Garage Day

Images - Evan


#VWT4 #T4Transporter #MatteBlack #AirShifter #SharkEyes #DucatiSuperlight #Ducati1000DS #DucatiSprintBike #DucatiDragRacer #DragSuperlight #Superscura #DucatiSuperscura #Mercenary #MercenaryMotorcycles #MercenaryGarage #Glemseck101 #Glemseck2026 #RocketRaceClub

Mercenary Superscura - SlickTyres

Today I fitted slick tyres to the Superscura. The rear is a Shinko Reactor II, the front is a slightly undersized Bridgestone medium compound race tyre.

Images - Mercenary Garage

#MatteBlack #SharkEyes #DucatiSuperlight #Ducati900SL #Ducati1000DS #DucatiSprintBike #DucatiDragRacer #DragSuperlight #DucatiSprintRacer #Superscura #MercenarySuperscura #DucatiSuperscura #Mercenary #MercenaryMotorcycles #MercenaryGarage #Glemseck101 #Glemseck2026 #RocketRaceClub #MercenaryEngineering #PunkRockEngineering

Superlight/Superscura

To my eye, the 1992 Ducati 900SL Superlight is a contender for most beautiful motorcycle ever built.

On its release in 1992 the motorcycle magazines raved about it's beauty, character and handling while decrying the cost (In the UK the 900SL sold for £8,000 while a GSXR1100N was £6,500).

For me, it was love at first sight. But this was a machine so rare that I never expected to even see one in real life and so I determined to build a really nice replica, one day. 

However, somehow I ended up owning one. About 20 years ago I became custodian of Superlight #474, a first edition model in red, with the desirable Marvic composite magnesium wheels. 

I don't know thing one about being a custodian and the Superlight  no longer resembles the beauteous yellow creation in the above pic. It now looks like this...

It is without doubt much Lighter, and with a 1000cc Dual Spark motor it's a bit Superer. But like they say, the years have taken a toll...

Last year we hatched a plan to race the thing at the Glemseck 101. However, it wasn't a very good plan and the bike wasn't finished in time and we didn't go. So for 2026 we're hatching a new plan. Hopefully this one will be better.

Watch this space... 

https://www.mercenary.ie/search/label/Project%20Superscura

#MatteBlack #SharkEyes #DucatiSuperlight #Ducati900SL #Ducati1000DS #DucatiSprintBike #DucatiDragRacer #DragSuperlight #DucatiSprintRacer #Superscura #MercenarySuperscura #DucatiSuperscura #Mercenary #MercenaryMotorcycles #MercenaryGarage #Glemseck101 #Glemseck2026 #RocketRaceClub #MercenaryEngineering #PunkRockEngineering

Mercenary Superscura - Shift Light

The Mercenary Superscura cockpit is spartan, the only feature being the Shift Light Array.

Images - Mercenary Garage

#ShiftLight #BomberSeat #AirShifter #MatteBlack #Sharkeyes #MercenarySuperscura #DucatiSuperscura #Superscura #SprintBike #SprintDucati #SprintRacer #DucatiDragBike #DucatiSprintBike #Ducati900SL #DragBike #DragMotorcycle #DucatiSuperlight #Mercenary #MercenaryMotorcycles #MercenaryGarage #MotorcycleWorkshop #MotorcycleGarage #Glemseck101 #Glemseck2025 #RocketRaceClub #MercenaryEngineering #PunkRockEngineering

Mercenary Superscura - Air Shifter

So the Mercenary Superscura foot controls have been fabricated and installed and appear to be working. The rear brake operates in a fairly conventional manner. The gear shifter can be used conventionally too, but for racing can be upshifted by a button on the left handlebar.

Pressing the shift button activates the air-cylinder (piston) which enthusiastically slams up a gear, hopefully faster than the pilot could do it manually. Early testing suggests that this appears to be working.

So what's left to do? Well, we have yet to fabricate the exhaust system, while the ECU and associated wiring are currently just a fantasy.

So tune in next week when we will almost certainly be even further behind schedule...

Images - Mercenary Garage

#BomberSeat #AirShifter#MatteBlack #Sharkeyes #MercenarySuperscura #DucatiSuperscura #Superscura #SprintBike #SprintDucati #SprintRacer #DucatiDragBike #DucatiSprintBike #Ducati900SL #DragBike #DragMotorcycle #DucatiSuperlight #Mercenary #MercenaryMotorcycles #MercenaryGarage #MotorcycleWorkshop #MotorcycleGarage #Glemseck101 #Glemseck2025 #RocketRaceClub #MercenaryEngineering #PunkRockEngineering

Mercenary Superscura

So yesterday the Superscura sprint bike saw the light of day for the first time. It's still not finished or even running but it was great to get it out of the confines of the workshop and down off the ramp, to get a better sense of how it all hangs together.

The list of things to do is getting shorter. We're in the process of finishing the foot controls and I think after that, the only big fabrication left to do will be the exhausts.

And the last major hurdle will be resurrecting the ECU and getting the fuel injection and electrical systems up and running. And recommissioning the brakes, changing the fork oil and a hundred similar little jobs.

So in short, it's getting there.

Watch this space...

Images - Mercenary Garage

#MatteBlack #SharkEyes #DucatiSuperlight #Ducati1000DS #DucatiSprintBike #DucatiDragRacer #DragSuperlight #DucatiSprintRacer #Superscura #MercenarySuperscura #DucatiSuperscura #Mercenary #MercenaryMotorcycles #MercenaryGarage #Glemseck101 #Glemseck2025 #RocketRaceClub #MercenaryEngineering #PunkRockEngineering

Mercenary Superscura Sprint Bike

So this thing is coming together. I know it looks unfinished, and it is unfinished. But when it's finished it will still look unfinished 'cos that's just the way it's going to look. 

Anyway, it'll hopefully be up and running in a couple of weeks and we can begin testing it. 

The plan is to race it in the Rocket Race Club category in the Glemseck 101 sprint event in Germany in early September,

So tune in next week and hear Doctor Bob say - "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Images - Mercenary Garage



#FuelPump #AirShifter #SharkEyes #DucatiSuperlight #Ducati1000DS #DucatiSprintBike #DucatiDragRacer #DragSuperlight #Superscura #MercenarySuperscura #DucatiSuperscura #Mercenary #MercenaryMotorcycles #MercenaryGarage #Glemseck101 #Glemseck2025 #RocketRaceClub

Mercenary Superscura - Fuel Pressure Regulator

So the Fuel Regulator is installed and plumbed in, but I haven't pressure tested it yet. I'm quietly confident. I'm also noisily terrified.

The nose cone has also come a long way but isn't finished yet. It will need another sanding (400 grit), another layer of primer and maybe some spot-filler. This has been the biggest time-eater of the project so far, by a long shot.

Images - Mercenary Garage

#FuelPump #AirShifter #SharkEyes #DucatiSuperlight #Ducati1000DS #DucatiSprintBike #DucatiDragRacer #DragSuperlight #Superscura #DucatiSuperscura #Mercenary #MercenaryMotorcycles #MercenaryGarage #Glemseck101 #Glemseck2025 #RocketRaceClub