Three steps forward, one step back.

It's been a while since I posted an update. You think you're going to get loads done in the summer and you forget about holidays and other activities that block out your calender.

I continue to be undecided about the seat. Having bought three different shades of brown leatherette and some retro brown gum grips I still haven't got the tone or effect I want. I am starting to get seduced by the idea of giving up on the tan seat idea and going for black, perhaps with the hump built up to be a bit more "cafe", and maybe some red beading marking out the line of the back stop. However not ready to push the button on that yet....

Most significant progress has been in the wiring area. The speedo and supplemental idiot lights sub-loom is now wrapped up and tidy in self-amalgamating tape, going from this:

 To this:

 Having received LEDs soldered and heat-shrinked so that the plastic holders to secure them in their bezels were impossible to fit without de-soldering, I decided to just hot-glue them into the bezels.

We'll see how well this manner of mounting survives....

Getting the rat's nest tidied was a great morale booster. I'm not too good at the kind of stuff, and it was complicated by some very big transitions between thickness of wire and so on. However it came together and I got a massive buzz from getting it done. I fitted an inline fuse for the constant 12v supply and supported this by cable tying to the thinner wire in parallel and looping back the connection. This whole area is not finished and I haven't ruled out having to re-do it. For instance I've mounted the microswitch for the speedo LED display on the ignition key cover,

(

(sorry for the blurry shot..). The wires that run to this switch are very fine and protrude from the top of the taped sub-loom. The loom will have to be mounted and supported in such a way as to minimise strain on these. The same will apply for the wires to the back of the speedo and the wires running to the speed sensor (yet to be mounted - a bracket will need to be fabricated).


All warning lights in the speedo and externally are no working. That's high-beam, indicators, neutral, oil-pressure on the clock, and side-stand, charging system and fuel warning on the bracket. Actually I  haven't tested fuel warning light yet, so that's a lie, but we are almost there on idiot lights! Anyway it was nice to see the whole area cleaned up:

However this only high-lighted how 'orrible the brake and clutch fluid pots looked. I had previously written off alloy pots as a bit poncey, but changed my mind. Like the 'zorts, for the weight extremists it's a backward step but in this case we're talking grams and it's going to look so much better:

I purchased a large brake pot and a medium clutch pot from Motopike, in what I think is their own brand named "Factory Racing". Now there were some very highly respected Japanese parts under the Factory name a few years ago, but  I don't think this is the same, they say the parts are designed by UK engineers, and I suspect they are then made up in the far east, probably China. Nothing wrong with that as long as quality assurance is kept up.  Even if they are knowingly benefitting from the kudos of the now defunct Japanese Factory name, it's fine as long as quality is high. Unfortunately the clutch pot had a leaking sight window due to it's clips being sheared. Motopike have been very responsive, and sent a new window out in 24 hours. They say they are looking into the design, so for now the jury is out on build quality, but there is no question about their excellent customer service so I think things will come good. Also their prices are very competitive, and so you have to live with a little bit of "beta testing" for the user. I am sure that all alloy items like clip ons, which have been getting good reviews in the mags, will be fine.

Which reminds me. Having replaced the brake and clutch master cylinders with 916 or other superbike items, I found the Oberon brake lever now had the wrong fittings to suit. I got in contact with them and they gave me loads of advice. Then, rather than trying to sell me another whole lever, they supplied with me the necessary mechanism to convert ( and fitted it) at a very reasonable price. Can't rate them too highly. I had thought some of their stuff was a little pricey, but the quality is top notch and their customer service is brilliant so it's fair do's all the way.

Other progress  - I've started fabricating a prototype exhaust support bracket:

Because I don't have a band saw or a milling machine I need to make this stuff out of aluminium of a thickness I can handle. The prototype is made out of two strips of 2mm sandwiched together and is obviously a bit bendy, but I've ordered some 5mm for the final piece. We'll see how easy it is to bend as two curves are required on this side. Then the alloy spacer for the rear-set mounting bolt will need to be ground down proportionately, so that it's alignment for gear change is preserved.

The other side will be more tricky as the mounting is shared by rear brake master cylinder and reservoir components. Visually I am hoping 5mm flat bar ally will have enough strength to allow for some drilling, or even slotting, to make the brackets look more graceful and manufactured. You can do loads with a pillar drill, mini rotary-tool and the wonderful B&D powerfile.

Unfortunately the push fit of link-pipes into down-pipes is too loose. At the moment I am botching this with sleeving made from drink can alloy, and the use of jubilee clips. Not sure where to go with this short of having link-pipes adjusted or re-made by engineering firm. However, if I can "get away" with something that's reliable I will.

My other worry is there is some play in the manifold/downpipe so need to check whether gaskests are mounted correctly etc. The good bit is that all of this will need to be leak-tested. This means I am going to be forced to fuel-up, oil-up, and man-up and see if the thing runs soon! Very scary as this will involve discovering if ignition coils etc are wired up right, and electronic pick-up sensors are in exactly the right position. Only thing stopping me at present are some bits of hose I am waiting for for the tank and knocking up brake-side bracket prototype.

I'd bought an anodized front sprocket cover that didn't fit once the Oberon clutch slave cylinder was in position. A quick go with the powerfile sorted it and the de-anodised face is not visible when it's place:

So that's about it apart from one large downer. I started to mount front brake calipers so I could test Factory Racing brake reservoir for leaks in situ. While trying to do this I discovered that the front wheel is off centre. It's probably, no make that "definitely", something stupid, as there should be no change there other than discarding speedo drive and using it's insides as a spacer. Ahh you cry but that may make it thinner with casing missing etc. Yeah, but that's the side where I've got the bigger gap not the smaller, so what's going on?
Still I'm not dperessed. The best thing about this project is it keeps drumming into my head that nothing is insoluble. And I did get a massive buzz out of tidying up the wiring...weird......

Project Status

Things are gathering pace at the 'shack. I've procured and fitted an Oberon clutch slave cylinder. Also got Venhill braided clutch hose which will go on when I'm ready to put hydraulic fluid in (you fill the slave first):

 

 

I've cleaned up the rear brake caliper as best I can using brake cleaner, Gunk and various other toxic gear. I now learn that getting rebuild seal kits is not easy. Trying to decide whether to just wack it back on for now, but have ordered some red rubber grease, so I think I will take the pistons out and see what's what. I have bought Venhill braided hose for this too. Depending on how looking at the seals goes (I hope to re-use them) I will then tackle the front calipers. They already have Goodridge hoses in good nick so no need to replace those.

 I love being able to clean up little parts like the pin and retaining spring with a scotchbrite pad on a drill. They looked like they had spent 50 years under the sea before I did that.

Note the horrible original old rubber hose in the foreground. Venhill braided steel hose, covered in clear PVC and on hard chromed fittings that rotate into position on their banjo bolts - even sounds sexier eh? Not that I'm writing-off rubber missus - just not for hydraulic lines (phnaar phnaar chortle chortle.....)

I finally got the paint to stick and harden on the valve covers. When the motor finally runs the Smoothrite will get baked on and get even harder:

Then with baited breath I turned my attention to the Keihin FCRs. This is getting pretty real now. As mentioned in earlier posts I have forgone the pleasure of pod filters and stuck with ugly plastic airbox. This may change in the future, but I wanted to stick with the advice from Chris of California Cycleworks who recommends stock airbox with the lid cut away exposing a K&N stock pattern filter. Here's a before and after on the filter lid. It's a bit Barney Rubble where I've cut it, will try and straighten the edges up a bit:

Chris's instructions suggest taking the rubber inlets out of the bottom of the airbox and fitting them onto the Keihens' adaptors first before re-positioning in airbox. They make the carbs look even more evil!

I've transferred my tear-down photos on to my laptop so I can take it down to the 'shack to check what goes where underneath the carbs, as they will obscure an area that holds various bits of wiring, connectors and mounting plates. The carbs go onto the inlets shown below, and then are covered by the airbox which includes the coils mounting plate and the battery box.

In other news a good bloke on the fabulous UK Monster Owners Club forum is providing me with a nicer oil cooler and associated pipery from a newer model of Monster. Not so good is that my second "special screw" (this post is turning into Carry On Ducati) has failed while being torqued up to the figure given in the Haynes manual. This is a little bolt with a hex flat cap on one end and a thread on the other. It is secured with a self-locking nut and goes through the bracket on top of the swingarm to hold the rod-end bearing on the suspension arch in place. They cost almost a fiver each and have to be ordered from Ducati so take weeks to get here. Bit of a pain - still no biggie.

I also killed a scotchbrite disc trying to clean up the exhaust manifolds. I followed that up with some mega scary stainless exhaust restoring fluid, but there is plenty of rust left on them even so. I am trying to prep them for painting with PJ1 High Temperature Flat Black paint. Trouble with painting at the moment is most of these paints want room temperature application. While the weather is milder at the moment it still isn't warm so either heat or ventilation, not both, is possible. We'll see...

Compared to my geologically slow progress rate this is approaching the speed of light! I have even contacted the paint shop, and booked off the first week in March both to take the tank there, and spend a few days of concerted 'shack time working on the bike. I want this ride ready for the summer - too long have I slumbered!
Don at  Boyz Toys Paint is a Ducati builder himself and has quoted me a good price for re-braze of tank hinge plate, general restoration and paint job.

So what's to do?

 Getting loom back in while incorporating the new speedo with it's super small wiring. Fabricating brackets for rear no. plate and indicators, exhaust cans, speed sensor, and speedo itself. Designing re-cover pattern/materials etc. for seat, drawing up definitive tank paint design for the painter. Re-fit coils, rectifier, fuse box etc. Get seat to work with or without conventional seat catch mechanism. Caliper re-builds, master cylinder tart-up and fit Oberon levers. Mounting headlamp where top fixings melted while being powder coated. Deal with taking left side of engine apart again if sprag clutch is wrong way round. Source and fit carbon mudguards. And probably loads more I've forgotten about.

Bizarrely enough, one of the things taxing my brain is how to dispose of old fuel which I have in my Monster and my son's scooter project. The local recycling centre takes oil but not petrol as far as I know. I will have to phone the council. Anyway, it's all happening at the Chickenshack... stay tuned!