The BioSphere Nev A few years ago I bought a Triumph Bonneville from my father and it dredged up all those feelings I had many years ago about riding those bikes back in the sixties. We’ll reality does not always co-operate and this old 71 Triumph Bonneville was in need of some serious work. If felt I needed the right person to work on this thing though because I wanted to take it to another level and make it a classis café racer. I finally was given the email address a guy in the Republic of South Africa…completely on the other side of the planet from here. As I got to know Nev I realized that he was the one I wanted to take on the job. Nev has had a great carreer racing and building great bikes but I’ll let him tell the story. What’s more important is what I learned about his work taking the word to people in South Africa. You MUST read his story. I was amazed. I’ll also add to this that Nev is a great and gifted teacher and I’m hoping to publish some of his articles if I can coax him. But for now let me introduce someone I’m proud to call my friend and brother… Nev. Neville (Nev) Anthony Fisher Click below to view Nev's Bonny in action at the East London Circuit. Intro: Born in Durban 1954 and living in Gonubie, East London, South Africa. Married to Claire with four grown up children. Eldest son Steve is regarded the top all round Kayaker in the world based in Montreal and his own private island on the Nile River in Uganda. Younger son Dave is a qualified outdoor adventure videographer, filmed Steve with Matchstick Productions in Norway, and Quebec last year, owns “Fish Munga Productions” and is a talented song writer and musician. Younger daughter Kim is HOD history teacher at a private school in England and Nicky Kroon is married and is a qualified nursing sister recently moved from England to Sydney, Australia. Motorcycle Racing Career: Started racing a classic Triumph Bonneville in 1981 against current machines, won an inter-regional classic championship series in 1997. Rode Ducati TT2 600 and TT1 750 machines and won two inter-regional championships in 2000 / 2001. Raced a modified 853cc Ducati 748 in regional superbike and Battle Of The Twins Series events in 2005/2006 and has plans to continue racing self built and prepared machines well into the future. Member of the East London Grand Prix Circuit Foundation Steering Committee, Border Motor Sport Club Executive Committee and BMSC Motorcycle Riders Forum founding member and race organiser. Bike Builder: As well as owning and managing a factory manufacturing woven strapping systems for timber, industrial products and lashing, owns FRP Motorcycles / Fisher Racing Products building “One-Off Specials” and importing and supplying Triumph and Ducati Spares and racing components. Qualified and experienced as an A-grade car, truck, tractor mechanic, machinery technician fabricating machine parts, worked as a factory fitter and turner, welder and rigger for a total of 15 years before going into production management, sales management and then company management and ownership 15 years ago. His primary interest and hobby since a young age was always motorcycles. His wealth of technical and racing knowledge and experience is being brought to bear today in the limited production of modified and remanufactured motorcycles in a well equipped workshop and machine shop at home. He specialises in classis Triumph Café Racers and 2-valve and 4-valve Ducati racing machines prepared for race or road use (with a difference). Christian walk: Turned to Jesus when 19 and not ashamed of the Gospel. God got my attention while riding motorcycles and living it up in my late teens 35 years ago. One night I was lifting a friend on my T120 Bonneville on the way to score a few joints for the boys. We were exceeding 160 kph (in a 60 kph zone) down a slope towards a left hand kink in the road overtaking slower traffic when suddenly a Bible Deliverance Services van turned right so that it could turn into the driveway next to a church at the bottom of the dip on the right hand side of the road. The driver obviously never saw me coming, at such high speed, at night. The guy on the back of my bike was taller and heavier than me but I instinctively revved and dropped down a gear from top and lay the bike down on it’s right hand side as low as I could to avoid “T-boning” the van. My wheels momentarily went under the side of the van as I avoided a collision by millimetres and we shot across the wrong side of the road at high speed straight towards the church front door. Before I hit the grass verge I braked as hard as I could, let go the brakes before crossing the grass in a flash and lay the bike down to the right again to avoid hitting the church and selected 2nd gear as we got onto the concrete slab down the side of the church. The bike was in a full opposite lock speedway style slide at this stage and I quickly realised at this rate we were going to go splat on the watcrete wall at the back of the yard. At the last moment I somehow muscled the bike up with my legs and threw the bike and my weight over and got into a full opposite lock slide the other way and miraculously turned left down the driveway around the back of the church, all this with the guy clinging for dear life on the back and without so much as scratch. I finally managed to (only just) slow down enough to turn around in the car park and ride back out the driveway into the face of the incoming bible deliverance service driver. I sped past and back out onto the road. As I did I turned to look at the guy on the back. He was in a state of shock and as white as a sheet. I smiled wryly at him and lied (I thought), saying, “On Sunday I’m coming to church here” (Actually I never said which Sunday and God held me to my word). Little did I know that God had my number and a year later I did exactly that in that exact church. Amazing! Some time later, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the time many years ago as a young boy when Jesus spoke to my heart saying, “Behold I stand at the door and knock, whoever hears my voice, open up the door and I will come in and sup with him and he with me.” When I eventually went to that church (a long story) I thought I heard the Lord say to me, “I could have made you crash through the front door and land at the altar in front of everyone on Sunday morning” (I know God has a sense of humour but this is ridiculous). One thing I know, I saw a vision of Jesus on the cross and He said I must “lose my life” and give it to Him to find life. I could relate many similar life threatening adventures too numerous to mention. As a believer I spent many years singing along with Claire in church praise and worship groups. I was also blessed enough to be involved in a revival in the Natal Midlands in South Africa for some time. God called me to preach the Good News to the poor and many souls came to know Him through the power of the gospel preached with signs following in the Holy Ghost according to the Word of God. Some on a “one to one” basis and others at outreach meeting held in “the highways and byways”, at community halls and at schools out in the rural areas. At one such meeting at a school interestingly called “Zamanthlela” in Zulu (Try The Way), I preached Christ (The Way - crucified and raised from the dead) and laid hands on a Zulu woman who said she was ill with a terminal illness, only had a short time left to live and she complained that every night she would be woken and troubled by an evil spirit. I prayed rebuking the sickness and the evil spirit and asked God to fill her with His Holy Spirit and the healing power of God in the Name of Jesus Christ and said Amen. That was the last I thought of it. About a year later while singing in church one Sunday I heard the Lord tell me to borrow an enduro bike to take a ride into the country side to preach the gospel. It was a very clear instruction in my spirit and my mind was made up. I mentioned it to Claire, borrowed the bike, took a small bag on my back with my bible in it and off I went at full speed on some awesome country dirt roads into the foothills of the majestic Drakensburg Mountains. After riding for some time I sensed I should turn off and eventually ended up going down a very remote and eroded track down into the Bushman’s River Valley. On the way down I noticed a large gathering of what looked to me like 200 Zulu men sitting in a large circle around a fire drinking home made beer. When I tried to go past one called out to me and asked me where I was going. I proclaimed boldly that, “God has sent me to preach the Gospel in the Name of Jesus” (in Zulu). He called me in and after I had parked the bike he took me to the main kraal to meet the Induna / head of the kraal and host of what turned out to be a wedding. As I entered the big hut the man’s wife cried out and put her hands over her face. Then she told her husband that I was the man of God who had prayed for her at the school when Jesus healed her of her terminal illness and delivered her from evil spirits. There was great rejoicing and they invited me to be a guest of honour at the bridal table for their daughter’s wedding which was just about to begin. A Zulu Christian minister was present to marry the couple but before long I was invited to speak. I preached a simple to the point Gospel message and challenged the men present to be man enough to repent of sin, renounce Satan, witchcraft and fear of the ancestors, turn from darkness unto light and allow God to cleanse them through the Blood of Jesus. After proceedings I was escorted into a hut with an ox carcase hanging in it. A bag sized block of prime rump steak of roughly 8 x 8 x 4 inches was sliced off, wrapped and jostled into my bag with only just enough space left to fit my bible into. When I later related my afternoon’s adventure to Claire I was pleased to have the meat as proof otherwise I’m not too sure she would have believed a word of it. I can share many such wonderful experiences and I apply this faith in my daily walk and my business today. My friends and I believe in doing exploits in the name of Jesus, some of which included flying aerial banners. I’ve made good use of large banners at times. Jesus lives in my heart by faith and God reveals His secrets and shows me His Covenant. Other interests: Include spending quality time with my wife, fishing, outdoor adventure, nature, photography, reading, “writing”, music, watching videos and simply pottering around at home. SPEC SHEET: 1971 FRP OIF TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE 650cc T120R View a printable version of this spec sheet in PDF format. FRP Motorcycles FISHER RACING PRODUCTS PO Box 855, Gonubie, 5256, East London, South Africa E-mail: nevfisher@imaginet.co.za SPEC SHEET: 1971 FRP OIF TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE 650cc T120R YEAR OF COMPLETION: 2009 CLIENT / OWNER: DAVID MICHAEL CARPENTER - VANCOUVER, BC CHASSIS SET UP FRAME: 1971 OIF MODIFIED. REMOVED MAIN STAND MOUNTINGS AND BRACES. REMOVED PILLION FOOT REST BRACKETS. FITTED FRP REARSET, SIDE COVER, STEERING DAMPER AND REAR TAIL CLUSTER MOUNTS. MODIFIED REAR SHOCK MOUNTS TO RAISE REAR RIDE HEIGHT-1". CROSS BRACED REAR SUB FRAME. FRONT FORKS: 1969 T120 FRP ADJUSTABLE BILLET ALLOY TOP TRIPLE SET UP 2" LOWER CUSTOM FORK SPRINGS LESS TWO COILS. FRP ALLOY FORK BRACE. STANTIONS STRAIGHTENED, HARD CHROMED AND GROUND BIKINI ALLOY CAFÉ RACER FRONT FENDER ADJUSTABLE UNIVERSAL STEERING DAMPER ALLOY ADJUSTABLE CLIP-ONS WITH BAR ENDS REAR SUSPENSION: HAGON GAS SHOCKS ADJUSTABLE PRE-LOAD WHEELS: 18" X WM4 AKRONT ALLOY FLANGED RIMS FRONT AND REAR 8 GUAGE STAINLESS STEEL POLISHED SPOKES REAR HUB ALLOY MACHINED MANX STYLE AND POLISHED TIRES: FRONT 110/18 METZELER Z6 RADIAL REAR 130/18 METZELER PERFECT BRAKES: FRONT 1969 T120 TWIN LEADING SHOE DRUM MODIFIED AND DRILLED SHOES BONDED, RIVETED AND WIRED NEW SPRINGS REAR 1971 T120 BONDED, RIVETED, WIRED, VENTED, LIGHTENED CHAIN AND SPROCKETS: EK 520 X-RING GOLD CHAIN FRONT FINAL DRIVE SPROCKET 20T REAR SPROCKET MACHINED RENTHAL BLANK ALLOY 47T REAR SETS: FRP 6082-T6 ALLOY BILLET MACHINED FRONT AND REAR BODYWORK: HAND MADE ALLOY SEAT AND BASE FOR TWO UP RIDE SIDE COVERS HAND MADE MAGNESIUM ALLOY SHEET REAR TAIL CLUSTER HAND MADE TO MATCH DUCATI 999S CLUSTER FAIRING FRAME MOUNTED MODIFIED DUCATI TT2 ALLOY DASH RUBBER MOUNTED TO FRAME BRACKET MAGNESIUM ALLOY UNDERSEAT TRAY AND REAR SPLASH GUARD PAINTWORK / GRAPHICS: FRP IN HOUSE 2K FINISHING BLACK AND SILVER WITH CLEAR COAT ENGINE BOTTOM END: STD T120 WITH CONRODS WEIGHED, POLISHED AND BEAD BLASTED FULLY RECONDITIONED. 5/8" TIMING COVER CRANKCASE BREATHER. CRANKCASES BEAD BLASTED AND SEALED FOR DRY CLUTCH STD T120 CAMS, TIMING GEARS LIGHTENED AND DEGREED PISTONS: TRIUMPH 11:1 HIGH COMPRESSION RACING TOP END: CYLINDER HEAD PORTED. ROCKERS / TAPPETS LIGHTENED ROCKER END FLOATS SET WITH SPACERS AND SPRINGS DISCARDED EXHAUST MANIFOLDS HEAT SET AND PINNED PM RACING VALVE SPRINGS, ALLOY COLLETS / RETAINERS / PUSHRODS BLACK DIAMOND RACING VALVES. ALLOY BRONZE VALVE GUIDES CARBURETTORS: 33MM MIKUNI WITH K&N FILTERS, MACHINE TAPERED ALLOY INTAKES TOMASELLI QUICK ACTION THROTTLE TWIST GRIP SPLITTER CABLE EXHAUSTS: FRP CUSTOM MADE SWEPTBACKS 41MM. FULL SYSTEM LENGTH 52" FRP CUSTOM STRAIGHT THROUGH MEGAPHONE MUFFLERS 22" HAND MADE POLISHED ALLOY REVERSE CONES 48MM MACHINED ALLOY HEADER CLAMPS LUBRICATION: MORGO ROTARY PUMP, NORTON CARTRIDGE OIL FILTER, OIL COOLER OIL PRESSURE GUAGE, HIGH VOLUME PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE SRM ALLOY ROCKER FEED MANIFOLD TRANSMISSION: 4 SPEED T120 PRIMARY DRIVE - QPD ALLOY BELT DRIVE WITH DIAPHRAM CLUTCH PRIMARY DRIVE RATIO STD. FINAL DRIVE RATIO 2.35:1 (STD 2.526:1) ELECTRICAL IGNITION: 12V BOYER ELECTRONIC BATTERY TYPE CHARGING SYSTEM: 12V SOLID STATE ELECTRONIC RECTIFIER / REGULATOR WIRING: FRP HARNESS 12V, DUCATI SWITCH CLUSTERS AND FUSEBOX HEADLIGHT 1971 T120 8" LUCAS QUARTZ HALOGEN AND RELAYS FITTED 12N7 BATTERY MOUNTED UNDER SEAT PADDOCK STAND: FRP ALLOY WITH SWING-ARM MOUNTS AND ALLOY BOBBINS MASS/PERFORMANCE: TO FOLLOW. EXPECTED TRUE TOP SPEED 130 MPH / 210 KPH. SPECIALIST BUILDER: NEV FISHER Man & Machine Next BioSphere Main