MY NEW POCKETBIKE:
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After much consideration, and thought, I have chosen to go with the DM Brutale. I was looking at 3 models: DM Brutale, 911GP, and the ZPF. It was a tough choice, but ultimately, price, and several unique features made me choose this bike. Sometime soon, I will make some unique custom parts for the bike, and everyone will see exactly why I chose the DM! :)
2002 DM 'Brutale' midi
watercooled 40cc malossi engine, 18mm carb
Custom steering damper
This is my FIRST brand new bike! EVER!
DM official pipe- check out those welds!
Billet aluminum water pump
Malossi tuned airbox
Malossi 40cc head
Rear swingarm- made of chromoly steel! Does this look thick enough or what?
Rear vented disc brake w/ large caliper
Front 5-spoke 1-pc wheel
Front 148mm vented free-floating disc brake.
Machined triple clamp and my own 'custom' bumper pads I made for the frame. I like the twin clamps per handlebar, though I may still opt for the Polini clamp-type design later on.
Race-type throttle. I have never seen this type before, but I like it! It's a little easier to work with than the Polini-type.
Amy and Eddie said the race throttle feels much better, but does strike the fairing. I took this as a personal challenge and now..... it fits perfect- no hitting! (see above photo!) The catch? You have to lower the bar a little. I like my bars low and straight, so this worked out perfectly for me.
The one thing I'll have to get used to is the shorter turning radius of the DM forks compared to my 911- not that it matters above 5mph, but for my neighborhood 'cruises' I'll have to keep that in mind.
Left-side clearance
Specifications:
Engine: 40cc malossi top end, 13 HP, 15,000+ max RPMs
Liquid cooled, belt-driven BILLET rear water pump
Stuffed racing crankshaft
Carburetor: 18mm Del'Orto
Manifold: Rubber race type
Filter: Malossi Tuned airbox
Reeds: Carbon Fiber type
Exhaust: DM OFFICIAL pipe, Stainless steel muffler
Throttle: Race throttle unit (shorter rotation for less wrist strain)
Clutch: 2-shoe Bi-Zeta race adjustable with Bi-Zeta vented housing
Steering: custom Polini 911GP steering stabilizer (damper)
Brakes: Front: single 148mm vented Disc (free-floating!!)
Rear: Single 122mm vented Disc
Gearing: 6T pinion 70T sprocket, Regina chain
Tires: T41 front slick, T41 rear slick
The Verdict (for now)
Pluses:
motor feels like a jet engine (as Vince put it). It takes off pretty smooth, then just spools up like a turbine! Time will tell if I can hack it without the torque of a 50cc top end, though I still have a set of Mossbarger reed spacers to try, and a 50cc top end patiently waiting on the shelf for me ;)
This is THE best handling bike I've ever ridden. Okay, okay, it's one of only four bikes I've ever ridden, but still, it is the best one :) Surprisingly, I find this bike the most comfortable- the footpeg position is a little tighter on the vertical axis than my 911, but the tradeoff is I won't destroy my shoe pucks every 10 minutes of riding. This frame soaks bumps, and is very stable. The 911 was more stable but didn't want to turn- you really had to fight the bike.. again, tradeoff here, but you gain more than you give up.
Brakes.. brakes so good I want to cry.. not that 911 brakes are bad.. when they're tuned right. They're just finicky the other 97% of the time. THESE BRAKES ARE GREAT!! The feel reminds me of my Shimano XTR V-brakes on my Kestrel mountain bike- a soft lever feel, and very easy to modulate, with a HUGE amount of force applied if you want it.
I was originally turned off of top-exhaust bikes. I wanted the easy carb access that bottom-piped models gives, i.e. 911GP, ZPF. However, the carb is in a very accessible place on this bike, and the tube frame gives easy access to all sides. I'm quite happy, though it's still not *quite* as easy access as I had hoped for.
Billet aluminum. A critical component of mountain biker "Techno-porn". And this bike has it. A lot of it. 2 Words: Bi Zeta. And that Billet pump.. too bad it's not more visible!
Minuses:
The paint. Why oh why are all the mechanicals so perfect, and the fiberglass so nicely shaped, and they finished up with a 2 hour paint job? I think I'll race this fairing set and buy a bare set and give it the paint job it deserves! The paint looks okay from a distance, but up close you can see it could use an extra 20 minutes of prep before they sprayed it. But what the heck, it's a race bike, and the paint on the riding set won't look so clean after a few hours of riding anyhow. The billet parts make up for this by giving me something else to look at :)
I think a blind man drilled the windshield holes on my front fairing as well. No biggie- I think I'll ask for an undrilled fairing when I buy a bare one. Even my Polini set I hand drilled was a heck of a lot better than their factory job- I'm just picky, I guess.
All in all, I'm very happy with my
purchase. I got a great deal from the folks at 
.
For those who worry about DM parts availability, worry not- I saw at least 2 or 3 DOZEN fairing sets, plus more hardware than I've ever seen in one place- you'll be well covered parts-wise. This is quickly becoming THE California bike. Probably half of all the racers at the last race had DM's- try one and you'll see why.
Future mods:
I am honestly unsure what to do with the motor. I like the smoothness of the Malossi head so much, yet I miss the low-end grunt of the 50cc head. The ZPF 50cc head may be worth a shot later, but it's pricey.. We'll see what happens later.
Custom footpeg brackets- as soon as I get my mill, I'll turn out a set!
Mossbarger reed spacer- It's sitting on my workbench- this will go on after I get a better feel for the bike and get some kind of basis for comparison.
An offer to the blood-gods:
While drilling out my front fairing mount for the Polini damper, my bit grabbed, flew right through the mount, and ate 1/4" into my hand. At least the wound sealed when I pushed the 'meat' back into place. Notice the neat little compartmentalized wound it made- one for each 'blade' of the bit. On the bright side, the hole I drilled came out perfect!