Frame Maker
New member
- Joined
- May 8, 2011
- Location
- Livermore
- Moto(s)
- sportbikes, dirtbikes, and some odd bikes that I've built myself.
- Name
- Julian
As mentioned in the General sub-forum, I recently acquired an unfinished Tigraft RZ350 project. I'm starting this new thread as a place to show updates and to dive deeper into technical discussion about this amazing bike.
If you didn't catch the intro thread over on General, here's the brief back-story...
"About two years ago I would come to learn that a Tigcraft RZ350 was within two hours drive from me. Around this same time I started becoming good friends with Dave Pearce, the man behind Tigcraft. Although Dave was very opinionated and didn't always get along well with other frame builders, he and I had a good relationship with very high regards for each other's work. Because of this, I thought it would be of great amusement to arrange a photo of Dave's RZ350 based bike side by side with mine.
The Tigcraft bike had originally been commissioned by a well known 2-stroke builder in the UK. As fate would have it, the person who had commissioned the bike didn't care for the bodywork that Dave intended to use. They had a falling out and the project was abandoned. Eventually the frame was sold off to moto enthusiast in the middle east. That person also never finished the bike and put it up on eBay where it didn't sell. About a year later a young man in Salinas discovered the outdated eBay listing while searching for a track-bike project. He contacted the seller and arranged to have the frame shipped to the US.
Jonathan, the new owner, and I connected about two years ago with some conversation about hiring me to complete the build. The bike still needed a proper sub-frame constructed and mounting brackets for various bodywork and accessories to be added. This was great and got me thinking how fun it would be to get a photos of both bikes, if not a photo of the Tigcraft in MY shop! Dave would have filliped his shit!
Unfortunately Dave passed away earlier this year and the opportunity to get the photo never happened. Then yesterday I just happened to click on the FaceBook RZ350 forum just as Jonathan had posted that he was putting the Tigcraft up for sale.
"I want it!" was my first reply. Turns out about five other people also wanted it. Because I was the first to respond, and also because Jonathan though I'd be the most appropriate buyer, I was given priority. Its not easy getting large sums of cash late on a Saturday afternoon, but I made it happen. I met Jonathan at his home in Salinas last night. And as they say, the rest is history.
Today I was finally able to get the photos I had hoped to get two years ago. Side by side the two bikes are remarkably similar in overall geometry. When measuring, the numbers aren't exactly the same, but overall I'm really intrigued by the similarities. I can only hope that Dave is looking down with a large grin on his face. RIP Dave Pearce. You have made something amazing that I am very proud to be given the responsibility to finish."
Seen here without bodywork, and BTR pipes (built for a different bike) temporarily mounted:
20221120_152148 by andbike, on Flickr
If you didn't catch the intro thread over on General, here's the brief back-story...
"About two years ago I would come to learn that a Tigcraft RZ350 was within two hours drive from me. Around this same time I started becoming good friends with Dave Pearce, the man behind Tigcraft. Although Dave was very opinionated and didn't always get along well with other frame builders, he and I had a good relationship with very high regards for each other's work. Because of this, I thought it would be of great amusement to arrange a photo of Dave's RZ350 based bike side by side with mine.
The Tigcraft bike had originally been commissioned by a well known 2-stroke builder in the UK. As fate would have it, the person who had commissioned the bike didn't care for the bodywork that Dave intended to use. They had a falling out and the project was abandoned. Eventually the frame was sold off to moto enthusiast in the middle east. That person also never finished the bike and put it up on eBay where it didn't sell. About a year later a young man in Salinas discovered the outdated eBay listing while searching for a track-bike project. He contacted the seller and arranged to have the frame shipped to the US.
Jonathan, the new owner, and I connected about two years ago with some conversation about hiring me to complete the build. The bike still needed a proper sub-frame constructed and mounting brackets for various bodywork and accessories to be added. This was great and got me thinking how fun it would be to get a photos of both bikes, if not a photo of the Tigcraft in MY shop! Dave would have filliped his shit!
Unfortunately Dave passed away earlier this year and the opportunity to get the photo never happened. Then yesterday I just happened to click on the FaceBook RZ350 forum just as Jonathan had posted that he was putting the Tigcraft up for sale.
"I want it!" was my first reply. Turns out about five other people also wanted it. Because I was the first to respond, and also because Jonathan though I'd be the most appropriate buyer, I was given priority. Its not easy getting large sums of cash late on a Saturday afternoon, but I made it happen. I met Jonathan at his home in Salinas last night. And as they say, the rest is history.
Today I was finally able to get the photos I had hoped to get two years ago. Side by side the two bikes are remarkably similar in overall geometry. When measuring, the numbers aren't exactly the same, but overall I'm really intrigued by the similarities. I can only hope that Dave is looking down with a large grin on his face. RIP Dave Pearce. You have made something amazing that I am very proud to be given the responsibility to finish."
Seen here without bodywork, and BTR pipes (built for a different bike) temporarily mounted:
20221120_152148 by andbike, on Flickr
arty
Now someone is going to have to start an RZ500 project thread
