The 250cc Honda RS250 that Bruce Anstey will race in the new Lightweight Classic TT on Saturday was built in just four days last week by Clive Padgett’s team at their headquarters in Batley, Yorkshire.

“We built it from the ground up from stock,” Padgett said. “We started on Monday with a bare frame that had no headstock bearings or swinging arm. We fitted a swinging arm, rear hub, crankcases, water pump, rings, exhaust, everything, and put on modern fork and Brembo discs, and Dymag supplied the wheels. The bodywork went for painting on the Wednesday night and was back on Thursday, and we started the bike for the first time that night.”

Anstey won the last Lightweight TT in 2002, and lapped at 118.03mph, just outside John McGuinness’ 1999 lap record of 118.29mph. But Padgett declines to make predictions about lap speeds on Saturday. “This is basically an old bike,” he said. “The first priority is to keep it going. We would like to go well at the slowest possible speed.”

The 75-degree V-twin is a model that Honda made from 1993-2000, and features a single-sided swinging arm. The Lightweight race has attracted a grid of 55 bikes, mainly Hondas and Yamaha TZs, from bike builders and team owners who cherish the era of the 250cc Grand Prix two-strokes.