Home built FF by David Lucy. Donor bike purchased May 1997, completed bike MOT'd May 1999. I have reciepts for 2377:51 (more detail below), but the real cost was probably around 3000 pounds.
Specifications:
Wheelbase: 72"
Total length: 113"
Seat height: 20-24" (it slopes backwards)
Weight: 570 lbs
Weight distribution (unladen): 22/20 the greater part being on the front wheel
Donor: 1983 Honda VF750FD (Calif import)
Front suspension: standard
Steering: twin head and drag link (link made on single plane so no funny bearings)
Fuel: under seat 3 gal tank made in steel with GRP covering pumped by standard 12v pump
Brakes: standard
Drive: 2' over chain (not good)
Notes:
VF750FD engine is OK, lots of power, a bit thirsty (approx 40mpg), but smooth and reliable. Horrible to work on. It has an additional oil feed to the top end, and the cams are new by the previous owner. It has a little pitting on barrel No 2, which we believe was caused by a high nitrate fuel (USA) combusting to nitric acid.
The brakes were worrying at first because they feel spongy. On the road they're fine. The steering is good, but there is a resonance at 30 mph which still leads to violent tank slappers. This only happens occasionally and can be accelerated through. I shall fit a steering damper. The whole plot feels fine at speed, but is tricky at very slow speeds.
Development in the short term will consist of fitting a screen, widening the rear cage, and fitting a steering damper. Longer term I shall fit a jockey wheel to the chain to stop it slamming about so much. I shall also re-finish the bodywork for asthetic reasons, and re-pad the seat for comfort.
fig01
Taken in my father's workshop just after extending the frame. Here I was at the 'What do I do now'
stage.
fig02
This is the clearest picture of the frame extension I have. Because Honda went for some quite
elaborate swing arm bearing housings on the VF750FD I had to cut these out, then sandwich them
between two 'sides' made of 1.5mm sheet. The bar across the back is there just to give location. The
box in the middle was going to have been a battery and wiring box, but has since been removed and
replaced by the fuel tank. After this photograph was taken the box was made stiffer in the lateral
dimension by using more 1.5mm sheet in two triangular sections across the top. Needless to say the
whole thing was in a jig at the time.
fig03
This is what it looked like in November 1998. Frame painted, roll cages both front and rear,
suspension fitted, stearing working. Everything but the wiring and seat to make a rolling chassis.
fig04
Same thing but rear three-quater view. Notice how rear suspension has it's top mounting boxed in.
fig05
The first of the plastic bits. I used a GRP GSX750WT racing fairing (cheap) to base the front bit of
the fairing on. I chopped it about and attached the bits to the bike. Then filled the gaps with
ridged expanded polyurethene foam sheet (2" thick) (REPS) and glued it all together with
polyurethene foam intended for home DIYer's to bodge their walls with.
fig06
This is the lower half of the same frontal fairing. It looks pretty unappetising here. You can see
where corregated cardboard has been used to make ducting and other features on the fairing.
fig07
Exactly the same process for the rear bodywork, only no GRP precussor to base the shape on. In this
instance the steel roll cage is actually going to become part of the bodywork.
fig08
A little more of the process. Here the inside las a layer of chopped mat on the inside. This holds
it all together whilst you can then shape the outside to whatever you want.
fig09
A little later in the rear bodyworks gestation. The outside has been shaped and has a single layer
of mat on it.
fig10
All the major bodywork components are now attached 'dry' to the rolling chassis, and the bike is
substantially complete. But there is still a long way to go.
fig11
Plug for the front mudguard. First start with a mudguard, then add REPS and fill in the gaps with
sqirty foam. This will then be shaped, glassed over, a finish applied to the surface. Then a mold is
taken (three part in this case), and the final mudguard is a casting from the mold.
fig12
Same process with the rear mudguard as for the front. This photograph was taken just before a
finishing layer was applied to the plug's surface.
fig13
The completed machine minus the front bodywork. All the wiring, battery, and stearing mechanism can
be seen here.
fig14
Complete bike front view. The headlamp is from M&P and is listed as their streetfighter II lamp. The
lamp units themselves are mounted in a scratch built aluminium housing retaining them behind the
fairing, which just has holes cut into it to let the beams out. The front indicators are position
lights from a lorry's trailer.
fig15
Complete rear three-quater view. The rear lights are from a Peugot 205, the silencers are no-name
slip ons from AP.
fig16
complete machine front three-quater. The mirrors are Kawasaki GPZ replica from M&P and work really
well.
fig17
Complete bike full on LHS.
fig18
Complete bike full on RHS.
fig19
Seating area showing Willans harness. This was a four point designed for Caterham 7s, a five point
of the same style would be more suitable.
Budgeting
Source Items Cost
Racing Composites Fairing 170.00
David Silver Spares Carb rubbers etc 29.04
David Silver Spares Brake spares 92.88
David Silver Spares Head gasket 96.49
Crossley Bike Breakers CDI boxes 60.00
BMS Consumables 14.04
BMS Consumables 8.56
FWB Enginering (taps etc) 83.37
FWB (misc) 2.16
FWB Oil pipe 10.45
Fenner Chain 34.78
Machine Mart Tools 56.70
Machine Mart Tools 20.97
Machine Mart Tools 70.44
Machine Mart Tools 38.51
J.K.Hirst Battery 38.50
AP Motorcycles Disk and silencers 142.00
AP Motorcycles Donor bike 790.00
Europa Hoses 145.00
Europa Hoses 3.00
Europa Indicators 24.84
Europa Heat shield 22.58
Europa Seat belt 56.99
Vehicle Wiring Products Wires 39.55
Vehicle Wiring Products Wires 134.84
Screwfix Direct Tools 47.03
Screwfix Direct Tools 47.80
M&P Levers 69.40
M&P Tools 73.50
M&P Air filter 117.25
Farrant's Aluminium polishing 24.00
Motivation Seat 64.62
Hopkinsons Tools 3.21
Wicks Consumables 2.58
Wicks Consumables 16.48
Midland GRP Glassfibre 125.50
Midland GRP Glassfibre 167.44
Total (inc VAT) 2377:51
The costings above include only those items for which I can find a receipt. I estimate that there is probably another seven hundered pounds spent for which I cannot account. The items above only reflect the major item on the receipt: I didn't in fact spend one hundered and seventeen pounds on an air filter, it was an air filter plus another load of stuff.
Major Suppliers:
David Silver Spares, Unit 14, Masterlord Ind Est, Station Rd. Leiston. Suffolk, IP16 4JD, 01728 833020 - All Honda stuff - quick reliable service.
Racing Composites, Unit 20, Moorlands Trading Estate, Moorlane, Metherington, Lincs LN4 3HX, 01526 323536 (maybe fax) - Limited range of lightweight high quality GRP fairings for standard sportsbikes. Ideal for putting on your sportsbike in case you drop it and don't want to fork out 1500 from Suzuki. Also excellent for hacking about with.
Crossley Bike Breakers, Unit D, Handel Street, Bradford, BD7 1JB, 01274 395559 - Handy local breakers.
Fenner Power Transmission UK, (head office) PO Box 28, Whitebirk Ind Est. Blackburn, Lancs, BB1 5SR, 01254 674171 - Have outlets all over the UK - cheap chains thirty pounds as opposed to seventy for the same stuff.
AP Motorcycles, Cawdor Quarry, Snitterton Road, Matlock Derbyshire, DE4 2JH, 01629 584558 - Motorcyclists need no introduction to AP for bikes and spares
Europa Specialist Spares, Fauld Industrial Estate, Tutbury, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, DE13 9HR, 01283 815609 - Automotive people for car restorations and racing, do all sorts of useful stuff, expensive, but high quality products.
Vehicle Wiring Products, 9 Buxton Court, Manners Industrial Estate, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 8EF, 0115 9305454 - One stop shopping for wiring products
Screwfix Direct, Mead Avenue, Hounstone Business Park, Yeovil, BA22 8RT, 0500 414141 - Not a prostitution service as the name would imply, but cheap tools and consumables. Even more useful if your doing any work on you house. Mail order only, the phone number here is to get the catelogue.
M. Farrent, Alloy Polishing Service, 93 Dunkirk Road, Lincoln, LN1 3UJ, 01522 542366 - Will polish for you, or sell you polishing consumables and equipment. Quite a small concern so not always in the shop - does a lot of the kit car shows.
Motivation Design & Development, 129a Millrise Road, Milton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST2 7DW, 0782 542621 - For all the kart racers out there this lot will build you anything from a complete cart to individual components. I got a seat from them which I didn't use in the final build, but it was of deccent quality.
Midland GRP Supplies, Unit 7, Candleby Court, Candleby Lane, Cotgrave, Nottingham, NG12 3JG, 0115 989 0409 - GRP suppliers, will do various resin systems to order, has all sorts of weird and wonderful things in stock, and is ever so helpful and friendly. Quite small and suppiles to light industry normally, but welcomes visitors and small orders. A bit more expensive than Strand, but is local to me.
JK Hirst Ltd. 436 Thornton Road, Bradford, BD8 9BS, 01274 480388 - Local friendly bike shop - does MOTs on FFs.
