SNEAK PREVIEW OF MY MZ!

[Wonky]

The bike has taken longer because of supply with Carbon fibre in the UK. More parts have been at the powder coaters, exhausts have to be modified, engine had to be tuned, rear seat unit had to be made, forks had to be tested after custom fitment, brakes are being supplied by Brembo and we are awaiting delivery with new Brembo discs, frame is being painted next week....i could go on! Unfortunately i've been trying to get this done on top of running my own business and also working 6 days a week at Slipstream with all the other projects. We didn't want to build the bike untill we have all the parts. It is coming, parts are just taking there time to be completed or manufactured. You have to appreciate that many companies who have offered there services/products for this build have certain procedures to follow before they can ship parts out and as they are doing me a favor i have to be patient and let the project take its course. It's not far off yet, parts are all nearly completed. I had a re-design a month ago which put the build back untill now....

...patience my friend!!! The best things come to those that wait!!!

[OLDMTNCARVER]

Hey fasrnu, RIGHT ON!
In the back ground I hear the forums multitude chant at the top of thier lungs...
WONKY-WONKY-WONKY-WONKY-WONKY-WONKY-WONKY

[Wonky]

OK i admit it, i was telling tales, there is no project, it was all a lie!!!!! There isn't any plastics or anything else.....damn you've caught me out!!!!

[OLDMTNCARVER]

SCOUNDREL!!!, HOOLIGAN!!!
Wait, that's kind of cool!
Hey Wonky,
Just purchased USD's and an upper triple tree myself, I'm looking forwards to see how the parts come together!
I'm enjoying the thought process of "The build" and for an old fart like me the surprise that I see in folks faces with this package that exists... far beyond the bolt ons that folks have become accustomed to...
When they ask, what's that, after they've caught up, I GRIN!
You are an inspiration!

[Wonky]

LOL! Hahahaha, you always make me smile dude! Hows the wheels of life turning for you old timer? Hope they are treating you well!!!! Be sure to post me a piccie of your triples buddy. It totally transformed my bike. Whysub came down a few weeks ago and had a blast on my bike in the yard and i think he was quite taken by what a change it makes to the bike. I found all that "skitchy" light front end disappeared and it turns in so much better now. This builds driving me mad, i have developed a whole new set of patience. Every time i get close to finishing someone else says "hey lets do this!", i hate my mates some-times, but we're so close to finishing!!!! I have the moulds for the carbon hugger and front guard so they can be produced now. The front is a KTM design but it looks nuts with the original clock shroud, which i'm proud to be keeping on the bike as it's a trick bit of kit as standard. The other day i had some guy pull me over at the side of the road to talk about the bike, he loves it and is sure to be purchasing himself one very soon, i had to explain about the forks though! He was a lovely natured guy who was genuine and a pleasure to speak to. The weathers nasty over here at the moment and i've been getting covered in all kinds of shyte from the roads lately, strange thing is i'm really beginning to enjoy it, i was out for 5 hours riding in the rain the other day and i was cackling to myself like some nutcase from a mental asylum. I came home with a grin from ear to ear! Ripping round lanes and honing in my skills on the twisties, the bike feels so good! Already looking at my next project, just waiting to speak to some-one from MZ factory about engines and stuff, this builds gonna be a tough one for sure though! Need to get this one outta the way first though! What triples did you get for the MUZ anyway, forgot to ask?

[OLDMTNCARVER]

Five hours in the rain and returning with an ear to ear grin. That's the pay off for all the patience. How many folks on this rock could ever understand that? (The folks on this forum, HECK YEAH!!!) If money was measued in grins sounds like you'd be telling the likes of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to step aside.
Hey! doesn't Buffet ride, maybe he'd be interested in the company?
Folks here had stated that YZ forks could be used and after seeing the cost for Ohlins (I wish...) I figured that I experiment and chance the YZ route. I've noticed that quite a few YZ's are being parted with blown mtrs, with the rest of the parts looking pretty good. Hopiing that there are a few honest folks out there I bought a used set from an '03 and Tag upper. I'll still need to get the lower, stem and other bits but at least it's a start. I've always like the feel of the smaller bars, though the fat bars look cool I'll stay with the stock controls for now. Never done anything like this and hope that I haven't screwed up so far...we'll see.
Went to the Yamaha shop in the next town for an oil filter with part number in hand (THANK YOU FORUM!) and also picked up a KN-145, quite a differents in the products guts, mesh vs holes, element serface folds look to be almost double on the KN...
I'd wish you luck with the Moto as well as the gentleman from MZ, but I figure you've got it in the briefcase!
Regards,
Robert

[Wonky]

Haha good skills mate! One thing to keep in mind, check that the upper yolk you have for your forks is going to give your front wheel enough room to fit! The yolks on my forks had to be custom made to allow clearance for the front wheel. The steerer you can use from your standard forks. It's just a case of getting it fitted to a lower yolk when you decide what your going to do about it. So you have 03 YZ450 forks? Is this correct? I will investigate lower for you and see if we can help ya out. Good move on the forks, they are good forks as standard and will be a great addition to the bikes handling. If you check the handlebar clamp mounting holes on your upper yolk, should be 12mm i believe, i'm probably wrong there but check anyhow, then you can purchase Renthal pversize clamps to fit ANY Fatbar you desire! My ones are KTM Fatbar fitment. You can also buy Renthal clamps with offset to bring the bars slightly closer to you which helps the vertically challenged! Oh yeh, ROB BUY A STEERING DAMPER! Not shouting but you need this for sure! A damper is a must as USD's such as yours or mine can make the front end majorly twitchy without a damper. These forks are usually fitted with a damper as standard, will transform the feel and handling. You might also need some spacers for the handlebar clamps to help clear the top of the fork legs on the top yolk, fret not though, if you have headaches i can make some for you mate so no stress, can deliver to USA on next working day delivery too, we sent a custom MZ race tank to one of our regular US racers and we sent it on the Tuesday, Wednesday in Texas our guy had a knock on the door and a grin on his face, so no worries on delivery times if it's busting your brains to get it done. Good luck with it buddy and be sure to hassle me if i can help in any way. Give your bike the love it deserves, and the locals the tarmac tear-up of their lives!!!!!!

[OLDMTNCARVER]

Wonky,
Thank you for mentioning the most important consideration, SAFETY!
Or as the great philosifer dude once said "To dampen is good. To slap the tank with your jewels is baaaaaaad!"
The roads here in the Santa Cruz moutains (central California) that I like to ride add to the thought that less unsprong weight is very desirable in effecting the handling, EVEN MORE SO A DAMPER - Anyone listening?
Thanks to fasrnu's reseach in the forum titled Upside down frontend some of my questions seem to be answered, I know I'll have a few more.
And thank you for the of the pictures you've posted, specifically the ones of the stearing head, triple clamp and your installation of the damper. Very cool!
The forks are actually off of an '03 YZ250.
I'll state now for the record that I'm not short...errrr...replace with vertically challanged I'm 6'1" +/- (good or bad day)
I'm in the stage figuring out what I need and "fitting up the parts" before a tear down begines. And while that happens I'll be putting in some time doing maintinance.
Again, thank you Wonky and to all you folks on the forum that might read this, you are apprieciated!

[Wonky]

Or as the great philosifer dude once said "To dampen is good. To slap the tank with your jewels is baaaaaaad!"

LMFAO!!!! Hahahahahahahahaha! Yep indeed the geat Dude himself was straight to the point and those words are wisely spoken. Ya know it amazes me the levels that some of my customers have gone to with asthetics over safety. Don't want to sound like a boring old fart but jeez man, safety is surely paramount. In all my years stunt riding the first thing i had in mind was MY SAFETY! After too many trips to the hospital and in the past decade i spent two of those years regaining 100% use of my legs after smashing them on different occasions, so to me everything i do has to be thought out and tested for safety aspects aswell as asthetics. Of course we all want great looking machines, spangly and shiny bling, if thats your thing, should not jeapordise the way the bike works. The last streetfighter i had in, the guy was so hell bent on fitting the shortest straight bars on his GSXR1100 that he also "forgot" to fit the headstock stoppers on the bottom yolk, hence the bars were hitting the tank and the forks smashed against the frame!!! What the hell? Is there something i'm missing here? Scary dude! I've even had a bike with a front wheel bodged in, because it looked good, the guy didn't even have a front brake, which is illegal over here, because he couldn't be bothered to get one to fit as it was too expensive!!!! Madness....

Anyway, good luck with "The Build" and be sure to yank my chain if ya need any brain storming! Incidently Garf has just sorted his front end out on his Mastiff with a set of Baghira forks, custom adjusted length, he's noticed a dramatic change in handling. Seriously guys and girls, changing your front end on the MUZ will show you just how good these bikes can be, lets face it, stock versions are a little like a hippo climbing out of the mud pool on a damn hot sunny afternoon! With a relatively small amount of cash you can get these bikes up to good power and great handling for less than the cost of other manufactured bikes. I saw an 02 Baggy go for £1200 the other day, that's crazy! Smaller bike manufacturers are really hopping onto the Moto style bikes now as sales are still climbing. Many people are moving from Road/Race full faired bikes due to the cost difference and insurance. I will never look back again, i sold my last road bike a week after i purchased my nasty bitchin rock chick, we are happily married now and shes enjoying all the pampering too!!!! So am i!

At the end of the day having a tinker and making your bike "yours" is what we do. As much as we used to play with Lego and Stickle Bricks when we were kids, the same creative urges lurk in all of us. Get your spanners out and go and break some shit! You'll soon learn those lessons and end up with self satisfaction and a bike you might have messed up for a bit but eventually she'll look bad ass (sorry and lady MUZ owners but in our brains all our bikes are females!)

I love playing about with stuff, it's not for everyone, but it is for me! Kicks ass making the ideas in my head become a reality and watching other people do the same is awesome, that's the real buzz! Watching some-one else's ideas rub off on others and then seeing where they go with it, it rocks like Metallica playing live in your garage, bad ass!!!!

Less criticism and more realistic enthusiasm is what we all need...hold your MZ flag high!

[DAVID THOMPSON]

safety first

my dad said the reason some do not pay attention it that it has the word
PAY in it and some think it will cost something if they do

lack of fear is part of the young rider problem
i worked as a helper for a wrecker towing outfit at about age 15
and a couple years of prying bodies out of cars and recovering a motorcycle
and rider from a tree when he missed a cornor ...
took all the madness of speed from me

[Wonky]

Yep that'll do it mate! A friend of mine was wiped out doing 30 MPH one evening coming back from his girlfriends house. He was dragged 20 yards up the road by a stupid woman tearing out of a petrol station. He woke up in hospital without any recolection of the incident and had tubes coming out of his chest, broken ribs, collar bone and a broken spine let alone the cuts and bruises. The only reason the police traced the car and its driver was because the bumper was torn off with the registration plate still attached to it and was laying on the pavement! He's only in the past couple of months started to walk normally again but he still can't work and the insurance company are trying everything to get out of paying up. What a nightmare, none of us are safe on the roads...treat everyone as an idiot that hasn't seen you!!!!

[OLDMTNCARVER]

David & Wonky,
I was a volunteer firefighter/emergancy medical tech at our local department for several years. It tore at the heart and gut to when I saw what could have been avoided with really no effort or cost.
People are "human" and poor judgement does happen.
I've always enjoyed see the example that the pros of our sports doin' it right and stylin' all the way.
At few postings back when I was admiring (OK LUSTING!) the racing MZSM that Slipstream had posted (You buggers took it off when you should have added more pictures-GRRRRRRR!!!) I commented about the boots. GONE on the boots meant your lookin' at my rear tire on into the distance - because I'm doin' it right! Not on my way to Heaven or oops it's hot here!
By the way Wonky, who does make those boots?
Regards,
OMC

[Garf]

Wonky mine is hieght reduced Black Panther which in its original state runs the same suspension as the Mastiff. I got some full hieght adjustable forks (cheers Wonky ) but had them shortened and revalved exclusively for road use by Chris Hockey at Endurotech who is a Marzocchi specialist and a very personable guy(chrishockey@endurotech.co.uk ). I actually had them shortened a further 15mm over the standard HR forks because I had been running them dropped through the yokes anyway. To say I have noticed a difference is a massive understatement, obviously I now have the adjustability, but aside from that the whole bike just feels more planted, direct and confidence inspiring. Well recomended and worth every penny.

[Wonky]

Good skills Garf! Sorry dude thought yours was a Mastiff for some reason...oops! Anyway glad little growlers put a few more smile lines in your face!!!!!

And as for Rob...this picture....

[OLDMTNCARVER]

Wonky,
The boots just have a "G" on them, not "GONE", WAZ UP!!!
I've got a really cool pic of my brother doin' track time at Thunder Hill on his 955 Daytona (Clean pic) . I'd like to mail you. I'd post it but...
OMC