Hi Dick,
I vapour blast the aluminium before giving it 10 minutes at 70 deg-c in the ultrasonic tank.

Beautiful Baby Glyn, thanks for sharing your amazing work with us on the Forum. It really is an inspiration to see all the work and passion people have to show all of us. I am very grateful. Glad you saved her! Best Regards, Lou

I second that

Glynn, I am sure that all on the forum would be fascinated to see photos of your "Head Reversing" process stage by stage (as Carlo has done for his fantastic Moretti project).

To be able to observe such expertise and craftsmanship would definitely turn our heads

Cheers,

OK Chaps, I will get the camera out for this next batch , --- then try and remember to also use it.

Thanks Glyn ,

I've been missing important posts by not opening the topic , only looking at the last one - damn !

Awesome work Glyn. There's so many ways to build these bikes!! Brilliant!!

Been a bit busy at work lately so sorry for the lack of continuity on the 'Baby' project.
The bike was completed some weeks ago, so I took it to a classic meet at Hampton Downs for some track time to help with the set up.
The rider is fine young man (well, a lot younger than me !) with endless talent called Chris Swallow, who happens to be the son of my long time racing partner and good friend, old Bill. Chris moved to NZ a few years ago, immediately got stuck into the classic racing scene, and seems destined to enjoy his life on this side of the globe.

After having issues with the Pazon ignition, and finally surrendering to a completely different Boyer system to resolve them, we lost enough track time and free practice to relegate the remains of the weekend to trivialities of carbs and suspension rather than chasing a podium.
Then the new oil cooler split on a seam (Mocal 9 row). Fitted another new one, and that split, - in exactly the same place ! hmmm
Oil pressure is 85psi cold so I can only summise it must be a faulty batch. Piped it out of the equation for the rest of the event.

Got the carburation somewhere near on Sunday morning, going quite well, - then on the second lap Chris went missing. The recovery truck brought him and the bent bike back to the paddock. Just the usual sticky out bits and the fairing/seat really, unfortunately both sides though. He was undamaged (which is really lucky as he gets married next month), apart from further scuffing his leathers and the obvious attachment to embarrassment.

He lost the front exiting a bend. Looking at the tyre (Avon AM22), it isn't getting to temperature, aided by his 6' 2" lanky frame being pushed back on the bike and thus unloading the front. It seems we need more weight bias to the front.

The replacement seat is now 70mm further back, and have machined some alloy clipons clamped in 40mm forward extensions on the fork legs. Rear ride height is up by 30mm, forks dropped 20mm through the yolks, return damping increased and front tyre pressure dropped by 4psi, all creating a new starting point for next time.
Oh, and because he usually races the old bangers, the gear change is now switched to the right via a linkage either side and cross over shaft bushed through the swing arm pivot. Brake now fitted on the left. Simple.

The pretty pictures below were taken in pit lane just ten minutes before it slid down the track and urgently flipped over to flatten the other side. That's racing !

Speaking of the flip side, as luck would have it, we called in to Matakana (where Graeme Crosby lives) for an outdoor rock concert . Eleven thousand people showed up to see the UK band 10cc, Starship and Lynrd Skynyrd. Not quite Woodstock I know, but I never thought I would see Freebird played live. Every cloud ------ .