Chapter 1 - CHR Azzalin 900 Marathon
Chapter 2 - CHR Azzalin 900 Marathon
Chapter 3 Azzalin 900......now we get it!
CHR 900 Azzalin..........Final Chapter.....maybe!
The bike is back in the UK and the long process of getting it ready for the road, starts here. It is late October 2006 and I start to strip the bike, looking for obvious problems.
Other than a seized rear shock…it must be because it will not budge even with Tony and I on it...everything else seems OK.
The mental checklist is being ticked and then, as the body panels come off you begin to understand that this is not a standard bike blessed with little go faster thingies. There are a lot of differencies...each bring their own problems..
The rear spring is severely rusted and proves a problem, so the complete unit, is sent to Ohlins UK representatives. Unfortunately, the coding stamped on the shock relates to " Race Dept" only and no spec is written or held, within the "history" section of Ohlins UK computers.
It takes five attempts to get the rear shock working as it should for the road and a number of different spring combinations.
Main sections of the frame have addition bracings. The engine support area has extra bracing.another aluminium leg has been added at the main V of the engine. The manual fuel pump has been repositioned and modified to get the very last drop of fuel out of the bike. The rear tanks are a work of art.......
Extra fuel filters have been added and are definitely not the standard Cagiva issue. Everything is wrapped in sticky back race foil, like a turkey at Christmas…the fuel lines, the inlet manifolds and even the air-box have foil to ward off excess heat.
And the electrical wiring is limited …to say the least!
A quick rummage through the "DVLA Imported Vehicles" handbook states that any bike manufactured after 1996, has to have a EU type approval of country of origin.
One section mentions : "Any bike over 10 years old (1996) does not need any SVA tests or stamp approval, other than proof of age."
In order to achieve a EU SVA test type approval, if there is not one stamped in the owners document, involves a specific Department of Transport test, for the positioning and height of: lights and indicators.
The Azzalin needless to say is devoid of such a thing...
.......then, there are issues regarding the horn. engine noise.....fuel tank crash durability....drive by noise test BUT worst of all..exhaust decibel levels!
This CHRacing machine WAS manufactured in 1997....
I am sentanced to lying, like a teenager trying to buy a can of Stella, stating "that the bike was over 10 years old....honest"
ALL I had to do was to get a letter from Cagiva to confirm this.
I didn’t think it would be too difficult as the engine and frame were manufactured and sold to CH Racing in 1996.
By now it is April 2007 and the bike, although ready, has the Department of Transport test to pass AND the Austrian 07 International Elefant treffen is less than 8 weeks away!
So a quick email to 3X Motorcycles …the importers of Cagiva into the UK …read as follows ..........
Sent: 04 April 2007 09:31
To: 'tina_hick@3x/motorcycles.co.uk'
Subject: Cagiva Elefant aging letter
Tina..........hello, we spoke yesterday regarding the aging of a Cagiva Elefant E900, with the frame number ending in 001530. Unfortunately I need the details relating to this vehicle for the DVLA. They are happy with just a letter from yourselves, stating that it is older than 10 years.....and.......... they do not need the actual age from the manufacturer...if you do not wish to.
Through the International Elefantriders Club I have identified that it is a 1995/6(I said with crossed fingers) but DVLA need something official.
So, I leave it you you...either a letter from yourselves stating that it is older than 10 years or the official Factory aging letter....
either way all I want is to get the thing UK registered asap and hed off to the elefantriders rally in Austria in June....with my flip flops and speedo's.....so to speak! Thankyou for your help Many thanks . Gavin.
Dear Gavin
I have already requested a "Date of Manufacture" letter from the factory.
I am sorry but, since we did not import the bike in the first place and have no firm details of the bike, I cannot send a letter confirming its age - even if "approximate".
Anyway, I will let you know as soon as a letter arrives from the factory.
Kind regards
Tina Hicks
Three Cross Trade Bike Sales
(So…..as we speak in March 2008..I am still waiting for the aging letter, from 3X or Cagiva…. in order to satisfy the DVLA! By the way...3X terminated their commercial involvement with Cagiva in Nov 07 after Cagiva sold half the factory to BMW....the half with the Husky stuff in it.
Tina is no longer interested in my Speedos and flip flops!)
Back to the Story....
Just as well, I have a French fant-friend called. …Benjamin…. YET again, he comes to the rescue…will this guy never stop helping…I, sincerely, hope not!
Anyway…Benjamin drives to MurtasMoto and when there, telephones the UK, in order to get me, to dictate a letter for MutasMoto to type, on their headed paper, a "modified" letter confirming the "NEW" age of the Azzalin bike and sends it to the UK!
I take the bike to Chelmsford DVLA Test station, where it is started... driven round the test station area.
On my return there is a small crowd of people holding their ears and mouthing painful gestures.
“I think not, Sir…..it is a tad noisy!”
“Loud bikes …save lives !” I proclaim, in a feeble manner.
“I think you’ve made my dog deaf!” Says, the female with the imported MR2 Mazda and the blonde hair extensions.
“I am afraid that you will have to do something about this…we, the DVLA cannot sanction the bike with a exhaust that noisy!…..can’t you do something?”
“I was under the impression that any vehicle manufactured prior to 1996 was exempt from testing?” said I in my best non-assuming voice.
“I beg your pardon, Sir…did you say…Pre 1996?”
The rest as they say was history…the letter from Murtas Moto which Benjamin arranged, the MOT test for a vehicle 10 years of age and older and an insurance cover note are all in order and stamped.
I handed all the forms of import over and I was told that a registration document and registration number would be issued within 10 days……joy of joys….Austria here we come!
True to their word the documents came through ..10 days later...
with the correct names and CHR Marathon on the official DVLA document!
I wasn’t actually planning to take the Azzalin, to Austria , my plan was to take the ST2fant, as that had been completed over the Xmas break.
But a quick chat with Hannes, and the conversation turned to
the "Guest of Honour" and that was that!
After all…it is not every day that you meet Edi Orioli and he actually competed in desert rallies on a Camper sponsored Azzalin,
prior to getting a full Factory ride on the P-D Protos!
The UK registration documents and registration number acually arrived on the Friday and I was planning to leave, for the treffen on the Tuesday. It was a poor registration number but I knew that I could change it for something better and more appropriate on my return.
By the time I had changed my ferry crossing to Monday,
(I just knew that I was going to break down)
as I had only managed to ride the thing for a total of 75 miles.
In the end, the only mechanical failure, was a throttle cable!
The soldered nipple had come away from the actual braided cable.
An extra overnight stop enroute, on the Swiss border and a visit to a bike shop to get the thing re-soldered in place, got the bike back on the road.
I made the Austrian Elefant meeting, for 10am on the Friday….result.
On a business trip to the States, I jammed a set of 39mm FCR flatsides into my luggage for the return trip back to the UK.
Thanks to the strength of the GBP the FCRs cost less than
£300 complete….
however, the airfilter had to be fabricated by ITG to suit...
after I provided "Cut and Shut" prototype!
I know what your thinking…”Why change a winning bike?”
My thoughts were much the same….keep the thing original…I accept this….. however the Mikuni standard carbs, were really gummed up and bearing in mind, that when the Olhins shock, was dismantled SAND fell onto the workbench…I could not take any chances.
In addition, I discovered that there were 40 of these things made and I had the ONLY one in the UK.
And if you pay your money you can do what you like!
SO.....
I arranged for the engine to be split down to the crankcases and all mechanical components checked.
Similary, the frame was checked for cracks and all welds sprayed with dye so that their integrity could be established.
The bike had completed the Pharaohs Rallye and on the third stage, the rider and bike suffered a crash where the riders’ ankles were broken…the bike was airlifted back to the rallye base, hanging on a sling under a helicopter by its’ rear wheel!
I decided to have the airbox and Mikuni carbs ultrasonically cleaned the next time I had a chance…
but in the meantime, I was fitting the FCR 39mm flatsides
with the extended inlet manifolds!
Via the EAB list, I tracked down Michel Hilgers and got the low down on the FCR set up…
he had carried out the conversion and raved about the new FCR set comparing it to a fuel injection set up….strong words indeed.
He also helped source the information on the extension pieces needed for the inlet manifold…
you can see that these were machined and welded to another set of inlets…all the "standard issue" original CHR parts were cleaned and dry stored.
I had decided to use this bike, rather than store or exhibit it…
I had been approached to put it in a Motorcycle museum, but,
alas …no way!
A similar theme continued with the general set up for the suspension. The front keep pushing away and Tony(the paint) and owner of the S2Rfant that I built, had mentioned that it was the scariest thing he had ever seen in daylight.... unless you count that guy he met in the Lesbos Bar…
but that is another story!
Bearing in mind, that I do my own “shake-down tests” and have, over the years ridden bikes with broken frames…BUT...even.. I, hated this thing.
It just felt wrong and the final straw came after the MontDore French fantfest thing in Sept 07.
On the French N and D roads back to the UK, the bike was steering “round the front wheel” and I had resigned myself to changing the tyre profiles and possibly the wheels!
I had already dropped the forks through the yolks by 50mm in order to get the bike to be more front bias. But it was still handled like a box of frogs!
The situation was compounded by a message from home, whilst in deepest France, informing me that my Mum had died and I was needed back asap…
a shit journey…
in shit conditions
on a shit bike…..great!
A couple of months passed and in November 07, I pulled the covers of off the CHR and set about looking at the basic problems…
we had come so far…
when I first got the bike, it was geared for a max speed of 88mph and needed a cliff jump to compress the rear shock…
now it was getting better.
Through my contacts, I booked the bike into Mallory Park in Leicestershire for a winter test session with the HMPlant Honda race team, equipped with data loggers and laptops…
somewhat better than my pen, paper and tank-tops!
I had already fitted, the new Pirelli rear tyre sized 140x80x18 to replace the previously fitted 150x70x18 and there was a difference…..
but it was still not great! You can't blame for trying...I had by now covered 4815 miles ALL of which felt like my last!
A couple of laps round the track to warm the tyres up…in Britian ..in November…and I was on my way.
Annakees..... these are not... but things were getting better.
I gave the bike to one of the testers and he returned ashen faced…proclaiming that it feels like a chopper and keeps “pushing the front!”
Once he realised that I rode the thing like that or worse, down to Austria and then separately, France…
His little eyes were full of love and admiration…
....I think!
The bike goes onto paddock stands, the wheels are taken off and the rear tank is dropped to allow the forks and the rear Ohlins to be fitted onto the suspension Dyno!!
I drive in at 10.15 am and by 4.00 just as the light is fading, I have new front springs, new oil levels and new shimming….meanwhile the rear shock is re-gassed and re-sprung,new shims and a bump-stop fitted.
Over a curry, that night, with the mechanics, I discover that the CHR bike, was classically set up for sand…no dive, if the forks dive in sand..you fall off…the bike basically pivots via the headstock and this when added to a rider, weighing 140-160 lbs, aboard a bike loaded with 53litres of fuel you begin to understand why everything is OVERSPRUNG.
Apparently you steer in sand like piloting a boat…the rear wheel does all the driving you stand on the pegs, with the weight towards the back wheel and the front wheel is able to twist and turn in the sand with minimal effect…much the same as a boats’ nose is light and out of the water!
Look…….what the hell do I know…
I just know, it now works…the bike steers and feels good…
I am still not as confident as the Annakee’d shod, ST2fant but…
Hey Hoy!
I was also told, that for this weight of bike, bearing in mind the non-standard-ness of it all…the Pirelli Scorpions are TOO stiff on their sidewalls and either need running at a far lower psi or ideally a set of …
God Help Me.. … Knobblies!!
These are a bridge TOO far.....knobblies...are you sure?
I need some extra advice.....
I took delivery of the new TKC Continentals last week and although Mr Andy Cadney ..the world famous, well ...Warwickshire famous, mud-slinger had recommended, via email consultation, as follows.
-----Original Message-----
From: Gavin Robertson [mailto:info@gavin944888.com]
Sent: 28 March 2008 12:00
To: 'Andy Cadney'
Subject: RE: [EAB] Handling
Andy.....impart some knowledge please.
After 5 sets of rear springs and revalving and respring ing the CH Azzalin I now have a happy bike.
When I got it it was set up for the desert...very hard and geared to max at 88mph!
At testing...... one of the HMPlant guys said it rode like a chopper...such was the rear bias and no diving under breaking...
Very very important in the sand but not good on the road!
The other rider looked at me admirably after he found out I drove it like that to Austria and then latter in the year...France.
Likewise the Pirellis Scorpions were not suited and the sidewall was too hard...where do these people get these ideas!
They were really designed for the KTM 950....but the Azzalin has a 18 inch rear as standard.
However after 8 months of riding the beast from hell and thinking every corner will be my last....Tony (my mate) reckons that he has never seen anything as scarey.
Have taken all advice and resized as follows...front: 19 wearing Conti TKC 80 110/80 and rear: 18 wearing 150/70 both tubed.....
HOWEVER...confidence is not holding your gut in, when someone pretty walks by and years of road biased Annakees with their slippy slidey(fantastic) ways leave me looking at knobblies with the same same distain as being told that I am to date a tall bird with a mole...........
it might be OK...
They(TKC) might work good....I might be happy....
the tall bird with the mole might be Cindy Crawford ...
but Mr Andy tell me your opinion of Conti Knobbles......
shall I being saying "I thought I had that!"..to Gentle Jesus soon....
Is the tall bird really a minger...........or are they(the tyres) OK.
I await impatiently.
Regards.
Gavin
Hi Gavin
TKC80's I find utterly brilliant on tarmac (considering they are knobblies).
I've had 90mph footpeg scrapping blasts on Welsh B roads, turning the knobbles blue to the outer edge.
Fit and forget I say, even in the wet.
Cheers Andy
So……..there you have it..the bike now works as it should…sounds great and handles…what’s more..it is a damn fine machine.
See you in the bar.....
I'll be the one in the corner encased by smoke,
whilst gulping a Stella and asking strangers
to let me dance with their sister ...just for the hell of it!!
Big Thank You’s go to: in no order:
Tony the Paint, Benjamin and Sandrine, Hannes, To@nne,
Mitch from TecMoto, Murtas Moto in Malataverne France.Fabrizio Azzalin and everyone who ever worked at CHRacing SpA, Shaun, Andy Cadney,Paul K and Ronelle, Michel Hilgers, Dieter for all background information on Azzalins. Not forgetting, Alex Fischer….
Last but not least the child bride, Karon, who allows such behaviour from me, to be the norm.
I think there is no more…I am spent.
Although.......
..... do you remember in chapter 1 of this Azzalin story,
I agreed to sell the 888fant to a Frenchy and bought another
888 engine to console myself?
Well......that 888 cc engine, morphed into a 955cc fire breather,
after saying "Hello!!" to a Ducati bigbore kit and a 916 crank...,
So...I now have a 955cc 4 valve engine, looking for a new home….
Where is that 888fant?
I’ll get my coat!
.
Chapter Index
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