6 replies to this topic

[zxrman]

Hi all,

Apologies for the intrusion with this request, but I am hoping someone may be able to help me.

I am trying to trace a P&M Kawasaki motorcycle that was owned/raced by Keith Ferrell and would have been purchased from P&M Motorcycles in the early 80’s. It may have been just a frame or a complete rolling chassis – I do not know. It believe it would have originally run in F2 with a 550 or 600 engine, I think.

I am an ex-racer who is trying to find a F2 Kawasaki as I raced them in the mid to late 80’s, although mine used a modified TZ500 rolling chassis ! Having stopped racing, I am now searching for a motorcycle to use for classic parades and events. I have an ex-Jim Wells GPZ550 F2 engine in my garage , that I used back in the late 80's and it is just waiting to be rebuilt and put back into use

I have been searching for a while now and I recently contacted Richard Peckett at P&M in Brentford, to see if he knew of any of his old F2 bikes were still in existence. When he checked his records he found 2 machines he did not know the whereabouts of, one of which he sold to “Keith Ferrell”. I searched on the internet and found Keith’s name in a thread on this forum, dating back in 2007.

If anyone remembers the bike or even knows Keith Ferrell and would be willing to put me in touch with him, I would be very grateful. I know he probably won't have the P&M now, but I'm ever the optimist I'll find it !

This is a genuine request, so apologies if this is not really what the forum should be used for, but I have no other starting point for my search.

Thanks.

Mark Wateridge

[khsuzukitr500]

Hi all,

Apologies for the intrusion with this request, but I am hoping someone may be able to help me.

I am trying to trace a P&M Kawasaki motorcycle that was owned/raced by Keith Ferrell and would have been purchased from P&M Motorcycles in the early 80’s. It may have been just a frame or a complete rolling chassis – I do not know. It believe it would have originally run in F2 with a 550 or 600 engine, I think.

I am an ex-racer who is trying to find a F2 Kawasaki as I raced them in the mid to late 80’s, although mine used a modified TZ500 rolling chassis ! Having stopped racing, I am now searching for a motorcycle to use for classic parades and events. I have an ex-Jim Wells GPZ550 F2 engine in my garage , that I used back in the late 80's and it is just waiting to be rebuilt and put back into use

I have been searching for a while now and I recently contacted Richard Peckett at P&M in Brentford, to see if he knew of any of his old F2 bikes were still in existence. When he checked his records he found 2 machines he did not know the whereabouts of, one of which he sold to “Keith Ferrell”. I searched on the internet and found Keith’s name in a thread on this forum, dating back in 2007.

If anyone remembers the bike or even knows Keith Ferrell and would be willing to put me in touch with him, I would be very grateful. I know he probably won't have the P&M now, but I'm ever the optimist I'll find it !

This is a genuine request, so apologies if this is not really what the forum should be used for, but I have no other starting point for my search.

Thanks.

Mark Wateridge

hi mark,

i may be able to help you contact keith ferrell who used to race the pecket and mcnab kawasaki which was in fact a 1000c.c.
we raced at many circuits and usually travelled together. in my collection of photos i have a shot of both of us at llandow where
you can see his rear wheel about to break away, but he skillfully retrieved it to finish the race .
if you can provide me with an e-mail, i will forward his details .
regards.
keith hanford

[zxrman]

hi mark,

i may be able to help you contact keith ferrell who used to race the pecket and mcnab kawasaki which was in fact a 1000c.c.
we raced at many circuits and usually travelled together. in my collection of photos i have a shot of both of us at llandow where
you can see his rear wheel about to break away, but he skillfully retrieved it to finish the race .
if you can provide me with an e-mail, i will forward his details .
regards.
keith hanford

Hi Keith,

Thanks for your message and information on Keith's P&M. I'll drop you my email in a PM if that's OK. It's interesting you say it was a 1000cc, as another member on this forum also PM'd me to say he thought it was larger than a 600. Maybe Richard at P&M gave me the wrong information or possibly the bike was modified later ?

However, the good news is that a couple of weeks ago after much searching, I sucessfuly purchased the "other" F2 P&M that Richard did not know the whereabouts of. This one is definately a F2 550. It's only a frame & swingarm, but it's now sitting in my garage awaiting restoration It will take a bit of time as although I have the basis of an engine already, it's getting the correct forks/wheels/brakes, etc that will take time (and money !)

I'd still like to get in contact with Keith Ferrell, though as all information will be of use.

Thanks.

Mark.

[rotrax]

Hi Keith,

Thanks for your message and information on Keith's P&M. I'll drop you my email in a PM if that's OK. It's interesting you say it was a 1000cc, as another member on this forum also PM'd me to say he thought it was larger than a 600. Maybe Richard at P&M gave me the wrong information or possibly the bike was modified later ?

However, the good news is that a couple of weeks ago after much searching, I sucessfuly purchased the "other" F2 P&M that Richard did not know the whereabouts of. This one is definately a F2 550. It's only a frame & swingarm, but it's now sitting in my garage awaiting restoration It will take a bit of time as although I have the basis of an engine already, it's getting the correct forks/wheels/brakes, etc that will take time (and money !)

I'd still like to get in contact with Keith Ferrell, though as all information will be of use.

Thanks.

Mark.

Hi Mark, Richard and Peter at P&M built me a special chassis to take a Z650 donk tuned by Leon Moss of LEDAR. It was a little shorter-1.5 inches-but was just like a normal twin shock P&M 1000 chassis. It was No.23 and was supplied just-only just-in time for the 1978 MGP. I got it together and ran it up at midnight the night before we left for the Island.I used Kawasaki forks with the same internal mods as Grant's KR750, a Z1R 18 inch front wheel and the P&M Cambray rear wheel.It was the best road race bike I ever owned and was a real blast to ride. It would pull 11,400 RPM down to Brandish-about 150MPH. The engine had 96 BHP on the Ledar dyno and was strong all the way. I never knew where I was going on the Mountain Circuit and I did'nt get round very fast despite having a good bike for the job. I had many good rides on it and I eventually sold it to a Scots guy who told me he beat Haslam's lap record at Knockhill on it. LEDAR fixed it for me to be the Pirahana ignition sponsored rider.It was so crap I bought a Boyer system, flogged the Pirahana's and got a reliable bike.I kept the stickers on though! Dave Rawlings of Dunlop gave me some of the special tyres used in the Kork Ballington KR 500 GP project when it came to the end. He said they would last Kork a practice session at a GP. They lasted me a couple of meetings and my results got better. When I went back to normal tyres from Ken Inwood I was back where I started. Good luck with your project.

[zxrman]

Hi Mark, Richard and Peter at P&M built me a special chassis to take a Z650 donk tuned by Leon Moss of LEDAR. It was a little shorter-1.5 inches-but was just like a normal twin shock P&M 1000 chassis. It was No.23 and was supplied just-only just-in time for the 1978 MGP. I got it together and ran it up at midnight the night before we left for the Island.I used Kawasaki forks with the same internal mods as Grant's KR750, a Z1R 18 inch front wheel and the P&M Cambray rear wheel.It was the best road race bike I ever owned and was a real blast to ride. It would pull 11,400 RPM down to Brandish-about 150MPH. The engine had 96 BHP on the Ledar dyno and was strong all the way. I never knew where I was going on the Mountain Circuit and I did'nt get round very fast despite having a good bike for the job. I had many good rides on it and I eventually sold it to a Scots guy who told me he beat Haslam's lap record at Knockhill on it. LEDAR fixed it for me to be the Pirahana ignition sponsored rider.It was so crap I bought a Boyer system, flogged the Pirahana's and got a reliable bike.I kept the stickers on though! Dave Rawlings of Dunlop gave me some of the special tyres used in the Kork Ballington KR 500 GP project when it came to the end. He said they would last Kork a practice session at a GP. They lasted me a couple of meetings and my results got better. When I went back to normal tyres from Ken Inwood I was back where I started. Good luck with your project.

Hi Rotrax, that's a great story . Leon Moss - what a genius the guy was. I remember using one of his LEDAR jet kits on my GPZ600R's CV carbs & RAMAIR filters. It pulled so clean and hard, and cost a fraction of the equivalent Dynojet kit.

Anyway here's a pic of the P&M as it is now. I'm itching to get started but, as always, time & money are in short supply right now



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Mark.

[burton500]

Hi Rotrax, that's a great story . Leon Moss - what a genius the guy was. I remember using one of his LEDAR jet kits on my GPZ600R's CV carbs & RAMAIR filters. It pulled so clean and hard, and cost a fraction of the equivalent Dynojet kit.

Anyway here's a pic of the P&M as it is now. I'm itching to get started but, as always, time & money are in short supply right now

[Mark.

I see the frame has a sidestand fitted - was that usual for the race frames?

[zxrman]

I see the frame has a sidestand fitted - was that usual for the race frames?

Not at all. The previous owner was going to convert it into a road bike, so he had Richard Peckett weld a sidestand lug on.