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Post by oldbritguy on Aug 27, 2019 21:35:00 GMT 1
A mate of mine dropped by for a brew this afternoon on his slightly modified Harley sportster. He bought it new in 1991 and covered about 300k on it. He rides everywhere on it. Over the years he has changed just about everything on it except the front part of the frame and the crankcases. Almost like Trigger's broom. Frame geometry has changed a bit but the handling is pretty good, a lot better than a standard sportster though. Modern running gear shed a whole load of weight and the motor has been worked up top with a dyno set up Mikuni into Supertrapp headers into a yosh can. This thing can shift. It is a bit of a head turner so I thought I would stick a couple of pics up. The "Live to ride, ride to work" mob hate it lol. I wonder why? John
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Post by paulincayman on Aug 28, 2019 0:19:36 GMT 1
that looks interesting .Must be a hoot to ride.
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mt
Thrash Merchant
Posts: 489
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Post by mt on Aug 28, 2019 15:01:36 GMT 1
I like that
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Post by oldbritguy on Aug 28, 2019 22:27:07 GMT 1
Yeah, different just about covers it. A proper home made hybrid using whatever he could pick up on fleaBay and anywhere else for that matter. Aprilia, Ducati, Fireblade and Buell just to name some of the donors on this particular specimen with loads of carbon and one off engineering stuff too. He is a Yorkshireman living in Glasgow so has the best of both worlds when it comes to haggling for a bargain haha. The good thing about it is that it gets used daily for thrashing about, nipping down to the offy, and even the odd track day. Not many others like it about as far as I know and yes, it is a total hoot to ride.
John
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Post by veg on Aug 31, 2019 4:55:56 GMT 1
Cool as and 300k that is brilliant. The fact he has kept it for nearly 30 yrs. top bike .
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Post by headcoats on Aug 31, 2019 9:34:25 GMT 1
Not sure about the tail unit but like it a lot and as I'm a Buell owner :-)
Is that swing arm an old Spondon job ?
Is the tank a one off or from another bike ?
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Post by veg on Aug 31, 2019 13:29:23 GMT 1
Looked at the swing arm and initially thought xr1200 then looked closer after you said that deffo not xr but v nice, Ducati 900ss tank though..
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Post by oldbritguy on Sept 1, 2019 0:23:55 GMT 1
Not sure about the tail unit but like it a lot and as I'm a Buell owner :-) Is that swing arm an old Spondon job ? Is the tank a one off or from another bike ? Yes the swing arm is a modified Spondon job. We think it was originally for a Firestorm, flipped upside down and braced to take the Ohlins into the monoshocked frame. Flipped over to accommodate the fixings for the rear brake and final drive being on the other side on the sportster. Front end from an Aprilia RSV with Fireblade top yoke machined to fit Carbon wheels came from an R1 modded to fit back and front. The carbon tail unit holds a beautiful hand made oil tank which at the time I suggested should be on show, and a recessed LED tail lamp which is why the tail unit is the shape it is. 1200 cylinders with worked Buell heads and a lightened bottom end, this old bus can show a clean pair of heels to a lot of modern sportsbikes. It is quick! Veg is spot on with the 900ss tank which had the underside cut and shaped and welded to fit the frame which is also modded to hold all of the electrics, battery and ignition modules. Kicked up at the back as this thing has a tendency to get the front wheel airborne now and again lol. That and loads of other one off fabricated bits like every other special make this a wee bit different in a lot of ways, and it is still evolving. Hybrids never sit still. John
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