Starting a 700cc 2 Stroke Dirt Bike for the FIRST Time! | Project 700 EP6

Come on, I need you to just follow through. Come on, give it the beans. Long kick. Come on! Long kicks. You just warmed it up for me, ain't you? Yeah, that's what I did last time. What's up guys, my name's Max, this is 999 Laser, and this is our 700cc 2-stroke Megalodon. In this video, we're finally going to get the beast started. But first, let me roll back time. It's been a long, winding road to get to this point, so let's turn back time and see what Chris has been up to in the workshop. We bought a Monster 700cc motor and an old Husserberg frame and began on our mission to build the world's fastest 2-stroke dirt bike. But projects like this are always more complex than they first seem. So we left our mad bike builder to work his magic in the workshop, whilst I travelled the country picking up essential parts and key pieces of the puzzle from our friends in the industry. As you can see guys, the Megalodon is very nearly finished. And in this episode, you will see her come to life. But before we go any further, we have to say a massive thank you to our sponsors, Muc-Off. Muc-Off have come on board to sponsor this entire series, and I just wouldn't have had the confidence to pull the trigger on this project without their help. So a big thank you goes to Muc-Off. If you're enjoying the videos and you love the look of the Megalodon and you want to say thanks to Muc-Off, be sure to check them out next time you need to stock up on your essentials to clean, lube and protect your bike. So thanks once again to the awesome guys at Muc-Off. Now on with the story. In the last video, you saw us get the swing arm vapor blasted, the suspension sorted and our graphics designed. And at the end of that episode, we unveiled the Megalodon in all its glory for the very first time. But she wasn't quite finished. And I didn't show you some of the headaches that we had to overcome to get to that point. So in this episode, we're picking things up on the morning of the unveiling day as we began to piece the puzzle together. Right, so we're back at the madman's house. And every time we come here, he's got something new. There's actually a boat over there. I've only just seen that. We talked a little bit about this last time. Come and have a look at this. Chris, he's a wheelie monster, aren't you, mate? We have a go. And this is your Hayabusa Turbo... Yeah, wheelie bike. Wheelie bike. Tell us a little bit about this, Chris. I saw on Facebook that you took it to your dyno, man. Yeah. And you've got some stupid numbers out of it. I've got a good guy called Dave Tuner Performance in Narragansett. He's a good guy. The idea was trying to get as much power out of it as we could on pump fuel. Yeah. You know, as opposed to air pressure. Yeah, so we thought... Because I use my bikes on the road. Let's see if we can do it. So we managed to do it, and we got 420 horsepower out of it, which is a bit more than stock. That's just ridiculous, isn't it? When we're thinking that we're trying to get 90 out of our dirt bike, I think, that's mental. Times out by four and then some. Stock air boost is about 175 with a power commander on it and a set of exhaust and a filter. That's just bonkers, isn't it? So it's a good power upgrade, isn't it? That just feels dangerous, doesn't it? I had to take the motocross bars off because, you know, when you're sat up here, you're getting too much wind. So I had to put the clip-ons on it, which I didn't really want to have to do because I don't run into clip-ons, but... Mate, I'd hate to try and wheelie there. It's just brutal. Like, on a dirt bike, you wheelie, like, kind of sat back a bit. You have to be, yeah, but I'm the same. But by the time you go past 150, 160, this thing's trying to get you off the back. So you need to hug on to it. It'd feel like you're just looking at the sky. Yeah. It certainly takes some getting used to. **** it out. That is... Yeah. Entertaining. After the initial fabrications and modifications, our frame has now been tidied up and powder coated. So we're back in the workshop, and we're about to build the beast up. But before we do, Chris, just tell us what we've been up to. Obviously, she's a different colour than last time. Yeah, a little bit different colour. That's nice, isn't it? Looks better. I tended on the frames in this. Gives it a sort of military finish. Yeah, it's like a map kind of finish, isn't it? Yeah. So, yeah, we had it sandblasted, powder coated. Got Adrian at Gibson's Car Trimmers to do the seat. We had a nice job doing it in Alicantara. Alicantara. Yeah. That's what it's called. Looks nice. I don't know how practical that's going to be on a dirt bike track. It looks good. It does look good, yeah. So we need to get the engine rolling out and start assembling it, don't we? Yeah. You can see down here, look how nice this all looks here. Where you've been doing your mods. It's all ready to go. So we're going to start building it up. Let's do it. I'm trying to remember which way it came out, but I think it was... I think it was that way, wasn't it? Well, let's have a go. Go on. Don't throw it on. Wallop. Let's just take a bit of time, so I'm not going to rack this frame up. Oh, it's getting heavier. All right, so we're going to push a new bushing of this swing arm. Super clean. And he's got the gym tonight, hasn't he? Don't he? It's all done. It's amazing what you can do with a vice. Let's not put vices on me, mate. All right, back it up. It wasn't long after we started the build-up that I realised it wouldn't necessarily be a straightforward process. Some parts just did not want to fit. It's not really an issue, but just explain what we've got going on at the moment. So at the moment, we have to machine this swing arm down to fit into this monster engine. That's the swing arm. You see that little tube just sticks out a bit too much? About 4mm, looking at that. So we need to just machine that off, each side. So we'll take these back out. It's like revenge. It was Enduro before. Okay, so we've got the back end in. Now it's time to put the front end in. We're starting with the factory triple clamps that Gauss from WP has hooked us up with. Look how nice they are. I think we need to machine a smaller... I think we still need to be machining that, then we can put that dirt seal on the top. Because at the moment, it was still a little bit too high. Yours has just come with an outer seal, which does work on some KTMs, but it doesn't on this application. Finally. Try, try and try again, eh? Eh? All that f***ing about. Excuse my friend. Again, nobody sees any of this today. Finally got those factory triple clamps to fit. Now it's time to offer up the forks and get those on. So that's the plan now. Look at these. Boy. Brake pedal time, eh? Chuck us a handle, will you chief? Let's have a go then. I've lost the subject of the washer there. It goes on like that. In there. You don't know. People always fit it wrong. That's what I'm telling you. Everyone I've come to, they've fitted it wrong. Have you got a spacer? Yeah, I've got a spacer, but I need another spacer in there. He did that a bit quick, didn't he? Watch it again. You can't f***ing see, can you? Zoom it in, right? A little bit. You should be a magician. How f***ing hell does that go there then? As the build progressed, we encountered more and more hurdles. And I really began to marvel at what Chris does. Right, so we're getting there with building the bike back up. It's starting to look like a real live dirt bike now, isn't it, Chris? Yeah, slowly getting there. Wheels in, obviously, are nice. SM Pro wheels, Raptor pegs. Sharp, isn't they, mate? You've figured that already. We're scratching our heads trying to put the rear brake pedal on. These Huskbergs have some weird way to put it on. We were told, but we still can't decipher exactly how to fit that rear brake pedal. We'll put a pin in that for now. What's next, then? We're going to get the tank on? Tank on, chief. Tank on, so I'll show you this. We haven't discussed this yet, but Ali Tank. We didn't want to grab the old plastic ones that we've got yellow. So we've gone special. Ali Tank, all the way from Italy. Let's see if it fits. There you go, sir. Screwdriver, flat bladed, biggie. Bigger. So, it's starting to look pretty nice. I was just sitting over there looking at the camera and thinking, this is looking trick. Just look with the tank frame, the wheels now, clean swing arm. It's starting to look good, isn't it, mate? It's starting to look naughty. I'm actually starting to think that it looks like the nicest bike we've got yet. So we're just taking the fuel taps off. There's two fuel taps on this. Chris is going to give it a good clean up before we put it on the new tank. I don't think that's going to fit much fuel in it, to be fair, is it? It'll just be enough to get you around the block. Knees knocking, job done. I don't think we're going to be doing any 35 minute motos on this, are we? I'm certainly not, anyway. So now we're putting the plastics on. Obviously, we've already got our graphics, courtesy of ESP Extreme Sports people. First time Chris has seen the graphics. What are you thinking, mate? Yeah, looking alright. Yeah, so front muddy's going on now. Then we'll work our way back. What's the other one, Mike, you've got? Exactly the same, just no colour on. What have you got? Night and day, isn't it? Pass that along, then. We'll have to go there because I don't believe. I'm just looking at the red. I think it's right there. Oh, ****. Yeah. Maybe sweep it in there. So we need our rear exhaust back, don't we? Then this can be sort of tallied up as well. What do you say, Chief? This is kind of the biggest hurdle so far, isn't it? Yeah. I'm hoping that this is the kind of stuff you enjoy, Chris. Your engineering brain can... I think we need... Does it fit on the front? Is that lined up? No, but I'll make that fit. I think we can do it. I think we're alright. I think you need to learn to live with your exhaust with your kickstart. Maybe a longer kickstart, so the bend tucks up under it. You can do that. You're going to have to learn to live with that. That doesn't look bad at all from the side, does it? That's what you've got to say about your ride, because obviously your ride would be... It's alright, is it? Your foot's here, don't forget. The pipe became a real stumbling block for us that day. With time marching on, we made the decision to pause things there and do the unveiling without a finished pipe. This allowed Chris to go back to the drawing board and figure out the exhaust pipe conundrum. Another day in the workshop, done. And she looks sexy. But we have come across some big problems, some big headaches that we need to really think about trying to overcome before we can get this thing singing, before we can bring the beast to life. So we've got some work to do yet before the Megalodon lives and breathes. But we've got the right man on the job. Chris is going to get his engineering mind in action and he's going to try and think up some solutions to our problems here. But yeah, she's looking sweet so far. OK, so it's been a minute since we last headed to the workshop for the Megalodon build series. But as you can see, we're just leaving the studio now and we're heading back up to Chris' workshop for what hopefully should be the final time. One last road trip to see Chris. Megalodon is back. Right then, so two and a bit hours later, finally here at Chris' workshop for what may be the final time in this build. So let's go and see Chris, let's go and find him. See what he's been up to. How's it going mate? How's it going? Look at that. The beast. Behold. Do you believe that job you've done on that pipe? Well, we're trying. We're trying. We'll have to just see what shakes off and rattles off first, won't we? With me, first of all. Yeah, yeah. It's just a bit of flesh a bit in the middle. Woah. Mate, I can't believe what a job you've done on that pipe, Chris. Look at that, doesn't it? I mean, I was expecting it to be... Butchered like a fowl shell. Yeah. Right, in the workshop again. Just a couple of tiny little things left to do on the bike that we're about to do but before that, Chris, a couple of presents for you. Yeah, finally, a t-shirt. Megalodon t-shirt for Chris. But not only have we just got this one, we've done you your very own special. I think it was from episode three or episode four. You inspired me with your eccentric nature, Chris, who turned up and you had a bulldozer. You said the classic line, everyone needs a bulldozer, don't they? Yeah. And I said, we need to put that on a t-shirt. There you go, everyone needs a bulldozer. The Chris Thorpe special, everyone needs a bulldozer. Oh, wow. So I think you can actually buy that if you want it. You can buy it. Yeah. Our last session in the workshop was spent fitting a few last minute parts and getting the Megalodon ready for action. So the moment is almost here, the moment we've all been waiting for. We're going to start in just a moment's time. She's fuelled up, she's got oil in, but before we get there, Chris, let me just catch up with you. Last time we was here in the workshop, the bike was on the stand and you had a concerned look on your face, I would say. I could see you trying to work things out in your head as we were looking at that exhaust pipe and thinking, how the hell are we going to get this on? So just talk us through what you've been doing these past few weeks. Obviously, we've not been here for a while. What have you been up to? So this exhaust is a HGS exhaust. I've chopped it, shut it, spun it around, put a bit of a link pipe in, connected it back up to this pipe. Is it off a CR500, this one, or is it a 700? No. It's special for this. Is it special? So yeah, just making everything fit, really. A bit of chopping and shutting. We still need a brake line doing on this, don't we? You put this bracket in here as well, don't you? Bracket, link pipe. Instead of running this pipe up the side and having a trouser burner, we've tucked it round there, out the way, pulled it back up to the exhaust. So it's really just a question of, let's see if it'll start now. The moment of truth is coming. It's time. What do you reckon, Chris, best way to do it? I'm thinking you kicking with your left leg, paddock stand on the right, the balance, all right? Me hold the front. How do I go from there? Do you want to wager? 50 quid to the first man that can get it started. I think it's just going to start really easy. Otherwise, we're going to be there for three hours, throwing up behind a bush, checking it in. When we dump it off the stand now, we'll turn the fuel on, right? We'll leave it a second and then lay on its side to flood it. Then we know the cab's full, we're ready to rumble. And we need to really give it probably three priming kicks. Slowly kick until it goes round foot and then it'll feel it hard. Get to the highest point where it's hard. I feel like this is going to be a bit like a sword in the stone. Like, if you can pull the sword out, you're the king. If you can start it, it's yours. So if you see the little pipes underneath, is it pissing out? Right, we've got fuel on. Give me that back here. We've got choke on. Copper board. Get it top dead centre. So what I always say, one good kick's better than 20 crap ones. Give it one long stroke to the floor now. Get your top dead centre again. It's not like 250, you can't just keep jabbing it. Oh, you're getting nearer now. Hang on a minute, I'm tempted to turn the choke off. So now, get your top dead centre again. Yes! Just keep decomping. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Give it a couple of clicks on the throttle. Yeah, now, again. It's better when the whole pub's watching you when you're doing this. Do you need an audience? No, I think I'm watching. You could bring the stand around this side and you could get me right. Tell you what, give me it round here, that box. See what I mean? It's all about that top dead centre. It's all about your top dead centre. It's all about your top dead centre, you'll see. Come and get that! Right, so Chris, Dr Frankenstein, has got the monster alive. It's alive! She lives and breathes, so I'm going to give her a little tickle. I think it's down the lane, just to shake her down and make sure she runs in a straight line and all things like that. So, first ride of the Megalodon coming up. Just remember, you've got no back brake. It all happens too quick for me, Chris. Back brake! Oh, man, I didn't even change gear once! I didn't touch it! Oh, man, that's scary. And no back brake, it's like, I forgot. Straight away, I was like, oh... Front brake's stopped, didn't I? Jesus Christ, on a bike, that is mental. That is absolutely f***ing mental. I don't want to ride that round a track. Jesus Christ. So, the monster lives and breathes. We're finally here. It's been a long road, a long few months, getting this build done. A big thank you goes to Chris. He's in the workshop now, actually tidying up his workshop after a few months of hard graft, putting the beast, putting the Megalodon together, so a massive thanks goes to Chris, and as well to all the people that have helped us make this dream, make this pipe dream, a reality. She is living, she is breathing, and I can start her. I wasn't expecting to say that today. What's next for the project, then? Well, we're going to take her to the dyno, we're going to take her to our friend Roland Shaw, who you've already seen in this project. We're going to get her on the dyno, get her dialed in, set up, get her fuelled correctly, and then we'll take her to the track for a rip. That's all to come in the Megalodon series, so make sure you subscribe to the channel, make sure you stay tuned, because we've got more with this beast coming very, very soon. And if you want to support the project as well, remember you can pick up some Megalodon merch from our merch store. There's a link in the description down below. All sales from the merch store get ploughed back into the project to help us raise the level of this machine and just send it with this bike. So make sure you check that out, link in the description down below. And as always, guys, my name's Max, this is 999 Laser, this is the Megalodon. Until next time, I'll see you at the track. Once again, a massive thanks goes to everyone that has supported this project and, of course, to our awesome sponsors, Muc-Off. Remember, guys, if you're enjoying this series, be sure to say thank you to Muc-Off by checking them out next time you need to stock up on essentials to clean, lube, or protect your bike. We are only just getting started with Project 700. The time to hit the track is fast approaching, so be sure to stay tuned and subscribe to 999 Laser. Cheers, guys.