The Moriwaki Stage 3 lives!

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gilson
Posts: 928
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:31 pm

The Moriwaki Stage 3 lives!

Post by gilson »

Hi all!

At last, almost two years after buying the bike I finally had the opportunity to take it round snetterton 300.

I purchased it from a chap that owned both the stage 2, which Yeti now has, and the stage 3. At the time he wasn't selling the stage 2, so it was an easier decision to buy the 3.

The bike seemed to start and ride ok, as far as I could ride a non road legal bike anyway. And since Simon is a good chap, with good references from several people, including roger, I bought the bike.

I got it home and sneaked another ride on it. It was running rich so I took it to roger to give it the once over. I was expecting, at the most an engine rebuild and some consumables but the story here changes tack.

Even though the previous owner raced the stage 2, he never road the stage 3.

I received the call a couple of days after I took it to roger, it was his race bike after all, "the bike is down on power, 100 the rear wheel, I don't know what's wrong but something is". And so the investigations began. Roger kindly agreed to work on it when there were no paying jobs so I wasn't expecting a quick turnaround and i appreciated Roger's commitment to get his race bike back running near to the old days as possible.

To shorten a long story, it seemed that the engine had experienced a rear cylinder failure. The worst thing was that the mechanic or owner replaced these practically priceless parts with standard Honda parts! Eek!

Fortunately the stage three cam and over sized valves remained, but the piston (HC moriwaki) and valve springs (honda) were not the stage three spec as required. The head was simply replaced with standard and badly ported.

Pictures of the heads showed that the valves were kissing the heads. If I had ridden it, disaster would have followed.

It seems that it was put together hastily just to get it running again.

The best part is that roger managed to source a set pistons, probably the last remaining pair of the 20 pairs ever made from a source in Australia, asked mamoru to scour his factory for some springs, re-ported a new head to spec and put it back together.

There was still an issue. 5 engine rebuilds later the bike is back to as good as its ever going to be. This means it's reliable, stable, powerful and loud! So much so that I only managed the first session before they insisted on a sound check, which I failed, 105. I'm hoping repacking the exhausts will help. It's not the 150bhp 160kg monster it once was, considering the journey the poor old girl has been on getting it lapping, albeit slowly, it a thrill in itself.

I'm going to give it a good clean and polish and hopefully get it out at rockingham where sound limits are more lax.

I hope to post a picture or two but if there are any of me on that first session, I was tip toeing around so they won't be great. It's great enough to have her running and back to near original as possible.

Massive thanks to roger for his time and huge efforts to getting the old girl running again.
No bike (yet).
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Kev L
Posts: 11209
Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2010 9:57 pm
Location: Hertford, England

Re: The Moriwaki Stage 3 lives!

Post by Kev L »

Nice to hear you got the old girl up and running mate. Bit naughty of the previous owner though, unless you think he bought it in that state!
Anyway well done again,
:thumbup:
Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero
F3, 954 USD front, K Tech springs, Braced swinger, Penske shock, Six spoke Mockesini wheels, Harris rearsets, QaT, Flywheel diet!, A&L stacks, stick coils, K&N, FP Ti jets, lashings of Ti & CF
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lloydie
Posts: 20920
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:16 pm
Location: In the garage somewhere in Coventry

The Moriwaki Stage 3 lives!

Post by lloydie »

Nice story that :-)
Glad it's up and running
Would love to see some pics
YETI
Posts: 496
Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2010 10:42 am
Location: SURREY

Re: The Moriwaki Stage 3 lives!

Post by YETI »

WELL DONE :clap:
cant wait to see and hear it .
its been a very long road .
knowing simon as i do , i think it improbable that he
had any knowlage of the engine problem as he loves
these bikes and would dearly love to get his hands back on my
stage 2 ( which he wont 8) )
congratulations and take it easy .
YETI..
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VTRDark
Posts: 20010
Joined: Sun Mar 18, 2012 9:24 pm

Re: The Moriwaki Stage 3 lives!

Post by VTRDark »

The first half of that post made me cringe, anyway thank god (not that I believe in one) for Roger. Glad it's back up and running as it should and I'm looking forward to seeing some pics or better still some video footage of the bike running. :wink:

You and Yeti should do a double act round a circuit one day, a Moriwaki commemorative run :thumbup:

(:-})
==============================Enter the Darkside
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agentpineapple
Posts: 15123
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2011 9:16 pm

Re: The Moriwaki Stage 3 lives!

Post by agentpineapple »

welldone gilson
get out there and enjoy your bike as much as possible. i look forward to seeing the pictures, i cringe at the thought of the extra costs you incurred.
good luck with it gilson :thumbup:
HEY YOU GUYS!!!!!!
tony.mon
Posts: 15943
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:46 pm
Location: Norf Kent

Re: The Moriwaki Stage 3 lives!

Post by tony.mon »

Much kudos to you, Gilson.

The bike's not just a bike, it's a part of Storm history, and I fully understand why you made the decision to get it back to full spec.

God knows what was going through the head of the person who bodged it together, his valves, probably, and half a piston.
It must have been difficult matching the porting on the "new rear head.

It made me look once again at Mori's website, and bloody hell, they're recruiting. So I've sent my CV over, and a piccy of my bike.
I was particularly attracted to that annual leave allowance.......
http://www.moriwaki.co.jp/global/about/06.html
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
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gilson
Posts: 928
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:31 pm

The Moriwaki Stage 3 lives!

Post by gilson »

Thanks guys. I'm also positive Simon didn't realise the issues although it is a complete mystery what happened. I need to contact him and update him.

I was terribly annoyed when the situation was realised, but I was in too deep to not do anything. Hell, we live and learn. I soon forgot when I was out on it and the front was lifting up!

Pictures and hopefully a video at the next track day. That reminds me, must get the GoPro from my brother.

Thanks for the support.
No bike (yet).
mik_str
Posts: 2149
Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2004 10:45 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada

Re: The Moriwaki Stage 3 lives!

Post by mik_str »

Congrats on getting that puppy back together. It sucks to have had to go through that ordeal but alas it`s now done and you own a very rare and unique (not ot mention potent!!!!!) bike. I must say you chaps (and gals) in the UK are blessed to be able to ride up to Roger`s shop. It`s a luxury we here on the outside do not have (thankfully , being the true gent he is, he is always willing to help via e-mail).

Now, hurry up and get pics and videos up :) Oh yes, and quit dancing around the issue (lol) and let us see some dyno numbers too :thumbup:

cheers
99 VTR1000F Firestorm, a.k.a. The Carbon Express
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