Well I finally have gotten back to the "rat" bike project I started (collecting parts mainly) awhile back.

I don't think I set any records but I pulled an old motor from one frame and installed a new motor into another frame pretty quickly today.

I was almost surprised at how easy it was to install the new engine....

So the rat bike got some progress made on it today... The engine went in pretty smooth ( did it by myself..). I layed the engine on some cardboard on its side.. slid the frame down over it and wiggled it into the right position with minimal profanity spewed....

Once I got the bolts in  finger tight - I rolled the bike over on the left side to put the frame spar in--Oooops I assumed the oil had been drained out by the guy I bought the engine from....My bad for not checking...the flywheel cover was only on finger tight..had to be off to get the engine in .
I quickly got the removable frame spar bolted in and cleaned up the oily mess...Kitty litter is a great thing...glad my neighbor has a cat....


So in about an hour and a half I had the one engine out(bike was sans front end but nearly complete) and installed the "new " engine in the "new" frame (bare frame) . I also took time to wipe the new frame down a little in the shock mount areas in that time.

I just wish I had started earlier..Might have gotten the swingarm-shock and forks on today...

Anyway.... to be continued...

Keep it up.

Oh yeah, that peice you sent me, can't use. Huge bummer man. No worries though.

 -Anti

What?!?!?!?!? I cut up that pristine milion dollar frame for nothing?!?!?!


hehehehehe Just joking man... that frame is gonna end up gone sooner or later.... Besides if I do the FZ1 tail mockup I woulda had to cut that part off anyway... so no worries.

So you gonna find a mangled 01 and get the subframe off of it or just fabricate what you need?

I should have the rat bike at least in rolling chassis mode  next weekend.

The SAGA CONTINUES:


Ok So NEXT Weekend became a month for the rolling Chassis Mode of the Rat bike...
This is my last day of vacation ... and frankly I can't wait to get back to work so I can take it easy....

So at 4 pm ish on my last day of vacation.... I decided to get back onto the Rat Bike project...
I started by pulling the swingarm-wheel-chain- shock-shock linkage and rear brake assembly off the donor bike as one chunk. I rolled the "new" frame and engine up on it's face ( on cardboard and bubble wrap)...seems there's still some oil in there as more leaked out..(Kitty litter on hand...no problem). I wiggled the shock linkage in to place ( after installing the centerstand) and got the bolt in and tight....oops couldn't swing the shock in there ( Cali- frame..still has emmissions cannister in there...that's coming out next...). So I unbolted the shock... slid the swingarm etc all up into place and got the bolt in ( with the obligatory amount of profanity again..).  It wasn't too bad....


After I figured how to manuever the shock into place I bolted it back in ( it will be replaced with a Kat Shock or a Gixxer shock soon...just needed to have one in there for the moment...). I bolted up the rear brake assembly and the rear was pretty much done.


The fun part was the forks... I got all the pieces sorted out --- I have a few sets of triples and various front end parts...so I was sorting through the ones I had for the bolts etc... Got the forks all together and decided to put the front wheel in there. I left the fender off...the front wheel may be coming off again soon...so no big deal. ( had to clean up the hub on the speedo drive side of the front rim I'm using ( The guy that shipped it did a crappy job of packing them... He hasn't replied to my email about it....but that's another subject)...

Anyway I cleaned up the gouge from shipping and put the wheel on...forgetting it's easier to put the wheel on before the triple clamps - I slid the clamps back off and got it all back together.....

The fun begins....I used a webbing strap from a ratchet tie down and put it up and over one of the ceiling trusses-whatever in the garage  and hooked it to the frame..Using my left arm I picked up the front end (engine is in the frame already) while pulling down on the webbing strap.... Crap...not close enough to tie it off....So I grabbed the forks with my now free left hand and slid the triples- stem into the steering head of the frame...Then got the bike up onto the center stand....
Then after a few minutes of cussing..I got the forks all bolted up and the topclamp etc on.... Oh yeah I also put the starter in it...(engine came minus the starter).



Sooo.... The rat bike got another dose of progress today...Next is to get all the wiring sorted out and installed...then the carbs/airbox...exhaust( minor clean up on the exhaust..)...headlight bucket etc..... Oh and I need to treat the tank......

Moving right along......at one month intervals...LOL....

to be continued...