Best Lap Times	Gearing Chart
	Spec List	Dyno Graph

All about my 1986 Ex-Fred Merkel VFR750FG,
it's history and continuing modification/improvement.

	Originally raced by Fred Merkel, in the 1987 For Runner to World Super Bikes called "Super 1" basically Formula One racing machines but based on road bikes, standard silhouette etc so that the punters could relate to the machines appearance.
Click here for Fred's VFR Racing History.

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In the late 80's Fred's Team had the VFR at the NEC Bike Show.
He was running in the "Super 1" class which was the forerunner of "World Superbike", and the Italian Superbike series to please his mainly Italian sponsors.

When I got her, she was still wearing Fred's name & number, flat bars, and the stubby exhaust !
Those bars were great but way out of date so in went the Ace Bars, that made the biggest change !

There was standard body work at the rear sitting on an Aluminium Harris Subframe, but up front was a full carbon fibre race faring. A white tank replaced the rusted out original while it was being refurbished.

17" front and 18" rear Marvic wheels meant I could only run Avon AM22/23 "Clubman compound" Race tyres for the first half season until I got a 17 inch rear figured out. (CBR1000 - info coming soon)
With a replacement engine for the original that expired at Mallory, I figured it was also time for a respray. We went back to it's '86 white scheme for the 1998 Manx GP, 
and through to the end of the 1998 season. We sure were easy to spot !

For 1999 I had the VFR Owners club behind me, which is where I met Dave who has stuck with me ever since. 
Here we see the creation, complete with White Power shock, Wolf can, race seat unit, Superchips Ignition and a complete respray. 
Dave is on the Left of picture.

With the Megacycle camshafts we got a performance boost but early into the testing period we ran into trouble that was to dog us for the rest of the season. We shed some valves, threw a rod and split a crank, which kept us busy in the garage many nights and even at the races. 

In spite of all this and a couple of crashes, we kept it looking respectable on our way to the 
1999 New Era Superstock Title 
We collected many trophies in 1999, as well as many friends and supporters which were equally as valuable.

 
At the NEC Show it looked grand and attracted a lot of attention despite being over shadowed by more exotic machinery !

Unfortunately I decided I to try and sell the VFR. I took it to the Ally Pally Road Race Show and put it on Show in the Paddock Sales section. resplendent in a "Replica Fairings" body kit.

I had a few enquiries but nothing serious, so I've still got the old girl. So what better to do with her than take her out once a year at Mallory Park and have a go at modern machinery to keep her for fading away in the back of my garage !

We put on a good show at the 2000 Craig Mason Memorial Races, and it was just like old times, except now she was wearing an RC30 front end which transformed her into a more usable machine !

To this day she shares the garage with my road bikes and I wouldn't sell her for the world.

Races Done on :- Avon AM22/23's in 1998,
Dunlop 207Gp's in 1998 and 1999,
and some done on Slicks in 1999/2000

Here are just two dyno charts that this bike generated over the years.

First, to compare MEGACYCLE Camshafts with the nasty, unreliable, cut and shut, F1 cams. This shows that the thousand pounds was well spent. 
The Red and Blue lines show the Superchips Ignition at work,
Red is On, Blue is Off. Black is the F1 Cams at their feeble best.

"FUCHS" Dyno Run at "Superchips" in Northampton, 23rd June 1999.
The "FUCHS" always read higher than the "Dynojet" Dyno's !!

In the search for more power, we rebuilt the engine with new rings, crank shells, High Compression pistons and a complete High Tension Ignition set including coils, leads, caps and plugs. Still with the Megacycle cams.
We saw a gain in mid range, offset by a drop in overall power.

"Dynojet" Dyno run at "All Gear" in Coventry, November 1999,
after the season had ended just in case she decided to blow up !