Alex Hutchinson's Motorcycle Road Racing

Tigcraft ER6

2013-04-08T12:55:00.000+01:00

I thought you guys would like to see the latest incarnation to come out of the Tigcraft workshop. Dave Pearce has been busying himself make this frame to wrap around the Kawasaki ER6 engine. If you would like one give him a call on 01252 512962 or drop him an email on info@tigcraft.com

2013 What To Do ?

2012-12-31T16:28:00.000+00:00

As I am sat here on the 31st December waiting for baby Hutch to arrive, well it is due on the 1st Jan, I was wondering what I may get to have a race on on in 2013. I would love to have a go on some bikes which I haven't had the chance to ride and race, these would include the the old TZ's of the ICGP championship, Manx Norton's from the classic racing world. I may have to go and hang around these paddocks to see if anyone has one available to ride! Has to be worth a go!
I do want to get out on a bike this year and take in a handful of races. If anyone has a bike they need a rider for then drop me a line. I am happy to ride any bike anywhere, roads or track!
In the meantime I will be on the lookout for a cheap Triumph 675 to turn into a streetfighter to take in a handful of meetings with ThundersportGB.
As things progress I will keep you posted.

Supertwin Sold

2012-12-31T16:21:00.001+00:00

The Kawasaki ER6 Supertwin has now been sold. I hope the new owner gets plenty of enjoyment out of it, it certainly had plenty of admirers!
Now I need something else to tinker with! If anyone has any ideas?

Ready to Rock

2012-09-10T19:06:00.003+01:00

Well the old girl is all back together now with the fairings etc fitted around the new larger radiator. Very little modification was needed so this was an easy part.
Next job is to get it out on track and give a good run round.
Following that it will be up for sale to fund a pram, cot etc etc.
If anyone is interested please drop me a line on hutch7777@hotmail.co.uk

Anyone intersted can drop me an email at hutch7777@hotmail.co.uk

New Rad To Chill

2012-08-28T06:47:00.001+01:00

Whilst I was on with putting the motor back together I decided that I would replace the piggyback radiator I had previously fitted and look to an alternative bigger raditor. The results of which you can see in the pictures. The radiator is approx double the size of the original but did need some fettling to get it to fit, with the airduct and frame posing a little problem. This was solved by offsetting the rad to the left by one inch, problem solved.
Next job will be to go track test the bike to make sure everything is hunky dory.

Following the track test the bike is up for sale ready to fund the purchase of baby items as our child is due on the 1st Jan.
If anyone is interested please give me a call on 07747 806980.

How Good Are Standard Bikes

2012-08-03T20:36:00.004+01:00

I have been having a think today about how good the current crop of bikes are as standard. And this got me to thinking, how would they perform in races against the usual racing machines that have uprated suspension, brakes and engines etc. My next thought turned to what bike would you choose and what series would it be in. And my conclusion was a Triumph Speed or Street Triple in the ThundersportGB Streetfighter class. I know it would be somewhat of a challenge but I would like to see if standard bike (less lights etc due to rules) could cut it in these types of races. I am convinced these bikes could win in standard spec. What does anyone else think?

Now I just have to convince Triumph to provide me with a bike to prove the theory:-)

Off With Your Head!

2012-08-02T06:57:00.000+01:00

I had a spare hour last night so took the head off the bike ready to replace the head gasket. Not too bad a job really as you can do it with the engine in situ. I also modified the subframe a little to lower it very slightly as it was a little too high on the initial test. All is sorted now!

The Heat is on at Rockingham

2012-07-29T12:58:00.002+01:00

Well we finally made it on to the track with our Supertwin on Friday! Unfortunately it was a little short lived. The first session went very well and I was surprisingly happy with the handling straight out of the box as we were immediately on the pace. The bad news came when I returned to the pit garage and the bike overheated. Upon investigation it was apparent the head gasket had gone. I now know that the GPT temperature gauge we had fitted prior to this weekend was under reading by approx 30 degrees, so I had probably done the head gasket while taking the bike through its heat cycles unbeknown to me. Bit unhappy with this as the GPT temperature gauges are not cheap things and you expect them to be pretty good. I have now fitted a trusty Scitsu temperature gauge in its place. I did not have a spare head gasket with me, so I could unable to change it at the circuit and I will have to change it at home this week.

The bike did seem to draw the crowds and a lot of interest with every passing person stopping to have a look and take photos.

The main thing is that after only a brief time on track the bike has shown it has a lot of potential.

The bike may be up for sale in the near future due to my wife expecting our first child on the 1st January so if anyone is interested please drop me a line at hutch7777@hotmail.co.uk

A Bit Bored

2012-06-27T15:07:00.001+01:00

Been looking at these and think we need to do something with them. Any suggestions?

Nearly There

2012-06-16T15:50:00.000+01:00

What do you think? Been busy again getting the Supertwin ER6 to this stage. Not far off now. Just got radiator to finish off then the rev counter and temp gauge. Once thats done it will be off to the dyno. Thanks to all our sponsors for helping us get it this far.

2012-06-05T18:40:00.001+01:00

I have been playing around with the exhaust and airduct today. I have knocked up a link pipe that will allow us to try the pipes to see how they work. The airduct is now on and I have decided to use the standard radiator and am currently deciding whether to use the oil cooler I have or an additional radiator. The oil cooler I have is a little wide to sit behind the front wheel so I need a narrower oil cooler or narrow radiator. Mmmmmm, what to do?

Engines In !

2012-06-02T18:46:00.001+01:00

Birdy and I took a trip to Selby on Thursday night to collect the engine from Roger at RMKD. Roger has worked his magic on the motor so we are hoping for good things. Today I have been busy putting the engine into the frame and sorting a few other bits and pieces out. I have to say the ER6 engines weigh a bloody ton and getting one into the frame on your own takes a fair bit of doing. You may be able to see in the pictures that we now have a quickshifter on the bike which plugs straight into the power commander so is an easy fitment. My next jobs on the list are fit injectors, airbox and airduct. Decide what radiator/oil cooler combination to use, finish the exhaust system, sort the wiring, rev counter and temp gauge, then the fairing. So I still have a few things to do!

Carbon Vinyl Wrapping

2012-06-02T18:36:00.000+01:00

I was looking at what I should do to the finish of the bike and as I was trying to make it as close to a Moto2/MotoGP machine, I knew I liked the look of these bikes when they go testing. So I decided upon making it look like a full carbon clad bike. This is my first attempt at wrapping the bike in 3D Carbon Vinyl. Got to say it looks pretty good and as the seat unit is probably the most difficult shape, the fairing should be pretty easy.

If Only? North West 200

2012-05-15T20:21:00.002+01:00

Good entry for the Supertwins at the North West 200! There we are at No. 7, pity the bike ain't ready. Bugger !

On with the rebuild

2012-05-13T14:24:00.000+01:00

Just to give you a quick update, I have been working on getting the rolling chassis to a point that I am happy with. A few jobs I have done include, powdercoat the frame as the previous finish was terrible, change headstock bearings as one was cracked, modify subframe, fit captive wheel spacers, re-route brakelines, change brake reservoir pipes, make pairs blanking plate, repair cracked fairing and modify the steering damper mount. Most of these jobs are not something I should have had to do but there you go.
I am now just waiting to get the engine back from Roger at RMKD, once I have that I can crack on with fitting the motor, sorting the wiring loom, airbox and duct, exhaust and radiator. Onwards and upwards.

Bike Is Back And I Have A Lot Of Work To Do

2012-04-18T19:33:00.010+01:00

Well Ladies and Gentlemen I finally have my motorcycle back. Unfortunately it is not anywhere near the complete or finished bike I was expecting. I will not go into the issues on here but suffice to say I now need to embark on a complete rebuild of the bike. Firstly the engine has come out and is on its way to Roger Middleton of RMKD, we have had success with Roger's engines before having won the ThundersportGB GP2 Championship with them back in 2010. Many other items need to be changed or modified so I am taking the bike back to the bare frame and then the rebuild will begin. To give you all a quick idea of what the finished bike will look like I have mocked up the fairing etc in position in the pictures. The fairing is the Suter Moto2 one as supplied to us by Mark at Extreme Performance Solutions. The bike will look good it will just take us a while to get there. Apologies to everyone for not being out on track yet but failed promises have brought me to the point I am at now. If nothing else I have learnt a valuable lesson and one that I shall not be repeating in the future.

Supermono Reunion

2012-04-02T13:05:00.006+01:00

Saturday night saw the Supermono Reunion evening take place in Dunstable. The night was organised by Scott Richardson and Rob Whitworth, thanks to these two as the night was enjoyed by all. A few people had brought their bikes along to be featured in the June edition of MCN Sport and the editor Rupert Paul was there taking down the details about the bikes. One of my favourites is the Chrysalis bike built and raced by the Late Dave Morris, a beautiful machine with exquisite details. I had the pleasure of sharing a hotel room with the Smith Sisters and as we had all been drinking Guinness throughout the night it wasn't a nice place to be come the morning!

Motorcycle Racer Magazine Article

2012-03-26T09:43:00.009+01:00

Please click on the pics to the left to enlarge. This is the first of our articles to be featured in the Motorcycle Racer Magazine. The magazine is stocked in WH Smiths newsagents or you can visit them on line at https://www.motorcycleracer.com/ to purchase an individual magazine or to subscribe. It is the 'World's No.1 Road Race Magazine'.

Top Protection from GB Racing

2012-03-13T19:24:00.002+00:00

In order to race at the North west 200 the rules state you need to have engine casing protectors, it also a good idea to have them on in any case as it could not only save your engine but also save another rider from falling on your oil if you happend to crash. There are no better engine protectors on the market than these supplied by GB Racing. Their engine protectors are used in race series all over the world including the full Moto2 paddock. Get some on your bike by visiting their website at http://www.gbracing.eu/

Racebikebitz - Samco

2012-03-13T19:17:00.002+00:00

Thanks to the guys at Racebikebitz who have come up trumps with these Silicone Reinforced Hoses by Samco. As you can see these will match the finished colours of the bike perferctly and the quality of the hoses are far superior to the standard stuff. If you need any kit for your bike visit their website at www.racebikebitz.com, email them on sales@racebikebitz.com or call them on 01763 249807.

Missing Brands

2012-03-01T06:46:00.004+00:00

Unfortunately I have to report that we will not be competing at Brands this coming weekend. This is due to some engine parts that were ordered prior to Christmas have only just arrived today. As you will appreciate this doesn't allow us time to finish building the engine and the rest of the bike for tomorrow. Apologies to everyone for this. Al

ER6 Supertwin Front Subframe

2012-02-12T19:50:00.004+00:00

Colin has been busy again. Now we have the fairing for the bike from the kind guys at Extreme Performance Solutions, Colin has been making the front subframe to hold everthing in place. As you can see it is all coming to gether nicely. If you need anything for your ER6 or SV650 Supertwin then give him a shout on 07843 557374 or check out his website at http://www.roadandracedevelopments.co.uk/

Moto2 ? ER6 ? Supertwin ?

2012-02-07T18:18:00.008+00:00

A massive thanks to Mark at Extreme Performance Solutions who has supported us with a Suter MMX Moto2 Fairing. Mark is the UK importer for Sebimoto (http://www.sebimoto.cz/) who produce bodywork for most of the Moto2 and MotoGP girds so you know this is top quality gear. Mark also supplies the Honda TT Legends Team so we are in good company. Please check Mark out at http://x-p-s.co.uk/default.asp or give him a call on 01325 778358.
Don't worry though as we intend to replace Colin with a fairing bracket as soon as we have the motor in place and can line everyting up. There are two reasons for this, firstly it would be dangerous for him to hold it in place once the bike is in motion and secondly I am not sure he would be able to keep up:-) I may be biased but i think the bike is starting to look very trick.

My Thoughts on MotoGP in 2011 as Printed in Motorcycle Racer Magazine

2012-01-27T18:23:00.003+00:00

Click on the picture left to enlarge and have a quick read on my thoughts as printed in Motorcycle Race Magazine Issue 148. To get your copy of the best racing magazine out there click on www.motorcycleracer.com

2012 Race Calendar

2012-01-18T07:24:00.002+00:00

As per my previous blog and the fact we will not be riding the Harley this year, our concentration will be focused on the Supertwin. Therefore we have looked and decided to compete in the ThundersportGB Championship as it provides good TV coverage for the races. In addition to this we intend to compete in the inaugural Supertwin race at the International North West 200 in Northern Ireland as well as the Cock o' North and Gold Cup races held at Olivers' Mount in Scarborough.
Below is our race calendar for this season and I hope some of you can make it to some of the races.
3rd/4th March - Brands Hatch
24th/25th March - Donington Park
21st/22nd April - Mallory Park
13th/19th May - North West 200
26th May - Oulton Park
23rd/24th June - Snetterton
21st/22nd July - Olivers Mount, Scarboro
28th/29th July - Rockingham
26th/27th August - Anglesey
15th/16th September - Olivers Mount, Scarboro
22nd/23rd September - Cadwell Park
20th/21st October - Mallory Park