video of the bike running!

stickers

Got some decals in the mail -- the #91 (Haslam copy) that came in from the UK.

I made this on myself -- stands for "Beans' Racing Machines" -- inside/family joke.

Note the devil/halo juxtaposition.

The front -- green is light enough to contrast the black numbers for visibility.

The dash -- tach is getting a read, just need to set it right.  Too cold today (and for the next week or so) to run the bike anyway.  Just as well, the in-line fuel shut off valve is pooched.  Need to come up with another fix...

In other news, am planning a trip down south to Mid-America Motorplex with Wilson and Doug in June.  Should be a blast!

Bodywork (re) Painted

Here are some pics:

I also took the time to do the first suspension measurements -- rear sag with the new shock.

I set up a handy-dandy measuring device, using one of the rear trailer stands, a piece of square tubing, and some welding rod.

I measured and marked some increments in inches and centemeters on the tubing, and then sat on the bike, seeing how far "down" the welding rod travelled from its starting point "x".

While in a racing tuck, I reached behind, and marked the extent of the downward travel (sag) of the welding rod "y", and then measured it.  1.5" -- which is right in the ballpark for rear sag measurement on a bike, in a street application.  Considering the bumpiness of gimli, I might just leave it there for now.  The ideal "race" setting is 1 to 1.25", so I can always increase the preload or get a stiffer rear spring if necessary.

It's Alive

Some unseasonably warm weather allowed me to fire up the mono for the first time since the top end refresh/rebuild.  Amazingly enough, it started up easily, and settled into a nice idle once the choke was removed.  It seems that the off-idle throttle response is better than ever, perhaps due to the new cam profile.  Regardless, this is just the first startup, and will need several more to properly seat the rings and make sure everything runs properly.  The good news is, the engine is oil-tight.  The not-so-good news is the rad has seemed to have developed a pinhole leak.  So, I'm keeping my eye on eBay for a replacement.  It will suit my needs for now on static running at idle.  As for the sound, the bike roars!  A real angry, but low, bark.  I can only imagine how it will sound at full tilt!

With the tank off being painted, I had to figure a way to feed some fuel to the carbs.  I cleaned out an old master cylinder resevoir, bolted it to the rear subframe, and ran some fuel hose to the float bowl -- hey presto, about 3-5 minutes of run time!

This is the rear seat in the uppermost position -- I think I might try it at its lower setting first.  Seat foam was bought in bulk and the glued on with some 3M spray.

This is where the students and I signed our names to the tail section prior to the clearcoat.  I've smudged out their names for their privacy.

Key Lime paint on front fender.  I like it, and it makes a nice contrast with the blue of the front wheel.