So far behind...

But fear not. New pictures and post are soon to be added.

Wiring has been moved. Powdercoating things will be done. Here's a few pictures to keep you going until I can post up some substance:

Ready for Vegas

The bike is officially ready for Vegas. New Michelin Pilot Road tires are on the bike, and the DDM HID headlight has had to come off. The incredibly long, automobile-derived wiring loom is far too much for underneath my tank and was a short ride from melting into oblivion. The AG Hammer rearsets (AGgressive Hammer is the full name of the manufacturer) work very well, and all necessary adjustments to actuate the brake light and pedal position have been made. 

The Nichols flywheel performs very well, however there was a bit of a challenge in getting the VeeTwo basket/hub and Barnett Clutch to perform. The malfunction, however, was at the slave cylinder side, and was the result of the shorter (225mm) pushrod of my 1999, compared with the longer (235mm) pushrod of the later bikes. Also, the STM pushrod pin (cup that fits into the pressure plate bearing) had the small bearing inside it seize, and had begun to drill into my original pushrod, and similarly the clutch pressure plate bearing had all but given up as well. The combination of tight spot in the bearing, short pushrod, and seized pushrod pin bearing had the bike unable to shift gears very well (The clutch wouldn't disengage without repeated pumping of the lever). Stuart Rust was able to identify the problem, and we replaced all failing components, and bolted up a new Ducati Performance slave cylinder as well. (Turns out the malfunction was from no fault of my own!)

Here's a pic from about a week ago, and but they don't include the new slave cylinder, or new tires yet. New pics tomorrowish with the bike geared up and ready to go. 

After the trip, the bike is due a valve inspection, and there's a set of Sil-Moto Spaghetti pipes waiting at home as well. 

Pics as Promised - Vegas Update

Going to be working with Stuart Rust on some basic modifications for the trip. The headlight is being upgraded to DDM H4 HID kit so I can see when its dark (at long last) and meanwhile the bucket and glass have been upgraded to a clear-glass system from Germany thanks to Desmoworld. This should help out night vision immensely. Here's a pic of the current headlight with the ring powder coated black, and the new unit will look very similar. Powdercoating was done locally by Custom Powder Coating.

The blinker situation has been all sorted out, with the blinkers mounted to the carbon fiber headlamp brackets, and the headlamp mounted with titanium bolts and drilled titanium washers.  Additionally, many of the older corroded bolts have been replaced with stainless steel bolts, bought on the cheap from MonsterParts.

Stuart is going to help by putting on a new set of Michelin Pilot Roads, since the Vegas trip is 2800mi and my rear Pilot Power is looking pretty worn already (not to mention the aged Dunlop out front). He's going to give the bike a once over before the ride after I change my oil, and afterward he'll likely do an oil change, belt change, and valve check. If the valves need any tending to, I will be putting in a MBP collet set, and using the EMS Shims. Other bits include Nichols Flywheel and the Nichols Jambnuts for good insurance, as well as the Sil Moto Spaghetti Headers. Things are looking good, though I dread the upcoming wiring debacle that will be installing an AutoCom system to a switched positive lead. Here's a shot of the whole bike currently before the work begins:

Higher quality pictures will be taken next time, when I'm back to using my Canon SLR, rather than my Blackberry Bold.

Las Vegas

Getting ready for a big trip from Dallas, TX to Las Vegas, NV. I've ordered new clip-ons so the ride will be less taxing on my wrists (total trip distance = 2,800 mi). The CycleCat clipons will be coming off in favor of a set of the New SpeedyMoto Tallboy clip-ons, from Motowheels. This will likely require a new brake line since the bars will be an inch or more higher than before, and some time is involved as well. A big advantage in switching away from CycleCat is SpeedyMoto does not use proprietary parts so replacements will be easy to come by should I break something. This is not the situation with CycleCat, who has run itself out of business and has only select parts pandered through OnCycles.com (no thank you).

This requires removing top triple, existing clip-ons, and everything on the existing clip-on bars, putting them on the new bars, installing the new clip-ons, replacing the top triple, and a lot of adjustments to get things "just right". 

As far as gear goes, I'll be wearing my Dainese lightweight mesh jacket (don't worry - still armored up and complete with backprotector), and to carry changes of clothes I'll be using a new Kriega R25 Rucksack, from Britain and provided by Matrix Motorsports. 

The bike will also get new tires (finally). Replacing the ancient dunlop front and michelin pilot power rear will be a matching set of Michelin Pilot Roads. I had thought heavily about the Road 2's, with the 2CT compound but the price isn't quite where I could do it just yet.  Along with basic maintenance like tires, I'll be changing the oil and replacing the old, O-ring chewing oil drain plug with a newer unit from Nirvana Racing that also includes a magnet to remove debris from the oil. 

Some small electrical changes have been made, including more robust starter wires from DesmoTimes, and I had to replace a Rizoma Signal where the wires had been severed. PJ's Parts delivered the signal, along with a pair of spacers so I could remount the blinkers on the headlight brackets instead of using the GSG Moto fork brackets. This required new headlight brackets with signal holes drilled or the drilling of the existing brackets. As embarassing as this is going to sound, I don't have a drill nor an 8mm drill bit. So carbon fiber brackets with the holes already in them came from MonsterParts.com and several bolts were replaced with titanium from RaceBolts.com

Pictures next time, I promise.

THE MOVE

The Monster has been trailored to Dallas, TX where I now reside. As a welcome-to-your-new-home present, I have finally taken the time to put some parts that have been sitting around on the bike. Here's a current picture:



These include a Rizoma Clutch Cover and Pressure Plate, both provided by PJ's Parts. I can't say enough good things about the service from PJ's Parts - they run a top-notch outfit. Also in the mix are a set of aluminum shoulder bolts for the stock rearsets to fix the worn out looking zinc plated bolts.  I'm awaiting delivery of a set of titanium bolts to replace the clutch cover's bolts and some of the controls bolts as well. Here's the clutch side of the engine up close:

And an up-close detail image:

A short video of the spinning parts (clutch & pulleys)in motion: (DISCLAIMER: it was quite windy and this was recorded on a Blackberry, so the sound cuts in and out oddly)

New Additions

I have just upgraded the suspension with a Ohlins Damper with the billet under triple mount supplied by Motowheels. The installation was smooth, as is its operation. Adjusting the damper is easy, and the bike seems to have much more composure mid-turn.


The bike also sports reverse, or GP shift pattern using a Motowheels reverse shifter in a champagne color. Due to the Monster's rearsets being set quite forward, the elliptical adjustment of the shifter is completely forward, and the unit works well. The shift pattern is much easier to use when riding the bike hard, and it did not take long to have "up is down" ingrained in memory.


Comfort has also been increased with the addition of a Sargent Seat - long rides are not an issue at all anymore, and the bike swallows 100-150 miles with out a batted eye.


Future plans to upgrade the suspension now lean towards Penske and the 8983 (provided by Traxxion), with several bells and whistles. The fork treatment is still up in the air, but the ultimate goal may be the Traxxion AK-20 cartridges.

Tailchop, Taillight, More?

I finally chopped the tail. The back end of the Monster is much cleaner looking. This was prompted by one of turn signals dying, and while the seat was off and I was messing with the wiring, I decided to go nuts with the Dremel. The locking mechanism was removed but the seat latch was modified to use the original wire and a zip tie to function as a pull-string.



While the tail was off and the back end somewhat taken apart, I thought it was a good time to upgrade the taillight. There were a few options available, and the popular option was the Clear Alternatives board. The inconsistency reported on the DML regarding its quality made me wary.

I chose to use the top of the line Moto-LED unit from MonsterParts, and it works incredibly well. It even has illumination for the license plate. The stock lens was replaced with its Buell counterpart to allow for a clear bottom for plate illumination. While this order was out at MonsterParts I also threw in the Moto-Detail temp gauge. This trick piece replaces the stock oil fill plug and gives accurate readings of oil temp and improves the technical look of the clutch side of the bike.

PJ rushed me a replacement Rizoma turn signal and everything bolted right back up together. The back end is visually bright and less cluttered looking now.

Still to do? Suspension Suspension Suspension!

Winter Work - 2007-08

Not too much new for the bike this winter. A set of Ducati Performance Reverse Megaphones has replaced the Ex Box as the classic, or retro look was desired. Gold Anodized Vee-Two cam pulleys have been installed as well as CA-Cycleworks Ignition Coils to liven up the spark. Alain @ Corse Motorsports supplied the work, but obviously the slipons were a breeze to install, and the cam pulleys were relatively painless (said Alain) and just required proper degreeing. The ignition coils installation has been covered ad nauseum so it would be silly to remind you again how painless this install is.



On order from Motowheels is a custom Sargent seat to replace the stiff, improperly angled stock seat. The often colored welt will remain black on my seat, with the Italian Flag on the side and the CarbonFX seat material insert. The seat cowl will still adorn the rear as it fits over the Sargent without too much issue. The underside of the aftermarket seat has increased storage making stowage of a wheel lock or wallet much easier.



Shifting has changed as the bike is now setup with a GP-style shifter from Motowheels. Their new style reverse shifter has an upgraded curved look with your choice of anodized color for the toe piece, but is unfortunately too long for Monsters with the large diameter bolt kickstand and stock rearsets. Their other unit, with replaceable toe piece is shorter, however, and should work fine. Riding with the new shift pattern may be tricky but a post-it on the tach reminding "down for up" will help me. Pictures will be featured below within a few days.

Next up on the list? Tail Chop, Reworked forks, New
rear suspension, clutch plate & cover.

Late Summer

Things are going well with the bike, it has been tuned and ridden hard since the rebuild with all things going well. Almost. A battery issue has left a couple acid spots in the bronze frame on the left side which prompted me to get a sealed Yuasa battery. Its tiny, weighs very little and works incredibly well. It makes me wonder why the bike came stock with such a huge terrible battery.

The VeeTwo pulleys have not yet been installed as it requires using the cam degreeing tool and some time and I was ready to ride. It is on the list for this winter though, and possible powdercoating the frame red, like the newer bikes (which will also get rid of the aforementioned spots!).

The bellypan has been installed and it looks great in person. I need to figure out how to take better pictures because I never think the bike looks as good photographed as it does in person. Here's an example, using a small digital camera:



A big thanks to Brad @ Speedzone Paint & Bodyworks for the great work on the bellypan and routinely good customer service. The bike has gotten lots of miles this summer, and several trips were very long leading me to believe it may be time for a new seat. I have the Sargent seat in mind, as it is one of few that fits my older Monster's frame, but after seeing Patrick's Monster S4Rs with a stock seat recovered in a light tan leather, I'm starting to think a Sargent seat with "modifications" may be in order. The pics are from a brief ride on the Natchez Trace.

Nearing Completion

Things have been going well in the rebuild progress. The Vee-Two pulleys will wait for installation until the riding season has come to an end as it requires pulling the alternator side cover off to properly adjust them (otherwise, why have adjustable pulleys?) This will allow me to have the alternator side shipped off to be coated by Performance Coatings for a nice satin silver to match the heads/swingarm/suspension arc etc. While the motor is slightly opened up, the clutch side cover will likely be sent to DesmoTimes for Corse-style slotting, enabling the spinning basket to be visible as well as extra heat rejection.



The only other remaining piece from this past winter's (2006) planning is the Red Racing Bellypan. It is due back from paint (at Speedzone Paint & Bodyworks) by the end of next week and will be installed shortly after. Things like DynaCoils, FCR's, Ohlins Shock and RaceTech springs have been put on hold while I work on getting gear together for trackdays and a track duty bike. Current pictures are of the bike from June 18th, 2007.