Sports Motorcycles

09/02/2025

29/10/2024

Christmas came early.

22/10/2024

Maybe, or maybe not...
Who was it who once said "Without madness change is impossible".
I love that quote.

03/10/2024

Since making the Cobas rep chassis some 3 years ago it's become clear that there is difficulty in sourcing a race exhaust system to suit the old pantah style engines.
I made the first Cobas rep with my own 2 into 2 with balance pipes for the 750 found it waaay better than the traditional 2 into 1 using the same engine on a TT1.
Historically, all the way back to the bevel twins I've found that replacing a 2-2 with a 2-1 breeds bitter disappointment in the upper rev range.

So ... In an effort to supply my current Cobas customers, and others, this is the first of a series of production systems which replicate the one on our own 750, used to great effect .

45mm o/d 316 st/st x 1.2 wall seamless tube.

It'll be a while yet before I get stuck into a small batch planned for early next year as this one now has to take a trip to the mandrel benders to have the front sections replicated in quantity.

It will fit a tt2/tt1/pantah,Cobas chassis with additional brackets to hold the mufflers in position
Also, there will be a smaller bore system available at 38mm o/d for the 500/600 engines.
Prices are not yet fixed until I can determine some true costs for a batch of tubes etc.

25/08/2024

A condensed race report from Hampton downs 25th August. Only a one day event so a maximum of three races and praying there are no set backs or stoppages.

Pre 98 F2. A dry but not warm day saw our rider Nathan Jane on the 750 cobas rep reaching pole with a time of 1.13.89.

We deliberated about losing a tooth on the rear for the next race but elected to leave it expecting the next race may well be a little quicker than practice as the day was improving with a bit more sun
Our first race of the day was rewarded with a win and fastest lap of 1.13.11.

The next conversation involved fitting a set of new tyres. A new version of the pirelli supercorsa.
So... Another win and a best lap of 1.11.87.
In fact, a win by over 13seconds...

By race three in the late afternoon the track had cooled slightly so the last win of the day was a little slower at 1.12.61.

Nathan's total elapsed times over each race would have meant he would have won all the pre89, 95, F1, superbike races on the Cobas.

A big thanks to the Marshalls out there all day and all the new top brass on the new nzcmrr committee for a well organized and evidently seamless event.

Next stop is Taupo in a month's time.

24/08/2024

Here we go again...

09/05/2024

Been busy....

01/04/2024

Well, it's been a somewhat mixed bag of a weekend at the Easter weekend Taupo round of the NZ classic championship.
Cobas rep 750 and 1000 pre89 entries with rider Nathan Jane .
A small problem with the 750 meant parking it up till a replacement part arrived the following morning but the other bike did it's job.

Saturday morning qualifying with the 750 on pole and a front row for the F1 class.
Getting slightly warmer as the day progressed we had a retirement due to losing a lambda exhaust b**g on the F1, followed by a win. Good close racing with Tyler Lincoln . That's more like it....
First place on the 750 again, then in the 2nd F2 race the magic happened.
A record breaking lap of 1.12.09 for ANY classic class at Taupo , F1 and pre 95 included, achieved on a two valve air cooled 750 twin. What an achievement by Nathan..... Still can't believe it. Fantastic.!

However, we were then served a dose of reality with a crash (rider ok) and mechanical gremlins which brought and end to our endeavours.
Thanks to the usual suspects, Robert North and Alex North and additionally Patrick Ross Nesbit for the house hotel.

4 months now to sort the scrap out for next time...