New Racefit website

Racefit have a new website up and running. It's iPad-friendly too.
I visited them again and picked up the titanium Legend they made for the Black Arrow and a titanium paddock stand too. Very happy. G

 A detail of my exhaust.

 A bike with taste - Racefit Legend and RCD rearsets.

 Racefit titanium paddock stands.

 Spondon GSX-R in for new system.

 Jon Racefit's new hauler.

Jon (in an old SB T-shirt) and his wife Tam.

Goodwood Festival of Speed

More day job related fun...

Long shadow... Left home at 5am for the ride to the Goodwood Festival of Speed because...

I'd been promised a ride on Johnny Rea's full-on 2011 Castrol Honda Superbike. On cold slicks, not detuned, so 220bhp. It was a pussycat, the speed I rode it. What a cool experience. Shame about the crap phone pics.
Cam Donald, Sam Lowes, Tom Sykes, Craig Martin.
I parked it up against the post, then went for a cup of tea. The bike just pulling up is one of those ridiculous turbine bikes with the helicopter engine. The rider crashed it, spectacularly, in the afternoon run. It's ok, now one was watching. Er...Keith Amor TT bike and 1998 Aaron Slight WSB RC45.
Ron Haslam Honda RS1123 F1 bike
1990 (I think) Lawson YZR500 just about to be lent against a post in the ground.

Sir Alan Cathcart, the world's most widely read motorcycle journalist, said lots of nice things about Sideburn. He's been reading it since issue 1 and promised a bunch of interesting bikes for future issues. Behind him is bike designer John Keogh and Maximum Bob Steffano - El Crusher!
Freddie Sheene, Barry's son, on the Turbo Suzuki Icon. Someone has polished the tyres with silicone spray before he got on it. Not ideal.
The Irving Vincent, with Craig McMartin on board, came over from Australia. Absolutely stunning.
Waiting for the return back down the hill.Gorgeous Ringhini tiddler next to an S1000RR.
Keith Amor was riding. We talked about his amazing TT crash escape.
Two of the hundreds of amazing cars. The thing with the ironing board wing is a 1966 Chaparral Chevrolet. Miller Time is a 1983 Buick Regal NASCAR. I'd love a road version (in matt grey). That's Sideburn collaborator Fly the photographer on the right, shooting for his new project Accler8.com.

Goodwood is too much. There's just so much going on, so much to see that, especially when I'm trying to work, I get home and realise I didn't see half of it. I'll try go next year and not work.

The pits is great place to meet up with people. This is Robert Steffano (of Acme Rocket Bikes and now the new owner of Kosman Specialties), Roland Sands and me. GI

Steve's Spondon Sportster

From Steve in the North West of England

Ok. Here goes...!

Spondon aluminium frame with oil tank in headstock and swingarm ( last frame done by
Sweary Bob before he 'retired' ! ) - based on the architecture of the Norton
'Featherbead' frame.
Ohlins shock.
Spondon tank.
2001 Sportster 883 motor bored to a 1200. ( with chain drive conversion )- running a
semi-auto Rekluse clutch.
One-off exhaust done by Asbo Engineering with Supertrapp cans.
Aprilia Mille forks.
Mille bottom yoke with ABM top yoke conversion and ProTaper bars.
One off Excell rims on Talon hubs with cush drive rear ( by Central Wheel ).
Braking front and rear rotors.
ISR radial front brake master cylinder.
Brembo rear.
Brembo calipers front and rear.
LSL headlight and mounting brackets.
Koso digital speedo.
Autogage tacho.
XR750 replica seatunit with pad.
One-off wiring .

Sorry about the long list Gary! I've an even longer list of family and mates to thank for help with the build. Couldn't have done it without them. I was hoping to have it on the road soon but I've got an issue with the chain catching the frame in a couple of places so it looks like I'll have to strip the bike back to the frame to get the job done ! Ah well - it's problems I hope you don't encounter with your build.
Anyway, good luck with that and thanks again for the support.
Regards,
Steve

Work In Progress

Sent in by Steve Davies:

'The frame is a one-off designed by 'Sweary Bob' Stevenson at Spondon. It's loosely based on the Norton Featherbed frame, but built in ally and monoshocked. It's the last frame done by Bob before he retired and went to live in Cyprus. It's known to him as 'that piece of shit Harley' !!! I want a street-tracker look but also amalgamating bits of Ecosse Heretic, Confederate Hellcat and of course, XR750. The motor is a 2001 883 Sporty bored out to 1200. I'm having the crank hand-balanced and may replace the stock oil-pump for a Buell X1 pump to increase scavenging. Front end is Aprilia Mille, rear shock is Ohlins, wheels are Talon billet hubs laced to Excell rims. It will have a pair of Supertrapp cans (natch!), one-off stainless headers, plus a Rekluse semi-auto clutch as I have a right-arm Bracial Plexus.'