I won't copy each of the pics here...they're pretty big...I'll just tell the story.
http://imgur.com/a/2nXby (http://imgur.com/a/2nXby)
I picked her up in September if I remember correctly. Traded my GT650R for her, a little cash, and a decent little pistol. The short list of her woes at the time was:
Warped/ground into garbage front rotor
Similar rear rotor (really, stopping this thing was an adventure)
The paint had been removed from the tank with an angle grinder
Wiring nightmare over one of the PO's trying to do a streetfighter projector headlight.
Tire's dry rotted
No exhaust
No coolant reservoir
Clocks were busted up
Tail had been cut up to accommodate that awesome 12o'clock bar
Everything (tank,tail, rear seat, nuts, bolts, locks, etc) spray painted black
It wasn't an even trade...the bike needed so much but at the same time I picked up a '99 600 and made a killing off of it, so I had a little cash to spare and I wanted the torque. Since I've picked her up I've added:
Sharkskinz race fairings
Single projector headlight (still needs work to be "right")
Danmoto midpipe and muffler
YZF-R6 wheels
Built R6 forks
320mm Wavies (they were suppose to be Galfers...I have my doubts since they're not labelled...but I bought them dirt cheap)
EBC pads all around
SS line in the back (haven't gotten around to the fronts yet)
Vortex clip-ons
Knock-off rearsets
New tires
...and a LOT of maintenance. It looked like nothing wet in this bike had ever been changed other than fuel.
My favorite thing so far are the R6 forks and wheels. The whole front end bolted right up with the use of a 1/8" washer on top of the upper bearing cap. Required some 5mm spacers to match the calipers to the 320mm rotors, but I was able to improvise something (I'm looking for a provider of premade spacers if anyone knows of one). The rear was tricky. The R6 assembly is narrower than the GSXR so I had to come up with spacers. I spent a good hour at home depot sitting in the floor next to a washer bin with a caliper measuring thicknesses until I come up with the right arrangement to get the wheel centered properly. But between the narrower rear wheel and tire and the loss of the steering damper up front really lightened the bike up. Plus I really like the 5 spoke wheels. Only real hard thing was finding a single piston caliper for the rear or a brace for the R6 hanger and caliper. In the end I went with the latter.
This bike has been a lot of fun so far. Blindingly fast and steady. I think it's the only bike I've enjoyed as much as TL1000S.
(http://i.imgur.com/6u5dOr8h.jpg)
Hmmm mak, daddy likes :). btw what model was htat old Honda you had, a couple years back? was a twin, the layout almost reminded me of a guzzi. wasn't it a cx500? or something.
Yep, CX500.
(http://i.imgur.com/4oSsjsA.jpg)
She;s the only bike that let me lay her over far enough to have to tuck my knees IN.
(http://i.imgur.com/CQYDcBK.jpg)
THATS the one. lol been looking for one. but the only ones I had found were in all essences cr*p. not worth the repair expenses. C'est la vie lol. least I can watch youtube to get my guzzi/cx500 fix lol and its free so ehh why not. ill just work on the piglet for the time being. :thumb:
They're all going to be pretty bad. That one was in terrible shape when I got it.
Most CXs go forever, pretty tough bullet-proof thing. The stator, waterpump seal, and timing chain tensioner are generally the only problem areas.
I've got three of these buggers. Underestimated bikes, - similar power to the GS500 but a lot heavier - liquid cooled, shaft drive etc. And the earlier ones earned the name Maggot because of their somewhat less than elegant, fat arsed looks! The later Eurosports are better... bigger forks and discs, monoshock rear, and they look a lot better.
They mod into a pretty cool Caff racer.
The GS kills it though with lighter weight, lower, much better brakes, that's why I got my GS.
Jools
A little update.
http://imgur.com/a/RPs8H
This is the correct position of the front wheel while accelerating. If your front wheel is not in this vicinity, you're not accelerating fast enough.
(http://i.imgur.com/T33xOQJ.jpg)