Echo/ Viking racing

So......we can finally announce that this forum has our very own SD racer to support through the rest of the season!

Been working on this for a few weeks and today we can announce that Viking has an official sponsor that will finance his 2012 season so that he can stop worrying about costs and concentrate on his obsession with suspension settings and track layouts.

First off, I 'd like to say that none of this would have happened without the initial suggestion of TLS_Russ on this forum to get together and consider supporting Viking in his endeavours to take the SD into the Streetfighter class race series. Big respect to him, because having got to know Viking there is no way that he would have asked for this kind of support himself. TLS made this happen, he started you and me thinking and inspired the notion.

I, personally was inspired by the reactions of this forum to offer help, both financial and practical, to contribute to his potential success. It got me really thinking. Reading his posts, and your offers of help, I started to imagine what it would be like being a sponsor and what it would mean. My company is a branding company and, without boring you all with the details, we love a challenge and we love the idea of bringing together eclectic mixes of talented people and helping them achieve their ambitions and goals. It's how I built my company, it's why we are successful and it's a philosophy that we try and apply every where we see the opportunity.

It's been a two week mission for me. To go from an initial thought, a daydream, to pitching to a company board to part with a significant sum of money out of profits to support something as random as a bike racer is not easy to do.

But we did it!

Today at 3 pm I pitched the idea to the Echo board. Probably at the same time as Viking, Klinky, Shade, Millar and another 15 forum members were hooning around Caddders at the SD Crashfest, (what, no crashes guys!!!),

I was in a board room with more butterflies in my stomach than I've had in the last twenty years of presenting jobs to big clients!

What you guys have to understand is that my co directors, like most people, are not that immediately fired up by bikes and bike racing. They know I'm into bikes but so what. If I just asked for a load of cash to sponsor a bike racer that'd have turned me down flat. If I said I wanted to do this because I loved bikes and it was something I was passionate about they'd have laughed me out of the room. I had to think of another angle.

I put together an argument that told them what we would get out of it. The opportunities to apply our branding skills to the job. The opportunities to train our design team. The morale boosting and team building that it would bring. The PR opportunities to present our company in a different way that is probably unique in the design business. I mean, I don't know of anyone in my position ever doing anything like this before.

It sort of scares the shit out of me. Don't know what we're getting ourselves into.

But anyway, they said yes and two weeks of holding back on getting excited and talking to vIking and trying to keep expectations low was finally released today. They said yes.

I was half way home tonight, could't get hold of Viking as he had packed up and was already on his way home from Cadwell, we'd missed each others phone calls because I was on a train with no reception and Amy was on at me to get back and help put the twins to bed. Stopped in a field by the side of the road and went out into the middle of it and cracked a bottle wine open. ( yes, I always carry one around with me!)

So really, the story is about Viking. And the guy I finally got on the phone to from the middle of a field in Sussex this evening. I probably bored the shit out of him with my half drunken ranting and excitement but then he was so excited as well about what it meant to him. We both have a lot to gain out of this I'm sure.

I 've learned a lot about this guy over the last few weeks. What I've learned is between me and him but I can tell you this is a guy who is driven and passionate with a lot of integrity. He's got a natural talent for motors sports and he'll probably succeed at everything he attempts.

If this forum is supporting him, in any way they can, then we'll all have a lot of fun following his adventure. Financial backing is always the hardest bit to get. It's a shit. But this bit is now sorted.

So any practical help we can give him will do more to actually increase his chance of success. There's been a lot of offers of help on this forum, let's not make them empty promises. I know how easy it is to offer help but it's another thing to actually turn up in the day and actually do it.

Wouldn't it be fooking amazing if we could all contribute to getting a Superduke on the rostrum against all those Japanese 4's. Viking has a proven track record of getting underpowered, out classed machines in the top so bring it on!

Cheers to you Bic..!!!
That's a BIG deal...and it took a lot of thought to get it done...
Makes me proud too...Even if you guys are across the pond..I'd though
of putting in for a silly minded "Well...if I only had plane fair" I'd meet up
to help out at the track... I'm just as excited to hear of the endevor..!!!
Is it televised.??? and if so any way of watching in the states.???
Good luck Viking.!!!!!

Well done Bic and good luck Viking!
Hope it all comes together for you mate, looks really good as the cash is the hardest part!

That's great news!

Will this mean Viking gets a great new sticker design every race and his bike (and vids) will be shown at your companies presentations?


Please let me know when the races are broadcasted so I can check them through mypremium.tv

Wait a minute - was this money simply taken out of the "Hookers and Blow" budget, or what?

Awesome!

Good morning Father John, my name is Bic Bicknell. Can I interest you in this box of latex condoms?

Excellent salesmanship Bic. Truly impressive outside the box thinking.

Good impressive work Bic,i've no doubt Viking is a very happy chap indeed and will do you proud. I'll try and get to the Cadwell race and help out any way i can,even if it's just making the tea

URGENT!!

If we are to get a design done and printed up on vinyl ready for Viking's first race a week on Friday then I need to be on this immediately. Up until last night I was Just thinking I can use my bike, take it to work and let the design team work out all the best surfaces to use and draw up the templates onto which they can work.

But it just dawned on me that Viking's bike is an '06 model so everything is a different shape.

Does anyone out there have an ACCURATE set of guides or specifications for the early model Superduke that they could get over to me this week? We need the talk fairings, left and right, front mudguard, nose cone, belly pan, tail panels and single seat hump. We also would like to have the templates for the rest of the tank if possible. Know that some areas are covered in stomp grip but it's good to know anyway.

I seen to remember that miller might have all this info. Not sure.

We also need to know a top quality supplier to produce the vinyl panels QUICKLY. Better if they were London area but not essential. Anyone know?

Viking, I'm presuming you are still on dual seat and tail hump as in your photos? Not converted to an SDR single seat yet have you? Tell me if you have.

No idea yet how we get them onto your bike. We could DHL them up to you if we get the luxury of finishing them early, at worst we send someone out to Rockingham on race day and stick em on during your warm up lap!

L R Designs were fantastic and have the battle decals on file...
http://www.lr-designs.co.uk/

Well done Bic, awesome effort!

I'll PM you Ben Millar's number, I'm sure he has the full layout for 06 panels.

Excellent news, well done Bic it couldnt of been easy convincing the company, well done to Russ as well for the initial suggestion!!!

crackin' stuff!! Maybe I'll pop down at watch the Oulton round.... I assume there is one?! will check in a minute...

Fantastic BIC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wish I'd been near that field. You've done really well. I'd be proud to display a "Echo/Viking" sticker on my bike maybe on the swingarm.

PS Happy to pay for a sticker as long as the profit goes to Viking.

Hey Mate,

There isn't an exact Pantone match for the KTM orange. Also there are a few oranges that appear on different parts of the bike. (I actually don't like the orange on the SDR frame, it's got a bit of white in it I think)

Anyway, when I was making my rear view camera monitor unit I had the graphics made up as rubdowns to match the orange printed on the SD speedo.

The best Pantone match for this was Orange 172C

Fantastic news....great work Bic

......and from what I saw at Cadwell ....money well spent

One word: AWSOME!!!!!

Can you beleive this is happening?

Really. Stop for a minute. Step back and rub your eyes, throw some water over yourself and take a good look. Forget it's an internet forum. Really open your eyes and absorb what is happening here. Can you actually believe this is happening?

Lets have a look at this. This is how utterly mad this is.


On the left we have A.

A= A 35 year old mechanic from Falkirk who is a bit obsessive, posts his confused ranty waffle on a Superduke website, decides as a crutch to cope with a family bereavement to race his old SD.

One the right we have B.

B= A huge UK major branding and marketing firm with no history and no interest in bike racing.

How the hell can these two completely different things possibly come together?
Through two men...........Russ and Bic...........this has happened. How many "chance" crossroads have come together at the exact right time to get here.
I say this alot....but humans overuse powerfull words so it devalues them. I cant even express what i think and feel just now. This happening is the combination of probably 20 "chances". One moment where there may be 10% of it heading this way and 90% going the normal way. These 10% chances have happened over and over lots of times over lots of situations and decisions and added up to get to this point. I mean come on. There is honestly more chance of winning the lottery than this happening.

I knew Bic was going into the meeting to pitch it to his partners. It was so bizzare i was fobbing it off a bit in my head. Up till now it's all just words typed on a forum or email. I had a crazy Cadwell trackday with ups and downs. Driving home and finally got a call from Bic. I dont know this guy. He's in a field in Surrey on is pushbike drinking a botte of wine. I'm sitting in a service station carpark somewhere near Doncaster heading home stinking of sweat and totally shattered.
I can hardly remember the phone call. It was like i was watching it on tv or something.

The main thing thats come out this is Bic and his company seem to be sponsoring me. As in, me for who i am and the journey i'm on. He doesn't expect me to win. He just wants me to keep being me and doing what i'm doing. It's really confusing coz he sees something i dont really see and dont know i'm doing.

You cant please everyone. I get there are guys out there who think i'm a dick. Totally accept that, all fine. Love it, hate it, dont care, not interested, supportive, negative......whatever. I dont have many good traits. All i am though is honest and and true. I am who i am and wont change. Get onboard and walk the path with us or dont. It's happening no matter what. Nobody, even Bic and me, has any idea where this road is going. We're making this up as we go along. What an epic journey this is going to be!

LETS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yea most of the time human nature makes you feel sick, but every now and again if you dont give up on it something inspirational like this can happen.....

I'll mail Bic direct with the sizes for number boards. Dans original Redbull ones ended up not being ACU legal.

Will need some help on side panel sizes and 05 tank though if anyone got them?

Wow, fantastic backing, well done Echo designs and Bic

If you have not got them here are the PDF files for the 06 SD and 07, the blank PDF's are the 06, the redbull ones are for an 07 as I updated the tank to the latter model, the front fender graphic did not match the space very well so I took it off (plus it looked shit)


http://files.me.com/craig.wiltshire/6kx217

EDIT: just clicked on link but was not working, I think I have them all saved so PM me if you want them.

If you want to know which ones you need let me know.

Dont email LR Designs they are not very good you need to telephone them.


Another EDIT, send Bic the designs, I have most of the designs saved on PDF 05-06 and 07> tank and side panels and 06 numberboard.

Bert if you can host them somewhere else and edit the original PDF's in theis post thread? Can send them to you, (I have no idea how to do it)

Use Dropbox

OK, I did a search on my hard drive and it seems that some time ago I've gathered logo's and stuff.
I've uploaded them to google drive and shared the folder:
https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B6w5j ... dTbGM/edit
This is shared to the world. No login needed.

Who has a superduke.net logo as a PDF or an illustrator file? Is it Millar? If I get one we can maybe incorporate it in somewhere.

Well done Bic
Having met Viking at crash fest, it couldn't have gone to a nicer and more enthusiastic person
Good luck to everyone involved

good work

So, it's now been a few days since we got the deal signed off to sponsor Viking and things are going at a fast pace!

First off I'd like to say that Gordon is turning out to be a fantastic partner in this adventure, we have great communication and there's emails pinging back and forth at just the right rate to reassure the both of us that this is going to be a really great working relationship. From my perspective, I 'm just so fired up about this adventure that, despite all my work and family commitments, I'm just waking up every morning with a list of stuff we need to get done to get this thing going and get him out on the first race meet with the new graphics and the additional confidence that he has the financial security and moral support of a whole company behind him.

The tight timings mean that we just don't have time to get the finances, contracts and all the legal stuff locked down but we've discussed the principles and have carried on being totally frank and honest about each others expectations and commitments to each other. This is something that is obviously important and we both know that mutual trust and being up front about things is the best way to start and carry on.

What Viking needs is financial support. And he's got it. What I sold to my co- directors and Echo is less tangible. I sold them the promise of a company morale boosting exercise, a PR opportunity and a chance for us to have a load of fun seeing how we can have fun with our brand and how we can exploit it across a medium that is unique and different for our type of business.

The immediate need is challenging. The logistics of getting cutter guides for SD bodywork, designing the graphics for all the various panels, finding the best supplier of vinyl printing that can turn around the job in record time, getting them done and over to Viking in time for next Friday. This is challenging!

But it's only what we do every week for our big clients so it's OK. It's what we do!

So basically we now have a timeline and a plan of action. I have no design resourse available till Next week but first thing in the Monday morning meeting we present the whole idea of sponsorship to the company. This isn't about sponsoring a bike racer, it's about a bigger idea that fits with our company philosophy of bringing together an eclectic mix of talents and supporting them to achieve their goals.

I'm going to ask for volunteers who want to become part of the core team for Viking, I need a graphic design team, a product design team and a project management team. I already have the PR team because I recruited them to help and support in the original pitch.

Then we have only Monday, maybe Tuesday morning to conceive, design, refine and produce the artwork for the bike because we need to supply the artwork files to the printers if they have any chance of getting the job done in time. We're seeing this as a chance to do an initial design for the first three races and then we'll have a whole clear month to do a better job and get the second generation design sorted for the September events.

We've worked out that the best way to do this is for Viking to detour to LR Designs on the way down to Rockingham on Thursday afternoon and we'll arrange for the graphics to be ready and waiting and someone to fit them when he pulls up. We can also get a first photo opportunity with the bike outside their premises we can give them the photos and they might use them for their own PR uses, you never know. That's how guerilla marketing works!

On that note, anyone on the forum actually likes the design and wants a set then you're welcome. We can arrange duplicate sets of graphics no problem. Don't really know why you'd want to "Echo brand" your bike but stranger things have happened!

Best thing that has happened from our point of view is that Viking has totally embraced why we are doing this. He's obviously fired up about getting some hard cash but what impresses us is that he's already posting stuff on his Facebook site about. Whe we are and what values we stand for and linking it to our website and stuff. He's a natural PR sportsman doing things that we'd eventually ask him to do. But he's doing it already without being asked! How great is that! Plus, he 's having ideas about other things like T shirts, hadn't thought about that yet, and the best one is this...

He's been looking at past footage of the televised Thundersport programmes and has worked out that the best chance of exposure is when they show the results and score charts on the screen. Behind the score they run a super slo- mo footage of an exciting bit of the race. It's on screen for ages. He's suggesting that on the slow down lap he'll identify the camera spot and just start pulling minger wheelies and hoon about. That's smart because any TV editor is bound to select that for the background shots as it's visually exciting. Just don't get black flagged Viking!

Anyway, things are going well. I think me and Viking are probably both on cloud 9 this week for different but connected reasons. It's a trip man!!!

I really want to take the Friday off to go meet him in person and support his first race. Not sure if I can make it, two of my co-directors are on holiday and maybe I just have to be at work that day. The weekend is out because of the kids. I don't know. This seems too important not to go for at least one day.

But...

He needs help, if any one here can go along and help him pit crew please do. Come on, this is a Superduke.net thing. You'd be part of something really special.

Is there already a public Facebook page about Vikings racing? Something like a team Echo racing page your company can use to update business partners and all other interested. Loads of pictures with your superduke designs and paddock pictures with Echo's name on it.

Not yet Germo, but there will be. We just need a bit of time to get things sorted.

Initial plan, it might change, is to have a dedicated website for Viking with what you suggest, pictures, updates and news. But for us the main thing is to try and persuade Viking to write a blog on it about his experiences, Go -Go style so anyone can follow the highs and lows of a racing at this level.

Gordon is a great writer, he doesn't seem to know it yet, but he's open and honest and pours his heart out. Not many people are interested in tables of suspension settings and lap times, (on their own), but mixed up with the human element they make a good read. Don't want to burden the guy with too much extra commitments to his already mental work/prep/racing schedule but apart from getting as many photos he can, fly on the wall style, of his life this is probably the most important aspect of the project for Echo.

It's certainly not about getting a baseball cap with our name on it and contracting the poor guy to always wear it in bed at night.

The other thing is that I though it would be good to have a section on his site dedicated to the Superduke.net forum. Could be used for having a list of all the parts and spares that he might need. Last thing we want is for him to miss races because of some bit that has to be ordered or something. He could post up a list of essential bits and a wish list for parts that would help. Any forum members that wanted to donate a part could just ship is off to him.

Big, expensive bits could always result in a graphic credit being added to the graphics for the next race!

On the Facebook front....

Viking does have a Facebook page now but whether he wants everyone to friend him there is up to him. I guess if he wants that he can post up his details on here.

"I love it when a plan comes together" bit corny I know

I am flying back from China 0n the 27th July evening and then driving across to Rockingham on the 28th evening or very early on the 29th morning with my wheels for Viking and to give him a hand, I will be a bit fooked from jet lag though, but a 5,000 mile trip to meet Viking and help him out will be a buzz

I am also donating all my SD spares of which there is a lot of useful stuff.......

Older members on here might remember I bought Dr Fs SD which came with all the original parts and more, so i thought donating them to Viking would be a nice thing to do and what Dr F would have done if he was still around,
I am sure he is sitting up there watching all this unfold so this should put a wry smile on his face

Oh yea there has got to be a proper website for all this, Facebook is just soooooo Gay

Another thought Bic, did you think about tapping up WD40 for a bit of support

Yes, first thought I had was that ther is potential for involving our clients if the mix is right. Biggest problem is that the huge global companies like Unilever, Molson Coors etc will have their own departments that deal with PR and sponsorship and they will be locked down and hard to access, even for us working with the senior marketing teams on branding.

The smaller companies are a better bet because we're dealing with the decision makers and sometimes even the owners. But they have much smaller budgets and far less money to throw away.

Problem with WD40 is that they are kind of neither of the above. Big US company, relatively small UK operation. It's driven out of the US but we work for regional UK brands and they wouldn't have the clout to authorise sponsorship I don't think. Ironically, we have a big presentation to them today, maybe if the project goes well we can put it to them. Better if we do this once we have a bike liveried up at the end of next week. Patience and tactics eh

We used to work for Shell. Wow, if that was the case now I could get Viking free Advance oil for life!!!! I do know some people there and was thinking about contacting them. Same thing as above though, better for them to see we are up and running first and that we are serious. In the 1990s I designed all the consumer lubricant packaging for BP. The graphics have changed but it's still the bottle I created al those years ago. Don't have any contacts there now I'm afraid, they've probably all died of old age!

On the parts front.

meant to sayg ood one TLSRuss! if the forum gets into the spirit of this thing then he should be able to pile up a good supply of bits and spares. I know what he really needs is a pile of tank fairings, seat humps, front mudguards etc so that we can prepare him a load in case he crashes. Doesn't matter what colour they are, we can get them sprayed up. Also doesn't matter if they are just a one panel and not in pairs, as long as they are '06 model body parts.

He will also thank anybody for sending him any R & G type crash bungs, fixings or just the bung. Again, they don't have to be in sets or pairs or even in good nick. Anything.

We 'll have to ask him for a comprehensive list of stuff. Don't know if he's got standard controls but if he has I bet everyone has a set of standard clutch and brake levers lying about that are NEVER going back on their pimped up road bike. Imagine the security of knowing that you've got a box of 100 levers in the back of the van!

I asked Gordon to write a letter to the Echo board explaining what it would mean to him if we gave him a hand towards financial security. One of the most compelling things he said was that it would mean that he could race closer to the edge all the time because the small fear of low siding/ high siding and the financial implications of repair always prey at the back of his mind and hold him back. Not having to even consider the cost of repair makes a considerable difference to a racer at this level. Maybe it makes half a second a lap?

Makes you think doesn't it?

There's a lot of bits this forum could give him to increase his lap times. Just imagine the damage from your average low side. Go out, look at your bike and see what might get trashed. Those are the bits he needs a stock pile of. If you have one to spare, give him a PM and find out where to send it.

Good start would be a thread in the Wanted section.

Good skills guys...

Keep reading this and still struggling to take it in. A bit embarrassed by all the kind words tbh. I really appreciate it but this spotlight that's pointing at me is making me squirm a bit coz I'm not used to it.

Not really sure about this asking people for stuff malarkey. Suppose it's Bic that's asking and not me so I shouldn't feel too guilty.


I have 3 full sets of levers so we cool there. Got pegs and 1 of each brake and gear levers. So prob extra of those would help out.
I use certain grips but they're cheap so got some of them. I use Ducati bars bit they're desirable as a mod so wouldn't expect anyone to part with them. I'll just buy a spare set. Errrm, like Bic says, bungs would be great. Panels etc. Maybe spare clutch and brake cylinders and reservoirs.

I'm not focussing too much on the crashing side of things tbh. Certainly this year my main plan is to get out there and finish and get full bhuna race experience rubbing elbows with the big boys and trying for the best newcomer award.


Finally. Want to say a huge thanks to Skip for his donation and offer of help. I know a lot of guys have said they'd help out but tbh I don't think anyone will and wouldn't expect them to. So when someone like that steps forward it really blows me away. Like I said on the phone mate, really grateful. Thanks again.

So that's the deal, all you Superduke forum guys.

I just logged on, read Vikings post and realised that this is the the deal.

He's not asking for help. I am.

He's just a guy, just like you, who's into riding bikes and has taken it just one step further towards a dream of racing and competing and seeing what he can do with this, let's face it, slightly outclassed bike. This Superduke forum has an opportunity to support and do everything to back him and see if we can't achieve something that we can be all be proud of.

I've got to know Viking a bit. I guess so has Big Ash and TLSruss and a few others. We might not have met, (yet), but there's something happening here. There's a connection and a growing mutual respect. Something is going to happen.

All these requests for help and support. They are not coming from Viking direct. No way. He's too modest and focussed on what he's doing. They are coming from me because I've decided that this is a challenge and opportunity to actually do something real that I'm passionate about and I'm interested to see whether all the positive vibes and offers of help from the forum are genuine and whether we actually do care about being part of an adventure together.

Let's see.....

I don't know any of the guys involved, but I've known people trying to manage amature racing and know how hard it is, so it's great tho hear this.
I can't help with parts etc, but I can offer any it/website/hosting requirements. So if you need a website put together (not design), let me know. It might be good to think about a blog and twitter updates too (e.g.laptimes feed on twitter)?

Hey Driesie, that's a great offer!

Because Echo can do all the design and navigation principles of websites etc but we have no idea about how to host them or make them work. If you're serious then we should have a chat about what it would all entail.

Where do you work? I see that you are in London, you work for a web company in London?y

*hangs around patiently awaiting to see new graphics*

Who is going to make up the "Viking tee's",,,

We still need an artwork for the Superduke.net logo. Not promising that it will make it onto the bike, at least not in a prominent position anyway.

We can recreate it but it will take valuable time that we don't really have on Monday.

Millar has it if you PM him.

Bic, I've just emailed you the SDnet logo.
Have you done the deal with LRdesign, cos you could always approach Crispy. He's just set up his own graphics design/ printing business and might well be up for a collaboration.

I've got some nylon, so could probably rustle up a couple of crash bungs when I have some spare time.

Hi Ben! been trying to track you down for days!

Good thinking about Crispy, I'd forgotten about that possibility. Maybe he'll see this post and get in touch?
L&R designs just the most expedient this week to get the turnaround we need. Longer term we can do it other ways.

Cheers for the artworks.

Other thing I'm going to have to sort out this morning is the cutter guides for this belly an because it's not the SD one so not sure whether the surfaces are compound or not. Do you know?

"fraid I don't have anything for the belly pan.
Your best bet might be to have it printed on wrap vinyl, as MX stuff will be a pain on a rounded surface.

I'll drop Crispy a line.

Thanks for the tips guys. Had some experience with this stuff before and know it can be frustrating.

Me and Ash, my design director, are still here now working on the design layout, it's 9pm and I started work at 4 this morning! Bit knackered but we have only got tonight, I won't be going home, this is a sleep under the tables job, ha ha

This time around is really hard because we haven't got the bike before hand. (I could use mine but it's an '07 model so useless.) That would obviously be the best place to start and make out own cutter guides from scratch - I wouldn't normally trust anyone else's guided but we have no choice here. But we have cutter guides for the front nose, the tank spoilers and the front mudguard so we can work on panel design for these areas.

Everywhere else, the tail hump, the belly pan and anywhere else we want to place graphics we are having to design differently - individual graphic elements that get stuck on separately so we don't have to make panels. But this way we have to accept that the base colour is the colour that the part is. In most cases this is black.

My concern is that this is also more time consuming to place on bike - something that Viking does not have stopping in at LRdesigns on his on his way down to Rockingham. We've managed to get LRdesigns to say they will assist him in applying the stuff to his bike but I think they they probably think that it will be no more than your usual 8 or so large panels. Ash is working on some nuts stuff at the moment - maybe I have to calm him down.

Other option is that they help put on the large panels, (which is a bit of a technique and something they will be good at doing fast), and I go down on Friday and put on all the other separate bits - which needs a good eye and some careful confidence - which I have. But I need to be free and we're stacked at work.

We'll see.

Viking......if you read this.....if I come up on the bike on Friday will I be able to get into the paddock on bike or will I have to pay as a spectator and somehow ring you so we can meet up and you can get me in with one of your passes.? What's the best way?

Can bring one of my spare 2008 Battle bellypan (and mask but not sure if that's what Viking is using?) into London tomorrow if that helps.

Viking's is a Replicast one, I think that this is different to yours?

Bic- You'll get in for free as it's a test day. I have a competitors pass though so any problems and i'll get you in. Testing works similar to a trackday so i get 4x 18min sessions in am and 3x 15min sessions in pm. Got some things i need to try on the bike after it being so slow at Cadwell so will be out in all sessions. Plenty time inbetween though.


No47- Is it the Replicast one? If so thats the one i'm using so that'd be great. I still use the 05 style mask as it's a little bit bigger and i like the look too. Proud of my 05 heritige.

Bellypan is Replicast - mask is '08 Battle so different,I guess, to Viking's.

Bic - let me know as soon as re the bellypan and, if you need it, where you are.

Hi no.47

Well, I need it now and I'm still at work now!

Bellypan is the part that's causing us the most issues because we have photos of the thing but it's impossible to tell what is graphic area and what is not because of curves or cut outs. From the side it looks like its got a nice elliptical section but from other banked over shots it looks like it has a big flat bottom. Frustrating because to not know meant we cannot exploit the surface area and this part is one of the best for visibility on racetrack.

But we'll have to make do with guessing. Unless we could look at one in the flesh before, say, 10 o'clock tomorrow morning it will be too late to put any learning into the design and get the artwork sent off in time. I think we have until 12 midday to get everything finished.

Thanks for the offer though.

Well, it's been quite a while since I slept at the studio! Ash and me got quite a lot done last night, it's looking good and we have this morning to get things working better.

It's now so early but I have to wake up and get on with my day job until 9. (got a REALLY exciting design project on and it's in the early stages of concept so really intense).

I knew that this first time would be hard, given the timings and the result will just be a trial. There's no way that we can understand the full potential of what we can do without the physical bike there in front of us and the ability to measure things properly. We also have no idea about the scale of how things work on a race bike and how we can use our brand to best effect.

Never realised just how hard it would be though. And only having one day

We'll use this as a dry run and accept that it won't be perfect, not by a long shot. We'll learn a lot though.

Just hope that all this hassle doesn't interrupt Viking's karma in his prep and run up to the first test. That's the last thing we'd want to do. He's having to detour on his way down to Rockingham to L&Rdesigns to get the vinyl on his bike and I just want it to be as simple and easy for him as possible. But because only half the bike is possoble to be designed as panels it isn't going to be as simple as it could be in the future.

He just doesn't need any nore complication to his already hectic schedule. Sorry in advance mate!

in advance of all you lot wondering what this bike might end up looking like eventually here's a head's up on echo's new corporate identity. It was only unveiled to the staff yesterday so it's very new. It's not been applied to anything yet, no printing of cards or stationery, no applications.

Viking's bike is the first place this will be ever seen in public.

What I love about this identity is that it's for a branding company. Echo create identities, logos, and the whole way brands look and feel. One of the golden rules about branding is that your logo, (or the mark that represents your brand - like the Nike tick), does not change. It's locked down totally. You cannot mess with it.

But we have broken all the rules. We have multiple brand marks. So everyone in the company can have a unique identity because that's what they are. We've actually designed and crafted 20, that's probably enough because with a versatile colour pallette there are hundreds of combinations.

But if you look the typography is very clever. They are all different with different personalities but they all look like they are the same brand. They all occupy exactly the same space and they all have exactly the same weight. You could take any one of these echo logos and swap them over and they would work as well and not upset the balance of anything. On their own they are beautiful, but together they are better. This is exactly what we wanted to achieve and it will cause a stir when we start PRing what we've done. We'll get a story in the design world with or without a bike but this will be even better!

I'm very proud of what we've done here and especially proud of the skills of my design director Ashley Carter and my co-creative director Nigel Ritchie. Well done guys!

Here's the concept visuals for Viking's race-bike with the new Echo identity applied. Artwork has gone up to L&Rdesigns and vinyl should be all ready for him to arrive at their premises on the way down to Rockingham on Thursday where Lee and his guys will run out and help Gordon get it all stuck on.

Looking good will he still have room for anyone else that may want to help him?

The bike will be a bit different for Anglesey in August. There was limited time to get the bike on brand quickly for Rockingham

We picked up a new local sponsor today. Should come in handy. Guy is very keen to help out and i'm really impressed with his quality of work. Finish is like glass.


Well, this is it. All training is done. Bike is as ready as its going to be. Van is packed to bursting with kit.
Leave 7am ish tommorrow moring, drive to L&R to get Echo Brand graphics applied them onward to the track. Testing friday, qually and 2 races saturday, warm up and 2 races sunday.

Feel really calm. Heads in the right place. Lets see how this goes.

Great to hear all is going to plan mate. You replaced the gazebo from Cadwell yet?
Are you going to get time to give us progress updates on the practice sessions?
Never had any interest in domestic series until you stepped up to the plate.

Good luck Viking.

Good luck mate.

During the race, remember you're racing within class A on that grid - those are the only bikes around you that matter.

Also, post some pics of what the bike REALLY looks like.

I'm not falling for Bic's cunning troll job - I know they didn't come up with that scheme on the last page!

So, today's the day Viking's bike gets to meet it's new vinyl. Hope everything goes to plan, usually in this situation I'd have a designer on site to make sure that things went right but due to location and timing it's not possible.

I've managed to get tomorrow free so I'm going to ride up to Rockingham and finally get to meet Viking and spend the day measuring up every panel correctly so that we can get the second generation design right and fully exploit all the panels available.

Anglesey is the real first opportunity for us to launch the Echo identity and we'll probably keep any PR exposure of this first weekend to a minimum. Timings mean that we just haven't been able to get anything else ready. We have no continuity to our existing website or corporate look at all and we we need the next month to gear up.

But this Has given us a steep learning curve about the process of design for a bike, dealing with a vinyl supplier and how to logistically work. Best thing really is that I know that the design team has to realise that to get standout on a race track you have to be REALLY BOLD! Our first design is relatively subtle. It has very considered typography, (it might look thrown together but it's not), but I think that when we see photos of it on track or TV footage they will begin to realise that it's actually really subtle and doesn't have enough impact.

Much of the type is too small and our corporate colour pallete, (all secondary colours) don't have the same impact as primary and dayglo colours. (Think about Rossi's colour palette. It gives you a migraine!!!) But they are quick learners. Next time we will have evolved the design based on what they see from this time.

Anyway, on Monday Viking spent all day in agony waiting for us to send though our proposed design. Today it's my turn to wait until about 2 or 3 o'clock to see a phone photo of the bike after L&Rdesigns have done their thing.

Can't wait!

I really like the design! Hope the actual thing turns out to be at least just as nice! Good luck with the racing Gordon! Have fun!

Do you need a bellypan in advance of the second hit?

I think Gordon has another one on it's way. Meeting him tomorrow so I'll let you know.

Waiting for the pics of the new graphics installed ..
And the smile on your faces...

Brill news! Well done guys. I said I'd help and I'd really like to. Do you have a Paypal account or similar I could chip in to? I dont think I have any SD spares that would be useful to you but would be delighted to help in other ways. Once again delighted to hear the news.

Cheers

Tango2

Hi Tango. A man of your word. I like that! Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'll pm you the info.


Testing went well. Bic took lots of pics so I'll get him to post them up.

Bikes not a million miles away. Getting a lot of attention and praise after every session. Seem to be on pace. We times series leader at consistent 1min 33's. I'm doing 1min 35's with a best so far of 1.35.07. Not riding fully balls out banzai onnit so feel I could hit those times with a few laps tucked in behind him. Recognise 4 or 5 of the front running bikes from tv. Doesn't seem a lot in it. They're a lot more consistent and cut through traffic better than me though. It's taking a bit of time to get used to running so close to other bikes. They're going to allow me to race with the camera on so will have the full footage from all races to keep for posterity.
Really awesome championship. Everyone is really friendly and supportive. It's like one big family right through all classes.

Has a good bit banter with Fast Bikes journo and ex Battle rider Alister Fagan. He'd been watching me testing and was really complimentary. Made my day! Going to have a chat about setups etc at some point over the weekend. Bike is pretty good though. Just be more for gaining knowledge on my part.


Qualifying tomorrow then 2 races. That's where it counts so we'll see how it goes. Think I've done too many laps on that rear tyre today. Moving a bit on the throttle and pumping on the shock. See how it goes tomorrow. Forecast is for rain Sunday for TV day so that might help us.

Good to hear you had a good day, really looking forward to the video's!

Yo Bic.!!!!
Dude...we know you're busy....
But...
What's up with the pics bro.????

Kodamm!!!!

Man, I got problems!!!

350 miles round trip at totally illegal motorway speeds, get back and my shoulders and neck and back are killing. But the twins need to get asleep they are screaming and got chickenpox and the two year old is too hot and being bitten by Mosquitos and the Olympic ceremony is on and I'm trying to watch it but not look at the fooking torch that should have been my design but I don't want to be a bad looser, but I am, and to cap it all.......

...the computer has a problem and will not connect to the Internet so I can't post pictures or films, but my iPad does connect up, so I can write this, but I can't get the pictures from my phone or camera onto it.

Bummer! Shit, fook, bummer

You'll have to wait 'till Monday?

Great to meet Viking finally. Brilliant day. He's only 2 seconds of the series leader pace on second practice. He's a nice bloke. No regrets.

Can't you just wake up the neighbors and tell them you need a computer with internet ASAP for an emergency?

Pics from camera onto computer, connect computer with Ipad, upload pics to dropbox/imageshack/whatever, link pictures here

Can't. The ipad is synced with my Mac at work, not the Mac at home.

Why can't I do both?

I don't know. Steve Jobs and Johnathan Ive, why can't I do this seemingly simple thing?

I don't have any neighbours.

God bless Steve!
It's like having a race car that you can only use on some circuits...

Here's some picture. I found a way!

Latest update.

Viking just qualified 6th out of 21! Remember, this is his first outing against many who are more experienced and have faster, more track orientated bikes.

Good one mate, hope you do as well in the races.

Series leader, on a Triumph 675 with fairing removed and high bars, was doing pretty consistent 1min,33 secs yesterday in practice.

VIking's qualifying time was 1.34.9.

Both pics and QP looks good!
Go Viking!

Ever thought about an umbrella girl like this?

Races must be done by now. Any word Bic?

Think 5th in second race?

http://www.sportstimingservices.com/mod ... esults.asp

Not really sure how it works but currently shows him 5th.

6th in the 1st and 5th in the second.

Yep 5th and getting faster as the race went on,maybe a fourth tomorrow????

The bike turned out much better than the PhotoShop version..
Awesome Bic..
Damn good work everyone.!!!!!
Pretty good placings 1st n 2nd races..
I'm stoked.!!!!

6th and 5th in first race gives hope for several podium finishes

Good riding Viking!

As far as the bike goes, that looks MUCH better "on the bike" than the photoshop version, which TBH I thought was ghastly - like 2012 Olympic logo nasty. On the real bike it looks much better.

That's fooking awesome Gordon You have to be happy with those. Good luck tomorrow. Lets hope that stupid wet stuff stays away.

Got a message from Viking that his lap times were down to 131 by the second race. This is totally on the pace for a podium. but I guess everyone elsenis getting faster also.

Today will come down to the state of his back tyre and whether it rains. Dry day and the tyre might cause issues, I told him to stop being so frugal and get a new tyre but there's none to be found there, tyre guys don't have any. So maybe if it's wet and everyone is out on treaded tyres it's a level playing field again.

We'll see.

I hope it doesn't rain as that place is lethal in the wet

Gordon well done mate......fantastic results

Started to rain in the first race, track like ice. Low- sided but not bad, broken brake lever is all.

Better luck in the next one mate!

Few photos from Saturday

That's a great starting picture Russ! Brilliant.

Was it a nice return to the UK? Jet lagged and then blasted with atmosphere and noise. Can't think of a better way to return

Yea was a real buzz and great to meet Gordon, had a great day on Saturday, the man has certainly got some potential
Rockingham is shit for photos, fences and the track is to far away, forgetting me 400mm lens did not help either............
Stayed till about 10pm chatting, had to drag myself away in the end.... the old jet lag got me a few times on the way home but made it ok
The wife got on my case today so I could not escape, I knew I should have stayed over

Planning to get over to Anglesey though

Big Well Done to Viking, two 5ths and a 6th which gets him a 4th in class,just got off the phone to him and hes absolutley shattered, the bike got loads of attention thanks to Bic, who,d have thought hed do so well on the first outing??

Brilliant weekend even the little spill then. Well done dude, awesome effort

It's thick motocross style printed graphics. So whatever that is made of.


Got a full page of work to do and stuff to get before Anglesey so don't have a lot of time. Bike has to be ready in 3weeks and I need to sort out the clutch problem and get out to a private road to sort out the starts so I can get it launched before I kill myself.

what way have you went with suspension and geo

and when will there be any video material?

Times and stuff here.



The GSXR's are making over 140bhp on dynojet which is 130.5 on the TSGB test dyno which reads low. My bike reads 126bhp on dynojet. So easily 20+bhp down. Add to that a GSXR750 is rated as one of the all time best handling sporsbikes on the planet.

Worth noting that if you look down the grid.

1/ 121 Martin Stanier Suzuki 750 1.30.798 (experienced racer on a GSXR750)
2/ 9 Reece Rothwell Triumph 675 1.31.201 (raced since 05. Did 2 years in Trumph Triple challenge)
3/ 2 Andrew Plaskett Suzuki 750 1.31.717 (experienced racer on a GSXR 750)
4/ 17 Ian Popplewell Triumph 675 1.32.349 (experienced racer)
5/ 12 Michael Russel Suzuki 750 1.32.805 (full carbon GSXR, Bazzaz traction control, thumb brake, and this guy has done a 120mph lap of the TT!!!)
6/ 11 Me Shonky old tractor 1.34.906 (7 year old 10,000mile SD. Aint got a clue what hes doing )



Times are a bit all over the place coz this is anew circuit for everyone. Oncethey get to the local tracks i expect the top to be alot closer and the gap to me to be alot bigger.

I knew I wasn't the only one that calls my SD a tractor!

Keep up the great work everybody!

I think the GSXR won that accolade before someone put some bars above the top yolk!

It's a shame that for a naked class, there are so few bikes that are produced as true nakeds.

It would be cool if they did an SD cup again, the one in Germany looks very popular.

Seems odd that can put flat bars on a Gixxer 750 and say its now a naked?!

Gordon am I right in thinking you're running an SD engine with mods rather than an SDR? If so an SDR engine for Summer 2013 would see you a bit closer BHP wise to the GXR750s. Maybe if we could find a crashed SDR or engine it would be a chance to get a bit more of level playing field. I'm certainly no expert but shoving a set of higher bars on a sports bike and then being able to claim it's a naked bike is surely not in the spirit of the race.

They're doing it that way to get a bigger grid together. I dont see how they need to as there's plenty SD's, SDR's, Tuono's, Street triples, Speed Triples, Ducati Streetfighters etc out there. Thats the way it is so just have to get on with it.


I'm running a 2005 bog standard SD. Only engine mods are a set of Leo Vince end cans, Rottweiler Air box and flies and shafts removed and a PC3 fitted and mapped to suit. Just all the very basics really. Bike had done 9,000 miles when i bought it. I did 1000 road miles then tracked it. So it's maybe on 10,500 now? Dunno.

I'm not going to throw money at it mate. I'd be better just selling it and buying an SDR and working from there if i wanted more power.

It's kinda...........this is the bike i have. So this is what i'm gonna race.


I see what Petes saying. But the higher bars can be compensated for with fork springs and oil height. These things aint standard GSXR750's either. Sitting behind them in the holding area they're all dripping with Ohlins shocks, K tec forks, Brembo monoblocks etc.

I like the bike. Not too fussed about the power as what it has just now is nice to ride.


If i can get it to handle and stop and get my riding up to spec and be inch accurate every lap it can run up there. There's more time to be had in me than adding 20bhp.

The Metzelers seem to like to be ridden on the slide a bit. My riding has leapped forward miles in that one weekend. LIke, i'm easily 50% better than i was on friday moring. By sunday i could feel the tyre start to slide and just hold it just on the move all the way out the corner. Talking to alot of the guys....say on a scale of sliding 100% is a complete hightside and 0% is the tyre starting to move. The Metzelers need to work in that slidey zone, say 20-60% on that scale. I was taking the tyre to 5% and thinking it was at 95%. Wrong. This is the tyre starting get into the sweet zone where it should be like that every single corner. Now i've felt it lap after lap after lap it's now normal so i know where it needs to be.

You'll hear it in the engine in the vids. In about 6 weeks the full 30min I Player show will be out and show bothfll sunday races more indepth so thet'll be the best one to watch rather than the Motors TV 15min highlight skim over.

So, finally got to find time at the studio to collect together a design team and my design director to review our first attempt at applying the new echo branding to vIkings bike. On the whole it worked out OK given the pressure we were under last week to turn it around. We also had to go on a learning curve about the vinyl production process and having to set up a reliable dialogue with L&Rdesigns so we could discuss things like time lines and processes.

But now we have the luxury of a couple of weeks to get the next design sorted. Spent most of Friday measuring up Viking's panels that haven't been exploited in the past by most Superduke owners. There's, I would guess, about twice as much real estate to play with than we originally had.

This time it 's going to be much better and have more impact and standout. We're also going to do his helmet and some sort of large banner designs to make hisnhome more welcome when he comes in from the track!

If any forum members know of a good place that can produce these large banner type things let me know. Not sure if L&M do them, if not we need another supplier sorted out quickly. It 's another place that we 'd be willing to put a Superduke.net logo.

ONe thing that I noticed was that the pucker teams, and a lot of the independent guys too, have very branded look gazebos, bikes, kit etc. It really makes them look more serious and professional. I think Vikings bike got a lot of attention, ( which obviously I l am happy with) but there's more to it than that. People take notice of things. If there was an interest from a bigger sponsor, or if there was someone walking about like a talent spotter then more likely to be intrigued by Viking if he 's well presented and looks like others are already interested in him already. There's loads of guys there who just enjoy racing but their bikes and their set up look shabby and amateur. Seriously, there's bikes there held together with gaffer tape and barely make it through scrutineering. I, personally wouldn't sponsor someone like that, no way. It's a reflection of what they are as a person and what I'd have to deal with every day.

If we get Viking looking good, then it will have an effect of how he is perceived by the rest of the paddock, by the race organisers, by potential big money backers, by everyone. maybe even himself? Everything helps in this game I believe. He already had talked with the race organisers at Rockingham and got a tips about how to get more exposure on camera and how to increase the chances of race commentators mentioning Echo. He's a likeable guy and he can make an impact where ever he gets a chance. The more I con do to help him with this them better.

Racers like him. I could tell. They come talk to him and stay and chat. They find him later and carry on the conversation.

This is such an exciting project for me. I don't have time for it, it's summer and many of my team are on holiday including two of my business partners. I have to get up at 4 in the morning to fit this Viking stuff in.

But you know what? I don't mind cos it's a pleasure.

Race 2 of the weekend will be up in about 3-4 hours all going well with my internet connection.

Hey Pete.

Well no. I have no experience with any kind or racing.

But I have 30 plus years of riding bikes with all sorts of different kind of people, from cafe racers to hardcore greasy bikers. And in all these different groups of people there is another kind of split, the ones that have mechanical sympathy, and care for their bikes, and the ones that don't.

I totally get what you're saying about budgets and priorities. But if someone can't be bothered to to repair something well or not clean something on the outside as part of preparation for a race, then I wouldn't trust what was going on on the inside of the bike either. It's a state of mind as much as a physical thing in my opinion. It's like if you went into a bike workshop and there was tools and muck lying around on the floor and piles of rubbish and cups full of cold tea spilt everywhere. Or go into somewhere and it's all ordered, (not necessarily new and shiny), and and there's a feeling of karma. I know where I'd rather go for advice and chats about motorbikes.

I don't even like riding with people who's bikes look like they're falling apart. Most of the time they ride like this too.

It's only my opinion but what you project from the outside is often reflected on the inside.

Nice video Gordon, I like the cam position to see the suspension working.

Ha, ha

Yes, well I'm not talking about road dirt from riding though winters. I'm talking about bits about to fall off, or bits missing, or just horrendous bodge jobs. Or bad taste - like loads of orange anodised bits. (oops, I'll get a lot of haters here )

Anyway, I'm not into polishing, waxing, shining, dusting, bikes anymore. That's why I like the matt black SD look, nothing to shine up anyway. I don't have time. I just wash 'em with soapy water and a scrubbing brush then liberally spray them with ACF 50, then wipe off the residue with a cloth.

I used to have a Triumph and the alloy engine casings took about three hours of Solvol Autosol to make it gleam. I did this every Sunday morning for years. Did it to my Kawasaki triples too, the alloys were still OK in those days too and came up a treat.

Bikes go faster and look after you better when they're clean and polished and have a good karma. ( I like to think)

nope . treat them mean and all that

Race 4 will be on Motors TV this thursday at 11pm.

Lets hope it we get a mention out there on ole' tractor power

Got a good review in the write up on the series reports section.

Here is race 4 which is the one they will show on TV.


I uploaded the full thing from holding bay to chequred flag. The feeling cruizing up to the line and seeing the grid girls waiting is unreal. What a buzz!! Watch the number 17 bike on the right showboat off the line n the warmup lap.

Lines are terrible and i'm making shit loads of mistakes and really slow picking up the throttle. Keep selecting wrong gears in turn 2 also. Just the adrenalin of it all got the better of me. Can see what i was doing wrong and thats the 1st race weekend done so can hopefully chill by myself for next one and focus on getting quicker. Was just trying to get round there and survive.

Up the quality to 1080.

Nice vid dude Personally I think they'd be better off with National track but maybe as this doesn't have a grid they can't use it. Much nicer circuit to ride than the International.

So, we're now half way through the month between Rockingham and Anglesey.

Been a hectic few weeks trying to get the new Echo graphics designed for the bike and all the other things that we would have done for the first weekend but didn't have time.

Getting the design and artwork finalised for production in vinyl so we can get it to Viking for friday to put on the bike. Doing a design for two banners and getting them made for his gazebo. Bought a new Bell helmet delivered to Echo so we can apply the design to that. Had an internal competition to design him a personal logo to put on the bike and bring him good luck. He's chosen a design out of six options and that's in development. Had to redraw the Jim Aims Racing artwork because they didn't have one which we could use and also we didn't much like the logo of Boogies bike paint so we designed them a new corporate identity so their logo looks good on the bike. They've just approved that so we're in business.

New design has much more standout but as a result is gaudier - Gordon has reservations but he will be won over when it's all applied. (Have faith Gordon! ) It's eyechatching to say the least. He has reservations about the use of pink but he needs to overcome his macho issues - he will be a convert. He just has to talk to Big Ash!!! Pink is the new Black. Take it from me.

When we publish the new graphics we can supply anyone that is interested in a set. I guess we can supply a set at cost, I will post what this is when we get the invoice from L7Rdesigns. It will be only available for the '06 tank and spoilers and other panels on an early bike together with the SDR tail unit. Don't ask for a set to fit the '07 onwards models - Haven't the time or patience to redo all the design and artwork, you don't know how long this takes!! Anyway, I don't really see anyone wanting to ride about on an Echo branded SD anyway so we won't get any takers anyway!!

Can't wait to see the full effect next race weekend. It's all about standout and getting noticed. Viking is good at that in his own right but with a gaudy bike he's more likely to be remembered. Think WW1 planes and what the Red Barron and his crew achieved.

Nice video Gordon! I'll keep an eye on the iplayer from thundersportgb for their video. Motorstv will broadcast the rockingham event in Holland @ 2 am on a friday. Alarm is set @6am for work, so not really an option to watch it on tv. Luckily there is YouTube!

@bic: really looking forward to see the design! Sounds like you guys are really working your *ss off to help Gordon, great stuff!

The I Player is a bit behind. They've only just uploaded the Snetterton race. I think it'll be mid september before its on. Plus point is they show both races on it so you'l see me sliding along on my ass and trying to be all cool by blaming the marshals for me crashing coz they didnt have the slippery flag out when the the track was wet......even though it was pissing down.

I think Bic is trying to mould me into a better human being. Testing my character by putting the bike out in a drag queen outfit . I think he's embraced the track slag ethos and put emphasis on the slag part.

Joking. It does look cool. Just a bit different to my conservative white and black with with a few wee KTM Racing logos

I hope the cameras have tinted lenses.

Honestly cant wait to see it all done in real life. Boogies are staying open late to fit them when i finish shift so we'll be down there fitting them up at 11pm onwards one night.

OK. Here's the first unveiling to the world (ha ha....like the world cares much), of the new, updated Echo/Viking racing livery.

We learned a lot from the first, rushed attempt. Mostly about standout and how you really need to be bright to be noticed. Viking is still probably in shock and getting used to the concept of not being a shrinking violet. Mate, you just have to accept that if you're focus is riding to win and making an impact on the series all we can do is help you along the way!!

Valentio, you have a lot to answer for!

Comments appreciated please! (it's too late - they've all gone to print production now)

Two different sides. Why don't more bikes do this?

We've also done him some banners to brighten up his Gazebo and make it a bit easier for him to find home at the end of every session.

We've also designed a new logo for Boogies bike paints because their original one wasn't very inspiring. Max and his wife Jen said that they always wanted a logo that had a retro biking feel and that looked like it had some heritage. We've put a bit of "Ace Cafe" mixed in with a little bit of "Ogri". Also redrawn Jim Allen's script to be a bit nicer and more balanced than the original.

Oh, and we're also doing Viking a personal mascot but he's behaving just like a real fussy client now and we're on the third round of development.

My eyes, my eyes, I'm blind. Please God, tell me you didn't do that to that poor SD.

See...

You motorcyclists are such a conservative bunch at heart. You don't like things to be different or challenging do you?

Big Ash will like it.

I like it!

The first one was a elaborate Joke.

Yes, like they said: be noticed. All publicity is good publicity

Go for it viking

I like it too, and it will definetely get you noticed, and people will probably remember you! And that's the main goal of the design i presume.

I think I will be able to see him from London

I actually like the first one. The 2nd is a bit harlequin for me but it does stand out. Tell me you are putting him in matching leather

"Flash Gordon and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamboat on podium"

That's the headline in next months Thundersport review. You read it here first.

Ahhh, he's just posted this lovely picture of his immaculately prepped bike. He's loving the black, minimalist look! (As I personally do too).

Only a few more days mate and it will be a bit more colourful!!!

I prefer your second generation and think it flows more than the original.
I really like the multicoloured waves on the banner in the background

You'll need some new leathers to go with that.

A whole new meaning to the Gay Gordon's.................................

There must be a less visually horrific way to attract attention surely?

I have attempted to acclimatise by staring at the mock ups and trying to convince myself that it's just my innate conservatism that is causing me to dislike it.

Unfortunately I have come to the conclusion that the reason I don't like it is that the design has taken the colour palette from Willy Wonka's chocolate factory and married it to the bold geometric patterns of the classic shell suit circa 1992.

If you just want to attract attention though, mission accomplished!

This is a good focus group.

Yep. Focus group indeed.

That's why we usually ignore much of what focus groups advocate and convince the client that they should be brave, and innovative and not listen to the voice of the masses. If we did listen to them nothing would every change and nothing different would every get created.

It's only when things are successful and begin to achieve what they intended to do, and then suddenly the masses say, 'Oh I like this", or , "That's soooo cool".

I've got thick skin, I know when a design, whether its a bottle of whisky or a mobile phone, is good, and whether it will deliver on it's objectives and appeal to the person it was intended. And this bike is good, it's just what Echo wanted it to be. We have an agenda.

Anyway, in this case we're the client .........so we're right.

Viking hasn't commented, is he still in shock.......

Just watched the Rockingham race on Motors TV - good on ya, Gordon, particularly as the result listing put you on a KTM 690............who the hell are Echo?

Maybe we are viewing this from the wrong perspective.? Perhaps Vikings bike isnt meant to be a showcase of Echo's skills but a warning to other manufacturers... ' KTM wouldnt pay our design fees so see how ugly we made their product". We could do the same for you if you dont pay up

Perhaps Echo's olympic torch was a big pink cock and balls with the flame coming out of its jap's eye? Who knows

For anyone that actually wants them..... (really?)

We have the cutter guides and artwork for all the panels on the SD. There are loads more than the usual panels done by SD owners because we wanted to cover the bike.

I will post up a comprehensive set of everything. If there is enough interest we can easily put in a new order to get more vinyl produced and we would be prepared to do this at cost plus postage. I'd have to find out from LRdesign what the price would be for limited panels etc.

Just be aware that all the panels are for an '06 model SD. There's some crossover with the'07 onwards but not in the tank area.

Here's Gordon's personal logo/mascot to go on the back mudguard.

It features his greyhound, Mist, and the number 11.

Not been on here much.

Had a quick skim over the last few posts here

The motors TV show saw poor. They missed all the battles and overtakes. On lap one I made a move for 5th on Adam and ran wide and the commentator didn't even acknowledge it. Nothing mentioned about the result and it being the 1st race. I think the iPlayer stuff is a lot more indepth and they use on board futidge. Apparently it's on that commentary I was graced with the "flash" nickname that seems to have stuck already with all the Thundersport guys.



I'll give it to him. Bic had me in shock when I saw the design. Boogies applied the livery this morning. Bike looks brilliant. A few tiny things I'd tweak that I'll speak to Bic about. But I get where he's heading. It's a racebike and the point in livery is to get the company noticed. The new graphics do that a treat and really suit the bike in real life. Lee at L&R have been great and kept me in touch all the way. The finish of their vinyl really sets it off.

You really have to see it in real life. It's looks cool as feck.

It's pouring with rain here. Few quick pics just before I put it in the van. I'll get more once it dries up.

Awesome looking bike Gordon!

Sad it's for track use only. The bike is sure-score chick-magnet.

Looks great Gordon! I 'm well happy with the way it seems to have worked on the real bike. I can spot what appear to be a few errors, don't know if they are the fault of the artwork or L&R, will only be able to check on Monday now. we can get a few new panels made next week if we feel it necessary. The one that bugs me the most is the right hand side tail unit, the panel below the number board should not be White, it should be coloured stripes.

How did the panels fit? Was ther a lot of post finishing to do? I hope not but it might be expected as we did not have a bike to trial them on. Belly an should have turned out better as we had this.

I 'll try and ring you from the field on my way home tonight.

I Like the left hand side!

I absolutely love the new design you have there Flash, that will get you noticed!

Only downside is it might be hard to spot the other sponsor logo's on the hectic design (I can't find them).

i prefer the right side too but my favourite graphic is your rear hugger

the rockingham vidoe isn't up yet or am i being blonde??

looks great....I like the left best

....Flash........I think its more to do With Cadwell Park Toilets......around about midnight

The left side is really growing on me but i'm not feeling the love for the right

My Aunt has retired greyhounds - they rock!

Is it me or is the greyhound looking slightly sad?

Mascot vinyl will be on it's way next week Gordon! I've added it onto the order for the helmet graphics.

It's not sad, it just has pathos!

I was looking through Servimg there to post some pics of Mist and saw these old ones. Who would have though the bike would have came to this point.

From this...nice clean road bike


To this....getting broken in


To it's 1st barrel roll....




To the pivotal moment...........the start of the rebuild just after the funeral.


1st incarnation of the rebuild.....dunno what i was thinking!


2nd attempt.....


Bit more tweaking and blacking out of parts to get this..........



Then we're where we are now. Looking at the 1st pic it's hard to believe under all the vinyl it still basically a 10,000mile 7 year old roadbike!

We're nearly a year on here. Early hours of tuesday morning is the 1 year anniversay of my fathers death..........and almost exactly 1 year later i'm racing top 5 in a national championship as a sponsored rider. What a year! I aint religous in any way man, but come on. What are the chances of that coming together at this point. Bic getting the final design done etc.

Gets even spookier. Next Sunday, 26th August, is the anniversary of the funeral. It was at 12.30pm i stood there and his song came on and the coffin came by with his cap and boots ontop. 12.30 on Sunday is when my 1st race of the weekend in on the grid! 365 days later and it all lined up to happen at the exact same minute! How can that even be possible.

I'm either gonna be a total freakin wreak or im gonna win. There' no way it's just going to be a normal race

Best of luck to you mate!

a date with destiny!

Gordon

All the best for the 26th mate - its going to be a great weekend - the duchess and I get married on the saturday and your gonna get a podium on the sunday..... what could be better!

best of luck

The Gin Reaper

In the final week before Anglesey we have finalised the artwork for Gordon's mascot and done him a big sheet full of different sizes stickers so he can plaster them all over the walls of his house.

Printed it on vinyl so it can go somewhere unobtrusively on the bike.

We've bought him a new Bell helmet and applied the same lairy graphics all over it. The same twin-sided design but with the harlequin on the right and the stripes on the left.

Printed some spare tank and bellypan vinyl panels so, (although I'm worried it's tempting fate), if he low-sides then he can go out looking as good as new again.

Reprinted the right hand panels of the SDR tail unit because L&R made a mistake and missed off some pink and yellow stripes, (and we can't have that can we? )

Got a two metre banner and strip printed so he can make his gazebo as bright as the bike.

All this we have to DHL up to Anglesey on Friday so he collects on Saturday morning in time for the weekends events.

This job has always been about the deadlines!!!!

GOOD LUCK GORDON. Hope everything goes well. If it was all just down to preparation and mental attitude then you'd be starting on pole and win all races by a good measure!

Finally finished everything and the package is ready to send up to Anglesey for Viking.

Here's the whole Echo team that worked on the project. Thankyou to all of them for their offers of help, hard work and a not a few late nights fitted in around their own totally mental work schedules.

At the back left is Greg, the artworker who did all the layouts and specs to send to L&Rdesigns. Then there's Ben who did a lot of the conceptual work and next to him is Ash, our design director who's overseen the design and implementation of our new identity,(For which he can be thanked for), throughout the whole project, then Niall who submitted one of the dog mascot design concepts, (Vilking's second choice). In the middle row, in the blue jacket, is "G" the designer responsible for the lairy second generation bike graphics, next to him is Bronnie, who's project managed the whole affair and co-ordinated everything to run smoothly and then Philip who did all the layouts and panel work to get the new design to fit onto the belly-pan and helmet. Then there's Christie, one of senior senior designers, who produced the beautiful winning mascot design. Front row is James, a mascot submitter and myself, looking pretty happy with the way things turned out.

Here's the helmet design to go with the bike.

Nice work from all of you, really stands out of the crowd with that design. Will the leathers have the reversed design like the helmet has as well?

No leathers this time round! Maybe just a step too far for us in terms of cost and execution. Anyway, Viking has to wear an orange novice bib this season so the impact would not be as good. Hopefully all this lot will be enough to get noticed on TV an the like.

Nice going! Congrats all round!

Third in Saturday's practice.

Good job.!!!
Good luck Gordon!!!

Very impressive! Hope the race goes just as well or even better!

Good stuff mate. Remember the established rules should you get a result.
The first paragraph should include a confession that you don't like talking / writing about yourself.
Minimum of of 1000 words to follow!

Stay Focused!

Viking got a podium in first race!!!

Managed to get third position and second fastest lap time of the race. If no one does better in the next race this means his starting position tomorrow will be second on grid behind series leader, Reece.

Apparently the course commentator is mentioning the bike a lot and the crowd is noticing him a lot 'cos he got a lot of clapping on his slow down lap! Gaudy paint, job done.

Well done Gordon.

Although I prefer Gordon "gaudy" Wright to flash

That's brilliant. Big credit to Bic and Echo.

Great news and result! Extra attention from the commentator is the best.

i dont think i quite understand the street-fighter classification. What needs to be done to the 600's 750's and 675's to make it eligible for this race group?

also is there any way i can watch the races online or on TV? i dont have any special cable package but im dying to see you race!

Awesome result guys! Congratulations!

Well done dude!

How was race 2?

Waiting to hear...........

Still waiting for race 2 results .!!!!!
Damn gents....
Tell us.!!
:

Class Gordon......real Class well done......

In race 2 Viking got a false neutral instead of second gear and went straight back to 15th before the first corner. Then battled his way through the traffic for the rest of the race to finish a credible fifth.

Unfortunately the whole of Monday's event was cancelled due to bad weather so no grid start and no brolly dollies and no race to try and win. Bummer

So it's now all down to Cadwell. Thank god we're not doing another set of graphics!

Seriously, this is all great - love the crazy-ass graphics.

More importantly however, where are the scantily clad umbrella girl pics from the event?

Just got off a long chat on the phone with Viking.
Scotland (Escocia) to Mexico to talk with a Yank. Cool huh?

He won't ask for it but he requires/needs a KTM/Suter clutch. If anyone has a new or good one he can have or buy on the cheap, please let him know.
He doesn't need a bunch of PMs telling him how great another clutch is or how he doesn't need one. He just needs one.

Track days aren't racing and until you have had to fight a clutch on the grid, it is hard knowing what he is going through.

Apologies to Viking and his team if I am speaking out of turn but there it is anyway.

Maybe GoGo will give him one.

I Dont think you are speaking out of turn, he phoned on his way home and the conversation seemed to center round cluth issues especially getting of the line,so if anyones thinking of selling theres give him a pm.

Get on it Bic!

The only lycra clad wench pic i got.........thats me on the right btw

I'll post up in 10mins. Missed out on some great pics coz of today being cancelled. I would have been 2nd on the grid for both races due to me setting the 2nd fastest time of the event up till then. The front row get a grid girl with a brolly and the TV cam goes down the line showing close up of the bikes and i get to give the cam a wee wave......but.....all that is now gone coz of the Uk weather.

Cheers Rob. It was good to throw a few ideas about with you.

I've managed to get a deal on an STM. That should hopefully sort out my issues. These is no point in getting on the front row to then end up 8th by turn one. It looks the same as the Suter. I think i have to change from spring type to diaphram to sort this crap out.



Anyway.................race reports............especially for you DP x x

Testing was shite. Damp, then rained, then red flagged so got 8 laps over 3 sessions. I've never done the Coastal layout so was keen to get some laps in. Ive done one day there but i was in inters group and it was my 1st trackday this year after the big crash and 6month off the bike. So learned bugger all and as piss slow.

New rear tyre on for qually which was on the friday due to the big Anglesey Super Prix races. Got out mid pack and took my time scrubbing the tyre in and trying to get some space and rythym. I knew the lap record was set at 1.12.341 so set a personal goal of a sub 1.15. Saw a 1.17 on the lap timer. Got some clear track finally and got a committed lap in only to get to the entry to the corkscrew to find a guy cruising along so had to go round outside of him and lost time. Came in pissed off and Curtis ran over and told me i'd got 3rd. Felt good for the races as i knew i had plenty pace still in hand.

So instead of qually sat morning we had 10mins warmup. Put a new front on as that one had done the full weekend at Rockingham and had about 6 heat cycles in it. Put the old Rockingham rear on to keep the new tyre fresh for the race. Scrubbed it in the tried a few hot laps to get my head in. The thing was sliding and trying to spin up all over the place. Felt onnit. Saw timer and it was a 1.17! Holy crap. How can i possibly do a low 1.14 when it's on the slide on every exit and only doing a 1.17!.

Fired the fresh rear back on for the race. Lined up 3rd. Did that stupid mistake of looking back and nearly puked. Luckily it was just before the warmup lap. It's a feeling like nothing else...............sitting on the front row of a grid and turning round to see 19 racebikes and rider with black visors pointing right at you. Best way i can describe it is you know that way when you breathe out if your scared but it comes out as a warble. I did that.
Away for the warmup lap. Warmup lap is a funny place. Its' like everyone is trying to puff their chests out and show what they've got. There's lots of barging from the guys behind and choping your nose off etc. Dunno if they just want a shot of being up front or something .

Flag mashal pointed at lights. Clutch in into gear, lights on. revs up and clutch out to bite...............GOOO. Clutch was utter shite again. Short shift to 2nd and into 1st corner in 2nd place. Had a look up the inside of Stanier into turn 2 hairpin then tucked in and turned it tight to drive out hard behind him onto the straight. Bloody hell those GSXR's are fast. He pulled 5-8 bike lenghts on the staight. Braking for Rocket and Reece passed me on the brakes. Tucked in behind them and concentrated on getting it to evey apex, knee on every kerb but the adrenaline stopped any of that . Had a slide on the right hander at Peel corner but all ok. Maybe just tyre not quite up to temp. Stayed with them but they pulled 2-3 bike lenghts on the straight everytime. Took me a few lpas to get setled and find a rythum and start hitting apexes and started to reel 2nd place in. Then started gettin anxious and thinking "dont mess up, your on for a podium", so tried to back off a little and keep steady. All this did was knock my out my concentration and i started making mistakes and running wide. Held it together for last few laps to get 3rd.

With the Megs Laps system it means if anyone improves their qually time in the races then that becomes the new time so you can move up or down the grid. I got a 1.14.3 which ended up being the 2nd fastest time so would move up to 2nd on the grid for race 3 and 4.

Race two....
Same clutch bollox. Tried to short shift to 2nd. But ive still got the PC3 kill enables from when i had it on the road so it doesnt work till over 3000rpm. So shifter didnt work and i hit netral. Almost full grid came past. Think i went down to about 14th by turn 1. Battled my way back up to 5th but it was a scrappy race. Got some good passing experience though. Need to be more ruthless and if we touch we touch. Its racing. I'm just going to out my bike up the inside and if he turns in he turns in. He'll soon know i'm there. If i'd have just barged my way though, even with that bad start i could have caught the back of the lead guys and hung on to them. Temps were a bit lower so lap times were down a bit. I was doing the same times as they were doing up front, low 1.15's, but i was doing them through traffic so confident i could have run with them. Nobody improved their time so I was definitely on for a 2nd place start on Monday but unfortunately it got cancelled due to the storm.

Got both races on vid. Forgot to turn the cam off after race two so its 70min and would take bloody ages to upload so i'll prob just load race one. Race two end if funny though. You can hear my adrenaline fuelled hissy fit. Just listening to it back there..............it went "Fvcking hopeless. Fvcking hopeless. It's just a fvcking pile of shite. It s always the fvcking launch. It's fvcking terrible man. Total shite". I seem to like a swear when things dont go right. Cant even remember that happening either!

Cheers to Russ for driving 5hours across counrty to listen to me rant and then have day two cancelled. Hopefully he'll have some good pics of the rage filled race two.

Good job Gordon.!!!
Looking forward to the videos...

Nice write-up Flash, looking forward to especially the 2nd race with all the passes

Gordon, well done!

Great job! Considering you entered the 1st corner @ 14th position, finishing 5th is a very good result! Shame the monday races got cancelled!

Race 1 will be up in a few hours. It'll be a few days before i get the nightmare of race 2 up.

I've left it full length to show the full experience from pit to pit. Just skip it forward to the race if you cant be bothered watching it.

I can see my biggest problem is being inconsistant with lines etc. Reece is perfect every lap. My pace isnt far away and if i can hit every apex perfectly over the full race the overall race time will come down and i'll place higher. It's something i know it have to work on and ive got steps in place to sort it. I find its real easy to watch the vid back and pick faults and for me to slate myself, but when your out there in a race and can hear the bike behind in your ear it makes it hard to do everything perfectly. It more a survival mode you get into.

I'm working on throttle pic up too, but the vid isnt accurate enough to show the little slides you feel from the rear. That slide on lap one at the right hander at Peel corner looks small on the vid but i was right off the side of it and had to pull myself back on the bike. I notice the cam only really picks up the engine noise once it's fully open and the Rottweiler box is roaring.

Really handy having it to watch back though. That lap where i backed off to settle for 3rd and lost concentration you can really see the difference it made and i ran wide on 3 corners until i got back on it.

Excuse the crap wheelies. I could hardly breathe at the end let alone hoist it up .

This race was the 12.30 race exactly 1 year on from the funeral. Quite why i feathered that clutch back in when it snatched and got an ok start i'll never know. It's something i've never done before and didn't do it in race 2. Freaks me out a bit thinking about it.

Minor mistakes are very very easy, you sort of do them for some weird natural instinct, but can never explain them.

FWIW i had terrible trouble with race starts using slipper clutches, both on my 916 and my 750k1. Rarely did i end up going into turn 1 anything more than the back end of the field. I did find with the 750 (Running a Sigma slipper) that an extra 2000rpm held on the line made it a bit more managable. But it's common for slipper clutch riders to have less starting speed than them without. I guess it's a trade-off.

Right then.

Here are both races from Rockingham. Bit embarassing but it was the 1st race weekend and at least we got some good coverage . We're definately in a much better place now.

We need a "like" button on here

Sigma out. STM in.

Street has just been treated to a race bike clutching up wheelies up and down the street and doing full race starts from the bottom of the road.

Feel like a ton weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Clutch is absolutely superb. Even at 8000rpm starts there is no click and grab.

Shock is at MCT getting some changes done. Few small changes round the bike. Good long chat with my coach Nemo regarding mental prep and focus. No more last minute panics. Ready early. Let go racing now! (well, maybe wait till my shock comes back, but after that)

Good news! When is the next race?

Good one one the clutch front Gordon, glad to hear it's performing as hoped. Clutch problems are a pisser!

Bic, how you placed for time now? Could be doing with a quick chat. Boogies would like the logo sent over so they can make their own cards and stuff up to match the bike logo.

Phone me from the field tomorrow?

gid stuff gordon

some of Viking's pics from Anglesey

A few from the dodgy pit crew

No words needed

Gordon it must be driving you mad not having matching levers!

I'm ok with it coz it's what works. LOnger standard clutch lever for feel and flip up Brembo brake lever for the fancy pukka master cylinder.


By the way. I dont really have a squint or look as simple as that in real life. It's had been a long 3 days when that pic was taken

Russ. Nice pics! Did you get any good ones from the races?

Can we refrain from close up of the bike please. That shots giving too much away. You can see some of the bits that have been drilled to get the weight down.

Also you cant see it but the rear wheel spindle is the wrong way round, I changed the wheels on the Sunday evening, put the wets on ready for Monday, I said to Gordon "your rear wheel spindle is the wrong way round" I wanted to turn the spindle the right way round, Gordon said no, he got a 3rd with it that way so it stays as it is...........

Trouble is it still bothers me a week later I fitted the spindle the wrong way

A couple from the second race, check out how much the rear tyre is deforming in this first one



This one I like




Gotta have a kip now......... head is banging again

Very nice photo's Russ.

Great photos Russ! Is it really that bright?

Anyway Gordon, I see your trainers are as gaudy as the bike!

couple more

Another good un

Nice pics!

That Cannon lens seems able to change the pink Echo branding on the left side of the tank to red. Hmmmm.....

its your uncalibrated monitors

I just skip through the pictures in this thread and move straight to the text bits.

It makes me feel a bit queasy.

Ha ha. It is just a bit like watching someone puke up multi-coloured vomit right in front of your face isn't it.

Bic where your eyes crossed when you were looking at the photos ?

I think the paint has done exactly what it needed too do...get noticed.......with Viking putting in these great preformances.....it will snowball...with one feeding off the other.....

I have same pattern of thinking as you so understand you 100%. What helps me in similar cases to focus and perform - is I am realizing the other side as well. The point I am actually in. Positive sides. Think about the point YOU ARE actually. Think about your way to it, which was pretty amazing. Emotions. Effort. Achievements. Support from all the forum. Its your game, not these ones with those Triumphs or GSXR-s. Play it beautifully.

and most of all, try to enjoy all parts of racing, especially on the bike, just have tons of fun because that's what makes a rider smooth and consistent above anything else!

Really good to hear you're doing well, just wish I had better Internet access so I could keep upto date!

Cheers Jody.

Jermo/41KS
Of course. It's a buzz. I am calm and enjoying it all. The prep and buildup is enjoyable. When we get called to the holding bay I can hardly breathe, but it's weird, as soon as the visor drops and the lights go out I get calm. The heat of the race can get me going a bit but actually just lapping the bike, that's where I feel at home and it's the calmest part of the whole thing.

I find the whole racing thing super addictive. I love the mentality of it all and watching how other riders go about things. One of the things that's blew me away is how quick these guys get on pace.

My best laps when doing trackdays would always be in the afternoon after around 2 hours of trackime lapping away. But these guys don't ride inbetween races. They turn up having spent 4weeks off the bike, have a warm-up session. Then are a few seconds off lap record pace within 15mins on track. It's like in their minds there are two separate people. Visor goes down and they are on it! The series leader doesn't even have a roadbike license!

I can feel myself getting like that. But it takes me days of mental prep to get my head there. Like I do full race distances in my head on the treadmill. Visualize it all happeing from lights out to flag dropping. It works for me coz it helps take away the nerves. When I get on the grid obviously the adrenalines pumping, but I feel calmer coz I've already done 20-30 starts in my head in the weeks before.

The mental side of it is fascinating. There are points in a race weekend where it could all fall apart from one miss timed comment. What makes the front guys different is they can deal with that and instantly process it and dismiss it. There are little mind tricks played like before you go out someone will say turn 3 is really slippy. That will kill a weak man's Laptime. The strong man will acknowledge it and go out and make his own assessment. Some guy tried to mind fook me at Angelsey. We were chatting about the grabby clutch. He has no race experience, never sat there with 23 bikes around him waiting on the lights going off. He was telling me it's all in my head. No ground to say that, just trying to sound important. I fobbed it off. But repeatedly he kept tapping his temple whenever I saw him and repeating it. What I'm saying here is, that guy had no concept of the danger he was putting us in. If I got a mind fook going on about not being able to launch the bike and stalled it, without trying to sound likes drama queen, I might not be here today. As I was I basically had to have a bit of a bark at the guys and dismiss him. Then convinced myself I COULD launch it even with that bad clutch. Spoke to Rob on the way home from that meeting and he told me it was the biggest pile of shit clutch he'd ridden and to get rid of it. Takes you to the next step that shit.

What I'm getting at is. I'm not putting it on the front row through skill or talent. I did it through weeks of focus and getting my head totally in the right place and sheer determination. 70-80% of this stuff is all in the mind. I actually convince myself I'm the best rider out there . I feel nothing when I'm behind the big names now. Where as before if someone said Reeces name I'd get goosebumps.

Just typed that from my phone and all he text has scrolled off the top of the screen so I think its a big rambly post again. Sorry if it is.

Hi Gordon,
Just keep you ramblings coming. It's always a good read, honestly, some, or most of us are a world apart from your abilities and as a result it's good to read a racers thoughts.
Keep on it.

As we have discussed, you cannot do a single thing about those guys pulling away on the straights.
What you have over them is brakes, torque for strong exits and most of all, the ability for that bike to take just about any line into a turn.
Over and over again I would see two or three 600s fighting for that perfect line into a turn at the end of a fast section and I would just pop inside, or outside and take any line in and still be able to get a decent run through the turn.
Then they would yard me on the straights.

Your riding and BP are getting much better in pretty short order.
I am guessing they didn't expect that out of a guy wearing an orange vest.

Right.

Been doing alot of thinking. (shock) Bear with me while i ramble this out in my usual overthought waffle.

There is no point bleating on about GSXR power blah blah. The facts are the facts. So the options are.....
1/Punt the bike and just buy a Triumph or GSXR.
2/Or get the bike as good as possible.

So i'm in too deep and far too involved with the bike to sell it. It's worth bugger all as a package and it'd be a pain in the ass to break it. So we have to go with option 2

That takes us to the next crossroads. How to make the bike competitive with the GSXRs and Triumphs............bearing in mind there are guys like Scot Adams coming over from the Ducati 848 series next year and he is a top 10 rider in that class. Keith Smith who holds alot of the lap records will be back. It's going to be tough. The benefit of the bike is it's had a year of trial and error with setup so is in a really good place. Feels natural to ride and inspires shed loads of confidence.

So. Overall power wise. Could maybe drag a few more out it with Acra headers and mate them to the Leo cans. Worth the £££? Hmmmm.
Motor wise. There is no point touching it internally. Like i said before, it's not the right motor to be trying to put a tune on.
Increasing power is only of use on the straights. How much of the track is actually made up of 100% full tucked straight line hauling? 25%?
We could maybe drag another 2-3 out it with a winter refresh and good going over and some solid time on the dyno. Thats about the only thing that would be worth doing as we'd gain reliablity too with that route.

That takes me to weight and handling. No matter what's said, getting all that weight off me and the bike has definatley made a difference.
Weight off will gain speed but the benefit is i can use that everywhere, corners, braking, direction change. I've got more off it and the bike is at 175kg right now with 15L fuel ready to go. Reece has the lightest bike on the class A grid at 160kg with no fuel. He drains the tank after every session and only adds the exact amount the bike needs for a race, roughly 1L per lap. (thats how competitive it is up the front! ) We have to run always min 5L in the tank coz the mad tank design means it fuel surges and cuts out on the brakes even with foam baffling. MIn 5L is just enough to stop that happening in all but the last lap.

I've spent all week phoning around contacts and serching for solid info on gains with Carbon Wheels. Thats 8 different vastly experienced guys all quoted 1.5-2 sec a lap purely by swapping the wheels. Bearing in mind in these last races i've been 1-3 sec off pole times and lap records. If i can get the bike lighter and get my riding totally up to scratch (more on that in due course) then 5-8bhp that we're down may not be that big a gap.

Dymag are still doing that 30% off deal which makes a set £2000. I've got 3 fronts and 4 rear wheels and a whole workshop full of parts. So if i have a big ole garage sale, go down to 1 set dry rims, 1 set wets, i might get £1000ish. So that leaves £1000 left and i can just destroy myself on ovetime for a few months over the winter to get that in. This also means i cant do a euro event in the winter to keep my head up to speed and after Cadwell i'll be off the bike for 5 months before the 1st race of 2013. But i think its worth the gamble.

We're in a really good place just now. Obviously this is an open forum so i can only post up certain things and there is alot i have to keep off the forum. But we've got a genuine small snippet of interest from KTM UK and possibly another little bit of help with another small bit of sponsorship to come onboard with us.

Anyway. Here are the wheels that are going to win me the Thundersport GB overall Streetfigher championship in 2013.

Nice wheels! I think it is awesome you are not taking the easy route and are sticking with the sd!
I hope those wheels will give you just that little bit extra to be even more competitive!
It's also nice to hear ktm is showing interest, extra sponsorship would be nice!

I know sometimes i bang on about "when i was racing..."

but...


When i was racing i was on a 916, like you Superduke it was about as high spec as it could be, Mag Marchesinis, STM slipper, 50mm system, blueprinted, gasflowed, Ohlins rear and forks, plenty of carbon, etc etc. In the 2nd season they introduced WSB rules, which allowed 750IL4's. Which ended up romping away from me on the straights. 3/4 of the way through season i bought a Gixer 750k1. Which i then raced. I finished all races in the same position on pretty much the same laptimes. The Gixer wasn't the answer for me personally to go quicker. I also didn't enjo riding it nearly as much as the 916. Go with your heart, not your head

Just a quick word to say when I went from Akro cans to full Akro system it was the mid range that had the noticeable increase. IMO that does help you get out the corners quicker. I've managed to out drag an equally skilled rider ( superdan) on a 'faster' bike (too-homo) down the start finish straight at cadwell simply because I could put more power down earlier!

Just my experience but worth mentioning

The problem with sleving it is i lose the adjustability of the round joint to be able to tweak the exhaust to line back up after a crash.

£100 for them to do it, plus £100 diesel to take the bike down and £100 to collect it again. It all adds up man.

I'll Pm highscore after cadwell and take a good long tme to think about all the options. There are no real figures on the Remus so i want to fully research that option aswell.

Dash is finally finished. Made more small changes to try and get the motor to run a little bit cooler so fitted an accurate display to keep tabs on it.

Hi Gordon: I'm glad your enjoying yourself

Is it possible for you to consider BSTs over Dymags ? I do believe that the BSTs weigh less than the Dymags..
Well when you buy your carbon wheels you will be launching off the line so fast, what a feeling of acceleration.

You will enjoy them ALOT!

I had no idea about the bst troubles..

I don't know why I didn't mention wheels before?
I guess I didn't know you had an endless budget.

To quote more than one guy at the races "The single most noticeable thing I did was by forged wheels."
It was my next step before...well, you know.

I was looking into OZ wheels because of the weight/strength/cost axis. Carbon are not repairable and it seems only the most mangled metal wheels can't be fixed.
I also needed two sets so the slightly less cost over carbon made me want them.
The only down side was that I would need a new complement of sprockets. The good news was that I think they use Kawi sprockets so those are waaay more available.

Look into all of this deeply before pulling the trigger, as I am sure you will Gordon.

The deciding factor came down to Dymag doing 30% off. If they were full price I couldn't have stretched to them.

Sale of my old wheels plus surplus parts are paying for 1/2 them. I'll hit the overtime hard over winter to pay the rest of the bill. It is an astronomical expense to me. But given the calibre of the class next year and that I'm on the back foot staying with the SD I need everything to be in place. I've got zero interest in running mid pack or making up numbers. There only reason for being out there in 2013 is to lift the Thundersport GB Championship. I'm starting to see I may actually be able to close the power gap a bit. Just a lot of small things all adding up to get me maybe 4-5bhp.

I'll still run standard cast brembos in the wet. It's going to be a pain only having 1 set of dry wheels and having to get tyres changed over between races at the track but I feel the performance will outweigh the hassle.

Dymag offer a repair service. How good that is or if I'll have to use it is unknown but it's there if needed. I heard a down side is the carbon doesn't hold heat like metal so the tyres can cool quickly. My warmers are shit hot. They'd almost the skin off your hand! And I pretty much always go at the very last minute so we should be ok.

They come with a sprocket of my choice included. So I just need to order one more rear. Between 39 and 40 t rears and 16 and 17 t fronts there's enough choice there. I've only just moved from 16/40 which I've ran everywhere for this round as it has a long straight. 16/39 with my 9950 rev limit gives me a 147mph top speed. Never seen more that 133 on GPS log to date so I'm sure that's enough.

Rob. Are you about tomorrow. I'm driving down south for a test day, I'll try and give you a call if I can get the time zones to match up.

What you after for the other wheels mate ?

It'll be into October before I sort out everything for sale. A member already has dibs on a black pair. I'll post up when I get everything sorted

Maxime berger had an oz Wheel that failed to cope with the power of his ducati

Viking, regarding cutting weight, are you already running a lithium battery? If not, that would be worth considering - early ones were a bit finicky but they're supposed to be pretty good now. I'm not sure how heavy the standard SD battery is, but typical weight loss quoted by switching to lithium is 2-3.5kg which would really help I'd have thought, especially since you could pick up a couple for around £500.

It is an obvious suggestion, so apologies if you've already done this, couldn't see it on the list of mods you posted earlier so thought it would be worth suggesting just in case.

A Lithium battery is a great idea.. Check out Shorai, I just installed one
on my norton. It weighs less than 2lbs or 1kg

I love the focus of Berger, even without a wheel!

Quick update.

It has a shorai battery.

Heading home from a sneaky trackday at Cadwell. It was a mini Thundersport meeting! The top 3 guys apart from Reece were all there testing too. Good laugh chatting and having banter outside the race environment coz we were all more relaxed. Had a couple of funny half hearted battles with them on track.

Was working with my coach doing some rider training. Put on a few lightbulbs in my head. Exit and pick up is a lot better now. Proper lost the front at old hairpin and it went to full lock, used one of my drills and added throttle and saved it! Cool watching Yeh vid back from his bike. We worked on getting it driving earlier by changing my entry. Into Coppice it was leaving big darkies from the rear even before the apex

Stanier who is 2nd highsided at the Gooseneck. Bike is fooked. Yaaaay! That's one less to worry about!

I was on the infinitely fooked tyres that had done all of Rockingham so we weren't pushing hard and we're trying a lot of drills. Was doing low-mid 1.42's with plenty in reserve. If I don't see at least a 1.39 on the timer in the race I'll be disappointed. Hoping to hit the 38's.

Shattered. Heading home. Start work at 7am

All good news Gordon

Sounds like a good day mate. Two weeks seems a long time to wait now, eh?

good work sir

If you click on "Fast group Black/Silver bikes" you'll see Staniers full highside from start to finish. He's the guy who finished 2nd ahead of me in the last race and is running 2nd in the championship. Doesn't look like that bike will be out there at Caldwell! Sore one!



Cadwell is so narrow they only have 3 bikes to a line instead of 4. So I need to be top 3 to get on the front row and make full use of that new STM diaphragm clutch. With Stanier out that's only 1 GSXR left to beat.

I took a quick pic of the bikes at the Cadwell trackday. That guy you see there is Drew Plaskett. He does 1.36's round there and that white 750! Great guy and a gentleman to race with. Such a shame I'm gonna have to elbow him out the way as I barge past on the tractor on my way to a win on Saturday.

Jesus that bike really was destroyed in seconds can't believe it ended up perfectly upside down bad news for him but great news for you huh

Holy hell thats a crash!

Dude, im afraid im on nights this weekend Fri/Sat/Sun and I cant take any leave im afraid as saving it for snowboard holiday, cant even come down to watch

I doubt I will be of much value anyway, wish you the best of lucj tho buddy

funny as

@superdan......you could call in you own incident!


999 - emergency services what service do you require?...... hello, yes emergency services, yes, police please........police hello yes, i'd like to report a case of tyre abuse, yes tyre abuse, please could you send PC brown to Cadwell Park ASAP...... yes i know he's not a proper biker and hasn't got a superduke but i feel he's the only copper who would understand......Yes, thank you very much....... <end call>

....and their you go.....off to cadwell with your blues and two's on....waving a flag for viking! yay!

right ....i'm pissed now so off to bed! hehe!

toodles!