My bike for 2010

Even before the turn of the year i've managed to set my stall out with clear intentions for the 2010 season, i want to be at the front and winning, now i have the bike to do so.

With the great Freddie Dunn unfortunately hanging up his racing leathers the opportunity came to buy this gorgeous and extremely trick RVF 400.

Stay tuned for the full spec and hopefully more news and pics, and hopefully some winter testing

RVF 400 RACE BIKE FOR SALE

After nearly 4 years im finally selling my beloved RVF.

Im looking to buy another bike and need to sell mine to fund the new one. Those who have followed this site can look back on my blog and see how the bike has evolved over the years and also seen the amount of time and money that has gone into the bike you see here....

As for the spec of the bike, here goes.....

Heads and block have been skimmed

Heads have been ported and polished

Pistons and Rods have been balanced

Nc30 Carbs

Ram Air

All quietening gears removed

Bike is running a total loss system but has a starter

Programmable CDI

Venhill Quick action throttle

Gear change light

Scitsu temp gauge

Sprint steering damper

Hel braided hoses front and rear

Braking Italia front wavey discs

BMC Racing Twin stack exhaust

BMC Racing Lightweight Rear wavey disc

BMC Racing Lightweight rear ally subframe and battery box with smaller lighter battery

BMC Lightweight Ally tank and race fuel cap

Carbon Fibre engine covers

SES Rearsets

SES Clip ons

SES Ally screen brace

Double bubble screen

Newly fitted EBC HH pads

WP rear shock (off an RS250 Aprilia)

Spares

Micron rear paddock stand

New fairings

Seat unit

New rear pads

Oxford Battery Optimiser

Pit board with all numbers

spark plugs (used)

The chain is 3 meetings old and will have the oil and filter changed before it goes anywhere. The bike is running approx 70 bhp on BMC Racing's dyno.

I was hoping to get around the £3200 mark but im open to offers

***PLEASE NOTE THE DYMAG WHEELS ARE NOT BEING SOLD WITH THE BIKE***

Sponsorship

I've now setup a new thing which allows people if they so wish to donate to my racing. I don't expect people to donate a lot but if everyone who has visited this site donated £1 it would enable me to race for a full season and more, enabling me to use new tyres for every race, frequent servicing of my bike, uprated parts and much much more. I will post up here everyone that kindly donates.

Thank you very much for your time and regardless of the amount i can assure you every penny that is donated will be put towards the racing and hopefully help towards getting me at the front of the grid!!

Si #3

A BIG THANKS............

Firstly a massive thanks to Mike at BMC Racing for all the work and effort in putting into my bike and helping me get faster and faster, a massive thanks mate, all your work has been very much appreciated and i wanna just say a massive congratulations for winning the EMRA 400 championship!!

Top drawer mate!

Secondly a massive thanks to Eddie at Complog for all the help with the tyres, help with the van and all the bits and bobs that has helped me get out on track.

One last big thanks is to Rod Jeacock for all your help, its been a massive help and shown that on track too!

Thanks again mate!!

Emra Rd 6 Final Round

Well time seems to have flown by and we have finally reached the final round of the EMRA season.

After the previous meeting i was determined to do better than 7th and 8th places. I was really annoyed and was disappointed that id let myself down, so this time id done what i could to prepare myself, id done some cycling, ate healthy and drunk plenty of water and to be honest i was feeling good

Conditions were perfect and it was time to go out and qualify, i was really looking forward to it and wanted to get out and show what i could do..

The only problem was we were out with the earlystocks......oh dear..

Well i managed to get past a few down the straight on the outlap, and a couple more into Gerrard's, to be honest i was struggling with traffic and when i came round Gerrard's on the stop in 6th and there was a link pipe on the exit i was kind of suprised and lucky not to hit it, it seemed one of the earlystocks had shed it......mmmm, anyways i had one clear lap and i felt quite good, i got off the bike and felt ready for more, it was good not to feel like id done a days work..

It showed on the time sheets too, id qualified 3rd on the grid!! it wasn't my fastest time by a second or so, i managed a 1:01.212 which wasn't too bad.. roll on race 1

Race 1

It was a weekend really that was marred by a horrendous crash in the 600 practice, Richard Saunders crashed at the hairpin at high speed and was air lifted out of the track, Richard was due to race in the f400 race and we were expecting a real battle for the title with Mike Dorey.

All my best wishes go out to Richard and his family, i hope you get well soon and hope to see you out on track in the not so distant future..

The race was underway and i got an average start, but i was still quite happy as i was tagging on to some of the quicker boys, in the previous meeting i wouldn't have been able to keep up, but now i was showing some speed and hanging in there..

It was to prove one of the best races i've probably had, i don't know why but i seem to have found myself battling with a green zxr last round and this one....

and without fail we were swapping positions again, we were battling for 5th and we were swapping positions on a regular basis, especially at the hairpin where he was running wide, and on the 8th lap he ran wide and i took advantage, and as i powered out and covered the line he smashed into the side of me and i was out of the seat and found the bars swapping ends.....mmmmm, it doesn't take a lot to get my back up and he had certainly had done that!!!

I then proceeded to chase as hard i could, and the next lap i set my fastest time ever and did a 59.743!! Id broken the jinx and gone under a minute.

Unfortunately i had to settle for 6th......but now i was really pissed off and i was determined to do better in race 2.....

Race 2

Now there was just one thing about race 2 which u should know, Leon Jeacock, last years f400 champion was doing a one off ride on Mikes 2nd bike, and it proved to be very interesting indeed..........

I got a good start now from the second row, and was determined that i was going to get past and stay past that pesky green zxr!!

In the mean time i'd had a rvf 400 in BMC colours come past me like i was stopped, Leon i think had decided he needed the toilet and set off like a scalded cat!!!

Anyway id got a decent start and i passed the pesky zxr and a vfr round Gerrard's and was now in 4th behind Mike and was holding my own not too far behind, when a familiar looking orange zxr come past!

I was now in 5th but had my head down and was putting in what felt like quick laps, i was slowly catching Mike in 4th and i was certain the green zxr wasn't too far behind but upto the hairpin and a look over my shoulder and there was no one to be seen.

Round Gerrard's again and the bike was sliding a lot more, and then again the next lap at the same place it was getting more out of shape, so upto the hairpin and another check over my shoulder and still nothing there, i would have had to push really hard to catch Mike and get 4th, and i was way in front of the green zxr so i decided to bring her home and settle for a well earned 5th place, i'd only ridden 3 times all year and i was well chuffed as i knew i had tried really hard to improve myself and it showed on the track.

As for times i had done a 59.549 and i had finished 7 seconds in front of Daniel Brown on his quick and too familiar green zxr 400 and was 6 seconds behind Mike (BMC Racing)

All in all i was really happy with my results and my times, i now know i can go faster and next year i'll be trying my hardest to get to the front!!

Oh one last thing, Leon went on to win from the back of the grid and break the lap record......

Emra RD5 16-08-09

It was nearly 6 months since i last rode my bike, without quite a few mods too. I'd come straight from the port at Birkenhead to Mallory and was feeling a little bit tired but still well up for it.

Firstly i want to say a massive thanks to Mike (BMC RACING), Rod and Leon Jeacock for taking my bike to Mallory, fuelling it up and basically setting my mind at rest, its all very much appreciated.

QUALIFYING

I was hoping that i would show well in qualifying but it was slightly more disappointing than i expected.

The weather was perfect, the bike was perfect, i wasn't.

I felt so unfit, mainly due to the tiredness from working and the travelling but i was trying and didn't think i was doing that bad.

Well i qualified 8th and felt slightly disappointed but not to worry, it was going to be different in the race.

RACE 1

I got an awful start and thought i was just going to keep going backwards but on the first lap the race was red flagged after a crash coming out of the bus stop.

So to a restart and i made a screamer of a start and upto 5th going into Gerrards, i felt quite comfortable and felt i was gaining on the bikes in front, but as it was in there yet another red flag so we were taken off the grid and told that that race would be the last one of the day.

Race 1 Re-Run

I was determined to do a lot better in this race and see what happens. Again i got a really good start and from 8th i was upto 5th going into the first turn and felt really good. After a few laps i was slowly gaining on the battling pack in front until my mate James Simpson on the orange zxr400 came past but over cooked it going into the hairpin, and not happy with doing it once he managed it another two times then even went on the grass going into Edwinas.

As it was i was overtaken and pushed down into 6th by number 56 then after getting stuck behind a back marker James passed me at the bus stop and the following lap the race race was stopped.

So after a frantic 7 laps id finished 7th with a best time of 1:01.254 which is way off my best time but everything taken into account it wasn't a bad first run out for the new bike

Race 2

After a so so kind of 1st race i was looking to improve and hopefully get a top 5 finish, with a couple of bikes missing off the front row i was feeling hopeful but didn't realise that they had started from the back of the grid.

Anyway i got a half decent start and was top 5 or 6 then got passed and was sat in 7th.

After a few laps i was taken by a green zxr 400 and then proceeded to have a bit of a tussle for the remaining laps, but i was unable to keep him at bay and finished 8th.

i had done a best time of 1:01.358 and i was knackered.

The good points to come out of the day was i really enjoyed the bike with all the new parts and it was a pleasure to ride.

My main aims now are to get out on a test day and get to grips with the bike again and also get my fitness levels up.

So hopefully next time out we should be looking at top 3!

latest pics of my new look bike!

Here's the latest pics of my RVF and it looks absolutely stunning, roll on the 16th of August!!

Back on track

Well after a weekend of watching the racing and after a quick chat with Mike (BMC Racing) I'll be at the next round of the EMRA meeting on the 16th of August.

I'll either be on my ''new look'' bike or a BMC Racing Rvf, so either way i'll be on top machinery and looking to finish top 5.

I'm really excited and can't wait to get back out on track but to be honest i'm looking forward to seeing the new bike and seeing how she performs out on track.

Watch this space.......

Update

Just a quick update, after a few weeks at BMC and a few minor problems have come to light.

First a leak was spotted in the bottom radiator, which will be replaced by a bigger alloy rad to increase cooling. This is just a drop in the ocean of things that are being done.........

The second problem is slightly more of a problem but with Mike on the case i'm sure it will get resolved. There are some worn cogs basically in the gearbox causing it to jump out of gear which explains my dissapointing last race. Once this is fixed Mike can then get on with the other parts and then we can get the bike back on track.

As for new parts......

Here's a list of things that will be on the bike when she comes back...

- Quickshifter

-Quick action throttle

-Ram Air

-New light weight tank

-New lighter battery

-Scitsu Temperature Gauge

-New Seat unit (more room for me to get under the screen)

All these new things will help give more power, lighten the bike and all in all help me compete with the guys at the front. I'm very excited with the new stage of this bike and now i've had the bike coming up to 3 years and remember the first time out when it was a very standard bike, but over the years mainly due to funds we've managed to slowly improve everything about the bike.

I feel since the bike has been at BMC Racing the bike will get the best and will transfer onto the track. Within the next year i expect the bike to be a top spec RVF 400, having new suspension in the winter and hopefully a new exhaust system. Then once its all done we can concentrate on the racing and spreading the word of BMC RACING.

Thanks to..

MIKE -BMC RACING

FREDDY DUNN - PAINTWORK/BODYWORK

ROD JEACOCK- LIGHTWEIGHT PARTS

BMC Racing

Just a quick shout out to Mike at BMC Racing, my bike is going back for some more work doing it and i'm sure it will be a missile when it comes back.

***Be sure to click on the logo for more info on BMC RACING***

Stay tuned for further updates

Si

3#

Race Bike Spec for 2009

As we've already started the ''09 season i should tell you what has happened to the bike over the winter.

The biggest thing cost wise has been the Magnesium Dymag wheels, they should save approx 2 kilos in weight but they will make far more of a difference with handling.

As for cost....well lets say i paid more for the wheels than i did the bike...

Other modifications as you can see are the rear lightweight sub frame, weighing in at just 800 grams its a massive saving over standard. Also the rear disc has been ditched for a light weight replacement which is half the weight of a standard one.

The things you can't see, well the biggest mod which has been done is a programmable CDI, giving the bike a few more horses, giving it a few extra revs and giving more bottom end. The differences were obvious on the track, pulling cleaner and harder through the Esses at Mallory.

The Figures

On the dyno at BMC Racing the bike is now reading 70.12 bhp at the back wheel, and now with the lightweight parts on the bike she is weighing in at 152 kg.

After racing the bike at Mallory as well as it was the bike was down on power to the top spec bikes, and seen as i have a competitive streak, i've decided to send the bike back to BMC Racing and do some further modifications.....

All will be revealed shortly......

Thanks to....

Just a big thanks to

Mike @ BMC Racing

Leon and Rod Jeacock

EMRA RD 1 (F400 Race 2)

After the confidence boosting first race i was feeling good, and looking forward to the race, even though i'd had some pain killers in the break for my shoulder.

We gathered on the line (i was now in 4th on the grid due to the results from the first race) and the lights changed.... i was swallowed up by the pack and stuck somewhere in 10th going into the first corner.

This was the complete opposite to the first race, i'd got a worse start but i saw a small pack breaking away (2nd,3rd and 4th) and i knew i had the pace to get upto them and hopefully battle for a top 3 position.

BUT as things go it wasn't to be, i had a few small problems with the gear change and finding false neutrals but as i said in the 1st race the slower bikes caused me no end of problems and slowed me down.

I finished 6th and to be quite honest i was really gutted, i felt that i missed out on a top 3 position but in the light of day this was my first meeting back since my shoulder operation and it was the first race with the bike that had quite a lot of new parts on it so all in all i should be happy but after the great qualifying position i felt gutted.

I'll now pick myself up, try and get my shoulder right and then see what the next meeting brings.

Thanks Si

3#

EMRA RD 1 (F400 Race 1)

Well this was my best starting position, and i knew i had to get a good start but i fluffed it, and probably down to 6th into Gerard's but i know i have quite a good race pace and knew i could claw it back.

After the first few laps things did stretch out a bit and i found myself behind a very familiar bright orange ZXR!

Although i knew it was quick in a straight line i could get passed and stay in front, i just had to keep an eye on the lines he was taking and keep pushing.

Luckily he ran wide going into the hairpin and i was into 4th, i managed to stay in front until the end but it was hard work as the slower bikes running in the same race were causing a lot of problems for everybody, and when your approaching corners 10 or 15 mph quicker than the bikes in front it becomes dangerous.

Anyhow i was happy with 4th and feeling positive about the second race

Mallory Park - EMRA RD 1

After all the waiting the season was finally underway, i was probably the most nervous i've been in a long time but although i was i felt my bike was better than it had been previous and all i needed to do was regain my confidence...

Qualifying...

Luckily i'd been able to use the Jeacock's awning (Thanks Rod and Tracey) and i was next to my mate James Simpson on his very orange and bloody quick ZXR 400 and we left the pits together and for the first 6 or 7 laps i was following him and we seemed to be going pretty well, i was struggling in a straight line against him but through the corners i was equal if not quicker and towards the end of the session i managed to get past him and i had felt really good on the bike, i'd had brand new rubber on the bike and it showed, the bike felt planted everywhere and i felt i could get the power on really early everywhere.

So...where did i qualify, to be honest i thought Simmo on his orange flying machine had gone quicker than me and i thought i would have done well to get in the top 8, but i looked at the time sheets and i was 3rd!!!

3rd on the grid and i'd not raced or really ridden a bike in 6 months, i was over the moon, i had done a 1:01.699

Not too bad but could do better..

Pictures from Mallory Trackday

Mallory Park Trackday 27-02-09

After 6 months or so i finally managed to get back in the saddle on a No Limits track day at Mallory.

I was feeling a bit nervous for obvious reasons but also felt excited, I'd had my to BMC Racing for a few odds and sods doing and most importantly the new cdi fitting, giving better pickup and also letting the bike rev a little bit higher.

I was looking to just get back into the swing of things and get some practice in, the first session felt awkward, the bike didn't seem right but i'd put that down to not riding a bike for such a long time.

The second session felt better and i was beginning to get into it more, get earlier on the gas and later on the brakes.

And then the 3rd session, everything felt really good, i was pushing a little bit harder and feeling more relaxed and comfortable, i could feel the differences in the bike too, the bike was pulling better, especially through the esses and also it was turning quicker, thanks to the Dymags and also the lightweight rear subframe and rear disc.

I did 3 sessions then decided to call it a day, i'd had good practice and did what i wanted to do but also my shoulder was aching and i didn't want to push my luck..

Roll on the 1st March....

Almost ready

The bike is not far off ready to go and i've got my race number through off EMRA and i'll be running the the number 3 this year.

There is still a couple of jobs to finish off but they're not massive and with a trackday booked for the 27th at Mallory. It will be nearly 5 months since i rode the bike and had my accident.

Not only will i be getting used to the bike all over again but now with new lightweight wheels and other parts fitted on the bike i will have to get used to the NEW bike, hopefully quicker, improved handling and better brakes.

Lets see what happens

Si

3#

New Parts & New Look

With a new year, a new look. We've managed to get several new parts for the RVF 400 and i'm extremely confident it will improve performance and handling.

As you can probably see the biggest change is the looks. I've gone for Honda RS250 seat unit and once its painted i think it will make the bike look much better.

Also yet to be fit to the bike is a front 5 spoke Dymag acquired from Aly Bayley (www.abrmotorsport.com) as well as Braking Italia wavey discs, Carbon fibre engine casing covers, new bodywork,double bubble screen, alloy screen brace and last but not least a programmable CDI unit.

The biggest improvements should be from the Dymags, lightweight wheels and also the rear wheel is slightly wider at 5.25 inches so the 160 section tyres i use will fit the wheel better and i should be able to use all of the tyre now and improving side grip. The new CDI will up the revs to 15,000 rpm from 14,500rpm, and it will also smooth out the power curve, improve throttle response and from what i gather up horsepower by maybe 2-3bhp.

There is still work to be done and is maybe 2-3 weeks away from completion but when it's finished i cannot wait to get on board and see what the improvements have made.

I'm pretty confident now i'll have a bike that will get me at the sharp end of the action and once back to full fitness i'll be backing myself to be top 3

watch this space!!

Si

#31