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.

Latest Progress

Tomorrow is the final day I'll be able to work on the bike in person for some time. I was able to resolve several issues with fitments and decide on my game plan for the next few weeks.

The brake/clutch lines are due in late next week or the beginning of the following from Motowheels in California. Again, Brian & Ed have done much to make things go as smooth as possibly for me. Along with the brake lines I should also be receiving a set of billet fork preload adjuster knobs for the tops of the Showa forks. They'll give me the opportunity to change the preload when I desire, and just as important, they will look quite nice.

Unfortunately for me came the realization that the sidestand mounts on my M900 are the older much larger diameter style and thus the CycleCat Billet Sidestand (DKS-35) will not work with my system unless I change the mounting to a newer style configuration. This looked quite feasible until the costs were investigated. A quick look at the mounting plates and costs through BikeBandit schematics show that the system is around $100 and at this point I'm not willing to spend nearly 250 big ones to have a better looking and slightly better functioning sidestand.

The installation of the Nichols Breather went without any problems as one might expect and the K&N filter slid neatly on top of it and came supplied with the necessary plugs to close off the airbox where existing hosing ran. Quite convenient and easy to use. In the same neck of the woods the gas vapor canister and oil breather box have been completely removed as have the carburetor vent pods. Other body parts I have decided to remove from the bike include the model indicating side panels as well as the rear-hugger. I may decide to revert to a rear hugger after several rides so I am keeping all parts for just such an event.

The removal of the existing license plate bracket and blinker mounts in the rear went smooth, though it required the removal and disassembly of part of the rear brake light to access all the appropriate bolts. The TPO license plate bracket bolted right up and the wiring for the blinkers, etc was relocated to the under seat area. The Rizoma blinkers were slightly trickier to plug in than I originally anticipated but not because of the stock wiring but because of the proprietary plug in the middle of the LED signals wiring. Apparently my fingers were a little big, but with a narrow straightedge the problem was solved.

Alain installed a new tire on the rear as it was due while he replaced the chain and both sprockets. The tire is a Michelin Pilot Power while the chain is a D.I.D. 520ERV3 purchased along with the AFAM sprockets in a group buy on the DML. This proved a very cost effective method of changing to a 14T front sprocket and a 40T rear. While installing the tire, chain and sprockets, I purchased from Corsair Industries a set of billet chain adjuster plates that are much nicer looking and have less "slop" in them (as Alain defines it).

In other news, the fiberglass short bellypan purchased from Red Racing will be mounted tomorrow morning and trimmed as necessary before it shipped out of state for paint. This is to be coupled with the receipt of the Ducati Performance carbon dash with tachometer in the mail to me that should be here on the 16th. Talk about things all coming together! Sorry There Were No Pictures in this LONG Post!