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The final week has been unbelievable in some ways. I had a really good and uneventful flight to Los Angeles Wednesday-Friday and a pleasant couple of days off right here at house through the weekend. Probably the most fascinating days have been Monday-Tuesday as I went to Malmoe and spent a few days there with my spouse who was working at an exhibition there and likewise to fulfill with Ebbe at EBOS/Eptune to fettle a bit with racer #2.
So, I loaded my trusted Sharan and went south….
Ebbe had completed up restoring this magnificence for me:
The additional H1R crank that got here with the bike! We selected to not do it along with the remainder of the engine as a result of me needing to unfold the associated fee over time a bit. Now, virtually a 12 months later it was time. All of the rods have been shot on the outdated crank and Ebbe was capable of supply new ones. Not low cost, however positive definitely worth the cash! On this image you too can see the twin oil seals used on the racer crank. They are often changed by the road bike ones, however no….
What he couldn´t get have been the Oil receivers, 13045-005 or-010 that goes on to the crank webs to maintain the oil from the pump on the primary bearings. Ebbe and I mentioned the necessity for these and he normally discards them and recommends folks to make use of premix as a substitute of the pump. Since I want this bike and engine to be as near inventory as doable I opted to maintain the receivers. It took me 2 weeks to find 3 of them. One in New Zealand, one in Switzerland and one within the US…. Thanks, web!
He did supply the curler bearings, although, simply as on the opposite crank within the rebuilt engine. Right here you’ll be able to see the SKF quantity. Choosing up this little magnificence was the principle goal of the journey (second to spending outing of the home with my spouse, after all!), however I additionally left some elements to be cleaned and polished by Tommy Andersson in Hoerby at Proswede. As a bonus Ebbe made place and time on the Dyno for racer #2….
I had linked a contemporary battery to the terminals again house and located the ignition to be OK, at the least the beeping sound was there from the CDI bins. Since there´s no kicker on it and I didn´t need to attempt to run begin it this was a superb resolution. Right here we´re setting the bike up on the Dyno with a very good battery and cooling air. We refilled the gear field with oil and anticipated to see a big leak someplace, however no…. It held the oil! Again with the middle pipe on and put some gasoline within the bottle. No leak right here both! Not even flooding carbs. Wow!
A dynamic take a look at of the ignition revealed good, fats sparks on all plugs. We additionally modified the heavy race plugs within the engine to extra regular NGK B9HS. No want for race plugs on this engine.
After a number of tries to start out, it was apparent the engine didn´t get any gas…. It wanted a carb cleansing. That´s not very shocking and to be trustworthy I had been fascinated about doing it earlier than happening to Malmoe, however by no means received round to do it. Disgrace on me!
The good BINGs needed to get off the engine for a shower in a particular cleansing resolution. A really secret recipe that will make any environmentalist cringe…
Fortunately Ebbe is a regulation abiding citizen so the left-overs have been collected and recycled.
Right here they’re, able to be assembled after their “tub”. Actually large BING carbs and curiously slightly bit completely different. The one within the center has a drain bolt within the backside of the float bowl and likewise a barely bigger primary jet, 155, in comparison with 150 for the best and left carb. In all probability to present the center cylinder slightly extra gas as a result of poor cooling. I do know, it’s a delusion that triples at all times seize on the center cylinder nevertheless it has caught through the years. We saved it the way in which it was.
The carbs are again on and we´re prepared for a brand new try. And now it began! And it ran fairly OK without delay. Some small changes to the idling and we might heat it up for its first run on the Dyno. Ebbe didn´t need to take it too far because it had been sitting for over 20 years and he had not rebuilt the engine. The accountability for these runs rested with me, totally. I used to be completely tremendous with that. After a number of runs we modified the pilot jets from 35 to 45 to get barely higher idling and a bit faster throttle response at decrease RPM:s I used to be significantly impressed that Ebbe had a field of BMW jets that truly match these carbs. Now, that´s professionalism! Subsequent is a few movies I recorded throughout our session. Flip the amount up!
After that profitable Dyno session and startup it was time to pack up and go house once more. I had an incredible couple of days in Malmoe. Eating with my spouse, having fun with one other resort breakfast after which beginning up my racer #2! And the perfect of the journey was nonetheless to come back…
Bear in mind I talked to one of many presumed house owners/builders of the bike? That man was not the right one. Earlier than going to Malmoe I had looked for the subsequent man that Leo, my good historian buddy recommended, on-line and located him. Or at the least I assumed so. Right here´s the story.
Generally it is extremely true that actuality beats fiction. That is a kind of moments. Leo recommended two names that might be the driving force in his image. Bear in mind it was taken in Karlskoga 1973, or that´s what Leo thought. The primary identify, Hasse Rutgersson, was not right. He by no means owned nor constructed it….
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| Racer quantity 2 in 1973? |
The second identify was Erik Lundin, ESW. Now, what sort of a reputation is that? Effectively, I googled it and located a enterprise in Eksjoe, within the southern a part of Sweden, known as ESW, Eksjoe particular welding service. I assumed I´d ship a mail as a substitute of calling instantly this time. These guys are getting outdated and I’m not positive all people enjoys speaking about outdated occasions. Throughout our Dyno session I obtained a cellphone name which I didn´t hear for all of the noice, however on the way in which again I checked it out. Erik Lundin! I known as him proper again…
He positive acknowledged the bike! He constructed most of it after he purchased it in 1972 or 1973, he wasn´t fairly positive. I nonetheless haven´t proven him this picture, however I´m constructive it’s him! He additionally instructed me that he constructed the exhaust system for the bike after measurements given to him by “Esso” from his new H1R-A! They’re straight, simply as on the later H1R:s and truly fairly nicely designed and suits very snugly to the bike. I requested him concerning the entrance brake as nicely and he mentioned that had been on the bike when he purchased it and that he had no thought what make it was. He had no thought concerning the entrance fork both, however he remembered shopping for the fairing from Bo Granath in Stockholm, one other world well-known racer that additionally offered plastic bike elements like fairings and so forth. The make is “Churchgate” and I imagine it’s that very same fairing we are able to see within the image above. And that is the place the entire thing will get spooky…
“OK, who did you purchase it from”, I requested.
” From Björn Blomqvist in Åkers Styckebruk, and he had already constructed that entrance brake!”
How about that for a narrative coming full circle? Björn Blomqvist, who purchased the H1R after “Esso” had pushed it for 2 seasons, 1970 and 1971, owned this bike, racer #2, throughout that point…
We had an excellent good dialog on the cellphone for greater than an hour throughout my journey again to Stockholm. After we completed speaking I made one other name to Mikael Berglin. Bear in mind him? He’s the man that helped the household promote the H1R to me final 12 months. He was additionally an excellent buddy of Björn´s and helped him out together with his bikes through the seventies. It was Mikael that took the primary photos of the H1R contained in the barn that I used and printed within the very first submit of this weblog. I requested him if Björn had one other Kawasaki earlier than getting the H1R..
– “In fact he did! I despatched you photos of it. Don´t you bear in mind? I instructed you about that bike after we seemed on the H1R within the barn”
– ” You´re kidding”, I mentioned. Goosebumps throughout my arms!
– “Have you learnt what make that entrance brake is?” I requested.
– ” Certain, I constructed that brake for Björn. I used two drum brakes from a Fiat 1100, welded them collectively and constructed that 4LS entrance brake”
So, the solutions have been there, proper in entrance of my eyes, by myself pc….
In these first two photos, taken by Mikael or Björn, the bike has simply been purchased by Björn from its previoyus proprietor, Hans Köpcke, one other profile in Swedish highway racing through the fifties and sixties. Hans purchased a MACH III 1969 and constructed a racer for himself to make use of throughout his comeback after an accident in 1968. Sadly he had a automobile accident already in March 1970 and I suppose that´s why the bike was offered to Björn. I want to determine a bit extra right here concerning the bike´s first years! We are able to see right here that the tank is identical, only a completely different colour, the body will not be so badly lower but and the entrance brake continues to be the unique MACH III as is the entrance fork.
Right here the best aspect of it. Inventory carbs, inventory swing arm and rear shocks. Actual good seat (might be the identical as within the image from 1973…?) and growth chambers being constructed. I´m going to fulfill Mikael subsequent week and ask him one million questions on this construct! The tank emblems appear to be those used on the A1R/A7R. Undecided, although…
Right here it turns into much more fascinating. Mikael instructed me he constructed a not-so-good exhaust system for the bike. Effectively, that top place of the left pipe appears to create some undesirable issues. I can see the benefit, although, with just one pipe on both aspect of the bike´s rear wheel. However I wager you’d burn your left leg on that chamber! Take a look at the entrance brake! There it’s! My mysterious 4LS brake! Constructed by Mikael…. Two brake drums from a Fiat 1100 and manufactured brake plates and so forth. Genius, in case you ask me! I nonetheless haven´t discovered the competitors the place #34 was used, however I´m trying….
Right here´s one other view of the bike. I see a two stroke oil tank from an A7R mounted the place the battery is right now. I additionally see the foot pegs are the identical right now with the identical mounts. The swing arm has not been lengthened but nor has the rear shocks been modified. Is the RPM-indicator the identical? Undecided. The news on the rear brake plate is in place and appears the identical as right now. I ponder who the man strolling previous that automobile is. The letter “Ok” on the license plate signifies it’s from Blekinge, a county far south in Sweden. That’s really the place me and my spouse each grew up!
The final of Mikael´s photos reveals the left aspect of the bike throughout one other race. #17 was utilized by Björn throughout two races in 1971. First at Anderstorp, eighth and ninth of Might and once more at Kinnekulle Ring the twenty second and twenty third of Might. The actually cool factor right here is that in each these races “Esso” and Björn competed one another! The 2 Kawasaki racers I now have in my storage have really met in at the least two races! In Anderstorp “Esso” got here in second on the H1R and Björn didn´t end. At Kinnekulle “Esso” and the H1R received and Björn got here in eleventh. Not dangerous for a motorcycle like this.
As you’ll be able to perceive this investigation within the historical past regarding each my racers will go on for some time. The goosebumps have left my arms and I’m coming to phrases with what I’ve in my storage. There have been plenty of highway racers constructed right here in Sweden from commonplace avenue bikes throughout this time by younger, keen guys who wished to race. I´ve talked to some of them and the the extra I study it the extra fascinated I’m over their drive and ambition to do one thing enjoyable and funky. At the moment´s racing is much extra severe and it takes a complete lot extra money to achieve the highest even in a small nation like Sweden. The seek for extra fascinating issues about my bikes will go on! I’ll proceed telling the story about racer #2 parallel to that of the H1R. All of it turned a lot extra fascinating after I discovered they’re “cousins”
Replace #1, 2017-11-06:
At the moment I met Mikael Berglin right here in my storage! We talked concerning the bike, Björn and their friendship and plenty of different stuff as nicely throughout his keep. He definitively confirmed that racer #2 was Björn´s first Kawasaki and that he, Mikael, had constructed the entrance brake. He was really a bit upset I hadn´t taken it aside but, as a result of he wish to see how he had constructed it. Keep in mind this occurred at the least 45 years in the past!
Right here he’s, seeing the bike for the primary time since 1973 or so… Mikael is an excellent man stuffed with humor and plenty of good tales from the racing tracks of the day.
He constructed a complete of three brakes primarily based on automobile drum brakes. The primary was used on Hans Köpckes Norton, early through the sixties. This was a single drum with actuators on one aspect solely. Mikael was solely 16 years of age and attending mechanical workmanship college when he constructed this primary brake!
The second is the one on my bike. It was made of two Fiat 1100 drums with milled “cooling fins” and a spoke “rim” on the sting. bolted to a hub solid in aluminium at “Beckmans Gjuteri” in Nykvarn, simply 50-60 km from Stockholm. Mikael used the cable to even the “pull” between the 2 levers (from a BMW-bike!). These “levers” used ball bearings on the within as a substitute of the “cams” used on unusual brakes. The result’s wonderful! Simple to make use of, completely centered brake linings always and tremendous easy motion whenever you pull on the brake lever. Björn really complained the entrance brake was too efficient! He risked locking it if he pulled too arduous! Not dangerous for a handmade entrance brake… The brake was altered at a later restoration and painted black. The “cutouts” seen on the prime and backside of the brake plates have been additionally made later. In all probability to extend cooling. It’s a good thing to have on the bike. Makes the bike completely distinctive. The third “Berglin brake” was additionally made for a Norton, however Mikael wasn´t positive it ever received used. It was made barely completely different from a metal hub with a welded bracket for the 2 aluminium drums. The place it’s right now, nobody is aware of.
Mikael was very joyful to see the bike and his drum brake! He identified plenty of issues he didn´t recall in any respect and a few of it I might affirm had been constructed or modified afterward by Erik Lundin or the fellows proudly owning it after him. The seek for extra info continues!
Replace quantity 2: 2017-11-14.
As I used to be studying by some magazines from 1970 within the hunt for extra info and tales about my bikes I got here throughout this advert from Flöter (the Swedish Kawasaki-agent, bear in mind?).
That is the physique set that was purchased for racer #2! I imagine Hans Köpcke purchased it from Flöter and constructed the bike to a racer in 1970 however I have to get that confirmed. There is perhaps one other proprietor earlier than him. 225 plus 105 SEK in 1970 should have been fairly costly for fiber glass elements. Now I want to search out out concerning the seat and oil tank on the bike right now. When and who added these elements?
Keep tuned, guys!
/Per
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