my first proper special build

[lcolin]

Hi

i've just started on my first build. I bought the bike around 15 years ago in pretty standard trim;


I originally carried out a few minor mods and ran it for a couple of years until.... on the day of princess Di's funeral i knew the roads would be dead (pardon the pun!) and went out for thrash which resulted in a fairly comprehensivly f***ed engine (but boy was it worth it - it was like the roads were closed!). Around this time Nick Daniels was breaking up his nitrous 7-up LC and i bought the running gear from this bike and fitted it. Then i met the missus, who became the wife and then the mother of my 2 children....... and the bike sat in my dads garage for a few years - till now.

I've decided that now is the time to lavish the attention on the bike that it deserves and so i have now stripped it right down to do a full nut and bolt rebuild.

This is how the bike looked before i fully stripped it;


For those of you who dont remember nicks bike, the swingarm and yokes (yokes not pictured) are one off spondon items (surprisingly lightweight considering the size of the swingarm) the wheels are Dymag's and i have also fitted AP calipers supplied and mounted by Harris engineering.


I'm currently trying to talk myself out of fitting a usd front end, as this would mean getting rid of the lovely spondon yokes, but i'm not winning so expect to see these yokes for sale on here soon (once i've clocked up my 25 threads and can access the for sale/wanted page).

Watch this space!

[Deleted]

good luck, already looks good before you have started,will keep my eye on it.

[Norbo]

Lovely as soon as i saw the wheels i thourght there nicks old set up . you have a good start mate . i see the delemor with the forks What to do, What to do, What to do ?

[lcolin]

Cheers norbo.

i seefrom your website that you must know nick?

I gather he's running big 4 stroke now, but do you know what became of his LC dragbike?

My build started with a view to running my bike as a street legal dragbike and would be interested to get in touch with anyone running LC dragbikes at any level (rwyb to full dragbikes like nicks one).

[Wez350]

WOW Nicks old wheels god that was back when i was building my Hellraiser lc.As far as i know Nick is running a big suzuki engined drag bike.

[seanrd]

Speak to Nick on Facebook, he's on BIG 4 strokes now running silly times.

[lcolin]

Wikid, Nice one wez - great to see so many pictures of it - that last one explains why 'my' rear tyre is so bloody squared off!!! Bloody hooligans!

[JonW]

Wow brings back some memories, I remember reading that mag and loving that article. Great to know some of that bike still exists and looking forward to see what you do with your rebuild.

[lcolin]

its funny because that was one of the most prominent LC specials at around the time that i was first getting into LC's, and it went a long way to getting me into modifying my bikes. It seems strange that i now own parts of it, hope when my bike eventually gets finished, it will look as good as the old 7-up one (but that paint job was not my cup of tea!!).

[lcolin]

Update time - and its not good.

Talk about half a step forward five steps back!!

Took the wheels to CSA Performance wheels (they've bought Dymag and now do all the manufacturing) who offered a good price to do a proper strip and re-furb of the wheels (i've heard of normal sandblasting companies ruining these magnesium wheels so didn't want to chance taking them somewhere else) for not too much money. They were extremely helpful, but unfortunatly where also the bearers of bad news. The rear wheel is damaged on the rim and they feel is not safe to be filled and repaired. This now poses the problem of needing a new rear wheel. Next problem is that they don't make them in this size anymore (haven't for years) so there is no straight forward swap. This now means my lovely spondon swingarm can't be used as it stands, as the nearest equivalent Dymag replcement is around an inch wider so probably wont fit in (i think that swingarm was built around the old wheel). The next problem is that if i'm going for a wider rear the front 100 width will look even more skinny than it already did (especially with the new Aprillia USD's that i've just bought from Norbo. So basically my whole running gear which i thought was sorted is now back to square one - start from scratch!

Think my wallet's in for a serious hammering!! Balls.

[lcolin]

Spoke to Nigel Kimber (NK racing) today for the first time - what a thoroughly bloody nice helpful bloke. Had a long chat and he wants me to pop by with the swingarm to see what we can work out. Also discussed plans for the new front end work, and as a result i feel much more positive about the whole situation. Just got to find time to make the journey up to leicester to see him. Want to get on with it now, so may have to take an afternoon off work to get there sooner rather than later.

[lcolin]

Update time again.

Went to see Nigel last weekend, and he says we can fit a 150 rear tyre in my exisiting swingarm, which i'm chuffed about. This weekend i went to see Larry at PDQ Motorcycle Developments. Glad i wasn't in a rush, but he was very helpful. So now have two new Dymag wheels on order, which will be run on a new 320 Brembo front disk, with Billet Brembo front four pot caliper, and rear set up as originally planned. Cheque book taking a hammering, but i'm only doing this once (at the moment) so might as well do it right.

[lcolin]

Bit (very) late but have just tryed to give you karma Seanrd for the article which i originally thought Wez posted. Hope it worked, but first time i've tryed to give karma.

[lcolin]

Six weeks down the line,and i rang Larry at PDQ earlier to see what was going on with my wheels (i.e when can i get them!), and got alot of "been a bit busy"and "waiting for so and so to get back to me....." etc. I realise that Dymag deal with lots of top racers etc and so i'm not too high up the list, but having been told 5 to 6 weeks, 6 weeks ago, i was understandably pi**ed off to be told that i shouldn't expect to get the wheels for at least another 6 weeks! Nigel at NK racing will get frame forks wheels and swingarm as soon as i receive my wheels, but until this point there's not alot i can be getting on with, and i'm getting REALLY frustrated.

[jonnyboybon]

Nov 5, 2011 1:08:02 GMT 1 lcolin said:

Six weeks down the line,and i rang Larry at PDQ earlier to see what was going on with my wheels (i.e when can i get them!), and got alot of "been a bit busy"and "waiting for so and so to get back to me....." etc. I realise that Dymag deal with lots of top racers etc and so i'm not too high up the list, but having been told 5 to 6 weeks, 6 weeks ago, i was understandably pi**ed off to be told that i shouldn't expect to get the wheels for at least another 6 weeks! Nigel at NK racing will get frame forks wheels and swingarm as soon as i receive my wheels, but until this point there's not alot i can be getting on with, and i'm getting REALLY frustrated.

Don't expect nk racing to be any quicker but like you say Nigel is a bloody good bloke and well worth the wait. His skill goes way beyond what I could live with. I know its hard when you got an itch but try to remain patient.

[lcolin]

Chased PDQ again today, and got the impression that something is finally happening. I'll hopefully know by this saturday 3rd dec when i'll be getting my wheels. At least it will be some progress - even if the next stage (NK Racing) may be equally as slow - its progress (at last) all the same!!

Meanwhile i have become the proud owner of Smads' lovely bespoke ally radiator from his TSS500 (and more to the point have found out that Smads lives just five minutes up the road from me, and is a really helpful, top bloke with all sorts of great contacts and knowledge which are sure to come in handy during my build (i'm a first timer with very limited knowledge) (this forum is invaluable!), and a couple of sets of new Spondon clip-ons which i got for a very good price thanks to their boss being on holiday!!

My biggest problem is still lack of workshop space which is my biggest bugbear.

Bring on the weekend, when i will hopefully get some good news, and see some sign of progress at last.

[Wez350]

Pm sent mate

[ianmac]

Great to see that article again you've part of the Lc folklore there......Looking forward to seeing the progress.....all the best with the rebuild.

[smads]

thanks....lol.
and colin one night if u dont mind id like to pop up and see yer bike?

[lcolin]

You more than welcome to pop round smads, but its in pieces all over the place at the moment - frame and engine in south mimms, rad and swinger in potters bar, wheels - god knows where, a few other bits in welham green..... you get the picture.

[lcolin]

At last - i've finally had the call from PDQ to say my wheels are ready for collection. It only took five months (although it would seem that five months is still not long enough for him to source my brake caliper that he said he'd sort out.)

[lcolin]

It only took five months - but finally wheels are here, along with new tyres courtesy of christyres, (thanks chris) and now i'm all excited as i'm off to NK racing in the morning. I realise i'm probably in for another long wait now, but at least its progress. Things are finally starting to happen!!



(p.s - chris, you know when you you asked me which side the disc was going and i said left?? i should have said right! it seems i have asked you to fit my front tyre back to front!! When i get it back from NK i'll see if you could swap it over for me.

[arrow]

Worth the wait I think. Nice rubber you have on those wheels.

[skidave]

very nice,,

[lcolin]

thanks guys.

My visit to NK was great, i was filled with confidence and renewed enthusiasm and i'm now even more excited about the whole project. It was nice to finally get some positive news about the build. 8 to 10 weeks to wait now, but at least i can start getting on with a few other bits now.

[billy]

Those wheels looks SO much better now man! Really nice.

[christyres]

Not a problem mate bring it down when your ready ill turn it round ,thanks Chris

[pepsisteve]

nigels doing some stuff for me and he is a top bloke!

[lcolin]

Is it just me, or is building bikes seriously bad for your state of mind? Its getting to the point where i can't function in normal society because all i want to talk about is my bike. Trouble is, there's very little to talk about! Word from NK Racing is that i may (and thats only MAY) be able to pick my stuff up early next week. Meanwhile this summer (such as it is) is slipping by and my chances of having a bike up and running are slipping further and further away as the weeks pass.

I'm slowly assembling more and more bits but the trouble is that the more time i have on my hands, the more ambitious my plans get.

I know i'm getting obsesive as i've even got as far as mentioning it to my wife.

When will it start being fun?

[kennyroberts]

pretty much my thoughts exactly , the closer i get to pulling bits together the fussier i get on the finish and it takes longer and longer !, you have some cracking kit together for yours, should lok amazing , im watching with interest !