September/October 2005

The September/October 2005 Bike of the Month belongs to Michael Caulton from New Zealand. Note: Due to a major computer crash the September and October 2005 Bike of the Months will be featured as a single bike. Thank you for your understanding.

Michael bought this 1991 MC21 SE model from a very young rider who took excellent care of it mechanically but needed some cosmetic work. A deal was reached and Michael brought this NSR to it's new home for a very nice price.

Being a university student, Michael was on a very tight budget and wanted to build up a NSR that he would be proud off, looked incredible and had improved performance without breaking the bank.

First step was to make an improvement in the front suspension. Michael found a set of Kawasaki ZXR400R front forks for a terrific price and had those machined to fit his NSR. He used the stock ZXR400 calipers which work very nice with the MC21 front discs. After installing the forks, Michael noticed one of the forks had a slight oil leak and he sent them out to be rebuilt locally by a suspension shop that specializes in this. During this time he also had them resprung, revalved and all tuned up for his weight and better performance. The rear shock got the same treatment as well for one nice handling NSR.

Next was the Jha pipes that were already on the bike when he bought it from the last owner. They were getting rusty and had some dents that just looked awful. Michael sent the pipes out to a shop to have the dents repaired and then had the bodies all chromed. Silencers were rebuilt and the price of this work was around one third of the price of brand new Jha pipes.

Next Michael got in touch with Tyga-Performance and ordered a whole new Tyga Eyes front upper and lower fairing. He planned to reuse the rear seat which was a one piece lightweight fiberglass one. While Michael was waiting for his parts to arrive from Tyga he got started on pulling the bike apart and getting the seat and tank ready for paint.

Michael took care of all the bodywork, painting and decals himself. After sanding down the fairings, paint was applied and all decals were hand cut by Michael himself from high-grade vinyl which he bought from a local sign writer shop. Last was to clear coat over everything for that nice wet look and to protect from the weather and other elements.

Other improvements Michael added were steel braided lines all around and EBC sport brake pads. Being a university student and on a tight budget doesn't mean you can't own an exotic looking motorcycle. Michael is proof of that !!

Every month I try to feature a different NSR in this section. Above you can check out the featured Bike of the Month and past Bikes of the Month. Do you think your NSR belongs here ? Then send a few pictures and some information and maybe we can feature it here. Mail me here. Cheers !!