Not too long ago, we talked about the folks over at Grind Hard Plumbing Co and their crazy Honda Ruckus project. Indeed, slapping on the engine from a Honda CBR1000RR onto a bike as tiny as the Ruckus is by no means a logical move, but it sure is a lot of fun. Last time, we saw all the work that went into making sure the engine actually fit into the Ruckus, and it goes without saying that some hefty modifications to the frame had to be made.
As it would turn out, chopping up the frame and extending it to accommodate such a big and powerful engine took quite a lot of work. From the mid-section to the rear, hardly anything from the stock Ruckus remains, as the folks at Grind Hard really had to grind hard to fabricate all sorts of stuff just to make the engine fit. With all the challenging fabrication work out of the way, the next step was getting it to start. Last time, we discovered that there was a big problem with the engine, but the folks at Grind Hard managed to find a way to fix it temporarily. This time around, they were hellbent on finishing the project.
The video starts out with Will working on the wiring of the engine, and making sure every single component does what it’s supposed to do. Take note, they’re using a CBR1000RR engine, a rather sophisticated powerplant that’s loaded with technology, so everything really needs to be checked out before it can run properly.
Up next, they focused on making sure that the bike could actually stop. Truly, 180 horsepower in a homemade machine that has no business having an engine that powerful needs to be able to stop on a dime. As such, Grind Hard made use of the rear braking system of a Kawasaki ZX-6R. After Will managed to mount the master cylinder to the front section of the frame, the brake hose was connected and the system was bled.
With the brakes out of the way, next came the start of the finishing process. This meant that the Ruckus had to be stripped back to its frame, and so the team quickly dismantled the bike, starting off by separating the front section of the Ruckus, then pulling the engine out of the rear assembly. Once that was done, Will spent the day tig welding the rear section of the frame where the engine was housed, ensuring no spot was left unwelded. He did this to make sure that the frame was rigid enough to carry not only the weight of the engine and the rider, but also manage the insane amounts of power delivered to the back wheel.
With the bike now structurally sound, it was time to paint it. We get a montage of the bike coming to life, being spray painted inside the garage while the team roasts marshmallows. With temps dropping this time of year, they needed to turn up the heat in the garage in order for the paint to cure properly. With the frame primed, Will went straight into painting it a vibrant red, matching the original color of the Ruckus, now packing more than 40 times as much power as it had when it rolled off the showroom floor.
With everything cleaned and painted, we get a satisfying timelapse of the Ruckus being put back together, and in a new location, too. As you can see, Grind Hard Plumbing Co has a new workshop, and one that’s much bigger and more spacious than the old one. Now that the bike has been put together, it was time for the moment of truth: was she going to start? Indeed she was, and the engine fired up after just a few cranks. After a few adjustments, the bike was all set, and Will quickly took it for a test ride. Ethan took over shortly there after and pretty much sent it, getting sideways and doing donuts.
