RMIT Superbike frames

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QuangVuong
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby QuangVuong » Tue Apr 21, 2015 12:38 pm

Soon...
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smartie
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby smartie » Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:18 pm

looks good, do you have a front derailleur bracket for it? If not you may need to fabricate one.

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QuangVuong
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RMIT Superbike frames

Postby QuangVuong » Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:43 pm

I didn't get one with it, so I'm hoping there is one that'll fit it. Maybe a Giant Trinity or similar one. Otherwise, fabricating one wouldn't be too hard.

Mine is an aluminium one like yours. It was originally a white one, but was painted black for some reason by the previous owner and it wasn't a very good job at all. So I'm thinking of repainting it, and whilst I'm at it, get some bog and smooth out some of the welded areas. I think I've got the original fork,which is very ugly, so probably will chuck on the 3T Funda fork that the seller provided.

Plan is to get some Di2 on it. A few issues though, the RD housing guide has a stop near the end, so I can't get a Di2 plug though there. I'm thinking of drilling open the stop. If I ever want to run a mechanical group, I could just run housing all the way through to the RD. FD cable exit hole is the same issue. Should be ok if I widen the hole. Next issue is that since all the internal routing has internal guides, I'm not sure how I would be able to get the battery wiring to exit the frame. Maybe drill into either the FD or RD internal guide for the battery wire to come out. Then I'd be able to connect all the wires to the junction box which I'll chuck near the stem.

Now, do I go drops or bullhorns?

Also, do you know what years these were produced? What is your serial? I've got a serial on the bottom side of the NDS dropout. 58 300381. Looks like the 8 was stamped twice, so it could be 588300381, or they just restamped it because the 8 and 300 are pretty faint. From what I can find, it seems Technique Sports were around until about 2007 and produced these up until then, but they've closed down now, and there's basically no info left other than what you know and the review from 06 you linked above.
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smartie
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby smartie » Tue Apr 21, 2015 8:01 pm

I just had a quick look and mine doesn't actually have a frame number (never noticed it before), I'm guessing because it was the Bocar (who made the frames for Technique) display frame from their showroom in Brisbane and never finished. When I got it I had to grind/linish down all the welds myself. I do know too that there are incremental changes too, however not to the pressed sections of frame. For instance on the one my brother has, the rear cable exit in the chainstay is in a different location.

I have no idea when Technique Sports closed down but I would guess that they were not around for long, as the aluminium Superbike never took off. My brother talked to someone at Bocar before they went under and they were aiming at the Tri market and overseas markets hence some of the oddball paint schemes on the few examples I've heard about. My brother's is in a gaudy USA flag paint scheme. We got ours from the Bocar liquidators.

I'm not sure whether it's worth going Di2 on it, the things are noisy and a compromise to ride, and as you have noticed, not conducive to having anything other than the bare minimum of stuff hanging from them.

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awilkinson
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby awilkinson » Mon Sep 28, 2015 10:22 pm

I agree with smartie, they are a bit of a compromise - heavy, one size, and there is no real place to put even a water bottle. Mine is composite and a later example as it has the tiger stripes which came late in the production run from memory. It has no serial number that I can find.

I kept the groupset that was fitted to the bike when I bouvght it (Shimano 600 Ultegra 8 speed), swapped out the fitted plastic Giant wheels (which have nasty tendencies) for period accurate Specialized tri-spokes I found on eBay (although to my knowedge these frames were not paired with these wheels). It has a new Specialized BG saddle, modern Time pedals (so I can use my road shoes) and I fitted a quill adapter so I could get a modern stem and had more choice of bars. I went bull horns as I wanted to keep its lines as clean as I could (gave up trying to source a matching BT aerobar). I don't do triathlons so I don't need aerobars anyway and I didn't want to hang stuff off the saddle so that means no water and therefore short rides.

Cable routing is a real pain (see earlier posts if you're interested).

It actually rides pretty well and gets heaps of comments about being very "modern" and "high tech". When I tell people the frame design is more than 20 years old, I get some really puzzled looks. Anyhow, here's how mine ended up (note: I haven't gotten around to patching the gelcoat and re-cutting and applying new tiger stripes, maybe one day)...

Image

Image

Image

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QuangVuong
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RMIT Superbike frames

Postby QuangVuong » Mon Sep 28, 2015 10:30 pm

I've already finished building my aluminium Superbike. You can read through the build here:
viewtopic.php?t=84059" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Image

If you're ever wanting to move your frame along, get in touch. It looks pretty cool, but the bars and saddle look too modern for it in my opinion.
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awilkinson
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby awilkinson » Mon Sep 28, 2015 10:48 pm

Nice job QuangVuong. I read your posts and I think you went to a lot of trouble and the outcome is great. I actually bought a NOS white Rolls saddle for it but I have never fitted it. I still have the round section Profile bull horns which I will keep if I ever feel like swapping it over. Thanks for the offer, if I ever feel like passing it on, I will let you know.

softy
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby softy » Mon Sep 28, 2015 10:49 pm

Guys the bikes look awesome.....

A piece of australian history. They look so modern yet are a dinosaur.

Congratulations on the builds, I was wondering how they ride? Are they harsh to ride on? Much road buzz?. Do they feel fast or does the weight effect how they feel? Are the frames expense to get your hands on? Very interested, just because it is real ozzie nostalgia!

Any feedback on the ride would be appreciated. :)

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awilkinson
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby awilkinson » Mon Sep 28, 2015 11:07 pm

Hi softy and thanks. I agree that its a bit of Australian history that is worth preserving.

In terms of ride, mine (composite) is very stiff under power (as you would expect for a composite bike with a high modulus monocoque frame and a track heritage). Its not harsh though which surprised me. It does get a whirr / buzz going because of the large enclosed volume (bit like a loud speaker). It is heavier than a modern carbon bike or 80's steel. However, it is fast to accelerate and even faster on flats and gentle climbs. It should be as it has a very aerodynamic frame. I haven't tried a long / steep climbs so I can't compare with modern carbon in that scenario.

Mine wasn't expensive and I just happened upon it (I wasn't looking). I remember these as a kid and fell in love with them so I just had to have it. I found it on Gumtree and paid a deposit sight unseen. Bought it for under a thousand dollars. It was a mess and needed cleaning up, new wheels etc. I have not seen another super bike for sale but I did see an example of the next version (the BT version of the Elliott Flyer design) for a few thousand dollars on eBay. Sorry I can't be of more help as I think I was just lucky.

I tried contacting Bike Technologies for service manuals and info but they didn't have any of that stuff but you may have luck asking them nicely to contact you if they see one?

Hope that helps.

smartie
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby smartie » Mon Sep 28, 2015 11:13 pm

Mine is quite noisy when changing gears, as the sound resonates through the frame with a thud. it is also very stiff and you can feel the power being put down, as the lack of flex appears to allow it to load up more. apart from that, for the most part, although they are a heavy frame by new bike standards it's not noticed in normal riding. I notice with mine however that you are forced somewhat into an aero position whether you like it or not... might just be due to me fitting aero-bars, as i have no need to have normal drops on it, the bike is more for looks than anything else.

I don't think mine has any serial numbers either, as it was the Bocar polished welded display sample in their showroom. I even had to grind down all the welds.

zero
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby zero » Tue Sep 29, 2015 2:19 am

softy wrote:Guys the bikes look awesome.....

A piece of australian history. They look so modern yet are a dinosaur.

Congratulations on the builds, I was wondering how they ride? Are they harsh to ride on? Much road buzz?. Do they feel fast or does the weight effect how they feel? Are the frames expense to get your hands on? Very interested, just because it is real ozzie nostalgia!

Any feedback on the ride would be appreciated. :)
I found that photos don't do Quangs bike justice, it actually looks better when you see it for yourself - when you are looking down on the bike more than in a typical photo, it looks a lot more delicate and narrower, and gives a very aero impression to the eye. Changed me from meh to I'd like one in about 5 seconds flat.

Granted I was on a nearly silent fixie when I rode with him on it, which made it worse, but the gearchange can be heard in nearby suburbs.

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g-boaf
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby g-boaf » Tue Sep 29, 2015 9:29 am

zero wrote:
softy wrote:Guys the bikes look awesome.....

A piece of australian history. They look so modern yet are a dinosaur.

Congratulations on the builds, I was wondering how they ride? Are they harsh to ride on? Much road buzz?. Do they feel fast or does the weight effect how they feel? Are the frames expense to get your hands on? Very interested, just because it is real ozzie nostalgia!

Any feedback on the ride would be appreciated. :)
I found that photos don't do Quangs bike justice, it actually looks better when you see it for yourself - when you are looking down on the bike more than in a typical photo, it looks a lot more delicate and narrower, and gives a very aero impression to the eye. Changed me from meh to I'd like one in about 5 seconds flat.

Granted I was on a nearly silent fixie when I rode with him on it, which made it worse, but the gearchange can be heard in nearby suburbs.
I've been with him when he had another vintage "superbike" with a disc rear wheel, the gear changes sounded like an artillery barrage! :lol: Impressive bikes.

My modern one (a P5 Cervelo) is equally noisy on gear changes - making a solid clunk, rather than a small click. I think the frame just amplifies the noise. And with mine being Di2, you tend to try and anchor any junction boxes inside the frame or the aerobars so they don't rattle around - that also makes a lot of noise too.
Last edited by g-boaf on Tue Sep 29, 2015 10:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

softy
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby softy » Tue Sep 29, 2015 9:37 am

Thanks guy, sounds like a hoot!

Well if you ever see another or thinking of selling, contact me (PM me).

Or;, wayne "dot" proud "at" westernpower "dot" com "dot" au

Love those machines, I think you should put a "made in Australia" sticker on it, but maybe they are as rare as the bikes. Hee hee.

softy
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby softy » Sun Nov 08, 2015 7:17 pm

softy wrote:Thanks guy, sounds like a hoot!

Well if you ever see another or thinking of selling, contact me (PM me).

Or;, wayne "dot" proud "at" westernpower "dot" com "dot" au

Love those machines, I think you should put a "made in Australia" sticker on it, but maybe they are as rare as the bikes. Hee hee.
still keeping an eye out......

seen an old ad over here in the west, don't know if it is still for sale. Emailed, see if i get a response. http://scarborough-wa.australialisted.c ... 78761.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; What would be a ballpark price for a superbike ally model, something like this?

cheers

smartie
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby smartie » Sun Nov 08, 2015 8:15 pm

It's hard to know prices as they don't come up often enough to gauge. But as a starter, my frame only was $250, with all the welds still needing grinding down and my brother's was ~$800 complete. Take this with a grain of salt though as it was a few years ago and from the Bocar clearance, which means that the liquidator just wanted to get rid of them. So I would treat these as an absolute minimum.

softy
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby softy » Sun Nov 08, 2015 8:27 pm

smartie wrote:It's hard to know prices as they don't come up often enough to gauge. But as a starter, my frame only was $250, with all the welds still needing grinding down and my brother's was ~$800 complete. Take this with a grain of salt though as it was a few years ago and from the Bocar clearance, which means that the liquidator just wanted to get rid of them. So I would treat these as an absolute minimum.
Cheers for the feedback.
After something set up as a road bike or just a frame to build up, although heavy for Todays standards, it is the nostalgia i am after. I would probably end up with some finished with a modern groupo with tubular wheels, with at least a deep section on the back. It would be like riding something that is part of Australia. :) 

smartie
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby smartie » Sun Nov 08, 2015 8:34 pm

Just be careful if you put drops on it, the bars can swing around and hit the side of the 'frame' and dent it. Most seem to go with TT bars, as that's the real intent of these.

softy
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby softy » Sun Nov 08, 2015 8:52 pm

smartie wrote:Just be careful if you put drops on it, the bars can swing around and hit the side of the 'frame' and dent it. Most seem to go with TT bars, as that's the real intent of these.
okay.... roger!

I have my Cervelo S5 set up with profile design prosvet handle basebars like these http://www.google.com.au/search?redir_e ... a0bMoJM%3A" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (no aero bars attached) single front speed and 10 speed rear derailleur. I used a double tap thumbie to change the rear which i mounted on the basebars.

I can do something similar..... :)

Image

can never get these photos to work, have a Android tablet and using dropbox, can this work?

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awilkinson
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby awilkinson » Mon Nov 09, 2015 12:11 am

Hey softy, I paid under $500 for my bike complete but it needed a bit of restoring - dud cables, dud brakes, old plastic bladed spoke wheels that looked cool but were dangerous, hideous adjustable stem and shifters that were jammed in the bars. As smartie said, these don't come around much so you'll end up paying whatever you can negotiate. I personally think I got a bargain but like you couldn't resist the historic value. I bought it over the phone sight unseen. Good luck.

DarrylH
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby DarrylH » Sat Nov 21, 2015 4:19 pm

There are two similar frames at my LBS. One is a Lotus and the other is stickered as a Giant. I knew of the Lotus bikes but has anyone have any knowledge of the Giant one?

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awilkinson
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby awilkinson » Sat Nov 21, 2015 4:53 pm

Yes, the Giant was designed by the same guys who designed the Lotus - Mike Burrows. After he designed the Lotus, he went on to design bikes for Giant including the TCR which is probably what your LBS has. I would be interested in the Lotus - how much does your LBS want for it if it's for sale? If you can direct me to their store I would be grateful. Even just to see it.

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QuangVuong
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RMIT Superbike frames

Postby QuangVuong » Sat Nov 21, 2015 5:20 pm

I'm thinking it's at The Bike Shed in Canberra. Both the Lotus Sport and a Giant MCR are on display on the wall.

I've enquired a while ago, and it was for sale. But the person seemed a bit dodgy, trying to get the max money for the frame.

I believe it has a set of Giant forks(the one found on the newer Cadexs and TCRs).
Last edited by QuangVuong on Sun Nov 22, 2015 9:13 am, edited 2 times in total.
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awilkinson
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby awilkinson » Sat Nov 21, 2015 5:26 pm

Correction, its probably a Giant MCR if its an aero frame. The TCR was a more traditional double triangle Giant design.

On the designer Nike Burrows:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Burrows" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/mik ... ator-27010" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://inrng.com/2012/05/the-ancestor-of-your-bike/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.bikefix.co.uk/mike-burrows" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

On the bike:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13973" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/Bike ... odel=MCR+1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/Bike ... &Type=bike" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/Slowtwitch_ ... fo_P14808/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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awilkinson
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby awilkinson » Sat Nov 21, 2015 5:29 pm

Thanks QV. I might check it out when Im in Canberra next (not sure when that will be).

DarrylH
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Re: RMIT Superbike frames

Postby DarrylH » Sat Nov 21, 2015 9:52 pm

It is at the Bike Shed in Phillip - apparently were there when they bought the shop. We now have 4 bike shops within 200m so they will need to make some money to survive.

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