Your Specials: Bike 3

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Your Specials Bike 3: Phil Bloomfield’s 1998 Yamaha R1:

There might just be one pic, but self-confessed Yamaha addict Phil Bloomfield has certainly progressed from his FS1E and YPVS. Bought as a damaged repairable for just £2000, Phil has so far spent around £10,000 on his R1, with a list of modifications long enough to split into chapters.

It began with him suffering an unfortunate crash in 2003 aboard his V&M replica R1.

“I broke 10 bones all in all, smashing my left femur to bits. I was bolted together but not healing and unable to work or walk. I had the V & M rep repaired waiting for the all clear which still hadn’t arrived 6 months later so I reluctantly sold it.

I used some of the money to buy the current R1 damaged repairable in the summer 04 from a salvage yard in Liverpool. It was just a rolling chassis with frame and engine damage. Surgeon after surgeon refused to attempt my femur reconstruction until I met with Professor Griffin of Coventry early in 2004. I had several ops on my femur over that year with little success. Still unable to walk or work, I gradually collected bits I wanted for the R1.

I could do a couple of hours a day in the garage on the crutches and it kept me sane having something to focus on other. Also I could drive around fetching parts and dropping things off, my first visit to Spondon was unusual to say the least. Most parts were bought second hand and there was probably as much time searching or polishing or painting parts as was actual mechanical construction. I tracked down Next Level racing in Sweden who pointed me to Holeshot Racing for the turbo, I’ve just always had an interest in extreme uses of engineering I guess? In fact I grew up reading about turbo spondons and Harris’s, mostly Suzuki’s of course.

My final femur op was scheduled for March 05 and I worked manically to get the R1 MOT’d before I went in as I wanted to ride it before I was laid up for another 3 months, it passed first go! I did all the spannering and electrics myself, and only the painting and turbo/ engine work were left to the experts I was registered disabled from my injuries early in 2004 and now 8 months post my last surgery I am no longer considered disabled, am back in full time work and managed 1500 miles on the R1 last summer, magic!”

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The most difficult parts were: hiding the wiring that usually lives under the standard plastics, polishing the wheel rims in the kitchen over Christmas 2004, designing the inserts required in the top and bottom yokes from 2 manufacturers so they line up, making the exhaust, wanting it too be perfect but also wanting to ride it, riding without spinning up or wheelying.The girlfriend sliding off the pillion under braking.

And finally, here’s the list of modifications: Holeshot racing intercooled turbo conversion (220 rwbhp), uprated clutch, uprated fuel pump, Spondon underbraced swingarm with drag adjusters, metmachex rear suspension height adjuster, K-Tec revalved and sprung forks by BSD, ABM top yoke with renthal bars on Harris adjustable off-set triple clamp bottom yoke, ABM adjustable rear sets, Galpher wave discs, braided hoses, Rizoma reservoirs, 03 seat unit and subframe on Polygon engineering billet subframe mounts, 05 lights and modified fairing, Carbon front rear mud guards chain guard frame protectors, sprint steering damper, 1 off stainless steel exhaust by owner, 1 off alloy parts by owner/ friends, lots of titanium and anodized stuff, BMW phoenix yellow metallic paint.