Anticipation is the greater part of pleasure......AAAARGH!

Friday I had the day off, the plan being to go and get my newly painted tank and see if the Piaggio white with metallic green and red stripes thing was working. I got a call from the paint shop on Thursday to say it wasn't going to be quite ready for Friday and rather than changing my leave dates again, decided that Mrs Cutter and I would take the Firestorm and her 695 to the coast - the beautiful  Aldeburgh. There are so many lovely winding country lanes between Aldeburgh and London. Friday morning dawned bright and sunny, and as we were about to leave later in the morning, I got a call to say the tank would be ready after all. However, there was no way I was going to mess Mrs Cutter around and waste a bright sunny blue-sky day riding in a car.

Bikes are about riding right? The tank would have to wait......gnnngrhhuuurggh! However getting the tank next day, which would mean not thanking Don in person but picking it up from the polisher, was not possible as I was meeting old Univ. mates, including one I haven't seen for over twenty years (all sometime bikers and/or musicians natch). And so here I sit knowing the tank's ready, but not knowing what it has turned out like. I am guessing from Don's repeated comments about being more than happy for it to be seen around the paintshop for a week or so, that it's looking fantastic. Current plan is to get it next Saturday morning, prior to prepping for a gig that evening...

In the meantime, 916 clutch master cylinder arrived and was fitted with Venhill hose to Oberon slave cylinder, and fitted with Oberon adjustable lever. At some future date Factory Racing anodised reservoirs may tidy the cockpit looks up. I know the original coffin master cylinders are more retro and tidier, but I love the sports look of remote reservoirs, and the stock units were fouling the clip-on brackets so there we go:

I now have a working clutch! I have a failed delivery card from the postie so hopefully the 916 brake master is at the depot, will check today.



Other progress and general good news - high spec Motobatt battery arrived. It's got 20% extra cranking power and a good rep for being long lived and resilient. Makes me feel better about not being able to afford an ultra lightweight Lithium Ion job at the moment.
The best thing about the new battery was that I was able to turn the motor over on the starter. So what you say? Well this demonstrated in one fell swoop that my clutch push rod and new pressure  plate assembly works, the cleaned and re-built starter motor works, and with clutch out the front sprocket rotated anticlockwise which, as it's on the left hand side of the bike is the correct direction to indicate that....THE SPRAG IS IN THE RIGHT WAY 'ROUND!!! Jeeez what a relief.

Other stuff, am waiting on exhaust shims which will allow me to fit exhaust and start fabricating rear support brackets. Have LEDs for two extra warning lights not catered for in speedo - but they sent me a white one instead of a red one... Next biggie is design and sort the seat re-cover and possible re-shape.

 Oh yeah and left side rearset on and working. Things are gathering speed friends...