BIKES: Fast Frank's NCR Replica

Motorcycling Lifestyles

BIKES: Fast Frank’s NCR Replica

Frank’s concept for his NCR replica was to make the lightest Ducati air-cooled twin possible for road work and occasional track days.

Neale Bayly | Posted December 12, 2011 Charlotte, NC

Fast Frank's NCR Replica. (Photo: Neale Bayly)

As I approach turn 11 at Carolina Motorsports Park at high speed, my initial thought is there’s been a problem and everyone has slowed, or stopped to avoid it. Not seeing any flags, and realizing the large group of riders are actually still moving, I carve passed a couple on the way in, a couple more on the exit, and finish the rest of them off before turn 14. Diving through the turn on the gas, it’s then throttle to the stop as I begin my run down the front straight.

Riding at a recent US Desmo event with the intermediate group, it’s not my skill or prowess on a motorcycle that is making me look like a red-hot knife going through butter, but the demon Ducati I’m riding. Tucked in tight I finally make sense of the footpeg position, and I’ve figured out where to shift the air-cooled engine to make maximum progress. Entering turn one, I’ve also worked out how many downshifts the bike needs, and flicking through the turn and up into turn two, I’m totally in the groove and on the gas and passing a couple more riders in the process.

It didn’t start out like this. Arriving at CMP after five days in the saddle of a 900-pound Harley Davidson cruiser, I knew when Fast Frank Shockley asked if I would like to take a few laps on one of his personal bikes, there was going to be an adjustment process. Built to mimic the fast, exotic NCR Ducatis produced in Italy, albeit on a slightly different budget, Frank’s concept for his NCR replica was to make the lightest Ducati air-cooled twin possible for road work and occasional track days. With the bike tipping the scales somewhere around 340 pounds and pumping out a genuine 100 Italian horsepower at the rear wheel, I didn’t realize quite how difficult this adjustment was going to be.

With little power below 4,000 rpm, the tachometer needs to be closer to 6,000 rpm to make serious progress, and if I really want to make time it needed to be a couple of grand higher than that. Starting life as a stock 2004 SuperSport 1000cc dual-spark power plant, the original motor put out 83 horsepower. Intended for street use, it was plenty powerful enough for most folks, but Frank Shockley had other plans. The motor came out for a full build, as he wanted to race in the Moto-ST series. For those familiar with their Ducati racing history here in the States, you will know that Frank teamed up with two-time World Superbike champion Doug Polen, and his good friend Pete Friedland, and not only won the Daytona 8-Hour race, but also the 2007 championship on this bike.

With the engine out, Frank installed a pair of large, Italian-made Pistal pistons for a displacement of 1080cc. Compression was kept fairly mild at 11.2:1 for longevity, and titanium rods from Pankl were installed. The cylinder heads took a trip to Mark Sutton at the Ducshop, and came back fully ported and polished and ready to accept a set of DP Performance camshafts. According to Frank, they are not too radical, as he wanted to keep the engine reliable at all cost. The crankshaft was lightened and balanced, and the motor bolted back together.

To allow more fuel and air into the enlarged cylinders, a Ducshop Hyperstack was installed. This allowed the stock air box to be removed and a set of velocity stacks with K@N air filters installed. To get the burned mixture into the atmosphere, Frank added a pair of Termignoni slips-ons to the stock header pipes. He also sourced some magnesium engine cases from Ducati and put a slipper clutch in before buttoning everything up and putting the engine back in the frame.

Since the racing success of 2007, the bike has been retired to fast street duties and the occasional track day. As someone who loves the whole NCR product line and philosophy, but by his own admission can’t afford the price of entry, Frank decided to essentially make his own. The frame remains stock, but up front a set of multi-adjustable Ohlins forks live in a Speedy Moto triple clamp and hold a light-weight, carbon-fiber BST wheel. A matching BST wheel lives out back, and an Ohlins race shock with titanium spring handles suspension duties in the rear, the spring saving 1.5 pounds. Frank then lightened the rear rotor to lose a little more weight, and he swapped out the stock fuel tank for an ETI carbon/Kevlar item. He saved a couple more pounds by replacing 85% of the Ducati’s nuts and bolts with titanium, and one day when he is not too busy he is going to build his own frame and take off another 10-15 pounds. With his own machine shop, stuffed full of lathes and milling machines, there are few things for a motorcycle that Frank can’t make, a new frame not being one of them.

Out on the racetrack for the first time, I struggled terribly. The tiny footpegs were set so high I had trouble even handling basic shifting duties. My foot hit the exhaust, I continually under revved, or over revved the engine, and the brakes were so strong I kept stopping too early for the corners. To compound the problem, the bike was so light I kept turning in too early, and I either dropped too many gears, or not enough, whichever seemed to be the most inappropriate, during this approach. As I came in from the session, I could only hope Frank hadn’t been watching his pride and joy, wobbling and scratching around the track in the slowest manner possible. Not to mention watching how many people had been passing me.

Session two brought some improvement as I followed my good friend Jim Calandro on his air-cooled Ducati. While his bike is not quite as light, or as powerful, as Frank’s, it was an excellent opportunity to start figuring out the NCR replica. After the Harley floorboards, the pegs were still feeling unnatural, but at least I was keeping my feet off the exhaust. I was finally using the correct gear most of the time and by releasing my death grip on the bars, I gave the suspension a chance to settle and do its thing as my speed picked up. It was still somewhat reactionary over the bigger bumps, but by starting to connect with what the bike needed I was able to challenge the brakes a little and realize how much faster I could be going.

Back in the pits, Frank brought me up to speed on just how many parts and pieces of the bike have been upgraded: Swat rearsets, Speed Cell battery, 520 chain kit, NCR oil cooler. I was getting writer’s cramp just listing all the changes. The Ducati 999 fairing has a small headlight in place and it wasn’t long ‘til Jim Calandro came by the pits to find out who was running around the track with lights and mirrors untaped. Oops. Once he realized we were on “official” testing business he was most gracious as Frank pointed out the custom seat, Ducati accessory tailpiece and full Brembo braking system.

So with notebook packed, and ballpoint stowed, I slipped out onto the track for one last session, and a lap into it everything finally clicked. Able to come up on slower bikes and choose my passing line at will, I dropped my lap times dropped dramatically. The balance and poise of the chassis, the brick-wall-effect brakes, and the muscular, gutsy engine all working together in harmony, making Fast Frank Shockely’s NCR replica one of the best motorcycles I have ever ridden on a racetrack. Sure I’ve ridden faster, more expensive, and more exotic, but the component Frank has built into his bike is the rideability. Ex-AMA Superbike champion Jamie James always springs to mind when I think about this as he builds bikes the same way. Easy-to-ride and mad fast. Maybe when really fast guys build motorcycles, they just know how to build them better? Either way, even if my new logic is flawed, Frank’s NCR is without a doubt the complete package, and for this slow, old scribbler, possibly the fastest way for me to get around a racetrack. And if you don’t want to take my word for it ask Doug Polen, who was heard to say, “it’s the best handling motorcycle I’ve ever ridden.”

View Photos HERE!