Project Supermoto - Outtomunch comes out of retirement

Well, after several years of resting on the laurels of my short but (un)succesful racing carreer I have decided to come out of retirement and take up the challange of getting up a hill as quick as I can without falling off

A short history:

Back in the late 90's I competed my then 'road bike' (a 636cc Rotax engined CCM) in NORA Supermoto rounds. After succesfully bagging 3 last places, 2 second from last places and a DNF in group C I decided that SM was far too rufty tufty for my delicate nature (seriously though, coming off tarmac onto dirt at high speed on nothing but cut slicks whilst riders either side were banging bars was way too scarey for me!) and found myself racing on and off for thext few years with the NHCA in the far more gentlemanly sport of Hill Climbing.

Then, having to sell the CCM to help finance my GS, I was forced into early retirement.

Having mentioned this to an extremley generous member of this site he lent me his Armstong MX bike (essentially a CCM), the plan being that I would SM it and use it for Hill Climbing.
Then came my accident on the GS last year and as a result of the injuries to my hip I just can't kick a bike over any more so that rulled out using the Armstrong.

Coincidentaly, the day I got out of hospital, HRH's DRZ arrived on a pallet, via DHL from the wilds of Onyakistan and, once the cracks in my hip had healed I have been using it since the new year to bimble around the green lanes of Derbyshire

In the mean time, some friends that I used to race with have got back into Hill Climbing and have been nagging me to give it a go again. It took a while for me to realise I could use the DRZ as I was fixated on having to get a 'competative' bike.
This was of course ridiculous as a) you could provide me with a full works KTM SMR and I'd still come last and b) the beauty of Hill Climbing is that your really can use any bike.
Unless you are one of the quick boys (and they are REALLY quick!) then it's all about bettering your last time and 'getting that run of bends linked properly' - really you're just competing against yourself. Absolute times are meaningless, so the type bike is, to an extent, irrelevant.

So, a plan was hatched.

I have entered the Curborough Hill Climb on the 27th July to give myself a target to aim for and just need to get the bike prepped.

I now have a braided front brake line (with wrong fittings) and, as of yesterday, a pair of sexy 17" wheels complete with a front Michelin Pilot racing wet and sexy Braking fully floating 320mm disc.

All I have to do now is -

a) Wash all the mud of the DRZ
b) Get a new brake line and fit it
c) Fit the wheels
d) Drill and wire the oil drain bolts.
e) Remove the side stand
f) Tape up the lights
g) Make up some race numbers for the side panels and headlight cowl with black
electrical tape


- and I'll have myself a race bike; it's as easy as that

I'll load up some pictures this evening, and, as the bike takes shape over the next week.

In the mean time, a couple of questions for anybody running 17" wheels please.

What tyre pressures(ish) do you use and what size sprockets are you running?

Andres

What CD player are u going to fit ?

Have a chat with Eurosport Andres..........they might be interested in covering your first race, since they lost the Moto GP rights.


Have fun either way

Brilliant Project, keep us posted, may even come and watch you.

AJ

In no particular order: Thanks, Micromega and for some reason they weren't interested

Here 's a wee pictorial history then..........................

Take one ex HRH DRZ, move it to Derbyshire and let it have a lie down



Stood up it looks like, well, any other DRZ (but much nicer )



Get it in the garage and take some bits off



being very careful not to strip the cross-head holding the reservoir cover on 'cos if you do round it off it then takes ten times as long to remove it with a centre puch



Take one nice braided front hose



and find that it doesn't fit without a kink in the line 'cos some muppet has put the banjos on 180' out

then take a trip to Scarborough to pick up a very sexy front brake caliper spacer from those nice peeps at Talon



together with some very sexy black and gold wheels



one of which has been fitted with a fully floating dinner plate




to be continued.............................

Outtomunch said:

......In the mean time, a couple of questions for anybody running 17" wheels please.

What tyre pressures(ish) do you use and what size sprockets are you running?

Andres

Click to expand...

There's a big DRZ forum over at http://www.thumpertalk.com/ although you probably already know that.
Good luck with the project and I found a place to order my master cylinder screws today so thanks for your help on that.

Having spoken to Hel about the brake line they reckoned I could rotate the banjos by holding the crimped collar and turning the banjo.

With some trepidation I gave it a go and it worked a treat. Suitably orientated the line was at last fitted.



Next up was to prime and bleed the brakes - not one of the easiest I have ever done but after much pumping and cursing I started to get some pressure in the system. There is still some air in there so I've just been back out to the garage and put the front brake on - hopefully it will have cleared the air by tomorrow.



The back wheel is running a 160 tyre which means that a) it wouldn't fit in the swing arm without removing the chain guide and b) the chain rubs the tyre - in the past I've taken a Stanley knife to the edge of tyres to give a bit of extra clearance. For now I'll keep an eye on this one and see how it goes.

A new chain (shorter) was also fitted as I'm now running a 40 tooth sprocket.



Then came fitting the front end. The standard wheel has one spacer and the Talon wheel has two, but didn't seem to need both of them



Off course, once all was assembled, it was apparent that it DID need two spacers so it all came apart again, extra spacer put in place and reassembled - cool

The disc is a 320mm Braking item and I'm using a Talon bracket which cleverly replaces the sliding half of the standard caliper and at the same time spaces it out to fit.

Problem is there is very little room between the disc and the wheel. Not enough room, infact to get the caliper onto the disc
It took a while to suss out but I eventually took the caliper apart, put it on the disc and then rebuilt it in situ



Nuts and bolts were done up and tools put away and I was left looking at this



She's just come in from a quick spin around the block.

Amazingly she's not a lot lower, even with smaller wheels

The gearing seems about right

The front brake is sh1te, it's binding and there is still air in the system
As mentioned above I've 'left the brake on' to get rid of some air but, as for the binding, it's back out in the garage again tomorrow and take the front end apart and see what's going on

Good night

Andres

Educate me here...why small wheels for hillclimb..

Ps. Looks lovely....

alimey4u2 said:

Educate me here...why small wheels for hillclimb..

Ps. Looks lovely....

Click to expand...

Mainly 'cos knoblies would be no good for this





It's all on tarmac and, to just to be a bit more confusing, not all the tracks are hills (such as Curborough where I'm hoping to compete)

Check out the NHCA site here for all the info.

Andres

Brake fade is a big problem on the DRZ when hammering it. You can get a carbon piece for the front that forces air onto the front pads (see eBay it's by RPP).

snoopy said:

Brake fade is a big problem on the DRZ when hammering it. You can get a carbon piece for the front that forces air onto the front pads (see eBay it's by RPP).

Click to expand...

At the moment it's more a case of not working than fade

The big disc should disipate the heat better and be less inclined to fade but the proof will be in the pudding as they say.

Andres

Outtomunch said:

Mainly 'cos knoblies would be no good for this


It's all on tarmac and, to just to be a bit more confusing, not all the tracks are hills (such as Curborough where I'm hoping to compete)

Check out the NHCA site here for all the info.

Andres

Click to expand...

Thanks for the education...

Yeah probably, I just remembered how bad it was on the stock disc.

Check out ...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Air-Scoop-DRZ...10534QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

They do other carbon fibre stuff most of it is cheaper than alu / stainless equivalents! I have the side guards.

Well, got home from work and straight into the garage with a fresh pair of eyes

Off comes the caliper and apart it comes. Out pop the pistons and lo and behold lots of gunky corrosion around the seals - this has obviously been stopping the pistons returning fully in the caliper. Not an issue for the skinny dirt bike disc but the Braking disc is nearly twice as thick and this is what was causing the brake to drag.

Some wet and dry, a small screwdriver and 30 mins later the front brake is as good as gold

So, now for it's first 'shake down and scrub in the rear tyre ride' and, well, it all works...........brilliantly
The steering's a bit slower than I'd like it but I reckon that can be sorted by raising the forks in the yokes, other than that it's pretty much spot on.

It always takes me by surprise how just changing the wheel size changes so dramaticaly the whole nature of a bike. With different gearing, limitless grip and a front brake that is just awsome the little DRZ trail bike turns into such a fun hooligan tool.

More peeps should do it, it's such a cheap way to have two (good) bikes

So all that's left to do is:

Raise the forks
Wash the bike
Drill the drain bolts and lock-wire
Drinks can catch tank for the oil breather
Make up race plates once I get my number.

Just have to keep my fingers crossed that my race entry is accepted; it went in a bit late......................



Andres

I always raise the legs in the yokes to quicken the steering - is that what you mean?

EDIT - erm, so a bit sticks out the top!

An interesting thread Andres. Good luck with the racing.

ovenpaa said:

I always raise the legs in the yokes to quicken the steering - is that what you mean?

EDIT - erm, so a bit sticks out the top!

Click to expand...

That's the one, so a bit sticks out the top

Andres

I've been away since Friday at a festi so nothing has been done to the bike 'till this evening.

I had hoped that when I got home yesterday I'd have a brown SAE on the doormat with my entry and race number but, having eagerly opened my front door there was nothing, nada

Feeling a bit worried I managed to get hold of one of the organisers who didn't seem that concerned, apparantly there had been a few mislaid forms and he felt sure that I'd have no problem getting onto the starting grid - just turn up, you'll be fine he said

So, that's the plan, turn up and hopefully get a punt at the track.........

Black masking tape is defo the order of the day for race numbers as I won't get a number 'till I get there

So, on with the bike prep - not stricly needed for the race but I needed a heat shield for off roading (or at least my melted trousers do). However, as I have a 'Power Bomb' header there is no fixing point for the front of the heat shield.

One jubilee clip and some dodgy welding later



and I have a mounting point and a heat shield - the writing on the barrel is the engines stroke, supposedly required in order for noise testing at the circuit.



Next job was to drill out the spare drain bolts I'd bought.



Because I'm a lazy git the plan was to lay the bike on the side and quickly swap over the bolts without (hopefully) loosing too much oil and then wire them up
Just as I lay the bike over, Nick, one of my partners in crime rang and I told him what I was doing.
You don't need to do that, he says and proceeds to explain how him and the other guys don't bother and have never been picked up in scrutineering. Are you sure I ask, no probs he says. How about a catch tank I ask? (I'm having real problems finding where to put my Red Bull can without fouling the swing arm). Again, no probs, he says, don't bother, he doesn't............mmmmmm......

Well, as I said, I'm a lazy git so have done as he says I will, however, be taking my drilled bolts with me at the weekend, just incase

Oh yeah, and the other thing I've done tonight is drop the yokes, hopefully to speed up the steering and I've dropped the tyre pressures to 24 F and R and wound up the damping a bit. Trouble is I won't get a chance to ride the thing 'till Saturday morning before setting off to Curborough so fingers crossed it works!

Andres (as organised as ever )

Most event require you to write both bore and stroke on the engine for the noise tester. Just checking, though scrutineering doesn't sound that onerous, from your comments.
Good luck, let us know how you get on.
Mark

earthmover said:

Most event require you to write both bore and stroke on the engine for the noise tester. Just checking, though scrutineering doesn't sound that onerous, from your comments.
Good luck, let us know how you get on.
Mark

Click to expand...

Thanks Mark

I've double checked and the regs defo. state stroke only but, yes you are right, you would normally quote both. As you say, scruitineering seems somewhat less than strict so I suspect I could put my date of birth on there and still be ok

Andres