There are some thanks and acknowledgements due.
Very, VERY many thanks to everyone involved in bringing this project into fruition.
Inspiration - As mentioned previously, I have been around bikes for a very long time now, and I have seen a lot of different designs, but when I saw a photo of the Duc Cutters' Terra Mostro, I thought "yes, that silhouette, that's how I think a bike should look. That's just right".
Engineering - calculations - the grand plan - Gavin Robertson was the first person to say yes, we can do this. He calculated the steering head angle, the bearing sizes, the ride height, the stresses on the steering head, the torque demands on the crank case-mounted swing arm linkage and the solution to cope with that..... He remained involved throughout the build and was also able to dip into his virtual parts bin (thank you, too, Marc from Hull) and produce various bits from 20-years-obsolete Italian part-bin-specials such as Cagiva Elefants... As mentioned previously, you can see more of his mastery at www.gavin944888.com
Then, once we had a modified chassis, with an engine fitted, all looking a bit scruffy - in fact to be truthful distinctly second hand - the project moved into the hands of our own Tunneruk. CT sorted out a wealth of details - things that might have looked ok but really needed plating, coating, painting, fettling - things that needed re-routing, things that needed re-buying, wires that needed lengthening, hoses that needed shortening etc etc etc.
Anyway.... what started as a meeting at Thurrock services with Gavin in November last year, became a seed of an idea, evolved into some kind of commitment with the purchase of a yellow Monster on the 15th January of this year, and thereafter became a long list of tasks / questions / solutions bringing us to wherever we are today.
I have said before that specials are exceptionally subjective.
But - from my perspective, I'd have to say that if Carlsberg made middle-weight, good-looking, factory-quality and brilliant sounding trail bikes...........
Very, VERY many thanks to everyone involved in bringing this project into fruition.
Inspiration - As mentioned previously, I have been around bikes for a very long time now, and I have seen a lot of different designs, but when I saw a photo of the Duc Cutters' Terra Mostro, I thought "yes, that silhouette, that's how I think a bike should look. That's just right".
Engineering - calculations - the grand plan - Gavin Robertson was the first person to say yes, we can do this. He calculated the steering head angle, the bearing sizes, the ride height, the stresses on the steering head, the torque demands on the crank case-mounted swing arm linkage and the solution to cope with that..... He remained involved throughout the build and was also able to dip into his virtual parts bin (thank you, too, Marc from Hull) and produce various bits from 20-years-obsolete Italian part-bin-specials such as Cagiva Elefants... As mentioned previously, you can see more of his mastery at www.gavin944888.com
Then, once we had a modified chassis, with an engine fitted, all looking a bit scruffy - in fact to be truthful distinctly second hand - the project moved into the hands of our own Tunneruk. CT sorted out a wealth of details - things that might have looked ok but really needed plating, coating, painting, fettling - things that needed re-routing, things that needed re-buying, wires that needed lengthening, hoses that needed shortening etc etc etc.
Anyway.... what started as a meeting at Thurrock services with Gavin in November last year, became a seed of an idea, evolved into some kind of commitment with the purchase of a yellow Monster on the 15th January of this year, and thereafter became a long list of tasks / questions / solutions bringing us to wherever we are today.
I have said before that specials are exceptionally subjective.
But - from my perspective, I'd have to say that if Carlsberg made middle-weight, good-looking, factory-quality and brilliant sounding trail bikes...........
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