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[stinkwheel]

Holy shit!



I thought I MUST have mucked up my maths as I was fitting a 21t gearbox sprocket... Err, no. Even with a close-ratio gearbox it'll pull away with minimal clutch slippage then goes what I can only describe as utterly batshit mental. I genuinely don't think it needs a 5-speed box. There is sufficient power to fill in any gaps.



I'll own up to having decided to go for a "Hard" run-in. I warmed it up then put 90 miles of spirited riding on it today, stopping every 30 miles or so for a short cool-down and to see what else has come loose/fallen off. So yeah. It'll do 50mph in first, 70 in second. If you wind on the throttle below 60mph, you have to concentrate to avoid sliding back off the seat. The power deliver puts me more in mind of my old MZ supermoto (XTZ660-based motor) but with all the noise you'd expect from a well tuned brit single.



I am more than pleased with this bike and I can see why Bullet Whisperer calls them "ASBO", you find yourself messing with the throttle just for the joy of hearing it roar at you.



Only had a few things fall off, none of them major. Brake fluid reservoir bolt, toolbox bolt, tail light bolt and my bar-end mirror. A bit of shimmy coming out of a corner about 50 miles in alerted me to the fact that the swingarm pivot bolt was loose (which I definately torqued up, I remember doing it, something must have settled). It's going to need bar end weights.



Disappointed in the mirror, it was a proper Bumm one, they aren't cheap. It not only worked loose but the glass nearly fell out of it!

I now have a laundry-list of servicing/snagging to do before riding it again. I suspect I've just built a bike that does everything one of the new twins does, only more expensively, however, it's unique to me, oozes character and I'm extremely pleased with it!

[Bullet Whisperer]

Glad you are happy with your 612, Stinkwheel, but the 'Asbo' name actually refers to my own tuned 350 and 500cc machines, although one 612 could go in the count, as it has my own modifications!

[Andy C]

The 612 does indeed go well - that is one reason I bought my old 612 back at the tail end of last year.

If memory serves I am running a 19t gearbox sprocket, so it is pretty quick off the mark. I find that the 612 vibrates a lot less than when it was a 500 - are you finding the same?

Keep enjoying !!! P.S. I used to have an MZ Skorpion which also had the XT660 motor but the Bullet has much more character and is probably quicker.

[stinkwheel]

Never rode a classic engine 500 very far in fairness and I was taking it canny on that because I was selling it to fund part of this project (bought two basket cases, made a good standard one to sell and kept a frame and cases for this). It's fairly vibey, definately a lot more so than my 350. There is a point in the rev range where my vision blurs, hopefully some bar end weights will sort that.

[Colin F]

Something definitely wrong if it's blurring vision,my 612 was very smooth i did at least 65k km on that bike.I also
did one up with the 500 version of the same crank and that was a vibrator to the point of getting head aches,and
taking the motor out of the bike .

[Barry N]

My Sixty5 vibrates noticeably more as a 612 than it did as a standard 500 - however, not to the extent that the mirrors vibrate excessively or components shake loose. Also, it is not bad enough to cause discomfort, even on long journeys. I have a narrower (27 inch) handlebar fitted, which I'm guessing might be transmitting less vibes through my hands (and mirrors) than the standard longer bars would. (The lever assemblies JUST ABOUT fit onto the shorter straight part of the bars with drum front brake, but I think a disc reservoir would be too wide to fit).

[Leon Novello]

Engines usually get hotter when stopped after a run. I watched a Mega Factories documentary last week where they run-up the Audi engine for so many minutes, then run it to full speed until the manifolds glow red-hot. After that it is fitted to the car, test-driven on the track then delivered to the customer. No point in the owner running-in those cars.

[Presto]

Leon - did you say the engine was an Audi? That may make a bit of a difference between the need for an engine to be run-in or not.