Bike of the Year 2017

[Mr Gazza]

It's been a pretty good year for me and my Monster. I'm still chuffed to bits that she was voted Bike of the Year at the Weekender in May.





I picked her up in 2013 as a non runner, partially dismantled. Getting her running and back together was a pretty swift operation and I've been steadily improving things as we go along.
The philosophy is to retain the essence of Monster, so any alterations have to be subtle in order to respect the original silhouette and keep the bits that I regard as iconic to the Marque and Model. The intention was to add some colour to the rather dull original Sie and bring the contrast up a bit. I chose Gold and Silver as the theme colours, with polished metal making most of the Silver.
The Gold for the wheels was mixed to match the Brembo disc carriers and is used elsewhere.
After carefully re-painting the front disc carriers, all three discs subsequently warped and I replaced them with wavy Arashi ones, which have turned out to be very good indeed.



I painstakingly re-lacquered all the carbon, which was peppered with pin holes. Then using the Gold from the wheels, I sprayed on a translucent stripe to the mudguard, hugger and tea tray, by mixing about 10% colour to clear lacquer and building until satisfied.
It looks like old Gold or sometimes Silver depending on the angle the light hits it, it also shows the carbon weave through in a strong light... I'm pleased with the effect.

Note that it's un-chopped and keeps the original indicators for the reason stated above... The Mk2 versions of the winkers and tea tray are much nicer than the earlier ones in my opinion anyway.

[350TSS]

Lovely looking bike

[Mr Gazza]

Mickey Mouse mirrors are still used and the silencers are original Monster too, but cored and polished ones from an M750.... those are about an inch and a half shorter than the 900 ones, so they sound and look better.

The swinging arm, hoop, footrest hangers and some other little bits are powder coated with a mirror chrome finish by Aerocoat.

I fitted some mvs rear wheel adjuster plates as the old ones were scruffy, even after painting with the Brembo Gold. They probably look better, but I was disappointed that they are heavier than the original steel ones and I still gained some grams, even fitting Ti nuts at the same time.!

A little mod I did that was quite involved, yet hardly noticeable, was to add a digital clock on the dash... Very handy, and it lights up with the lights too.



Another hopefully subtle mod, is my headlamp adapter ring, (Brembo Gold again!) which allows me to fit a standard 7" headlamp unit. this gives a huge choice of units to improve upon the standard Bosch one. The rings are fully developed now and will soon be available for members to buy. I'm really pleased with my new powerful light. It makes night riding a pleasure.




I also made the timing side a little sleeker by fitting oil cooler lines from a Hypermotard. These both run under the front pot and up to the cooler nearly out of sight.
I made up a longer starter lead too, and that runs along the frame and down the nearside of the pot to the starter, again almost completely out of sight.

Great work Gazza, I do like your attention to details! The bike looks great and must be a blast to ride! I see see you have been making the best of the year’s fastest day! Thanks for the post!!!

[Mr Gazza]

I designed and commissioned some frame bungs and footrest hanger top hats. A mate turned them up for me from some 1" ally bar from ebay.
They are meant to mimic the Ducati conical washers used on the headlamp, horn and oil cooler mounts. Original plan was to have them Gold anodised but it proved complicated, so I sprayed them with (you guessed it) Brembo Gold.
I'm not 100% happy with these and I may re-design the frame bungs to match the top hats better. (note swinging arm pivot caps too.)

I resisted the temptation to fit an open clutch cover for a very long time. I used to have a nice solid twin wall chrome one fitted and felt it to be something unique.
I caved in though, when I spotted this one from Holland. It was originally Gold anodised alloy and a little battered. It had a strange sort of heartbeat design in the centre, which I cut out, leaving the four little window retaining screws.
I polished off the anodising and the scratches along with it. I left the Gold on the edges of the slots intentionally to keep the Gold/Silver theme going. A squirt of Gold on the standard pressure plate.. Some polished spring collets and Fanny is your Aunt!
The din from the worn out clutch is horrendous now, but there is a brand new EVR 48 tooth jobbie sitting on the shelf waiting to go in.

I had to get the mop on the oil strainer cap when I discovered it was brass. All four control levers are polished alloy and the pipes see the mop once a year too.




I like to polish her, but she's not all show and no go, we've done thousands of miles together now, including 1154 miles on the Ness Point to Land's End run... Just love to be in the saddle.
Really chuffed that my club mates voted for her at the Weekender.. Chuffed to bits.

The thing is it could be you next year. All you have to do is bring your lovely Monster to the Weekender At The Sharnbrook Hotel in Bedfordshire on the May Bank Holiday and you could be the next one on the list.

[Mr Gazza]

Thanks for the kind words 350TSS and Yes Froggy of course it's a blast to ride... See you at the WEEKENDER?

Looks like I need to put it on the family calendar!!!

[Jez900ie]

A real beauty Mr Gazza.

Fantastic Mr G, it's not hard to see how it was voted the winner this year, vv nice

[Zimbo]

Beautiful job, it looks absolutely mint. Well done and a well deserved winner.

[Albie]

[/QUOTE]

Nice to see my old 1100s got it the few months after I sold it. Martin actually wanted me to have it but refused the gesture His bike then and I narrowly missed out two years previous with it. Having said that I won in 2008 I think with my s4/s4r.
It's a nice feeling to win and your bike justifiably so

[Mr Gazza]

Yes you're up there Albie... Bloody hard to photograph the engraving btw!

Looks like Zak is the only one to win twice... Does anyone have photos of these bikes?

[Albie]

Zak's bike was nitrous custom sort of thing. He changed it the second time around after folk disliked some parts Somewhere there must be pics.

Very tastefully done!

[jonzi]

Zaks bike was fricking hideous.

Mr Gazzas bike is the opposite of hideous.