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.

Brake Lines & German Parts

So it seems I have finally conquered the front blinker dilemma (The "GP" Brembo master cylinders were positioned alarmingly close to the turn signal stalks, and the length of the Rizoma Track '01' Signals appeared to conflict with the headlight fairing so I had to figure something out. Removing the fairing was not an option as I had just paid to have it painted) .

A phone call to Wild Hair Accessories led to a very pleasant phone call and the solution. Fork mount brackets for the signals. The brackets are made by GSG in Germany and are CNC machined clamps that look quite slick. Unfortunately they will be shipped from Germany with an estimated time of 3-4 weeks but with the weather like it is, I am in absolutely no rush. I recommend Wild Hair Accessories, especially with their policy on customer service (talking with the customer=good and it alleviates possible mistakes, highly important as parts are coming in from Germany).

Similarly a quick phone call to ensure that the custom brake and clutch lines were coming along left me still a very-satisfied customer. Brian @ Motowheels had all the answers and personally checked to make sure the preload adjusters in gold were actually in stock, as well as getting gold banjo bolts all around to match the brake & clutch fittings. There will also be a set of high performance plug wires in the package to add to the look as well as the overall performance of the bike.


Above is a shot of the recent gear that was added to the bike. The DP tach and carbon fiber cluster as well as STM frame plugs (20mm) and the set of Rizoma Track '01' Indicators for the front. Things have come together and it looks like I may almost be finished (for the time being of course...)

Lots of To-Do Recently!

There's been lots of To-Do recently regarding the rebuild progress.

I ran into a problem mounting the Choke Control seeing as I have upgraded the clutch master cylinder with a billet Brembo "GP" 16x18 unit. Now things are beginning to look a lot better up front but the choke formerly mounted on the old master cylinder. You might think redoing a choke control to be easy as pie, but it proved to be more daunting than one might think. Brian of Motowheels has been most helpful as he has a quite similar if not more personalized Monster. Brian also has a custom set of brake/clutch lines coming that will not only allow my new master cylinders to function, but will aid in performance and look quite slick.

The other recent concern was the mounting of indicators. I have never liked the look of the stock units and upgrades to billet LED systems are not cheap (even though I have redone my rear ones with Rizoma Track '01' Signals). The upgrade became mandatory recently when I learned that it not only cluttered up the look of the handlebar area, but it also could be in the way of my levers of the new master cylinders. The solution came way of aftermarket mounts and a lower placement near the bottom triple. Mounting brackets were not as easy to find as one might think, the appropriate search name for such an appliance is a "fork tube clamp" and this turns up only a few relevant results.

I plan on using the same signals as I had previously ordered for the rear in the front application. I got them before from PJ Pijanka of PJ's Parts and plan to do so again. The prices for Rizoma pieces can't be beat and the service is top notch friendly. One catch - a Paypal account is a must.

Newly opened MonsterParts.com is going to supply the new Ducati Performance tachometer and carbon fiber instrument cluster. The site is run by Jeff H. who was most curteous is his response to my emails as well as investigating a part for me.

The images below are the current build progress. As you can see things have been going a little slowly, but progress is steady. Alain has been most helpful and the Corse Motorsports shop is a terrific place to do business as well as visit. A big thanks must go out to my friend Will in Knoxville for pointing me in the right direction here in Nashville.