Update | Starting for the first time!

Last Saturday I picked up my Ducati café racer at Star Twin. After the Motorbeurs Utrecht, the motorcycle fair, they took the bike to their shop to adjust the exhaust slightly and to connect the gas cables correctly.

Some fuel of the first test run was left in the Dell'Orto carburetors so we were able to start this loud Ducati to shoot this short clip. Unfortunately with awesome voice-overs..

Video | Audi RS4 paintball battle

Update | Motorbeurs Utrecht

Talking all weekend about the MTD café racer is quite interesting, to share my passion of motorcycle building with the audience of the motorcycle fair!

We have been welding all weekend; from small brackets till the complete exhaust manifold. The motorcycle is nearly ready to fire for the first time, the last item in the checklist before starting; the gas cables!! Most likely the MTD café racer will be back in Rotterdam next week.. exciting!

Video | Waiting out the winter

WAITING OUT WINTER from Andrew David Watson on Vimeo.

This movie makes you smile!! Another brilliant feel good movie clip with nice camera views!

Update | Headlight mounted

Last week the headlight is mounted on the café racer! The CNC milled brackets are fitting on the stainless steel brackets perfectly. On top of the stainless steel brackets the speedo meter is located, altogether a very sweet looking front of the bike.

From Thursday February 21st till Sunday 24th I will be at the Motorbeurs Utrecht; the largest motorcycle fair in the Netherlands. At the Men@Work stand I will be making the exhaust manifold! http://www.motorbeursutrecht.nl/nl-NL/Bezoeker/Activiteiten/Men-at-Work.aspx

Update | 3D scanning the body

Last week the body of the 4Nol motorcycle has been digitalized at GEOpoints. The clay model was taken of the frame and sent over to Geo Points in Culemborg, the Netherlands.
Over there Nico Velzel of GEOpoints used the flexible hand scanner to translate the clay model geometry into a 3D nurbs model. Using CAD software the body of the motorcycle has been positioned onto the frame to define the exact mid plane. That eased mirroring of the body; to create a perfect symmetric 3D model of the motorcycle.

Currently I am checking and smoothening the body in the 3D software before milling out the plugs for the glass fiber mold making. This would most likely take a couple of weeks since I will be working on this great motorcycle only in the evenings and weekends..

End of February I will be at the Motorbeurs in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Which is the largest motorcycle fair in the Netherlands. Over there I will work together with the guys of Star Twin, at the Men @ work area, on technical issues on the bike. A custom stainless steel exhaust manifold will be designed and finally the 4Nol will start for the first time during the fair!

More information about GEOpoints http://www.geopoints.nl/

Video | Renault Alpine 1960 vs Renault Alpine 2012

Today I came a cross this awesome movie clip in which two Renault Alpine cars are battling in the Alps! The 1960 Alpine A110 Berlinette versus the 2012 Renault Alpine A110.

Sit back and enjoy!

Update | Sneak preview..

Starting 2013 with a proper sneak preview of the café racer I am building!
The clay model is finished for 3D scanning, some minor adjustments will be made once modeling in 3D CAD; radii on the edges for example.

As you might have noticed, the Spark exhausts are not properly aligned at the moment. The one positioned on the right side it positioned in its final position and the one on the left will be lowered as well to match the other one.
Currently the exhausts are mounted to the frame by bended sheet metal plates; these I used to verify the position of the silencers before milling the final brackets. In the coming weeks the milled headlight and exhaust brackets will arrive!