• HOME
• SHOP
• HISTORY

  • Foundations Of Rapid Art History Of Rapid Art Competing at the TT2000 My Experience At The TT (2000)

• SERVICES

  • Our Services Brake Rotor Straightening And Reconditioning Chassis Straightening Fork Straightening TIG Welding Custom Parts Rearsets Skid Knobs Tourin Bars Custom Work Bobbers Café Racers Street Fighters Post Classic Racers

• GALLERY
• CONTACT

History

Hi, my name is Steve Bridge.

I was born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1968, and began competing on motorcycles in 1977 on a Honda SL70.

I founded F1 Engineering in 1998, pursuing my own career after working in engineering workshops for 10 years.
I have been hooked on road-racing since my first road-race back in 1990 on a Ducati SS900 bevel drive After retiring the old girl to the road in 1992, and buying an F1 750 to race. Since then I have been consistently modifying this machine for better track performance. This obsession developed into my occupation and hence the name F1 Engineering.

At the time the business was set up there was no-one in New Zealand offering these products to local racers. However, I could not build the reputation I have on this alone!

I have always been on the track to carry out research and development, to offer parts back-up and listen to clients' feedback, many of them top local and international riders.

Most of the product development I personally undertake and have raced 883 twinsport, CBR 600, R6, R1, ZX9, my own Ducatis, a Norton 748 Special and Manx Nortons.

I have also taken my research to Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man to check out the opposition, both to compete and to test my products in the world's toughest road-race.

With my long term ambition of competing at the T2000 finally fulfilled, I returned from the UK in September 2000 totally focused on my next goals.

My first goal was to complete my race bike, the VeeArma in time for the New Zealand race season. After many late nights, the new machine rolled up to scrutineering at the Wanganui railway yards, Christmas Day 2000. Though teething problems with the unique fuel system caused reliability problems, the chassis proved to be an outstanding success. Very nimble, rigid, and stable. Ongoing development since then has taken it to consistent podium finishes.

My second goal was to release RapidArt on to the global market. The F1 workshop was relocated to larger premises and machinery, tooling and computer systems upgraded. I knew, to compete head on with the big guns, RapidArt Racebitz' main product Adjustable Rearsets needed to be unique. Adopting an eccentric type of footpeg adjustment, combined with two tone colouring enabled me to come up with a striking appearance. These state of the art rearsets are moving motorcycle foot control design well into the new millennium.

---

The previous history was written in 2001 and this was the foundry of F1E, focused mainly on race and sports bike parts however during the following decade we had to diversify. The rearset market became very tough to compete in once bulk manufactured CNC machined items flooded the market and the NZD rose .

However RapidArt rearsets are still popular with many racers due to their strength and the great parts back up and reconditioning options. Also one off custom builds and post classic race bikes which the bulk manufacturers cannot cover continue to keep the brand out there.

Our road riding customers began to ask for comfort, actually now making rearsets to be lower for some models rather than the previous higher ones for racing and custom designing and manufacturing high rise clip ons, later branded Tourin Bars . These have proved very popular and now 14 years on we have covered over 80 different models , all designed in house specifically for each model so all the pitfalls with clearance common with other bulky universal versions are not an issue.

In 2003 we built our first chassis straightening machine, the Lazer Eye and expanded into frame straightening along with the custom frame and TT2 race replica frame builds.

Three years later we invested in the Italian Touch Bike electronic chassis measuring machine. To complement this high tech gadget we purchased a 2nd hand Car Bench chassis straightening machine and modified it especially for motorcycle frames.

Thus becoming the most up to date chassis repair company in the country. With the extra rigidity , pulling power and accuracy the Touch Bike Bench gave us the old Lazer eye machine was redundant and has since been modified to cater for fork and wheel straightening.

I am happy to say we have now achieved our goal of owning our own workshop and the work load being 100% motorcycle related.

I love my work and hope to always be available in NZ for after sales service and back up .