Quicker Action

I've been looking for a quicker action throttle solution since last fall. The Venhill quick-action throttle I used last year has too much travel - 90 degrees from zero to 100% open. I had to re-grip the throttle when winding it on to get to the stops. I have short fingers. The biggest issue was  that my glove would often snag the throttle it when I went for the brakes and the throttle wouldn't close properly. It gave me a few heart-in-the-mouth moments out there last year.

The big problem is that the Venhill quickest action cam that I use has a radius of 25mm. I found out that this is one of the biggest out there - I was struggling to find any bigger. The other option is to reduce the size of the throttle-body cam. This is also 25mm as standard... which tallies up with the 90 degree throttle travel.

I had heard different size throttle-body cams were available... but I couldn't find any around. So I popped into Baines Racing during the week to pick Geoff Baines brain about this. He rummaged around in a drawer for a minute and came up with this beauty...

It took 3 minutes to fit an has reduced my throttle travel to only 60 degrees. Shazam! Like lightning!

Big thanks Geoff Baines!!!

Workin the 888

Been flat-out working on the 888 this week...

Got some tasty bits from Mode Performance... some MotoGP bling. I don't normally do anything to a race bike that'll cost me cashola and not help me go faster for longer. But these reservoir holders are just too cool... and not too pricey.

I didn't want to drill and tap the SP3 'plaqued' top clamp... so made a few brackets form some angle ally and bolted them (with locktite) into the unused ignition barrel bolt holes...

... looking proper factory!

At last year's Classic TT/Manx GP, my little Suzuki destroyed it's exhaust end-can, so I borrowed the right side can from the 888 for the Lightweight race. The 3 laps burned the carbon. I think the packing had moved around and the Suzuki might have been running a bit lean.

I had to grind some spot welds to get the can open and shoved more packing in there. These cans are really well made and I had my mate Steve spot weld them once assembled again so there is no risk of them coming apart.

Adding lightness... 

Lightweight, period looking Moto Master rear brake disc arrived from Germany. Nice piece of kit!

I also bored out the front spindle, dropping just over 100g from it... every little bit helps...

Added a bit of weight here... strengthening brace (welded underneath to the original cross-piece) and repairs on the rear sub-frame after I found a few cracks on it. This little cross-piece takes the weight of a full tank with the bike bottoming out at the bottom of Bray Hill and Begarrow... and me wrestling the bike from side to side with my knees/thighs. It takes a lot.