Hey All,
I've been using this forum for a while but I just created a profile to post. I have done a few things to this bike over the years and decided to polish it up during my free time.
I bought it in rough condition for $2800 about 10 years ago, it was my second motorcycle.
Initially, to get the bike safe to operate, I had to rebuild the leaking forks, fix the bent magnesium aluminum alloy wheels, and get new sneakers on it. So I found a specialist in New Hampshire who could straighten the wheels safely (cost me $300). I was new to motorcycle repair so I had a professional install the new tires and change the brakes at the same time the new fork seals were put in, I think they also gave it a little tune up with new fluids all around. SoloMoto in Byram NY did the work, Carlos it the best and always has cool bikes in the shop. I rode the bike like this for several years and it was great.
At some point I was fed up with the seat and did not like the aftermarket options I found online, so I took the seat to an upholstery shop in Danbury CT and asked them to shave off as much foam from the back of the seat as they could to remove the king and queen style and create more of a retro look. I was very happy with the quality of their work and found the bike to be more comfortable.
The plastics were in rough shape to begin with and it was actually backed into by a car that did quite a bit of damage to the body panels. We all know it can be expensive and difficult to source these parts and usually they are in rough condition. Repainting and repairing the body panels would cost ~$1800 and I didn't have that much money at the time. So I decided to remove them and give the bike a new look. I installed a new headlight and plasti-dipped the tank and tail matte black because the original paint left a black tank and a silver tail that did not look great without all of the other panels to tie the paint scheme together. Also if I wanted to repaint in the future I could just peel it off.
Eventually I had the idea of removing the air box and relying on cone filters. This really highlighted the great power-plant that makes these bikes unique.
Recently I purchased a 2006 Yamaha FZ1 and had the liberty to start longer term projects that would otherwise prevent me form riding. I decided to upgrade the original Speedometer unit, also known affectionately as the "Brat Box" or "Lunchbox" because of its large size. This was more complicated that I initially anticipated. There are several functions performed by the speedometer that control the bike. So I purchased the BEP 3.0 box to preserve essential functions and make the bike compatible with generic aftermarket speedometers. I used some of the original hardware to mount up the new unit. I was able to get the speedometer to turn on with the bike, show blinkers, and indicate high beam but I wasn't able to get the speed or tachometer to work. I purchased wires that were too thick and made it difficult to wire. So I decided to run the bike without a speedometer and return to this part of the project at some point in the future.
I recently purchased a polished aluminum radiator, because mine has a leak, it should arrive any day and can’t wait to put it on the bike. The addition of this radiator gave me the idea to polish some of the original parts, I started with the exhaust guard, removing the paint using sand paper 400 up to 1000 and giving it a nice shine with metal polish.
Next I decided to clean up the top of the motor because it is a focal point of the bike and was oil stained and oxidized. I accomplished this using various wire wheels attached to my drill, followed by the same steps used on the exhaust guard, sand paper and metal polish.
I have always wanted to change the exhaust to draw more attention to the single side drive and give it a different sound. I purchased an aftermarket universal 51mm exhaust and ordered a 4 into 1 collector that I will install by cutting off the exhaust at the headers. In the meantime I decided to have some fun and chop the original exhaust. My first experience with an angle grinder. It was fun!
I have learned a lot about motorcycle repair, including wiring, during this process and I like the result. I think the bike us unique and has a cool look. I can’t wait to post updated pictures! LMK what you think, did I ruin the bike, do you like the result, any other modifications I should consider? I attached several pictures of the bike.
