PROJECT R7 ROAD TO THE TT

Before Chris ‘Spanner’ Anderson at MSS Performance could get his mits on the R7 and get rid of all the ‘road poo’, as he refers to it, the Bathams R7 had to spend an afternoon at K-Tech for some quality time with James Harpen.

- BIG MAC

James runs the R&D department and BSB race service. He’s been at K-Tech since he left school and has probably forgotten more about suspension than most people will ever know. As well as that, he’s been building Rutter’s suspension for longer than either care to remember. K-Tech is also technical partner of Bathams Racing, so along the way, it’s looked after Taylor Mackenzie, Richard Cooper and Dan Linfoot when they all rode for the team in Superstock 1000.

As with any new bike, K-Tech has a process it goes through, measuring the bike’s standard springs and bushes, and if the shock can be serviced, it’ll measure all the seals too. Then it’ll dyno the shock and forks and work out which spare parts it already has that can be fitted to that bike, including harder or softer springs. Then it’ll decide what level of upgrade is appropriate for that bike, and since the R7 is potentially going to being used as a track day and race bike, it was able to build an entry-level upgrade known as the ‘Razor’ rear shock, and also its twin tube ‘DDS’ shock for people who are going to club race it or race it at a decent level.