In race fairing project news, after getting back from the gym yesterday afternoon, I knuckled down and made a start on making the ram air covers that were absent from the fairing. If the bike were only every used on the track, I probably wouldn't have bothered, but as I have to ride to the track, I felt it was worth a shot.
I broke out the Dremel multitool and cleaned up some of the surface area on the inside of the fairing where I wanted to secure the metal gauze. Once happy I'd got most of the excess glue and crap out the way, I cut two bits of gauze to size and started to bend and manipulate them into shape.
I broke out the Dremel multitool and cleaned up some of the surface area on the inside of the fairing where I wanted to secure the metal gauze. Once happy I'd got most of the excess glue and crap out the way, I cut two bits of gauze to size and started to bend and manipulate them into shape.
Knowing full well that it didn't have to be the neatest job in the world, I made up some epoxy resin and started to secure everything down and then to top it off, I secured the outside of the gauze with some black duct tape. I then left everything to harden overnight.
I'm happy with the result, and really hope that the heat from the headlight doesn't have a detrimental effect.
In other news, after work today I headed back to Hughenden Triumph and spoke with Robert Rooney, the sales manager (I believe) about the '02 FireBlade I saw on Friday. I'd arranged a test ride and so took the bike for a spin around Oxford. My first thought was just how civilised the Honda felt. This could have been because I have either been beating myself up on the 1098s, or because the Blade genuinely is a very comfy bike. It was a really strange feeling, it almost felt like a tourer, which when you consider its a Sportsbike with 150bhp, was somewhat unexpected.
In other news, after work today I headed back to Hughenden Triumph and spoke with Robert Rooney, the sales manager (I believe) about the '02 FireBlade I saw on Friday. I'd arranged a test ride and so took the bike for a spin around Oxford. My first thought was just how civilised the Honda felt. This could have been because I have either been beating myself up on the 1098s, or because the Blade genuinely is a very comfy bike. It was a really strange feeling, it almost felt like a tourer, which when you consider its a Sportsbike with 150bhp, was somewhat unexpected.
Other observations include that compared to the 1098s, it felt noticeably slower. Its not a slow bike by any means, and I know that the big twin has 100+cc more displacement, but in all honesty, it didn't feel that much quicker than I remember the ZX7R being. The mirrors work, the clutch is light, the engine very well behaved at low rpm, which would make it perfect for commuting. The condition of the bike was very good. It needed a bit of a clean, but that's a very minor thing. There was one small crack on one part of the rear fairing, both tyres were two years old and the front brakes need a strip and a clean followed by some premium pads. After talking for 25mins, I put down a deposit knowing full well that it I didn't I'd regret it on the way home.
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