Martek

[Dezza]

Maybe it's a bit like the factory Ducatis (until this year): they look amazing (to most), have mega power, all the 'right' bits but when push came to shove to many riders they were chocolate teapots (even before riding them)

[Gixer1460]

7 hours ago, bluedog59 said:

IMO. High C of G, Turbo and Nitrous makes it too much of a straight line bike for me.  Fine if that's what you want but I'm surrounded by fast and bumpy B roads and prefer something that is fast over the whole route A to B, not something I'm fighting keep the front down on and pointing in the right direction.  I'm sure there is probably a good bike in there but not in it's present set up. 

Moto GP bikes have to use traction control to stop them flipping and they hardly ever see a straight line and probably have the best jockeys in the world on board  ! ! !

And fyi, a high CG is NOT what any 'Straight line'  bike wants - unless they want to go slow! Because we build stupidly powerful bikes - doesn't mean we have to use it all + the chassis hardware of that particular bike is probably waaaay more capable than any normal rider could exploit.

[bluedog59]

Jeez, Is it national "pick an argument"  day ? Anybody would think I'd said the Virgin Mary was a tranny !!

A "chocolate teapot" is something incapable of performing the task being asked of it and thus it would appear to falling into this category for me for the reasons stated.  I am  very aware that a high C of G is not what is required for a drag bike, the term "straight line" bike is a generic term I would use for a bike that is not suited to the fast and bumpy roads I prefer.

I am also au fait with the fact that you can amass all the finery in the world and still build a camel if they do not function as a harmonious "whole".  

[yantosh]

always knew something was a bit shady with that Mary burd 

[K.H.I]

1 hour ago, bluedog59 said:

 

A "chocolate teapot" is something incapable of performing the task being asked of it and thus it would appear to falling into this category for me for the reasons stated.  

So as its not your bike, then how do you know it cant 'perform the task being asked of it'?

[clivegto]

Still looks like a TOOL to me, a TOOL that can be used.

[bluedog59]

4 hours ago, K.H.I said:

So as its not your bike, then how do you know it cant 'perform the task being asked of it'?

As I said "Can't say I like it" and " IMO". 

[Dezza]

The side view picture does make it look really tall but maybe it's a combination of camera angle and some other things. Almost all of the frame is above the swingarm pivot but all of the swingarm is below the swingarm pivot which exacerbates the really high at the back look, along with the seat angle. The WP Roma forks (which are really long, probably to enable race teams scope for adjustbility to drop and raise the forks in the yokes) are set as high as they can go. Frames built for big aircooled motors tended to raise the engine a bit and increase the centre of gravity for increased cornering clearance on track (just look at a Harris Magnum obviously based on an old endurance bike from the late 70s). This is a compromise as there was only so much that could be done to narrow the engines. I have no idea if the likes of Spondon or Martek built this in to their big tube frames but the engines look like they are set really high (maybe for looks????). Even the big tube frames for the GSXR engines which are much narrower look like they are set high. I have a Spondon beam frame for a GSXR engine and it's much lower than the big tube bikes. Anyway, anything with a Spondon/Martek frame with an EFE engine is going to be more good than bad whatever, especially if built to a high standard. This particular bike is a bit bling for me though, and I wonder why it looks so high, almost like a really big and powerful supermoto. I suspect it's fun to ride though if the engine gives a nice progressive power delivery. I can't see the point of nitrous on the road though.

Different strokes for different folks - some people love frame kit bikes built in this style and others don't. Just as well really as then they'd all look the same and that would defeat the whole point of building them in the first place

[baldrick]

i saw that at the tt a few years back. 

its a stunning piece of engineering.

And much preffered to any chocolate teapots, its a corker.

[TLRS]

Bikes without an exhaust beneath the engine always have a supermoto look to it. The low brace and loads of air around the rear wheel makes it look tall too. But I don't think it's actually that bad. Mass centralisation seems to be really good actually, as there seem to be fuck all in front of the forks and in the seat unit. The tank is probably alloy and the seat is just some foam. With the rider aboard it might sag a good inch as well..

[Dezmeister]

On 8/2/2015 at 10:37 PM, Jaydee said:

This one?

Cant beat that 80s/90s colour clash imo

[TLRS]

Never occurred to me before, but horizontal chain adjusters.. now that took a long time to catch on?

[stevieg]

any martek owners in the uk or know where all the bikes built are now.

[Wagola]

Don't really understand all the arguments ! Most bikes are a compromise. I would Fuckin love that bike in my garage !!! Wouldn't bother me which colour scheme. And as I understand it MARTEK are back in to building bike frames rather than rally cars.

[clivegto]

1 hour ago, stevieg said:

 know where all the bikes built are now.

M K engineering Gool. 

[Allspeeds]

On 10/27/2018 at 2:58 PM, yantosh said:

always knew something was a bit shady with that Mary burd 

[Captain Chaos]

13 hours ago, stevieg said:

any martek owners in the uk or know where all the bikes built are now.

please have a R of TFR and introduce yourself in the General Chat section.

[Azov]

seen that stunner before, looks killer 

[monty]

1st class bike, ,