The nature of building specials ... buying more stuff.

So Christmas is over. I had a few days spare where I could possibly spend some time in the garage. The best laid plans and all that!! Man Flu! I have been off work all week coughing and spluttering.

I have been deliberately avoiding eBay ... we need to not buy things, but use what we have. However, there are some things I did need, necessitated by the swop to the TL1000s forks.

I had ordered some clipons from "intobikes" - Harris 50mm risers which should lift the clipons just enough to sit flush with the upper yolks. However, the Christmas break delayed the order acknowledgment, then I assume they delayed the order, then Harris confirmed  they had no stock and wouldn't fulfil the order for 3 weeks! Damn it!

I have a TL1000S front mudguard on the way - eBay special. Add to that I ordered some paddock stand arms from eBay to go under the bandit swingers so I can get to work with the bike off the side stand. I always had buttons when racing so needed the new ones to fit to the old stand. Only they were too big. That said the paddock stand has been drilled to accept the new arms. So that's solved. Only I didn't have a drill bit big enough as the diameter was larger than my drill will take - thanks Cambridge Motorcycles again!!!

Did I mention I have a million and one "old" bolts? This may be the case, but I certainly didn't have any for the front and rear brakes, or disks. Well some shiny new bolts have been sourced from Pro-Bolt. Oh and I bought some eBay sourced M4 and M6 bolts ... just because I need some for the carbs and ancillaries.

Oh .. and this arrived ... sorry I was weak!


I love it when the postman arrives with bits. There's a matching cable clutch lever for the other side and a bracket for the reservoir.

Some real work on the bike has to start soon!


So we are just waiting on clip-ons for the forks to arrive from Harris via intobikes - should be here next week, then I plan on getting the brakes and running gears sorted. I have a ultrasonic cleaner coming weekend after next (on loan from a mate on promise of Haggis and Whisky in exchange for loan) to clean carbs (socket head bolts waiting to replace the existing flat head screws) .... then it's engine in and confirm sort out rear wheel alignment. Undertray from lucky 7 should be on the way in the next couple of weeks.
With engine in, anclilairies fitted running gear sorted, undertray fitted, I can do a few things :

• mark up the frame to decide what else can be deluged,
• Try and get the engine fired up,
• Make a decision on the rearsets and source

Onwards and upwards

Thought I'd start looking at test fitting the front light bracket and fairing today. Mmmmmm ... some fairing trimming and lug removal required to fit round the forks. They contact the front lugs on the front bracket - can't see not connecting the fairing there would be too much issue, and perhaps moving them and re-drilling the fairing further to the front might be an option if it is.

Also had a bash a fitting the chain rubber protector over the swing arm!! Would be interested in knowing how other's have done that. The bandit chain rubber guard makes it impossible to put the swing arm back in. Need to look at that one again!

Also sorted out the rear wheel, so that all inner races are now in the wheels. Couldn't fit the rear brake stay as the 180 tyres that's in the fouls on the stay.

All in all a few hours finding out other jobs that need doing!!