OK, the time lines are going to seem a little out of sync in this thread. I actually tore the bike down about a month ago
, dropped parts off at the powder coaters, ordered some replacement parts from E-Bay, worked in the USA for a week and squeezed in a Spanish ride out on Violet down through Spain to Murcia, St Javier for golf and a drinkie or two. Some of the photos will be of parts that have already received a little TLC. I sort all into the following heaps (Replace/ Repair/Refurbish/Rejoice).
Top of the replace pile sits this
, along with the sprockets . Refurbishing the link is not going to be cost effective. However a quick browse on good old E-Bay and I have found a replacement swinging arm, dog bones and a link from a 2007 model for £45 delivered and a front sprocket for £12. The bearing in the rear sprocket carrier is a bit graunchy and really needs replacing, along with the sprocket. Fortunately the blokes with the swinging arm have the carrier and sprocket listed as well and, for another £26, the whole lot arrives while I am in the States.
Refurbish heap consists of the rear sub-frame, the centre stand and mounting brackets, which take a trip to the powder coating shop. The primary drive and water pump cover closely followed by the sprocket and generator cover , radiator etc are all work in progress.
The main item in the repair pile is the exhaust system. I want to moan about quality, but then I take a reality check; it is 12 years old! It has been exposed to some atrocious conditions, judging by the state of the rest of the bike. The sockets on the silencers and the front socket of the forward down pipe crumbled to nothing as I stripped of the exhaust; most of it was being held together with exhaust repair Gun Gum and jubilee clips! Time to bring the welder into play. Having recently replaced the cans on my Raptor
I still had the old damaged cans, so out with the angle grinder! I perform a quick circumcision on both of the cans and the 'Italian about town' posing bike donates two sockets before it knows what has hit it! I fabricated the third from a piece of tube, spark all in to place ordered up the seals and clips; £40 later the exhaust is ready for action again. front section repair
.
Regards
Esme