Well, I've been promising for a while I'd sort out Crust GSX1000K3 when I got settled in the new house/garage. Yesterday I thought it was the right time to make it happen, so here's where we are.. it's a little... well.. rough.. but starts on the button, runs how it should and in all honesty, shouldn't be THAT tough a job..
Eventually we reached where all the panels and bodywork were removed and I can now begin to see where I need to e and what needs doing. The bikes starts, runs, goes and stops perfectly... whilst he may not be the best cleaner in the land, he is a good mechanic Well I'm not normally one for using water for cleaning as my bikes rarely require it, however this one did. So was left to soak in SDOC100 for a bit and then a quick bit of soft brushing, followed by a hose off. It almost even looks like a motorbike now
TBH, it hasn't been a lot of effort, it's been a couple of hours work, maybe 3 and the bike is already transformed IMO. I do enjoy it, I enjoy it lots, it makes me happy cleaning a bike, although TBH there have been times when I've looked at this and thought "FFS why did you start this" But then I get a bit further on and I'm once again happy and having pleasure. I've now found there IS a chain... a sprocket and would you believe it, under there is actually a shock absorber. I also gave 1/2 the tank a bit of polish so Crust can get an idea of how it will all look in the end. Only the first coat, so plenty more shiny left to be found.
WEll, that's the bike finished for now. I need to get my stuff sorted as I'm leaving for Portugal on Weds straight after work, then hitting Portimao racetrack for 3 days and a few days of Jolly The only real problem i've found at this stage is the front calipers, I thought it was just dirt, but there's a fair bit of paint missing from parts of them.... So they'll end up being a bit crap in all honesty.
After a little while things eventually start to take shape, make a little progress and one by one the thing on the floor starts looking like a motorcycle again. Now, don't shout at me or abuse me on this. Remember this is a cheap and cheerful job for the purpose of selling. If this were the long termer for him now then I'd probably replace the whole bracket/tidy... but for today it's stripped, taped and gloss backed. That's as good as it gets for now. So the project goes on hold for an hour or two now whilst I go do some errands and wait for the paint to dry. I can only assume Crust has enough friends in the world that he's happy for me to disappear next time he asks me for "can you just....." Putting the front end of this thing together is a mass of wiring, clips, connectors and partially blind luck. That said, it's all done now and the front end is in place. Just need to find some pretty bolts for the mirrors, re-connect the indicators and it's good. Then onto the underside and another 300 fairing clips... where I expect to find that I need to undo the last god knows how long work, just to get 2 clips in place edit : and yes, before Mr OCD comments, I know that's the wrong fairing clip on the air-tube, it has been swapped already Fairing has not been polished... although me and him do need to discuss a plan as it's got a million stone chips and he needs to decide how to address if... if at all. So, bit more cleaning and polishing done, rear seat unit and cleaned up the riders seat with some magic I have in a bottle
So, I have good news and bad news for Crust. Good. Apart from the calipers and brakes, his bike is 100% completed It looks bloody GREAT Bad. I'm not sure i'll give him it back.... I may throw it to a vote as to whether TRC think someone deserves it who treated it so badly in the first place ? Hmmm there's a debate.
Yeah - really nice - ive gotten ocd over the years of having bikes and stemming from (years ago) having bikes, no garage, living in a bedsit with the bike outside in all weathers, no other transport, so it was my only mode of getting around and for the life of me I tried to keep them clean but always fighting a loosing battle.... No I have garage, other transport and a bit more finance behind me....I swear the neighbours think im a bit weird as its the third time ive cleaned our new smax and were only on the second tank of fuel since weve bought it....but, ultimately I think its nice to look after your stuff...therapy - that's what it is....
You and me are at the opposite ends of the scale comfybanana, cat think of may things wrse than cleaning. The local immigrant car wash do my car, bike is maintained with oils and greases as needed and ACF'd so ot doesnt really get cleaned often. Rather ride it tha npreen it
Oh - my stuff does get ridden, the RSV will get getting a week long seeing to at the TT this year...ive always found that if stuff gets dirty then it gets harder to look after, ie, my KTM supermoto project is a perfect example, 8 years of being dumped in puddles larger than itself I came in caked in oil, mud, grease etc etc for over a week but now its clean its easy to work on, can see what youre doing....we have a car wash literally at the end of the road where your motor is descended on by a team of doubled mopped eastern Europeans but I like the exercise and, as I say like to look after it....just cos I keep stuff clean doesn't mean to say it doesn't get driven harder than one that's not...
In summer when I've had a road bike I've been known to clean it 5 times in a week. I've been known to clean bikes even when they've not been ridden. My 848 is in a lorry on the way back from 3 days at Portimao. I'll have it home by 11.30am tomorrow. By 12.00 it will have the wheels off and the fairings off and be starting the process of being cleaned.
Yep - as I say....therapy...Im IT for a job and right now ive been working on a server for the last 3 hours....messing around with bikes is a nice way of getting away from a technical job....cleaning stuff, renovation, maintenance etc etc is a nice way of relaxing...
