Paul
Blackbourn's Updated 301 Fantic.... new
info added. see link below.
Paul, from Sheffield,
is going to have a bash at the British series( i presume
the air cooled mono class) this year and as he is an
Engineer he has taken it upon himself to give the 301
a few mods to improve his chances... in his own words,
here is the story so far....
" Not
sure if you can remember me asking about an ali kick
start to fit a 301, well I’ve done it myself.
I used a 280 txt gasser one (probably the same on all
gassers) then I bought a little all metal kick start
that has the correct spline for the fantic, both from
Steeve goode M/cs, and managed with some thought to
get the splined bit of the all metal one into the
knuckle of the Gasser one. TIG
it all together and a few more tweaks here and there
we have it, quit a nice job. (see pictures
below) I have reduced the
flywheel weight to below the casing edge allowing me
to make a flat ali cover, this enables a sump shield
width reduction."
"I’ve
done a few other things on my route to taking at least
10kg+ off the weight of the bike but
keep it’s original parts
where poss....
- Re
made the rear sub frame in ali. 50% saving in weight.
- Re
worked the whole front end (axle, spacers, disk,
yokes, yoke spindle, mud guard bracket etc) saving
3 kg there alone.
- Fitted
a pair of Raptor Titanium foot pegs. Couldn’t
be bothered to make any.
- Fit
ali “pro bolt” nuts and bolts in all
low stress areas, ongoing.
- Re
worked all the rear end (brake area, axle, spacers,
linkage etc)
Coming
up.
- Re
route the front exhaust pipe lower round the side
of the barrel.
- Re
skin the front silencer in ali or buy the Sammy Miller
Bultaco one he sells and adapt it to fit.
- Scallop
the barrel fins at the silencer side to allow the
front silencer to pass along neet.
- Reduce
the barrel fins in thickness and taper them to shorter
length nearer the base of the barrel.
- Make
a new smaller fuel cell that is lower down around
the head and barrel.
- Re
cast a skin only facade of the tank and seat unit.
- Maybe
fit a 4 bank of small 6 volt fans for cooling.
- Look
at re placing some parts of the frame that OTT in
thickness.
- Release
the head stock and change the fork angle to steeper
reducing the wheel base an inch in the process.
- At
some stage split the engine, do some work in there,
increase compression, reed valve conversion, look
at weight reductions in the gearbox with a definite
removal of 6th gear and maybe 5th.
- Maybe
re make the rear shock body in ali,,,,,only a maybe
though.!!!
Basically
the bike will look the same from 20 paces away but
will be a completely different animal.
Why
don’t I buy a modern bike you say, I don’t
want to enter the “keeping up with new bike” thingy,
I like having a jaw dropper. Something where people
will say... ”feck
me, did you see that old Fantic go up that step” type
of thing...!!
New
updates and pictures.... HERE
