Drysdale V8 1000 ready to roll

Aussie firm Drysdale is putting the finishing touches to its new 1000cc naked bike.

Only a handful will be built each year and it’s no surprise – with a tiny team of engineers and a price tag of £25,000.

Company boss Ian Drysdale decided to dominate the whole machine with its engine.

But the 1000cc V8 is more than just a bored and stroked version of the 750cc bike. It has loads of updated performance increasing parts.

Instead of the Yamaha FZR400 cylinder heads that Drysdale used on the 750cc bike, YZF600 heads sit on the specially-made cylinders. The bore has been increased from 56 to 62mm and the stroke upped 2.3mm to 41.3mm.

The carbs have been dumped and replaced with a MoTec programmable fuel injection system, helping raise the power to 140bhp at the rear wheel with the engine happy to rev to an impressive 19,000rpm.

The gearbox is from an R6 with an uprated clutch containing parts from an FZR1000. The clutch plates are standard R6.

Drysdale has opted for a trellis chassis. Made of steel, it has been fabricated in-house and retains the same dimensions as the firm’s 750cc superbike.

While the forks are inverted WP units, the rear has a retro-looking twin assembly. These will also be WP on the finished bike.

The completed machine will feature Brembo brakes and lightweight wheels, but Drysdale is still deciding which make of wheel to use. He is also looking for someone to make the complicated 8 into 2 exhaust.

The bike weighs at 205kg (450lb).

There’s no official Drysdale distributor in the UK at the moment, but enquiries can be made via http://home.mira.net/~iwd