RSGP125 BUILD2

I swapped the Honda NX4 RS125 tailpiece from my 4 stroke onto its rightful home on the RS125 chassis.

A few NX4 RS125 expansion chambers also turned up on my door this morning, thanks Jesse! I know they’re not matched perfectly to what I will be doing to the GP engine but Rob has shown that they work well enough to get some great power figures from them. It’s also easier to use an RS one to get it going and rideable instead of stuffing around building one that is likely to be crap. I do plan to build a few in the future though…

RSGP125 BUILD1

I spent some time at Tim’s (a fellow F4 racer) place on Anzac day talking crap about bikes and figuring out how we can get some economies of scale going on with our GP125 builds. Being the good bastard he is, he gave me some… ummmm… used GP125 cases and a test bed GP100 cylinder for some time on the grinder before jumping into mine. THANKS TIM!
I started undressing her the other night and took some photos along the way:

Factory Suzuki GP125 crank case as provided by Tim

Tim’s degree wheel for port timing

Port side

Factory timing marks

Starboard side

UPPING THE GAME – ENTER RS125

This happened about two weeks ago and I can’t get it off my mind. I dream of building and racing motorcycles (hopefully for a living one day) and this is just the first step forward in many that are required. It is partly why I’m selling of my Datsun gear. This is a NF4 Honda RS125, a GP bike of the days when 2 stroke 125cc bikes were raced on the world stage. I’m unsure about the exact year of this bike but it’ll be approx the mid 1990’s.

The Honda RS125 was a bike that could be purchased directly from Honda by any club racer or enthusiast, they’re the peoples racer of sorts. The later model variants have a revised rear suspension system and a thicker main frame (basically overall better), but that does not detract from how awesome these little bikes are.

The plan: take the engine from my Suzuki GP125 and with some guidance from Team ESE and Tim modify/tune it to produce a chubby power curve (approx 20hp would be fine) to tackle the F4 kart tracks. Then I will squeeze it into the tiny frame and learn to ride a real race bike. I am not planning to sell my Suzuki FXR150, rather build a new exhaust and keep it serviced as a backup if the unthinkable should happen and the ‘stink wheel’ (as they call them) fails. Last week I bought all new fasteners for the frame as the original ones were looking pretty shot. I also woke up to a fairly new set of Dunlop slicks at my door. There are many things I still need to get for this bike but I’m working through them all slowly. Here’s to the beginning of a life of 2 strokes!

RS125 NF4 WHEELS

Swoooooon. Some very clean and very good condition NF4 Honda RS125 wheels turned up at my door today complete with alloy disk. 17×2.15″ front, 17×3″ and made of magnesium, they weigh next to nothing. They are likely to make their way onto the 2 stroke in the future but they were a great deal in my eyes so couldn’t let them go.

And whilst I’m on the subject of wheels, my friend Nick has a pair of Enkei Big End Rodders for sale at the moment. 15×7.5 (or there abouts) and 4×100. One has a dent in the lip but holds air fine. Not many of these around so drop your email if you’re interested and I’ll pass it onto him.

BARRY SHEENE TRANS-TANSMAN CHALLENGE

A typical scene at motorcycle events in New Zealand. Race, sleep, eat, race again.

A favourite of mine, the Yamaha 350 twin cylinder two stroke sounded beautiful.

The Honda RS125 is also one of my favourite bikes and one day I hope to own one. This ’89 NF4 was piloted by a young Australian girl who wasn’t messing around! Awesome.

My dad and I headed down to hampton downs today for the first day of the Barry Sheene Trans-tasman Challenge which runs until Monday. What a day! Sun, fuel and the biggest collection of motorcycles I’ve seen all year. Being trans-tasman, there was a large field of Australian riders there who had imported their bikes for the weekend. The event is aimed towards classic motorcycle racing but there were plenty of late 80’s bikes there too which pleased me greatly.

I shot plenty of photos with more to come including some hot side car action. Head down to Hampton over the next two days to catch the action for yourself, it’s highly recommended.

DATSUNS AND RACE BIKES

So, it drives. Stoked. Plenty more to do still before I can really drive her

In the afternoon I started to test fit the 17″ VT250 alloy wheel to my bucket racer. The hub needs a bit machined off the end and I need to make some new spacers to center it but otherwise fairly straight forward. The GL145 came from factory with 18″ wire wheels as pictured in the first photos. 18’s are tough to get any good tires in so it’s just easier to swap to 17″ wheels. So far the bike owes me $210, not bad I thought.

Dad’s VFR400

About 200 years ago, my dad sold his bike to buy a fridge and completed his embrace of family life. After being motorcycle-less for so long and after many many hours put in encouraging his return to his teenage years, he FINALLY owns another bike!. This time it’s not a single cylinder thumper but a V4, 400cc twin cam, 59HP Honda VFR400, every teenager from the 1980s wet dream. She snarls like a cougar, moves like a super model and makes me embarrassed to ride a CG125 but it’s good to have another sports bike in the garage.

My dad’s 60 years young but grins like a 20 year old and I’m incredibly happy to see two passions reunited at last. Here’s to being a guy and buying dangerous toys that fuel our soul.

WAYNE GARDNER

Senna wideangle

I would very much like to credit the photographer but I have no idea who it is! I found this via Le Container and I’m glad I did, I honestly don’t think there is ever enough good photos of the MP4/4. It’s pretty awesome to see the exuberant amount of hype that the legend Mr. Senna is getting via the new movie SENNA and I can’t wait to see it myself. I truly think that there is no better looking Formula 1 car than the MP4/4 and I think it very fitting that such a man got to pilot it