Texas Two Step Taco

Those shirts proved to be worth 2.2hp on the dyno, though I'm yet to test multiple layers...

Beating a hot 996 (and I'm guessing this would be a low 10 second bike) would be a huge challenge. But then just coming within a second or so of its performance on the old Bul would be massively satisfying. It makes me think of some of the little bikes that I see on the salt, 80cc, 100cc, 125cc. Are they as quick as the big bikes? Of course not, but the performance some guys can wring from these little motors is even more inspiring to me than the big 300mph+ bikes.
 
What's the story with the Duc? It was listed as a 748 but supposedly the frame is 996. Fairing and seat look like aftermarket and termis look to be hanging low and are longer than most. Hope it came with a clean title that matched the frame number and that it also matched the engine number.

Either way, you will leave Zeke sucking fumes as he tries not to flip it or stall.
 
What's the story with the Duc? It was listed as a 748 but supposedly the frame is 996. Fairing and seat look like aftermarket and termis look to be hanging low and are longer than most. Hope it came with a clean title that matched the frame number and that it also matched the engine number.

Either way, you will leave Zeke sucking fumes as he tries not to flip it or stall.

So I was suspicious also but Zeke ran the numbers through Ducati and it is a 996 and the
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numbers match frame and engine according to the dealer communicative system. It had a clean title, Zeke said they are “big can” termis, tail is sitting high, somebody epoxied a wood block to the underside of the tail. He took it to work this summer at Ducati and they went through it with a fine tooth comb. Added a 996 RS cam. Stock body work was removed by the previous owner and the shark skins were added. He paid $3500 for it and has spent another $600.00 in mods.


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That's a good price for a 996. Seat explains a lot. The PO much have had long legs I guess or wanted to be higher at the back end. Has he had it on the dyno yet? It should make more rwhp than my DesomTre 992 cafe racer. Nice wheels too.
 
Those shirts proved to be worth 2.2hp on the dyno, though I'm yet to test multiple layers...

Beating a hot 996 (and I'm guessing this would be a low 10 second bike) would be a huge challenge. But then just coming within a second or so of its performance on the old Bul would be massively satisfying. It makes me think of some of the little bikes that I see on the salt, 80cc, 100cc, 125cc. Are they as quick as the big bikes? Of course not, but the performance some guys can wring from these little motors is even more inspiring to me than the big 300mph+ bikes.

Ralf is going to make us a lock up. There is always nitrous ;) or two engines. The goal is to stay active in my teenage son’s life through his teenage years. We have pretty much built a different motorcycle every year until he was 15 and then he bought his first bike. At 16 he rebuilt the 900ss and at 17 he rebuilt the 996. I don’t have the heart to tell him that both of his bikes are in my name on the title. Lol. He can’t own” his bike until he is 18. Speaking of small bikes my neighbor Mark passed away last month and left Zeke 3 trail 70’s. We have been working on getting them running. We just got a stroker crank and big bore kit for one. Oh and it is a great way to get Desmo his exercise. :)


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Too many young males grow up in a household where the father is absent or ineffective, and the effect it has on their lives is often disastrous. Zeke is very fortunate indeed to have a dad like you Pat. What you've done with the bikes is impressive but it's nothing compared to what you do as a father.

Back to the bikes: my gut feeling is that there is still quite a bit of power in the current engine. And I think this coupled with the bikes light weight and some practicing of launch technique should provide a very respectable timeslip. And anyway, either you win or your son wins, both pretty good outcomes.

Looking forward to seeing Ralf's clutch.
 
Too many young males grow up in a household where the father is absent or ineffective, and the effect it has on their lives is often disastrous. Zeke is very fortunate indeed to have a dad like you Pat. What you've done with the bikes is impressive but it's nothing compared to what you do as a father.

Amen to that!
 
Too many young males grow up in a household where the father is absent or ineffective, and the effect it has on their lives is often disastrous. Zeke is very fortunate indeed to have a dad like you Pat. What you've done with the bikes is impressive but it's nothing compared to what you do as a father.

Back to the bikes: my gut feeling is that there is still quite a bit of power in the current engine. And I think this coupled with the bikes light weight and some practicing of launch technique should provide a very respectable timeslip. And anyway, either you win or your son wins, both pretty good outcomes.

Looking forward to seeing Ralf's clutch.

Back to our regularly scheduled program. Made a lift.
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Have a new pressure actuated switch for welding frames. It is a game changer.
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That's a good price for a 996. Seat explains a lot. The PO much have had long legs I guess or wanted to be higher at the back end. Has he had it on the dyno yet? It should make more rwhp than my DesomTre 992 cafe racer. Nice wheels too.

So Jeff Nash and Stu have been mentoring Zeke. This is his second summer working at AMS Ducati. He will continue to work there on Saturdays. The kid has a way of finding the deals. Lord knows what they did to Zeke’s 996. Makes me proud that he is finding a way to win. I know Stu and Jeff have won championships together and Zeke can do a New Zealand accent very well. Lol. He spent two weeks working on it after work.

Yes it makes 128 whp. It also has a slipper clutch. Zeke has ordered his racing leathers and is really excited about doing some road racing track days with his crew. He said tell Teazer “don’t worry I am not going to launch at the strip...just run dad down.” Lol. He was reminding me that my fastest time in the 1/8 was 10 seconds and his bike will do the 1/4 in that time.

He even let me ride it! Beautiful machine and so smooth. The ST3 is a great machine btw I almost bought an ST4 not long ago! Btw Zeke can do the Desmo service on most models just bring yours down! We need to go riding!
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I never understood why the frames weren’t braced when they had so many problems with the frames breaking.


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Going back to my original body work. It saves weighs and dropping the seat will save 3. 8 lbs. Also plan on going to a small fuel cell. The c12 is eating the fiberglass of this tank and I know it would be sacrilegious to cut up the tank and just run the skin...but that will save another 8 lbs with a half tank of fuel. I put the slick back on to set the body work. In case we find more power in the future.
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Less (weight) is always more....

You could take a mold off the tank upper surface and make thin carbon fiber tank cover, or just wax the tank and layup a couple of layers of C/F and use that as the tank cover and hide a small fuel cell inside that. Or use the top frame tube as the fuel cell if that's doable.

You might get away with a 428 chain and aluminum rear sprocket like an RS125. They made around 45-50hp, so it should be fine. What about the engine bolts? Are they steel or titanium? More ounces to be sacrificed. And I assume that the brake cams have been drilled and lightened. And the wheel bearing spacers are aluminum or at least cross drilled stock ones to save a gram or two?

Axles can be drilled lengthwise or get some new Ti ones made.... Engine cover bolts can be Ti or Aluminum. And if you have any cash left, buy a box of laxatives - best weight saving bang for the buck - but timing has to be right......
 
Less (weight) is always more....

You could take a mold off the tank upper surface and make thin carbon fiber tank cover, or just wax the tank and layup a couple of layers of C/F and use that as the tank cover and hide a small fuel cell inside that. Or use the top frame tube as the fuel cell if that's doable.

You might get away with a 428 chain and aluminum rear sprocket like an RS125. They made around 45-50hp, so it should be fine. What about the engine bolts? Are they steel or titanium? More ounces to be sacrificed. And I assume that the brake cams have been drilled and lightened. And the wheel bearing spacers are aluminum or at least cross drilled stock ones to save a gram or two?

Axles can be drilled lengthwise or get some new Ti ones made.... Engine cover bolts can be Ti or Aluminum. And if you have any cash left, buy a box of laxatives - best weight saving bang for the buck - but timing has to be right......

Those are great ideas. Really like the carbon tank skin idea. We went to a 428 chain on Victoria: I couldn’t ever cut this tank up. BB’s wheels are carbon fiber also. His rear wheel, rotor and slick is lighter than our lightest combination. Lol. His bike is a lesson in the lightness of being. It also makes your wallet very light. I have a few old weed eaters that have just the right size fuel cel on them. I made the aluminum pan with the idea of using them as a mold for carbon later.

Hobbs had me turning down titanium bolts for Alex’s bike. Alex is winning with his bike. Lol.

Zeke knows how to play psychological warfare. He said, “I bet I spend less on mine that you do on yours.” Now that is the thing to say to someone who lives frugally.

I have been studying John’s bike again. Rotax. It’s all about breathing. Watching Ricky Gadsen on how to load the engine and reduce freeplay. BB says it is won and lost with the clutch. Right now the clutch is our weakness.

Also I will be building your expansion chamber soon. We haven’t even started testing chambers yet. Also I think we can do something to improve these transfers.

I love a challenge and am grateful to all the kids that teased me for being skinny growing up. My cheapest pound dropping asset is my metabolism. I dropped 15 lbs last time we raced.

Now to tidy up all the wiring, head stays, chain cover, moving the foot pegs forward, shift light, fairing mounts. Any suggestions on fairings?

We will be heading to the strip as soon as Zeke’s track suit comes and it gets cooler. We were 104 yesterday.


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You'd be surprised just how small a tire will get a lightweight bike down the strip, even with quite a bit more power than you have now. Wheels are especially weight sensitive - not only do you have to accelerate them linearly (is that a word?) but you also have to spin them up, hence BB's use of carbon fiber. A tire much smaller than what you have now will do the job nicely. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you need 100% hook right off the line, that just makes the launch awkward. Often a little bit of spin in the first foot or so makes the launch quicker and more manageable, especially with a peaky two stroke.

A 428 can take a surprising amount of power - 100hp is no problem - but it has to be the right one, there's a huge amount of variation in the capabilities of the different types. I use a DID 428VX on the LSR bike; the smaller chain lets me use higher tooth count on the front sprocket. These chains have a tensile strength equal to a conventional 530. It's never shown any sign of wear or stretch at all, the only thing I don't like about them is that they are sealed (X rings). The seals must produce some friction loss - the chain gets hot during a run - but I'm happy to accept that in return for the smoothness the short-pitched chain gives.

I'm not sure I'd consider a fairing - at the strip it's not going to be spending much time at speed, and any benefit from reduced drag will be at least partly offset by the weight of the fairing and its mounts. It's not something I'd make a priority.

The clutch won't be a problem, it's an easy fix. And power production is only just starting, I'm sure you'll find more. You're already working on further weight reduction. The only other critical factor is your launch technique but I'm sure once the bike is sorted you'll find somewhere to practice until you get it worked out. I think you're going to be very pleasantly surprised by how quick the bike ends up being, even if it doesn't quite beat the 996.

I have been studying John’s bike again. Rotax. It’s all about breathing.... Also I think we can do something to improve these transfers.

It isn't really about breathing, the old motors could flow plenty. Blowdown is what it's really about; that's what differentiates the old engines from the more modern ones. Think long and hard before meddling with the transfers. Use your time and money (they're finite resources) where they'll give the most benefit. I think you're on the right track.
 
You'd be surprised just how small a tire will get a lightweight bike down the strip, even with quite a bit more power than you have now. Wheels are especially weight sensitive - not only do you have to accelerate them linearly (is that a word?) but you also have to spin them up, hence BB's use of carbon fiber. A tire much smaller than what you have now will do the job nicely. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you need 100% hook right off the line, that just makes the launch awkward. Often a little bit of spin in the first foot or so makes the launch quicker and more manageable, especially with a peaky two stroke.

A 428 can take a surprising amount of power - 100hp is no problem - but it has to be the right one, there's a huge amount of variation in the capabilities of the different types. I use a DID 428VX on the LSR bike; the smaller chain lets me use higher tooth count on the front sprocket. These chains have a tensile strength equal to a conventional 530. It's never shown any sign of wear or stretch at all, the only thing I don't like about them is that they are sealed (X rings). The seals must produce some friction loss - the chain gets hot during a run - but I'm happy to accept that in return for the smoothness the short-pitched chain gives.

I'm not sure I'd consider a fairing - at the strip it's not going to be spending much time at speed, and any benefit from reduced drag will be at least partly offset by the weight of the fairing and its mounts. It's not something I'd make a priority.

The clutch won't be a problem, it's an easy fix. And power production is only just starting, I'm sure you'll find more. You're already working on further weight reduction. The only other critical factor is your launch technique but I'm sure once the bike is sorted you'll find somewhere to practice until you get it worked out. I think you're going to be very pleasantly surprised by how quick the bike ends up being, even if it doesn't quite beat the 996.

I have been studying John’s bike again. Rotax. It’s all about breathing.... Also I think we can do something to improve these transfers.

It isn't really about breathing, the old motors could flow plenty. Blowdown is what it's really about; that's what differentiates the old engines from the more modern ones. Think long and hard before meddling with the transfers. Use your time and money (they're finite resources) where they'll give the most benefit. I think you're on the right track.

Thanks John. I was thinking of you while making the pan yesterday. “ I was thinking I bet John thinks “how in the hell do I keep salt out of here.” I bet you use a lot of silicone. Lol.

We have the smaller tire and wheel that is going back on it. Just used the slick to set the body work.

Zeke said, “how many days in a row are your going to wear that
T-shirt.” I said “NFI.”

Fairing is on hold.

But we are going to a 428
Chain and sprockets. May have to deal with chain whip.

It’s all about the rotational mass since we don’t have a heavy flyweel to help us move forward. I am looking forward to getting this on the track. The devil is in the details and so is the speed. As Teazer says, “optimization.”


Just a side note. The new amp control TIG button is a winner!

Appreciate y’all!


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Less (weight) is always more....

You could take a mold off the tank upper surface and make thin carbon fiber tank cover, or just wax the tank and layup a couple of layers of C/F and use that as the tank cover and hide a small fuel cell inside that. Or use the top frame tube as the fuel cell if that's doable.

You might get away with a 428 chain and aluminum rear sprocket like an RS125. They made around 45-50hp, so it should be fine. What about the engine bolts? Are they steel or titanium? More ounces to be sacrificed. And I assume that the brake cams have been drilled and lightened. And the wheel bearing spacers are aluminum or at least cross drilled stock ones to save a gram or two?

Axles can be drilled lengthwise or get some new Ti ones made.... Engine cover bolts can be Ti or Aluminum. And if you have any cash left, buy a box of laxatives - best weight saving bang for the buck - but timing has to be right......

I really like the idea of making a thin CF or 'glass cover off the original tank. As for the laxatives, if you got the timing exactly right you'd lose the weight and possibly gain a little thrust off the line..
 
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