primary.“This was a bit of a brain teaser, but, I had the help of my good friend, and National Superbike Champ, Jamie James. He came up with welding a machined tube to the lightened flywheel, opening the primary sprocket, measuring all distances and welding in place. It worked beautifully.”The frame is hand-built by Gundlach – his first – and it is surrounded by parts from another unexpected source.“The wheels, brakes, front end, and swingarm are from a Honda CB350,” Gundlach says. “They’re light and available, and the chain is on the correct side. It simplified that part of the process. Building a swingarm is a big deal. If you have one that works, use it.”Gundlach has a straightforward reason for the selection of bottom end: “Norton was the most obvious choice, because it has a pretty case. One important part of the design was to not do any cutting of parts. I want the parts to come off the shelf and bolt on.“I took it to the track at an AHRMA event to test it, and I’m very pleased with the machine. It’s fast, handles great, and stops well. The bike revs quickly, as the 20-pound flywheel and clutch assembly is down to around three pounds now. I always wondered what a Guzzi engine would do without all the heavy stuff it takes to get to the wheel. The first lap was frightening-the third lap was a spiritual experience.”Raven MotoCycles intends to make the Raven, Corvus Lanora 750 a “production” bike available to the public as a street-legal reconstructed bike.“You have to know how to kick start a big motor,” Gundlach reminds us, “plus it’s a four-speed with a right side shift.”Ah, simplicity.Photos by Frank J. Bott
Precious Metals: Raven MotoCycles 750
primary.“This was a bit of a brain teaser, but, I had the help of my good friend, and National Superbike Champ, Jamie James. He came up with welding a machined tube to the lightened flywheel, opening the primary sprocket, measuring all distances and welding in place. It worked beautifully.”The frame is hand-built by Gundlach – his first – and it is surrounded by parts from another unexpected source.“The wheels, brakes, front end, and swingarm are from a Honda CB350,” Gundlach says. “They’re light and available, and the chain is on the correct side. It simplified that part of the process. Building a swingarm is a big deal. If you have one that works, use it.”Gundlach has a straightforward reason for the selection of bottom end: “Norton was the most obvious choice, because it has a pretty case. One important part of the design was to not do any cutting of parts. I want the parts to come off the shelf and bolt on.“I took it to the track at an AHRMA event to test it, and I’m very pleased with the machine. It’s fast, handles great, and stops well. The bike revs quickly, as the 20-pound flywheel and clutch assembly is down to around three pounds now. I always wondered what a Guzzi engine would do without all the heavy stuff it takes to get to the wheel. The first lap was frightening-the third lap was a spiritual experience.”Raven MotoCycles intends to make the Raven, Corvus Lanora 750 a “production” bike available to the public as a street-legal reconstructed bike.“You have to know how to kick start a big motor,” Gundlach reminds us, “plus it’s a four-speed with a right side shift.”Ah, simplicity.Photos by Frank J. Bott