Continuing the progression backwards down the bike, this is the undertray I made last year, but didn't take any pictures of before I stuck it in the bike.

http://getfile7.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

It's a frame of 20x20x1mm L-section steel, skinned with 1mm aluminium sheet, covered with black sticky vinyl on the outside to make it look a bit better. Very much at the 'functional' end of the aesthetic scale, but this was the quickest way of putting it together, and it gives quite a lot of space under the seat where previously there was none.

Into the bike:

http://getfile4.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

http://getfile2.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

And tuck all the wiring loom into place:

http://getfile3.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

More new bearings, seals, and bushes in the rear linkage:

http://getfile6.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

Can you tell which side is the front?

http://getfile3.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

Rear brakes get a good clean, a new Hel braided hose (I already had one on the front, but the rear was the original) and new fluid and pads. No messing around with trying to fill and bleed the brakes on the bike, this is the way to do it quickly:

http://getfile0.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

And back on the bike. I bought a new rear brake pedal, but then managed to hammer the original one straight again, so the new one can stay as a spare.

http://getfile6.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

With the back end more or less complete, it was time to turn my attentions to the front end. Forks and yokes out, and new steering bearings fitted.

For some reason (probably that getting the old bearing outer races out of the frame is quite a frustrating, time consuming process) I only took one photo, while refitting the new lower bearing, using the old bearing inner race to avoid damaging it. You can also see the new lockstops I made, after one of the eccentric ones which were supplied with the Off-The-Road yokes went AWOL some time during last year.

http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

Didn't do anything to the (ex-KTM, WP48mm) forks, as they were rebuilt with new bushes, seals, and oil about a year ago. Just cleaned them up and stuck them back in.

http://getfile0.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

The forks and yokes seem to get a pretty hard time from all the hoses, cables, and wiring which passes through that area. The brake hose in particular has rubbed a decent amount of metal off both the left hand fork leg (right in the photo) and the bottom yoke. Since I don't really want to let it cut the fork leg in half, I decided to improvise with an old inner tube.

http://getfile8.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

After this photo, I did the same to the other leg for good measure. A strategically placed zip tie to the sub-frame will keep the brake hose away from the bottom yoke.

This is what my workbench usually looks like after about five minutes of working on the bike. Every few hours, I get sick of not being able to find stuff, and break off to tidy up.

http://getfile6.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

I replaced the bearings, seals, and spacers in the (again, ex-KTM) front wheel, cleaned up the brakes, and replaced fluid and pads. While I was down there, I also fitted the speed sensor (you can just see it on the inside of the fork guard) for the Trailtech Vector computer which is forming part of my navigation setup - more on that later. The 270mm single disc is a bit rusty after a month or so off the road, but it should clean up with a bit of use.

http://getfile2.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

http://getfile3.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

That brings us up to Friday. With a day of work, the first stop was the powdercoater's to pick up the engine bars and luggage rack. They've been done in a really nice gloss black finish, which is a great improvement on the original flaky Yamaha finish.

http://getfile9.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

Engine bars and bashplate back on. The bashplate has obviously got a bit bent at some point, because I had to put a jack under it to get the last mounting bolt to line up.

http://getfile1.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

Engine bars on means the last engine bolt is torqued up, and the exhaust can be fitted properly.

http://getfile2.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

http://getfile9.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

Between the exhaust headers you can see the blanking plate where the AIS plumbing used to be.

http://getfile8.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

Back on with the radiator, and fill the cooling system.

http://getfile2.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

Back to the engine breather. Here's a shot from just after the engine went back in.

http://getfile8.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

The original baffle chamber used to be mounted on the rubber grommet at the bottom of the frame, below the intake. The new hose which I fitted runs up past the left hand side of the intake, and between the cylinder head and the frame rail. It then passes through the forks and does a U-turn around the (modified) front sub-frame:

http://getfile0.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

Before heading back down the right hand side of the bike. You can just about see it coming down past the oil filler, then along the top of the coolant expansion tank.

http://getfile0.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

Because I've removed the AIS system, I've been left with a hole in the airbox. Rather than try and seal it up, I put a 'Y' piece in the breather and connected it to both the AIS port and the original breather port. The plastic 'Y' piece was originally part of the inlet system on a ZZR1100.

http://getfile4.posterous.com/getfil...scaled1000.jpg

The point of doing this is that it's no longer 'downhill' from the airbox into the crankcases. So although the depth of water the bike can be ridden through with the engine running doesn't change, it could, in theory, be pushed (with the engine off) through water up to the headstock, and all you'd have to do on the other side is drain the airbox and possibly the cylinder. More realistically, in the event of a fall in more modest water crossings, water can only get into the oil if the bike more or less completely disappears under the surface. Even then, as long as I pick the bike up again fairly quickly, the amount of water that can flow is minimal.

I have now lost the baffle chamber, but I'm hoping the much longer hose will have a similar effect in encouraging the oil to condense out on the walls. I'll be keeping an eye on the amount of oil which finds its way into the airbox.

someone's been busy.

It's been a bit frantic. I'm not even quite up to date.

Hey Dave, are you going to move the reg/rectifier to a better position or keep as is?:stirpot:

I thought of moving it. I reckon there's enough cable in the loom to stick it up behind the headlight.

But equally, I don't think the location is that much of a problem really. And I'm not short of other stuff to worry about!

I'm not quite up to date with the build story, will try and get the last few bits written up over the weekend.

However to skip forward a bit, the bike is finished and it's just been through MOT.

Bearing in mind I've not ridden for two months while I've been rebuilding the bike, the fact the bike itself has been rebuilt from a bare frame, with a lot of new parts, and that it's gained another inch or so of height (and it was already a good inch and a half taller than a stock Ten') thanks to the 18" rear wheel and a fresh rear tyre.

So what I really needed to ease myself back into it and let everything on the bike bed in nicely was for my journey to the test centre to look like this:

http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...21702929_n.jpg

:D

Looking good U T :smilies0349:

I like.:bravo:::

Next time I see my bike will be in Newark, NJ.

http://sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...36685528_n.jpg

Safe travels Uber - have fun and report back.

Don't you worry about us working away in the meantime..

Good travels matey!

Keep us posted ;-)

nice UBs keep us informed of how your trip goes

good on ya, hope it all goes well.

have fun & stay safe.

Have a goodun. Hopefully see you at the Overland Expo.

have a great trip!

Have a good one Dave!

In order to make my bike appear less desirable to any thieving types it may encounter en-route to the US, James Cargo have disguised it as a BMW...

http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...29847544_n.jpg

Last day at work tomorrow!

Hope you have a good one and ride safe.

Don't worry no one will nick a BMW!!!

OH, but the shame......


Good luck with your trip Dave. Keep us informed, ride safe and come back to tell us all about it.

Cheers.

I'll try and post the odd update here, but if anyone's desperate to follow my progress then keep an eye on www.dashmoto.net (plus the usual twitter/flickr/etc linked from there)

For NickW909 - I saw your PM, can't reply because my site membership has expired, my PM storage is therefore at about 4x capacity, and I can't be bothered to sort either out until I get home, so here's the reply instead:


Hi Nick,

I shipped with James Cargo, who were great. Round trip cost was about �2100 to Newark, NJ. The majority of my luggage and my riding gear went with it.

Newark is a ****hole by the way. Particularly Irvington where the agents James Cargo use are based. Plan things so you've got time to get the hell out of town on the day you get the bike if you plan to ship into Newark.

To get the bike into the US, you need to apply for a Temporary Import Exemption Letter. Basically it says the bike hasn't been type-approved for the US but it's OK because you promise to take it away again afterwards.

It's fairly easy and free to get, just takes a few weeks. This thread on the HUBB more or less covers it in the first post...

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...approval-51514

The guys who man the imports@epa.gov email address are really helpful.

They didn't actually ask to see it when I went through Customs, but I did need to show it the one time I got pulled over by a cop.

Then you need insurance. I used MotorcycleExpress, think it was about �300 or something for three months, including breakdown and an agreed value of about �4000.

That's more or less it. There's a couple more forms to fill in in customs, but as long as you've got the vehicle documents they just fill them out and get you to sign them there.

Hope that helps.

I looked out for you at the Overland Expo but didn't see your bike any where? But.... just reading your blog it all becomes clear. Really sorry man, I hope you make the best out of it while you're here. There's **** loads to see and do! Take it easy

I've had fun, don't worry.

Cheers for the info.


Nick.

It's alive!

https://phaven-prod.s3.amazonaws.com...m_DSC_5021.JPG

Good to see you back on the road.

What was broken?

Nick

Still don't know, I've just put the original motor back in, stripping the broken one can wait for a while.

So I was about half way through the second day of the Carlisle Centennial Rally when I decided that what I really wanted was an XT-R with a 23 litre tank...

http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/379/wvqf.jpg

:D

(actually, the subframe snapped, possibly unsurprisingly given the amount of rough-roads use it's seen and the extra weight of nav gear that's been fitted for the last few thousand miles. Oops)

i have to admit i've not followed all of this thread over the months but i can say with some certainty that doesn't look much like the bike you started out with !!!

..........and still no chain guide. Dave, don't you ever learn!:074:

Stuck the subframe back together again yesterday.

Can you spot the problem here?

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/8586/0ank.jpg

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/5047/mt25.jpg

I think we'll go for a bit of reinforcement.

http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/6614/0rzh.jpg

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/3056/61ew.jpg

That'll do for the short-term. The whole nav setup is still a bit of an ugly bodge job. I'd like to do something better in the long run.

Not sure quite how though. Being of a lanky persuasion, I run my bars a lot higher than stock. I also need to be able to have mirrors fitted as I use the bike day-to-day. This means I've ended up with everything mounted quite high...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.n...06434315_n.jpg

...which allows clearance for the bars to turn, and puts it in a nice place to read while stood up or sat down, but it's a decent chunk of weight very high up. I didn't realise quite how much until it fell off during the Carlisle Rally and the bike suddenly got a lot easier to flick from side to side.

My ideal solution would probably involve replacing all the plastics and screen with a 1 piece GRP fairing, probably shoving the headlight/screen forward a couple of inches in the process to make a bit more space for everything to sit lower. Taper bars to get rid of the crossbar and mount the Yam clocks on the bars like JMo did. Ally subframe to hold it all together.

Or I could just accept the inevitable and build a 450 rally bike...