After five years of happy partnership I sold my SD - Why I hear you ask......

Because I replaced it – With another one!!

I have been in the SD fold for about five years after a lifetime thrashing IL4’s of all shapes and sizes. After a bit of adjustment I got to love my SD and decided it was a keeper. Five years later I sold it, this is why.

In was a black version of the original model with lowered gearing and round Arka’s but otherwise std. I was happy with it but always had a nagging feeling I should do something with it and of all the bikes I had seen in this place Bic had the one I liked most. Life pressures and inherent laziness meant that I never did anything about it but the thought persisted. Then I went to Crashfest this year and parked next to the Gin Reaper who has the nicest SD that I have actually seen in the flesh. This was enough to push me over the top.

I decided all I needed was an SDR seat conversion, new airbox, flies removed, re map, upgraded suspension, new wheels, new bars, belly pan, paint job, slipper clutch and about 50 0ther things and it would be finished. Putting best foot forward I posted up a wish list here, spoke to the UK’s go to dyno guy for SD’s and was about to start ordering bits when....

Nigel (AKA Fuel on here) put his bike up for sale. It just so happens that the he has already done the vast majority of what I had in mind to do myself so saving me a load of time and money. I have bought his bike and it’s being delivered today. It has race suspension, the rotty airbox and remap by the bloke I was planning to use, an SDR tail, slipper clutch and many other little tweaks. It’s the wrong colour and I still need to add a few bits but I’m almost there in one leap.

Really looking forward to its arrival and to finishing the project. I will post here as the last few mods get done.

Biggest thing I need is a pair of the forged wheels fitted to the SMR for a while. If anybody sees a pair for sale and tips me off I will be grateful.

The second iteration of my SD life is about to begin, I’m a happy man

Exciting news! Enjoy your second chance at love! Sounds like you have a nice base to start your new project with!

hmm, rather modify my own machine then deal with the unknown. i know my bike history exactly!

If I had the same opportunity, I would consider your direction in a heartbeat. I am not mechanically inclined enough to pull off some of the performance improvements myself. Or do I have the intestinal fortitude to delve deeper in to the workings. That is the mostest thing that holds my bike in the state of little improvement. I do believe that this is a special motorcycle and that tweaks to and in the direction you have headed will make your new toy all the more joyous.
Ride On

Hi Shadowman. Thanks for the compliment on my bike, it's not the first time you have mentioned this

It is based on a no-noncence approach to making a bike that has an understated look. If ever in doubt about how to do it then imagine that you have a WW2, German tank commander to help you. He's got a 1954 Panzer Tank that he's been campaigning for two years. It's a monster, been through a lot but kept his crew safe and they all trust and depend on it. He doesn't have time for anything that won't make it better as a weapon/castle/home and certainly don't have any desire to make it pretty and stand out as anything special. It's been heavily modded by his engineer, much improved over the rushed out production sample he took command of all those years ago. They strip the engine once a month and have a great collection of spares and parts, many pirated and collected from they vanquished foes. British, American, whatever, all he cares about is if they work and last longer. They don't love this tank but they respect it and would do anything for it and they're proud of it.

1. Only fit genuine quality parts that really do improve performance - both going and stopping.
2. Always get the best even if you can't afford them - second hand/used item is better than a new cheaper/new part.
3. Be patient because used parts always turn up eventually. (I'm still waiting for carbon wheels after seven years of patience!).
4. Brands are important, but not brand marks. I remove all branding if it is possible without damaging the part.
5. Quality is important but aesthetics are too so when spoilt for choice choose on aesthetics that suit the SDs 'edge' styling.
6. Always buy the black version because colour does not improve a parts function or performance.
7. If a black finish was not required it should be natural metal or the composite material colour. (coloured anodising is in bad taste IMO)
8. Motorbike frames are meant to be black.
9. So is bodywork. (And leathers/riding kit too)
10.Don't waste time cleaning and polishing to make the bike shiny, just clean and lubricate to ensure it all works perfectly. (there is a big difference)
11. When things wear and start looking used it doesn't matter. Don't try and keep things looking pristine, what's the point?
12. When you crash it and break things mend them if you can. Battle scars and repairs add a patina of credibility and authenticity that 'show bikes' lack.

Good luck.

Thanks for that Bic, much if not all of which I agree with!

Stage one will be to try and make it ride as nicely as my old one which it doesn't at present. In truth I was expecting more as it has had all the commonly accepted performance mods already done. My hope is that changing the rear sprocket will restore the immediacy of the acceleration that I liked so much with the last one!

Two tone black with titanium highlights will be the ascetic, with form and function being considered. I'm considering a vinyl wrap as an alternate to a paint job.

I want it for just one moment to be my perfect bike, no niggles, no imperfections, no faults. That's the money shot moment. After that I'm far too lazy to keep it like that, I shall just ride and enjoy.

Looking forward to getting started, think I'm going to order a 41 tooth sprocket and hope for the best.

I know Nigel was at Almeria at he end of last year and Parc Algar this year.

16/ 40 gearing isn't long enough for those tracks, so it's no surprise it's on higher gearing.

photo whoring opportunity spotted and taken!

Race livery is a completely different thing and a different mindset.

That did it's job at the time. All the thundersport commentators were always talking about it and having to sit on that thing on the grid putting up with all the comments gave Gordon balls of steel!

Enjoy your new SD , I remember seeing it almost shiny and new at Cottesmore a few years ago , loverly bike