Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

I've seen those pics before. Like to know a bit more about it, the design sure does looks like the builder was following in Kent's footprints, if not blueprints.

Yeh Dave - a bit of a lull in proceedings at the moment while we wait for all the bits to come back in. Got the exhaust from John a couple of weeks ago, so that was good - I am hoping that the head will be back within a week or 2, and I can then get started on the final preperation of the cases, prior to bolting the motor back together.

At least this can be completed in isolation of the other bits, what would be ideal is to have the motor all completed and sitting on the bench, just waiting for the rolling chassis. I have a feeling this is just how it is going to pan out.....

fezzick wrote:......I've seen those pics before. Like to know a bit more about it, the design sure does looks like the builder was following in Kent's footprints, if not blueprints. ......

That bike belongs to a bloke called Tony, lives down the south coast of NSW, but used to be a Canberra resident - I am pretty sure you know him Phil ? I am 100% sure he mentioned to me some years ago, that the tank is indeed a Miklenda copy. Those photos are a few years old now, I wonder if he finished the rebuild......he is a member here as well, but rarely posts.....

Mmmm, my feeling is right then. Yes, I've met Tony quite a few times. His son is a member of IR down here too. Might see if I can get in contact with him. Thanks, mate.

I showed these pictures to Kent and he agrees that the seat and tank are definitely his workmanship, though the seat unit has been slightly modified. He has no definite idea of where they were sourced or how they came to be where they are now. It would be ace if Tony were to tell us the full story here.

Oh, and the forks came back from RAD's in Rocklea today. Pretty nice job and another win for originality.

OK, the front forks are now assembled and I've dummied them up to the frame just to see what they look like. Actually starting to look like a bike.



Also fitted the rear shocks just roughly to get an idea of the look. Looks pretty good.

Now it just needs an engine, some wheels, a swingarm, fuel tank, seat and some wiring...simple, really!

Just about there mate...

Gos will have the rest ready by Christmas...

laidback wrote:Just about there mate...

Gos will have the rest ready by Christmas...

Of course he will!!

A bit more progress today. In an effort to get things moving with Chris, I took the frame down to his workshop so he can measure up for the modified swingarm. He has removed the rusted wing that had been abraded by the chain, see below, but reckons that the right hand wing is still fine, so it stays. Hopefully he will get a move on because he's had the thing for months and it can't be that difficult.



I spent an hour or so today cleaning the fork brace with paint stripper and then steel wool and WD40 so the matt grey paint from its "Mad Max" iteration is now gone and it looks shiny-shiny again, like it should.



After doing so I was able to see the tooling marks from when Howard Wallace made it in the Physics Lab at the ANU over 30 years ago. Pretty cool, eh?



Finally, something else that makes moving the project on a little more urgently has arisen. My good internet friend, Edwin Haazer from California, has been invited to compete at the Island Classic in January and has accepted. It will be so cool to see him as he has been so supportive of this project. It would be even cooler if he could see the bike in its completed form before he returns to the USA.

Fingers crossed that it comes together in time.

so what does the sound of a finger being pulled out sound like?

it sounds like a cross between champagne corks popping and a standing ovation !

with 3 sets of bits out getting done by 3rd parties - it has meant we are in a bit of a holding pattern at the moment. Not much we can do about that unfortunately.....

Hopefully I will get the cylinder head back within the next 2 weeks, and then the motor re-build can commence. It is being done in isolation to the wheels being built, and the swingarm getting repaired........

Maybe Santa will bring us all some nice bits shortly

Anything that we could help with guys?

laidback wrote:.....Anything that we could help with guys?......

thanks for the offer mate - but this time around, everything is already out to be fixed.... we are just waiting on stuff to be returned.

Like I said to Phil a few weeks ago - the planets will line up and *everything* will be finished at the same time - then it will be All Systems Go.

One thing I am not sure about at this stage though, is if Kent has kicked off on the bodywork ? Once the motor is completed, it really needs the rolling chassis complete so we can fit it all up and complete the wiring down here in the 4th.

Tank and seat are being made as we speak and should be ready very soon. Still trying to source a fairing, but working on that, too.

Things seem to be coming along nicely guys.....