We've just moved house, and there is a shell of a workshop at the bottom of the garden which I have spent the first few months kitting out as a workshop/home cinema. Now it's done, I'm going to start Phase 2 of the 899S build. Late last summer I put together the bike you see below and took it over it to Jerez. Unfortunately I ran it in to the gravel and fell off. It's a bit scraped up down one side and needs a bit of TLC. It's been in my office since November last year. I'm also going to take the opportunity to make few more mods. The most significant being fitting Brembo M50s and some beautiful Ducabike rearsets. I'll update the thread as I go........ So to get us started, a couple of pictures of the workshop and bike on the ramp ready for the off....
So, first job has been to remove the fairings and see what's what. Top fairing and screen is going to need replacing. I went over the front as the bike slowed so quickly in the deep gravel and took the screen out, and snapped the left handlebar with my leg on the way over....that stung for a day or two Gianluca at motoxpricambi is going to supply and paint me another one. Fantastic guys over there - I would highly recommend them. The side fairing, although initially looking quite bad, started to polish out with the machine and some course compound. No broken tabs so it'll go back on. Found a fair bit of Spanish gravel in there too. Going to pop the tank off to make sure none got in the air box.
Changed the front sprocket to a 14 tooth today. Real faff this job. You've got to unbolt a load of stuff to get to the sprocket, including the shock which means you have to hang the bike. Next I offered up the Ducabike rearset. Seemed to fit pretty straightforward. Nice pieces of engineering with a clever set up so you can use a race shift pattern. Trouble is the gear lever feels surprisingly sloppy so we'll see how they go. Bought them off ebay second hand - wondering if they might be fake...
That looks like a ball ache of job! I've got a 46 tooth rear sprocket that Simmytt kindly gave me to try, hopefully it won't be quite as much of a nightmare.
Might be okay, my chain is about halfway back in the adjusters so will see, if it doesn't fit I'll save it for when I need a new chain
I have messed around with the gearing on my 899,its well known that 899's are quite sensitive to gearing and imho the standard gearing is the best all round compromise,but by going up on the back and a strong throttle it actually lifts the front wheel and thats a bit of a novelty on the 899.
That is what you will get,out of the hairpin at Donington you will wheelie off the throttle, thats quite novel,but the downside you will be hitting the limiter all the time.
