NC30 Cafe Racer

[Swingarm]

Could be worse. Could be a gothic styled streetfighter with purple fasteners and a Skeletor headlight shroud... :)


Why do so many people do that to Fireblades...

[Foxy400]

Fortunately RO's NC30 isn't in that league.

[RickOliver]

Here`s the beast with a few more bits installed - still looks a bit `gappy` with no carbs, exhaust or cooling system yet but I`m getting a better idea of the shape of it...

[Swingarm]

Looks a lot better with a bit more "meat" on it. Ha ha, you've got the same GPS speedo I use on my bikes :)

[RickOliver]

Yes - the NC24 sprocket cover plus hydraulic clutch means there`s no speedo drive and that GPS speedo is the tidiest solution - I`ve just got to make up a warning light panel to go in the gap immediately below it.

The ambition is to keep the look as `clean` as it is now by hiding all the electrical components and 90% of the wiring. You`ll see that there`s a cut down stock undertray/battery box inside the rear subframe - that leaves a wedge shaped cavity behind the battery which will contain the starter relay, flasher unit and the vacuum sensor for the `full synchro` 4-channel Ignitech ignition. That ignition system uses four CBR600RR stick coils so there`s nothing that needs mounting externally on the subframe or front engine hanger.

There`s a shaped horizontal mounting plate on the back end of the subframe which forms a floor in the seat hump and the ignition module, reg/rec and fuse box will all be mounted on that.

I`ll build a custom wiring loom and clip it along the inside edge of the frame and subframe so it will be completely out of sight.

[Swingarm]

Looking forward to seeing what it looks like with the radiator

[RickOliver]

I`m going to mock up the cooling system in the next couple of days using a stock lower rad and a Mocal oil cooler that I have here but I can already see that both those components will have to be custom made - happily I have friends in the right places...

[Swingarm]

So perhaps a silly question but I'm curious - how come you didn't opt for wired spoked wheels? Too much of a hit on performance? Can't find the right sizes/tyres? Don't want inner tubes?

[RickOliver]

At the moment I just want to get this up and running to see whether I like it enough to take the project further - I do have an ebay bargain stashed in my loft, some brand new, boxed Triumph Thruxton 1200R spoked 17" wheels with alloy rims which only cost me £385 for the pair but there`s a lot of work involved in fitting them - modifying Kawasaki 300mm discs to fit in place of the 310mm Triumph ones, making spacers and changing bearings in the front wheel, ditto the back one plus sorting out suitable sprockets and getting the chain line right, not to mention it will probably need a custom made caliper bracket etc.

I think that`s one for the long evenings of next winter...!

[RickOliver]

OK, here`s the first test fitting of the cooling system -





The custom built radiator won`t have the top left hose fitting and the top right one will be vertical and connected to a VFR800 filler neck which will be mounted at about the same position as the filler on the stock top rad.

The custom oil cooler will have the mounting brackets built in and the hose fittings will be on the side, not on the top.

There are front wheel clearance issues which will need addressing -



- but a change from the current 120/70-17 tyre to a 120/60-17 and a couple of inches trimmed off the back of the mudguard should take care of it.

The rad is currently on stock mounting brackets - if I can move it closer to the engine I will but I think that once the exhaust front pipes are on that may not be possible.

The idea of keeping a slim profile certainly works -



- the radiator is no wider than the fork legs and the oil cooler sits dead centre in the cool airflow between the mudguard and the headlamp...