Neither rain, nor sleet, nor hail…

So I jumped on an  Aeroplane and made my way across the Atlantic, touching down in Manchester, home of Joy Division and coal mining factories, but the sun was shining and folks were chipper.  I took the train to Wakefield, near Minnovation's works (shop), and was greeted at the station by my best mate Martin Page - major domo of Minnovation Racing.  From this point until I was plopped back on the plane back to NYC I was treated like royalty.  Martin and all at Minnovation made me feel like a superstar the entire trip.  When I arrived at the shop I took one look at the bikes and was blown away.  I've said it before but it bears repeating, I am so proud to be a part of this team.  Not simply because I get to race their stunning bikes at exotic tracks in faraway lands, but because they [...]

2012-07-05T17:27:25-04:00May 19th, 2012|nycNorton, racing|

Breathe Deep

Today was a good day.  We had master fabricator and bicycle craftsman Seth Rosko of Rosko Cycle Company come to the shop and mock up an exhaust system for the Seeley NRE.  Dave Nourish is very specific with his lengths and diameters, and to keep the tuned lengths out of the way of the rider, each side will be tucked behind the frame rails, which will require some scalloping of corners of the beautiful oil tank.  Seth is the man for the job, and after an hour of cutting and fitting of pipes he had a good mockup in place, meeting all the necessary dimensions.  Look at that megga! It can be said here, with great certainty, that this bike is going to roar.  Lock up your daughters and batten the hatches. See all posts on this build by clicking here: https://nycnorton.com//tag/nre/  

2012-04-25T23:00:25-04:00April 25th, 2012|builds, nycNorton, racing|

Hands Across The Water

Minnovation Racing and NYC Norton have long been collaborative.  But when the offer chimed for us to make our way to the UK and have a wobble on Minnovation's spectacular machinery, there was absolutely no hesitation. The deal was struck, the flights booked, the international ACU racing license sourced... bring on the sexy stews!  NYC Norton/Minnovation Racing will be racing at Cadwell Park on Sunday and Monday, May 6 & 7, 2012, with the CRMC, alongside some of the best classic racers in the world, at one of the most picturesque tracks ever seen.  All at Minnovation have been very supportive and so very welcoming (thanks folks), and in return we are working on a plan to have them over here before the racing season ends.  Barber??? Seen here are two of the finest racing bikes in the world - A Minnovation Seeley 750, and a Minnovation Seeley G50. Click [...]

2012-04-21T22:28:15-04:00April 21st, 2012|commando, nycNorton, racing, suppliers|

Clearances

The NRE 750 motor has some unusual spacing dimensions, so careful alignment is in order.  Shims and custom spacers are used to get everything in its proper place.  It all starts with getting the motor and gearbox aligned in the chassis.  Then, the clutch must align with the crank pulley.  Spacer there, moving it outboard a bit for true belt run.  Then onto gearbox-to-rear sprocket alignment.   A very handy laser alignment tool aids in locating the rear hub to its proper place for a perfect chain-run to the countershaft sprocket.  Easy and accurate, but after all this, chain-to-tire clearance can be an issue, especially when running 130mm-width tires.   We had the clearance necessary without much ado.  If not, the next solution would have been to move the countershaft sprocket outboard, or perhaps an even more radical solution; moving the drive-side engine plate outboard by spacing between the motor [...]

2012-04-11T15:55:10-04:00March 3rd, 2012|builds, nycNorton, racing|

NRE in the house

Looking good, feeling good.  We had to work to make it happen, but the Magyar NRE 750 was shoveled in to fit to its Seeley MKII frame.  A little-known factoid about these motors: The case mounting-bolt bosses are different widths and require appropriate shimming.  No two of them are exactly the same dimensions, so a lot of attention was put into the plates to get it all into the Seeley and keep it perfectly lined up.  This, and the ribbed oil galley under the timing cover was certain to foul the lower frame tube without careful placement.  Happy to report about .100" clearance without much ado.  The front plates are next.  Much, much, so ever so much more to come on this one. See all posts on this build by clicking here: https://nycnorton.com//tag/nre/  

2012-04-11T15:56:28-04:00February 22nd, 2012|builds, nycNorton, racing|

99% Done

Almost there.  The first bike ever put onto the track by us has been almost completely resurrected (with a few upgrades, tweaks, fabrication details, etc).  Today the primary cover mounting system was fabbed and the cover installed.  Tomorrow, maybe a chain, some safety wire, and a few dyno pulls.  We'll see. This is an Open GP/BEARS bike, through and through.  Expect to be seeing it on the track again this year.

2012-04-11T15:57:10-04:00February 21st, 2012|builds, commando, nycNorton, racing|
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