Moto Martin - 'Suspect Device'

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Blackshaheen · #1 Post by **Blackshaheen** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 8:49 am

Well...after searching for what feels like forever I have finally got a Moto Martin frame!

psychospiller · #2 Post by **psychospiller** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 3:11 pm

I am interested to see what you come up with, I have been a fan of the Martin frames since my youth.

I was lucky enough to have a CBX Martin about 20 years ago, bought it in a real state from a farmers son who kept it in a barn with the animals, it was regularly kicked over by the cattle. (Maybe they didnt like the metal flake paint job

)

I fixed it up a bit, then had to sell it as a nearly finished project when I moved to Oz to work for a couple years. Wish I still had that bike and was on the look out for a Martin CBX frame myself. Here's a photo of it when I bought it and how it looked when it was sold below.

CBX frames certainly werent full cradle, anything but, the CBX motor was a stressed member and I thought looked great the way the massive motor just hung there.

psychospiller · #3 Post by **psychospiller** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 3:38 pm

I found an original Martin Brochure in a collection I have from Mocheck Ltd who were the UK importers of the frame kits back in the 70s/80s - This one is for the GPz/Z1000 motor so slightly different from yours. In the day you could use the stock wheels & suspension etc, or in the case of this Max model you could order Martin wheels, brakes and suspension with the frame. If I remember the wheels and brakes were actually Brembo items.

Andrew · #4 Post by **Andrew** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 5:04 pm

Looks intresting.
What motor did you have in mind?

Blackshaheen · #5 Post by **Blackshaheen** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:31 am

Hey Psycho, thanks for that! I agree with the cattle as regards the metal flake paint job

I'm sorry you don't still have that bike because I think they're really stunning.
You're dead right about the CBX 'cradle frame'...I was having a brain fart! What I meant was the ebracing that can be seen on the GPZ frame you posted up. Not a true cradle but because I was buying the frame blind I didn't want any beams that might interfere with the carbs on the 500. I see now that your by Mr Stevens from the ground up. It has been bead blasted but not painted and this is the condition it will go into the frame for now. Once everything is dry-built I will get clever and paint it up nicely.

psychospiller · #6 Post by **psychospiller** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:47 am

Looking forward to see how the 500 motor will look with the frame.

I think the lack of bracing in the orginal CBXs may have been an issue, here's an image of a later model with a brace bar coming off the end of new crankcase end caps - not so pretty in my mind but interesting!
Maybe that will give you more ideas.

Blackshaheen · #7 Post by **Blackshaheen** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:58 am

Thanks again mate. It does give some ideas. I will have to build a detachable brace anyway to travel from the frames current front mount to the 500s underside engine mount and then on to the rear of the frame...if that makes any sense?!? What I mean is that I can build the motor mount and avoid any carb clearance issues hopefully. I've already positioned the frame over the motor (as you do as soon as you open the box!) and the motor definately looks small. I quite like it actually. Looking forward to the weekend when I can play a bit and pictures will follow.
Cheers again for your input.
D.

Blackshaheen · #8 Post by **Blackshaheen** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 8:57 am

Blackshaheen · #9 Post by **Blackshaheen** » Sat May 01, 2010 9:34 am

The chassis is standing! It might currently be held together with spit and glue but we ARE standing...

. I know the shock length though so this is roughly how the bike will stand.
Rolled rim Astralites (the ones with 40 rivets per wheel) look great and take a 120 section front tyre and currently a 150 rear though I may up this to a 160 later...not sure yet. The rear disc is an iron one (possibly Spondonesque) and rusts if you so much as sneeze in its direction which I really like the look of! Rear sprocket is a TZ250 and aligns well with the engine sprocket as you can see in later pictures. Front forks are FG43 Ohlins Road and track currently sprung for a YZF750 and I may have to change that once I know the weight of the finished bike. The triple clamps are Robby Moto Engineering bling billet aluminium jobbies which I have had the stem machined to accept the Moto Martin bearings (only needed shaving about half a mill on the lowest inch). I read an interview with one align with the R1 blue spot calipers I have. The front wheel is in firm but with my spirit level etc...and then I can make a cradle for the motor.

Watch this space...too much to do

is going to end up being

adr1an · #10 Post by **adr1an** » Sat May 01, 2010 7:09 pm

Looks great Dave. Interesting project and I love the Astralite's.
I'm glad you changed the name though. If I was a specialist frame builder I'd not call it Martin, Graham, Kevin or anything like that!!!

wolfgangh · #11 Post by **wolfgangh** » Sun May 02, 2010 3:58 am

Hello dave,
this is gonna be a phantastic bike. Very tasteful combination of components, exspecially the black astrlites with the gold fork.
Any ideas about the bodywork yet?

Wolfgang

Blackshaheen · #12 Post by **Blackshaheen** » Sun May 02, 2010 9:34 am

Thanks Adr1an and Wolfgang for the encouragement. I agree with you Adr1an that Moto-Martin sounds a bit naff...sounds better if you say it with a French accent apparantly? I like Moto-Graham from your list

These Astralites are great and have removable hubs so there are plenty of options to run a cush drive for the rear sprocket or not if you don't want too. (I have opted for no cushion at this stage.)

I haven't gone too far into the body work at the moment and there is much to consider. My current feelings are for a very flat tank (almost cafe style) and no fairings. I am considering forming the tail section out of the Swarbrick pipes I have and just putting a small heat-shield plate over them to stop my backside from getting scorched. Difficult to explain but the overall sillhouette I want will be more 80's endurance racer than modern race bike.
I look forward to that part of the build as I really don't know yet?
Cheers,
D.

Blackshaheen · #13 Post by **Blackshaheen** » Fri Oct 01, 2010 8:14 am

Well...it has been 5 months since my last confession and update on ! I had a miserably motor to a fabricator I live .
D.

aaronmvrider · #14 Post by **aaronmvrider** » Fri Oct 01, 2010 10:37 am

love your work excellent project.... 5 months... 10 months.... we will still be interested how its going

rzatch · #15 Post by **rzatch** » Fri Oct 01, 2010 11:56 am

Keep plugging away at it you'll get there