distance when out road riding twisties.

Nice that he has a race bike which better suits him and MMMM that sexy black thing does ride nicely :blip:

Sounds like you had a good time MR K don't forget though to enjoy the day beyond what your times are to keep that bucket racing fun alive