My good friend and sponsor Rich Llewellin of Louigi Moto took all of 3.5 hours on Sunday (with a hangover!) to do this conversion, just out of the parts he had lying about in his workshop - I kid you not!!
He then wrote a little story about it...
On Sunday 31st May 2009, as if by a miracle a task was performed born by Dom's thoughts that I, Louigi, can make anything fit everything and vice versa.
TASK SET - Fit a Ducati 916 front end to a Honda CBR400RR
"Looks flippin' easy from where I'm stood" I said, rubbing my eyes and harbouring a stonking hangover from the team BBQ the night before.
I raided the stores and found some parts that looked promising. I found some 999 bottom yokes but the stem was far too big. A bit more investigation turned up a Monster stem which looked like a closer match to the Honda item. I turned up a few bits and sweated the Monster stem into the 999 yoke. The bottom Honda headrace bearing required a new bush to stop it from floating about but the top bearing fitted perfectly with no modification required. That was easy! I then found a top yoke from a 916 but the hole for the stem was too big so I had to machine another bush so that it fitted snugly. Hey presto, the yokes were now fitted to the CBR's frame!
Next I dug out some 748 forks and clip-ons, some Kawasaki ZX7RR 6-pot Nissin brake calipers with a Brembo master cylinder, a 916 front wheel and Bob's my uncle.
I just need to make a lockstop bracket to be mounted from the Honda's front fairing mount to finish it off.
Put the kettle on Dom!
By Rich Llewellin
TP will be riding this next Monday and Tuesday at the DSC trackday - If we manage to finish building it next weekend that is!
