Iraq Moto: Zagraniski’s 450 Blog

Ted Zagraniski is a bike enthusiast/soldier stationed in Iraq, and when we last heard from him regarding his progress on a Formula 450 build, we included it in Road Racerhead. Since then, our site redesign enables blogging, so we’re including stage 2 here.

By Ted Zagraniski

I believe it has been about three months since I last provided you with an update on the Formula 450 build. From the disassembled components I sent you in my last email, we have since added front and rear Brembo brake assemblies, Marchesini forged aluminum wheels (a steal when you buy them from a racer who’s moving up to carbon fiber rims), and powdercoating. Some pre-assembly (pictured) also gave me a really good idea of what the skelton of the bike will look like when complete.

As you can see from the photos, the bike has come a long way since I last saw it. That’s me in the RRX cap I bought at IMS last September, by the way. Try to imagine being on the other side of the planet watching these updates unfold slowly. But I know where it’s all heading, and the bike is finally starting to look like a bike.

Dustin tells me that just the powdercoating itself took about five weeks of experimenting. Apparently the paint works he has sourced for my project is operated by a true perfectionist. I think the bronzed-gold of the final product really speaks for itself in that regard. The rearsets and wheels came back from powdercoat looking absolutely unique.

Over the coming month our next phases of fabrication will focus mainly on a full exhaust system replacement from FMF, then if our plan from December is still in effect, the next task is engine modification.

Dustin, Killeen PowerSports and I have entered a very exciting phase of the build, if you ask me. Every step now is another part or mod closer to a complete track bike. I’m sure the finished product will turn heads, I just hope I can do it justice.