It's taken just short of a year to convert a repairable write-off into an interesting little brat bike. And what a brat it is. Cheeky, noisy and a little bit uncouth, the VTR project has realised the Sunday afternoon sketch of July last year, and is at last running, roadworthy and reliable — and a fair bit of fun too.

We've put fewer than 100km on the clock since bringing the bike to completion, but the early results prove it rides and handles as anticipated, and barring some fine-tuning of the carbs and clutch, should be right to hit the dyno soon.

The short levers fitted to our near-flat satin black bars are causing a little bit of an issue with the adjustment of the clutch cable. There's not enough travel at the lever end to give the free-play required to release the clutch. Adjust it the other way and there's no release. We may have to swap the lever sets to get it right, but lay off the throttle and there's enough 'grab' to keep things moving.

We've also found the carbs need balancing. Off choke the VTR is reluctant to idle, and gets a little stroppy when it's cold. It's only a matter of finesse, but finding an appropriate time to tune a noisy bike in my quiet cal de sac is something of a challenge.

Overall though, I'm pretty happy with the result. The seat has come up a treat and the Rizoma turn signals and number plate bracket suit the bike's design without standing out like the proverbial. It's about keeping the look lean and tidy, while at the same time making the bike look like it was built a year ago, and not like some polished show piece.

We'll get back to you with the results of our tune in due course, but in the mean time, enjoy a few pics of the 'finished' product and a little bit of video of that rowdy exhaust.

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