Ducati Monster Forum

"10 seconds faster..."

"What?"

"You went 10 seconds faster on my bike than you did on your own."  

That's what an acquaintance told me after he let me ride around on his (hopped up 400) one day at Thunderhill.  I hadn't been out much last season and I was on a borrowed bike--taking it easy, I thought.  Still, 10 seconds.  10 freaking seconds.  And it seemed sooooo natural, so effortless, and I was on a stranger's bike for the first time.  

I was convinced.  As much as I liked bombin' around on the little FZR400 that bike was never going to fit me.  I'd been struggling for a few years to get it running right and looking good.  It was finally there.  The only thing holding me back was me.  

The bike was exhausting to ride, forcing me into uncomfortable positions because of its length.  I'd never really thought about it's size, assuming that a small displacement bike automatically translated into shorter ergonomic numbers.  Someone told me once that they'd never seen an FZR400 look big until they saw me on it.  Never sank in... (I'll be damned if I can find the photos I thought I bought) Here's what it started out as.  

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/071807%20Trackday%20-%20Thunderhill/poseur.jpg)

So I finally caved.  I sold the little FZR400 this past winter after much blood, sweat and tears (caused from inhaling paint fumes.)  I didn't know what I was moving onto, and wasn't even sure I was going to do track anymore.  I'd had a string of bad luck when it came to my trackdays getting interfered with last season covering the gamut from job interviews, job loss, a weird stomach bug... Bye, bye little guy.  I sent it off to a guy in Southern California who needed to be bribed to take the tons of parts I had for it--and he didn't even care that he'd forgotten the manual.  

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/041209%20FZR%20Painted/2009_04120150.jpg)

About a month after I'd unloaded the Yamaha and had cleaned out the garage I got the itch to have another bike.  The garage was looking a little too empty.  It was too organized.  There was actually space to move around.  This simply wouldn't do.  

I walked into Desmoto thinking I was there to get an oil filter.  I casually asked if they anything track-worthy sitting in a heap in the back.  And they did...the thing that looks least like a bike among all the bikes was it.  A 748.  

My dream bike.  I've always loved the way it looked.  I know...everyone says that the 916 is sexier, the 749 was a practical improvement, but the 748 is a miniature Italian torture rack on wheels.  It's size, or lack thereof, brings many men to their breaking point.  But for me, that sounds like it might actually come close to fitting my scrawny little frame.  And it's another finicky piece of Italian machinery.  I was in love.  Walked in going for a $5 part...came back the next day with a check for something a bit more.  

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_01137480109.jpg)

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_01137480107.jpg)

The bike had had some motor freshening the year prior by the previous owner, a local AFM'er, which included adding a few more cc's.  He'd done a couple of races on it and had had a not-so-small get off that broke his shoulder and busted the bike up pretty badly too.  Basically I had a new motor, a few nice aftermarket bits a straight frame and a little reassembly to do.  Perfect.  I gathered up all the pieces and brought the new machine home.  I found a seat in amongst all the parts so that I could ride it up my driveway and parked it.  

Work has been hammering my free time as I try to start up a little architectural practice of my own.  The yard needed work.  The house needed cleaning.  Rides needed to be ridden...excuses, excuses.  And then Spidey tipped me off about a free ladies trackday.  I'd been pretty happy just looking at my new, half-assembled toy in the garage, but now I might actually have a reason to ride it.  Signed up for the trackday.  Yippee!  But what had I done?  Oh dear lord... I now had a deadline to get this thing fixed up.  

I needed to order a few things like a windscreen, grips, handle bar, left fairing, misc., etc... the parts weren't even all there, the fasteners missing, the plastics were too shattered to go back on the bike.  The remaining existing pieces needed a little T.L.C. to be sure.  A little fiberglass repair, some bondo, and a lot of sanding was in order if I was going to put this back together and get it painted.  (I learned a few years ago that the guys at tech will hassle you a bit more if your bike is held together with Sharkskinz stickers and zip ties than if you just toss a little paint on it.--I know you're just doing your job, guys--I'd hassle me too.) I had an idea to strip the tank down to bare metal.  Started out red...

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0815misc0003.jpg)

Now...not so much.  

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0815misc0007.jpg)

I've been sanding and prepping on and off for a few weekends now with Tigre.  Hopefully I won't be blowing pink stuff into my Kleenexes much longer... (j/k I wear a respirator.)  More photos to come.

Deadline:  Oct. 11.  <chews nails>

Nice to see it coming along!

It's easy to get sucked in...now I'm looking at 380 grit paper and this bondo stuff for filling pin-holes.  It's ridiculous.  All the prep should be complete by this weekend.  I might even get a coat of primer laid down. 

What's ironic is that back in '88 I used to race against fz400s and at the time I lusted after one big time.

that's cool.  [thumbsup]

 [popcorn]

Looking forward to seeing the finished product.  [thumbsup]

 [popcorn]

Don't use bondo for pin holes-pick up some finish putty. Evercoat makes some good stuff.

Bondo makes a finish putty specifically for pin-holes I guess--that's the goop I was referring to.  I don't know if it's me or my technique, but my Bondo job has some pinholes in it.  I wanted to get the "finishing product" they recommend to solve the issue.  Very convenient for them..  [cheeky]

I hope you love the 748. I bet you will be a lot more comfortable on it than your old track bike. I still miss the 748 I sold before moving out here. :'(

damn i miss my 748... :(

I'm assuming the bike is ready to ride other than needing beautification.... [coffee]

It's got a newish motor in it.  Needs just routine maintenance stuff: tires & fluids...

Well if *$ is close enough she can just pretty it up and push it there to pose.


It'll help keep the value up.

Good luck with your project, Belle!   [thumbsup]

It should be a great track scoot.   [moto]

And by "'88", he means "A.D. 88"...

 :P

Damn straight. Also we got squeezed our gasoline straight from the dinosaur rather than this whole "drilling for fossil fuels" thing you kids today do.

Congrats on the new bike!  [thumbsup] Sadly, I could never get used to my 748 because it just never felt right. But to this day I still think that generation (916, 748s) are the most amazing looking bikes at. I often miss owning one just to look at it whenever I wanted to. Tamburini killed it on the design for sure.

Yesterday morning, at the crack of 11, was to be the end of paint prep.  One way or another it was going to be over.  It needed to be over.  Tigre and I got some sanding supplies, some pin-hole filler, a toilet seat for his apt. and down to work we sat--he on his plastics and me on mine. 

I walked through the door and the players awaited me. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0828_Duc748_0006.jpg)

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0828_Duc748_0007.jpg)

I was peppy and ready for a full day of bondo and 400 grit fun. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0828_Duc748_0010.jpg)

I focused my efforts first on the tail piece that had been crushed in the crash--the left side (as you sit on the back) took the brunt of it.  It took me three separate fiberglass sessions to piece it back together.  I'm pretty happy with the results.  I think once it's painted it's going to look like new. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0828_Duc748_0013.jpg)

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0828_Duc748_0012.jpg)

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0828_Duc748_0011.jpg)

Next came the nose piece.  While it needed a lot less fiberglass work, the "nostrils" on the lower left and right on these photos had been obliterated in the get-off.  It took several layers of Bondo and pulling from my sculpture class back in college to reconstruct them.  Here's a progress shot. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0828_Duc748_0014.jpg)

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0828_Duc748_0015.jpg)

A lot of sanding later...the nose is back--almost as good as new. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0828_Duc748_0017.jpg)

We worked pretty much straight through the day, with a lunch break, from 11 until 7.  Faaaaack...  I was cooked. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0828_Duc748_0016.jpg)

The good news is that prep is done!  Next comes a nice primer, and a clear coat for the tank.  The tank currently is sitting in my kitchen.  I'm trying to keep it from rusting since it's just bare metal right now.  I found a nice orange and a maroon/wine-stain color in Krylon yesterday.  Might get a can of both and do a little test patch on the plastics. 

Not sure how much I'm going to get done next week--mom-in-law is in town for the weekend.  Hope to put in a few hours after we get her on the plane on Sunday afternoon.

I like the 'bandido' look in the last pix

where are you working? looks like a 7-11 bathroom?

"I'm trying to keep it from rusting since it's just bare metal right now."



Get some etching primer and spray the tank. That will hold off the rust.

I'm in a friend's shop. 

Where the hell did you find a midget sized respirator? I've been looking for one for P.

Bite me, butthole.   [cheeky]  (Actually, I have to wear a cloth dust mask or a bandana underneath it to get it to fit right--Otherwise it's too big for my face.  I think if you drop a wad of dough on them you can get them in different sizes, but mine was a $30 jobbie I picked up at Ace a while back.  The cloth underneath helps keep my safety goggles from steaming up too.)

(http://a.imageshack.us/img340/4144/21nmiarjpg.gif)
This thread is relative to my interest.

Subbed.

I have paint in hand, a bunch of parts that I needed, and now if I can just get some time...

BTW, someone recommended that I try City Paints for my painting needs and...wow!  I'll let you know how it goes.  You can get automotive paint put into good spray cans.  It comes in any color of course.  I got a ton of tips and a few free goodies, too.  So far it seems to be about twice the cost of what I was planning on spending on Krylon. 

The paint color I chose is a really dark burgundy color.  Looks great with the tank--at least in the can. 

Life, per the usual, seems to be just a clown or two short of a three-ring circus these days.  Got the mother in-law dropped off at the airport; husband took off for the evening to work.  I have a head cold coming on and the toe I sliced up on Tuesday morning is still bleeding today.  Despite the pile of dirty dishes, the laundry beaconing me, the checks that need depositing so that I don't bounce my quarterly taxes payment to Uncle Sam, I managed to carved out a little time this afternoon to sit down and work on the Duc.

I wanted to fit up all the pieces, catalog the fasteners that I still needed and do any last adjustments prior to painting.  I have never seen this bike together and knew that I'd need a bit of time to figure it out.  Got the nose piece, snorkels and a few other bits on.  It's starting to look like a bike!

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0905bike0009.jpg)

I took breaks in between messing around with the plastics to clear coat the tank.  I gave it two good coats and will probably polish it down a little and give it another couple.  My garage gets pretty damp in the winter and I don't want it to rust. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0905bike0007.jpg)

So of course there are a couple of snags... The first is this thing.  This is the front fender and you're looking at the brake line coming across it.  There's a plastic clip that holds the line there that's supposed to be riveted into the fender.  The clip rests in the groove in the fender.  I was told that this is a hazard.  The brake line can rattle loose from the clip, get caught under the fender and rip apart.  The correct way to do this is to split it on either side of the fender and forget about the clip.  I can't tell if this has already been done by the previous owner.  I'm headed back to the shop with photos to ask.  I also have a number of Dzus fastener parts that I need and am hoping that they'll open up their pile of trashed plastics to me for a little pick-n-pull session.   

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0905bike0001.jpg)

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0905bike0003.jpg)

Snag #2: 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0905bike0010.jpg)

(You're looking at the right and left side panels and how they hit the belly pan--the whole thing is upside down.) Hrmmmm....why don't these look like mirror images of one another?  I was trying to fit up the new left panel I got from Sharkskinz and ran into some "weirdness" when I tried to figure out where to place the holes so that the left panel can fit with the belly pan.  The plastics on there now are Sharkskinz so, silly me, I just assumed everything should be 100% A-OK.  Wrong.  The belly pan is custom made I guess, and the right side panel has been modified/cut to accommodate it.  I will be cutting the left panel too apparently.  I'm hoping my Dremmel will do the job.  I made the necessary markings (in pencil, so they don't show up well) after measuring everything.  it was getting a little later in the evening, so I've hung it up for the night.

Despite all of the above, I find working on the 748 really rewarding and somewhat therapeutic.  I hope to get the fuel thingie back into the tank and locate all the fasteners that are currently MIA by the end of the week.  The plastics cutting will happen next weekend.  By this time next week my goal is to have a running bike with all parts required for a full assembly.  I'll sleep a lot better knowing that even if I don't get it all painted that I can at least ride it for my trackday on the 11th.

I'm pretty nervous about the cutting of the plastics because they're expensive.  I'm decent at this type of thing, and it's really just cosmetic, so I'm hoping for the best.  The bigger worry is getting the fuel doo-hickey [fuel injector?] back into the tank.  (No, I don't know what it is, but I know it needs to go back in there, and that's all I really need to know.)  There's a trick to it and one can mess up the process.  I was given some tips on doing it and am crossing my fingers that it all comes together and actually runs at the end.  Pulling it apart again would make me cry probably.  At least get a little misty...

There is a peg mounted to the front bottom of the tank, goes into the rubber grommet at the front of the 'airbox'.
The bolts that hold it onto the tank need to be loctited.
They can vibrate out, then fall into the horizontal cylinder throttle body.
That seldom ends well.....

Get a new O-ring for the fuel pump bulkhead that goes into the bottom of the tank.
They expand with fuel exposure, and thus are not reusable.DAMHIK.
A very light coating of grease on the o-ring and the tank opening will help with installation.
Get the bulkhead positioned, and install some longer screws to keep it aligned while you push it into position.
It's a firm controlled push to get the bulkhead in, watching to make sure you don't pinch the O-ring.

Thank you!  No one told me that until now. 


This second half I'm all ready for...taking it out was easy, but I was assuming that it would not go back in the same way, so I asked some questions in advance on it.  I had noticed some rubber o-ring thing come out when I disassembled the fuel tank stuff and guessed right that I'd need a new one.  I even have the extra long bolts in hand to get the bulkhead started and will be very, very careful using these.  I was told bad things can happen if I tighten them too hard. 

I'm printing out your post and putting it on the bike...it'll be a good reminder.   [thumbsup]

tres tres cool madame  [thumbsup]

Snag #3:

I had noticed on Sunday evening while messing around with the side panels that the tail piece didn't have any obvious way of connecting to the frame.  I dismissed it at that point, thinking that I was probably going to have to go back and make some new fiberglass tabs or something.  I didn't really think about it too much.

Enzo had the day off yesterday and I asked him to take look at it.  After spending a lot of time looking at photos online he came to the conclusion that I was missing some hardware--make that a lot of hardware--for it. 

In some cases throwing money at the problem doesn't do anything but empty your pocket book.  With Ducatis, however, bribing the Italian gods with a few greenbacks generally seems to get you somewhere.  $80 later, we have orders into Ebay and other various sites for a handful of inexplicably complicated and expensive bits that will hopefully allow me to actually fasten the tailpiece to the darned bike.

(http://gracethespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/duct-tape-3m.jpg)

That thought had crossed my mind...

I once dodged a tail section from a 900SS at about 100 mph on the back straight of T-hill.  Nearly severed my noggin.  If only that dude had duct taped the thing on, it woulda been fine. 

no worries ... your noggin could have been duct taped back on if that had actually happened.

With little to no ill-effects either.  ;D

I didn't think you were tall enough to see over the windscreen.

Today was going to be a big day.  I was going to put this (the fuel pump)

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0912etcbike0027.jpg)

in here

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0912etcbike0028.jpg)

And this was the result

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0912etcbike0031.jpg)

You're looking at a $30 gasket (in two pieces) that was the end result of the attempt.  I'm close...but I need a new gasket.  It's a semi-difficult thing to finesse and I found out why today.  Two steps forward; one step back.   I got the rest of the tank bits put on, so this is the last part.  A bit discouraging, but I'll get there.

M'boy stepped up and offered to do a little priming today and I took him up on the offer.  The primer is on and sanded.  I can see now that if I wanted to get really picky, that I'd go back and do a bit more finish work.  No time for that this go 'round, but next time I'll know and will schedule that in.  This part was really satisfying.  The photos hide a lot, but overall it looks decent. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0912etcbike0026.jpg)

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0912etcbike0024.jpg)

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0912etcbike0032.jpg)

Once I finished crying over the gasket, I set to work trying to fit up the non-Sharkskinz belly pan to the Sharkskinz side fairings.  I had to cut the one that I ordered and was not looking forward to taking a $30 Dremmel to a $200+ fairing...It actually went quickly and smoothly.  I was done in less than 10 minutes, including the sanding.  I had gotten the top holes drilled the other night and had bought a few fasteners during the week so that I could put the thing together.  I found out that there are long Dzus fasteners and short ones.  I needed a combination of the two.  WTF? 

This is the newly cut panel in place!

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0912etcbike0036.jpg)

I wedged one of my new tires (finally am making the move to DOT race tires) under the belly pan with a chunk of wood to hold it in place.  Hopefully the new rubber performs as well on the bike as it did today under it.  If you need a good shim, I highly recommend a Bridgestone 003.

And I did indeed get the belly pan worked on there.  It's not perfect, but it's not bad.  I'll probably adjust the location of one of the holes in the left fairing next time I need to do body work (aka, when/if I crash).  But for now, it'll do.  This was the last picture I took today...I forgot to take one without the tire beneath it.  The red that I'm using is going to be darker and more maroon than the primer, but this gives a close approximation. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0912etcbike0034.jpg)

I got all the fasteners I needed to get the tail put back together except for a spring (not necessary)...until I realized that the latch cable I bought has gone missing.  Somewhere between here and the hardware store.  If you see a long wirey thing with a nub on the end, it's probably supposed to go on my bike.  Ebay got another $30 from me for the darned missing latch cable.  Hopefully that comes soon so that I can work on it a little during the week.  I'm headed for a quick weekend ride through the mountains for a couple of days before the cold sets in.

 [popcorn]

I had done a little two day ride down South over the weekend and came back exhausted.  But I wanted to make a little progress on the 748 before I called it a night.  Tossed the laundry in the washer, made some Ramen, and headed into the garage to get that damned O-ring in place before I'd allow myself to watch the GP race...

I'd mentioned to the shop that I was a little stuck on how to get this o-ring on and after they stopped laughing at me they gave me a hint.  Actually, they gave me a hint and some bolts.  The one on the left is what actually holds the fuel pump in place.  The longer one is what the shop gave me.  They said to use the longer bolt to get the pump started in, and as soon as you can get the stock bolts on there to do so. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0919etcbike0001.jpg)

They warned me not to screw the longer bolts in too far or I'd damage the tank.  I took the warning and marked the longer bolts with a marker with the stock length.

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0919etcbike0002.jpg)

I had greased the o-ring after I put it on and gently tightened all three bolts down at the same rate.  The O-ring went in and disappeared from view.  I then backed out the longer bolts and put in the stock bolts.  Seems to have worked! I need to grab some gas and test out the new o-ring this weekend before I install the tank back on the bike. 

I've epoxied the new bracket housings into the tailpiece and I picked up a few Dzus fasteners that I needed.  It's progress...just a little, but progress nonetheless.  I plan on making a big push this weekend to finalize getting all the bodywork fitted up and the first coat of paint on.

 [popcorn]

Looking good.

Yes, definitely a good idea to test with gas before putting on the bike.

Also to do this test before you get to the track.

Don't ask me how I know.

I'll be stoked if the tank actually holds gas and everything works once it's all back together.  None of it seemed all that hard, which is why I'm expecting the worst. 

I noticed that the clear coat I applied to the tank is not on there very well.  The slightest ding or tap makes it flake off.  So I might be redoing that part again over the winter, but it won't be tough to strip it off and try another kind of clear coat.  I don't know why it didn't work better.  I used Rustoleum and that's what the paint shop recommended.  They said that that's the only clear coat that sticks to bare metal.  I'm guessing the prep wasn't great. 

+1, all four lines.

I wouldn't recommend spilling gas on your new paint.

Testing the tank off the bike.  If it holds then I'll put it on the bike, sans fairings.  I'd like to get it running and take it for a spin around the block before I finish the painting.  I hope to get the seat on, adjust the bars, get the grips on, install the new plugs, etc. this weekend. 

Ahem.... self etching primer.

^^^ what does that mean?

Just like you sand a surface to enhance adhesion, there are primers that chemically etch the surface finish to promote good adhesion. They work like a charm, but if you're looking at retaining a polished metal tank... I've never seen clear self etching primer. Then again I never looked either.

^^^^ What he said.

Ha, found something that will help. Talked to a buddy of mine that paints a fair amount and he suggested HOK Adherto http://www.houseofkolor.com/products/specialty.jsp. (http://www.houseofkolor.com/products/specialty.jsp.)

It's a clear adhesion promoter that works on bare metal and can be shot with a quality clear. Also, go with three or four coats of clear. More sealing is better when you're clearing bare metal.

ALSO!!! Surface prep is EVERYTHING with painting bare metal. Use a prep spray and lint free everything to make sure you get rid of any trace of fuel, oil, Dorito grease, and general filth.

Thanks!

Saturday**************I had cleared pretty much the entire weekend so that I could focus on the 748.  No rides, no farting around, no procrastinating... time is running thin, as are my hard liquor stores as a result of me thinking about the state of the bike and the upcoming trackday.

I got up bright and early, slammed some eggs and toast and set up my state of the art motorcycle finishing studio...

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0926748progress0018.jpg)

The M&M's are key to any good workday, as is the transistor radio.  Country was on today with a smattering of KALX whenever they played Shania Twain.

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0926748progress0020.jpg)

The plastics were nearly all primed and some of them had been sanded.  I finished up the last of the pieces needing primer and went over them with dry 400 grit paper.  I then used a prep cloth that I'd picked up from the paint shop to degrease and remove lint and dust and shot the first coats of color.  The cans didn't come with instructions and the shop didn't tell me how to apply it, so I did three coats and waited five minutes between each application.  (That was how the primer directions were, so I figured they'd work with the paint.)  I didn't sand between coats. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0926748progress0001.jpg)

The color came out well, and I was really glad that I'd taken the time to sand down the primer coat.  The primer is absolutely essential--there were a couple of spots where I'd accidentally sanded through it and the paint didn't want to cover it very well.  My approach was to paint the edges and high points first, wait five minutes, give everything a once over, and then repeat that three times.  Can't tell you how nice these can are--really even application, good coverage--1000X better than Krylon!  Double the cost, but well worth it. 

I was thinking that the color coat would be shinier and more durable than it was.  Secretly I was hoping I might be able to cop out and be done after doing the color.  However, I discovered that this pro paint scratched easily and some of the color would rub off with a towel.  It obviously needed a clear coat, and I was really nervous about doing this.  I've never had good luck with clear coat. 

After I did the color coat, I sanded everything down with a 600 grit.  I needed to do that wet for some reason.  The paint would ball up on the paper in a second if it wasn't pretty wet.  I formed a little assembly line sanding, touching up with color, and sanding again a little.  Sanding with the finer grits was becoming faster and easier.  I was finally ready for the clear coat. 

I took the smallest piece of the bunch and experimented on it.  ZOMG...it doesn't look like sh!t!!!!   

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0926748progress0002.jpg)

This was a first for me, and a good shot of confidence.  The professional clear coat stuff I bought went on like butter.  I might actually be able to do this.  I was still a bit disappointed that there was visible orange peel texture after all that friggen sanding, but was hoping to be able to fix that. 

The last thing I wanted to do was to fill the tank with a bit of gas to make sure that the new seal I'd installed actually worked.  I did that and left it, crossing my fingers for the best.  And so ended Saturday. 

Sunday************

I busted open a pack of M&M's and another of 1500 grit sand paper.  I had checked the gas tank and not only had it not spontaneously combusted--it actually held gas.  Awesomeness...so now I needed to figure out how to smooth out the clear coat a bit that I'd sprayed yesterday.  I took the small piece from last night and dry sanded it.  OK, that sucked.  It looked like ass.  So I wet-sanded it.  Still assy.  And then I took polishing compound to it.  Mother of god...it got shiny and looked like, well, a finished paint job.  I put three coats of wax on it, buffed it, and viola.  I was in business.  I slapped that on the bike, and was now ready to reassemble the tank.   

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0926748progress0004.jpg)

In between putting back all the stuff that I'd forgotten I'd taken off the bike (Where does this fastener go?  Uh...why do I have an extra gasket?)   I clear-coated some more pieces of the body work.  Once again there were no instructions.  I did, however, remember to ask at the shop how to apply the stuff when I was buying it.  They said one light coat and another medium-heavy.  I didn't get time frames or know exactly what "medium-heavy" was supposed to be.  I waited five minutes between the first light coat--I figured this helped to seal the color coat--and the medium-heavy coat.  I applied the medium-heavy coat until I saw the paint start to "melt together".  That's when I stopped.  If I kept going it would run a little.  If I did too light a coat, it would just look all "misty". 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0926748progress0013.jpg)

The larger pieces were a challenge, and I foresee many hours of polishing sprinkled with ample cursing in my future.  Once again...a sneak peak into the state of the art facility: Amongst the piles of crap and carefully balanced in the dingy corners are my plastics.  Everything has a clear coat and I can probably knock a lot of that out during the week.  (Please don't hold me to that.) 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0926748progress0021.jpg)

And between clear coats new brake lines got installed (courtesy Enzo76) to replace the stock one that can apparently get caught on the front fender and rip out.  OOOOooo shiny. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0926748progress0023.jpg)

And all the little pieces that I've slowly been gathering to reassemble the tail sections are finding a home on the bike.  The latch is now installed, thanks again to Enzo, who was taking a few minutes to tinker on my bike while he got his ready for track, too. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0926748progress0005.jpg)

The tank is now completely assembled and--no kidding--the bike runs.  It didn't blow up either.  (I figure it's waiting for me to take it around the block after it's all painted to blow up.)  And, yes, those are new tires.  MichaelMoore picked them up at a trackday, and since he borrowed my truck to go to the track, they got delivered right to my house with the return of the pick-up. :thumbup

So at the end of the weekend, the bike runs but the seat isn't attached quite yet--waiting for paint to dry.  I have new grips, new tires, new brake lines, all the fluids are in good shape, and I have new spark plugs.  I need to sand/polish all the bodywork and finish attaching the seat.  I've spent quite a bit of time during the weekday evenings cleaning and checking little things out.  I had a few minutes to kill waiting for coats to dry and even scraped all the old wheel weight goop off the rear tire (discovered my weights weren't taped back there, so I did that).  It looks so good that I have to do the front wheel now too.  :rolleyes

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0926748progress0026x.jpg)

I'm a little ahead of where I planned to be--does that *ever* happen?  Next weekend I'll take the bike around the block and see how she purrs.  I'll have enough time to apply a few decals, maybe get some numbers on her, and spend an hour huffing Goo to remove the old wheel weight crud off the front wheel.  (Still waiting for something to blow up.)

Looks good from here.  [thumbsup] My paint jobs always look good from a few feet away but don't look too closely at them.
Now I see that this fixation with fire you have, it must stem from your mother.

Anyway You have given me a great sense of accomplishment, and all I had to do was look at the pictures, throw in my 2 cents, and look, all done with no paint in my lungs! That was so easy I'm going to send you my gas tank and have you pull the dent out and paint it.  ;D

Bike is looking good.

Take the brake calipers off and reattach after routing the line around the OUTSIDE of the forkleg.  That is how you make it mechanically impossible to get caught with the wheel.

...ask him how he knows.

I dunno where you got those brake lines from (and their length looks fine), but do a quick test to be sure. Completely unload the suspension and make sure there is still slack in the lines.  The last thing you want is to come over a crest and have your brake lines pop off. 

Preferably, after re-routing as Tigre suggested.

Roger that. 

Got them from Desmoto.  They had to be ordered to custom length.  I didn't understand why, but it makes more sense now.

Painting is finished.  And it turned out...pretty awesome...if I do say so myself. :p  For not having a friggen clue what I'm doing, I'm shocked at the results.  I'm letting the remainder of the bodywork cure right now.  Pictures of a fully assembled bike coming soon.  <drumroll...>

Tomorrow I'm taking it out for a test spin after I put on the tank grip.  The seat was installed (finally!) and the brake lines re-routed.  Everything is 100% go.  I'll snap a photo tomorrow on "the ride" which will constitute a 10 minute jaunt around the 'hood just so I can make sure nothing is totally fux0red before I hit the track in 9 days.

I took a ride on the bicycle this morning and couldn't stop thinking about the 748 the entire time.  Today I was finally going to ride it.  It was just a little ride around the block, but it was big for me.  I'd never been on it with the seat on.  I didn't know what the clutch felt like.  There were a million new things that I was going to have to adjust to within 3 seconds, and I was admittedly nervous about it. 

I got home and didn't even take my spandex off.  I tossed the 'Stich over the top of it so that I didn't lose my momentum and started to wheel it out of the garage.  The husband made a good call about starting it up in the garage first--we live on a short steep hill, and pushing bikes up it ain't fun.  So I tried to start it up.  The battery had died during its time on the stand, so we plugged it into the tender for 10 minutes while we sat around staring at it.  It started up after bit and I headed for daylight with it. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_1003work-bike0034.jpg)

I left the side fairings and bellypan off of it for now.  Glad I did.  The bike is really tall for me.  I can get a foot down if I hang half my butt off the seat.  That makes for an interesting descent down our drive. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_1003work-bike0037.jpg)

I love the bike naked, but the right thing to do is to have a belly pan on the track, and I can't have that without the side fairings.  For now, it looks like this. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_1003work-bike0038.jpg)

And off I go! 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_1003work-bike0041.jpg)

And here I come back.  Granddad (former pilot) used to say that landings should equal take-offs.  I'm one for one. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_1003work-bike0040.jpg)

The bike felt a lot stiffer at the bars than what I'm used to, so on that front I was a little disappointed.  My Monster handles in a very unique way, with a steep rake on the forks and really wide bars.  Most sportbikes feel odd to me, so I think this is fairly normal.  I noticed as soon as I just rested against the tank and let my arms go loose that everything seemed easier and smoother.  I'm looking forward to getting this out on track.  City riding is not what this bike is meant for. 

In addition to the handling the tallness of the bike is an issue.  Later on I might raise it back up, but for the moment I think that I'm going to lower it.  The bike doesn't have a kickstand and I'm not super-comfortable maneuvering it around at low speed with it.  Not knowing jack about suspension or geometry, I'm going to take it into the shop and have a cursory set up done, as I don't know if this service will be available at my trackday.  I bought the bike from a guy who's not huge, but I could probably use a little suspension tweaking anyways. 

Have put in a request to a BARFer about a few simple decals.  I like the austere look of the bike as it is and don't want to muck that up with stickers.  I've peeled all the stickers off the exhausts, windscreen, etc. to clean things up.

so when is the photo shoot of everything back together?
 great job the bike looks very sharp!  [thumbsup]
love it ;D

Soon!  I'd like to see if anyone with a good camera and some talent is interested in doing a shoot with me.   ;D

id be happy to volunteer but my best camera is attached to my cell phone and talent is well ummm... non existent at best.

No worries...I'll see what pans out.  I'd like to truck the bike somewhere interesting and spend an hour flicking away.   

personally i would think that a snowy background would be cool, i always thought that darker bikes looked better with white or grey backgrounds behind them while lighter color bikes look good with dark blues, greens or fresh asphalt black behind them. oh well. cant wait to see what you come up with.   [popcorn]

i would lay even money that either wayne or sig. moore would take some cool and groovy snapshots of you/the bike.

The bike is really shiny and clean right now and I actually think it's going to start to look a little better as it "weathers".  It would be fun to get a shot of it right after the painting though.  I've met Wayne but don't know him well enough to ask him.  If MM wants to do it that'd be cool too.  I'm trying to track down interesting stickers for numbers right now.  That's the finishing touch. 

Don't lower it.  It's a track bike.  It's not like there is a lot of stop-n-go at the track, and you'll want the height (and the geometry) for when you're riding.  If you have problems mounting up, get someone to hold the bike for you.  

Ride it the way it was designed.

Or wear heels.

I lowered the 400 initially, too, and then raised it back up.  It's just a confidence thing.  I feel weird not being able to hold it up well.  Let me get a feel for it and then I'll tweak it back up again.  I doubt Dave Moss is going to be around this trackday, but I'm thinking about signing up for another before the weather goes really sour and spending some dosh to have him futz with the suspension all day.  I have an appt. with Desmoto to do a really basic suspension set-up and lowering of the bike for Friday morning. 

+1

If you get the suspension set up for your weight, I bet you'll get a bit of lowering from that.

Good plan to get the suspension done beforehand.
It'd be ideal to have the same person at the track as well....

Well, we could just have 'belle stand behind her bike for the white background.




Nice paint, noob.

Desmoto is doing the suspension so they won't be at Buttonwillow to follow up, but I might consider going back to them to give it another go 'round.  That's sort of a pain and expensive compared to going out to a day with Dave Moss present and paying the guy in cheeseburgers to work his magic.  La Ducati Day might also be a consideration, but that's a long line and I have to truck the bike in. 


I could use a little tanning, but I'm not keen on being in the photos with the bike.  The stuff I have in mind would be more abstract anyway, and it wouldn't require my face to be in them. 

It's done.

Picked up the last of the little parts I needed today.  I even have the decals on.  There's a couple of little things, like putting a coat or two of wax on the side fairings, putting on the tank grip... I put on Granddad's "white 9" on the front tonight.  That felt really good. 

(photos coming Friday--that's the first chance I'll get at something in the sun...)  [moto]

Yea!  Anxiously waiting to see pics. [thumbsup]

 [thumbsup]

Congrats. It's been fun watching get it back in order. I'm sure you're going to have a blast at the track.

Well anyways, here she is.  I jokingly call her The White-9 Flyer, after my granddad. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_1008finished0003.jpg)

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_1008finished0002.jpg)

I can't believe how much learned by taking on the little I did.  There is still boatloads more to learn and I'm taking on small bits as my comfort level comes up.  Today was the second day I've loaded a bike on my own and the first time I loaded this one.  I put my Lady Speedstick to the test doing that.  I keep having to remind myself that it's just a trackbike.  Onto the next project...I've got a few things around the house that need attention over the winter.  I've always got "a project."  Once in a while, I finish one.  :)

For reference, this is what it looked like when I bought it and shortly after fiberglass repair had begun:

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_01137480109.jpg)

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748%20fix-up/2010_0828_Duc748_0007.jpg)

muy excellente.  you must be way proud.  that's going to put a smile on your face for certain.

Very nice!!!!!!!!!!!  [clap]

Thanks, guys.  Yeah, I'm pretty happy with the results.  The rattle-can isn't nearly as durable as the factory finish.  The clear coat scratches very easily also.  The bodywork reconstruction was a little rough.  There's definitely a laundry list of things that I could do better and more efficiently the next time around.  But...it was exciting to see this come together in a somewhat decent way that made me feel as if my efforts over the past 8 weeks have paid off. 

Looks good.  Always feels awesome when a project comes together.   [thumbsup]

You have any more pics of the tank?  I'm really interested to see how that turned out.  I've been thinkin' about it since you first mentioned doin' it months ago. 

Have a good time at the trackday.   [moto]

Thanks!

The tank, honestly, looks better from a distance than up close.  The clear coat isn't working out at all and it's just a matter of time before I'll need to do something about it.  The stripping of the paint was a good idea, but I needed to use that self-etching stuff to clear coat it with that I didn't know about until after the fact.  The process of removing the paint is remarkably easy and fairly cheap though.  Soda blasting--strips the paint, but nothing else.  I guess it's selective about what it removes, so it's great for this application.  The guy who did the soda blasting on my tank said that the factory finish on my tank was really hard and had to take an angle grinder to loosen the paint up.  That left some marks, so I was a little bummed about that.  The tank wasn't pristine to begin with, so it worked out.  If you want to give it a go, I'd tell you to try it.  You can play with the bare metal or do some kind of anodizing perhaps?? I'm going to say that I might end up doing a clear anodized finish on this in the future depending on how fast the rust sets in.  

edit:  I'll try to get better photos of the problem areas that are already starting for you. 

 [thumbsup] [clap]
That's pretty cool and awesome.  I admire people that can do things I cannot.  And I admire a lot of people. ;D

Nice job! [thumbsup]

Gracias... got a lot of great input here and on BARF.  I know how we all feel about "the other board" but, really, they gave some great tips.  I got the soda blasting done, the paint source, painting tips, etc. over there.  Over here I got more mechanical feedback, which was awesome, because that stuff is really more important than the cosmetics.  Desmoto was uber-helpful with a number of items and I can't forget Enzo.  He volunteered several hours to the project which made a big difference in the end.  Right now I have a 100% complete project sitting in the back of my truck, waiting for nothing but gas, and I still have two full days before my trackday.  Those hours he put in means that I get to relax for two whole days now. 

When/if I do another project like this I'm definitely going to post up again.  The feedback I got was great and it felt like I had a crew helping me out with it and cheering me on.   [thumbsup]

One or two folks on the BARF end want my trackday impressions, so I'll post that up here, too.  If I hate the bike, then Enzo's getting it and I'll pick up something else and fix it up.  Or maybe I'll just take his R6 and call it a day.   [cheeky]

Acetone should make short work of that clearcoat.

Glad you're stoked on how it turned out, enjoy it!  [beer]

Yep--I paint my nails every week so I actually figured that one out on my own.  And thanks! 

I sure hope she hates it...

Nice Job.

I went through the same thing when i first got my 250. Drank a lot of rum and coke and many late nights sanding, bondo, fiberglass, paint. I will never do that for a track bike again. Also i wasn't looking for the quality of results you got. If you dont think your fast, at least you will look good. Make it easier for the photags.

did any of the bondo, fiberglass and paint actually make it onto the bike?

yes, but now most of it is in T-3,T-14 at T-hill, T-2 at Sears point, and the rest on Spidey's left leg and arm.

Go pull one of the fork seals out and futz with the rear spring.  ;)

Sweeeeet. Been following this, way to go 'Belle, as everyone said, AWESOME!  [thumbsup]

Beautiful work Header, congratulations..!!

When people ask, "Do you ride at the track?" I generally respond with a "Yes."  That, I feel, is a bit misleading...Because what I have been doing is showing up at the track, riding for about five minutes, and then sulking with my nose in a book the rest of the day.  That, unfortunately, describes Monday as well.  

I showed up yesterday morning with the biggest set of butterflies that I've had in my gut in a long time.  I fidgeted through the riders' meeting and was sweating just putting my gear on.  The bike is still very tall for me, but there was a small indent in the pavement for drainage, and I'd park the bike in that and hop on, using the depression in my favor.  I wobbled out like a first timer at MSF to join my group in line to ride.  

I expected the first lap or two to be sighting laps lead by instructors, as I was in the C group, but it turned out that the entire first session was all sighting laps.  I was a little disappointed that I wasn't even able to warm up my tires, but relieved that the slow pace was allowing me to get to know a brand new track and get used to the bike.  I maybe hit second gear and was already noticing that there seemed to be a nice flow to it.  I was going to enjoy getting to know this little ribbon of pavement...

The bike was feeling OK.  I could tell that it handled way better even at this speed than it had tooling around the block at my house, and I was excited to open it up a little.  I had noticed a bit of rough running towards the end of my first session, but thought maybe it was just a booger working its way loose through the system.  The bike smoothed out and I kept riding.  The checkered flag came out and I went in.  

Second session comes up and it starts with a sighting lap and then a standing yellow.  I was stuck behind a really slow person, so I just chilled.  The bike felt fine and I was momentarily relieved that whatever had seemed to be ailing it earlier was gone.  I came down the front straight and saw a green flag.  The yellow was gone, so I decided to see what my right wrist felt like doing.  I cranked it opened and the bike came to life.  I dropped anchor big time for the first set of turns to focus on hitting every apex and try to find some braking markers.  I was slow, but smooth.  

I came out of the first couple of turns and head toward the turn-worker's station and the bike seems to want to run roughly again.  I eased way up again for the corner and gave it some serious gas upon exiting, and that's when the bike decided that our day was over.  It coughed, sputtered and backfired like a prissy thoroughbred.  I totally backed of the throttle, eased over to the side of the track and threw a hand up.  Crossing my fingers that maybe this was one last whatever coming out of the system I gently eased back on the throttle.  Uh-uh.  No-go.  The bike technically ran, but barely.  I limped it back into the paddock and started removing the plastics to see what might be going on.  

I checked all the connections, hoses, everything...and I actually found that one of my coils was barely attached to the bike.  It was secure to all of its connections, but it wasn't attached all that well.  Looks like a nut had fallen off.  I found a frayed wire to one of the pick-ups, too--looked new--but there was some weird little wires coming out.  There was about a half a thimble full of gas that had leaked from one of the connections at the tank.  I called my mechanic and was told that while these things might be the cause, they didn't seem like obvious answers to my problem.  I asked if it was bad gas--I was using pump 92, but decided to try 100 like the previous owner used. Nothing I tried made a difference.  To add insult to injury my ingenious seat attachment solution had failed me, too.  

I let the bike cool down and tried playing with it in the paddock a couple hours later.  When I started it up, it seemed like maybe something I had fiddled with had made a difference.  It idled well and it seemed to run pretty smoothly.  Then, as it warmed up, it started sounding crappy again.  Defeated and frustrated I put the tank back on, and ended up cross-threading the bolt.  Grrrrrreat.  Just freakin' grrrrreat.  What a noob mistake.  Guess I was pumping a little too much adrenaline and didn't realize that I was forcing the bolt in.  Ugh.  

I crawled into a chair in the corner of the garage and began the sulking.  A few hours later I felt no better.  In fact, I felt worse.  A lot worse.  "What was wrong?"  "How much is this going to cost?"  "Why in God's name did I ever buy another Ducati?"  "Am I ever going to actually ride at another trackday?"  These were all things going through my mind...over and over and over.  Enzo was having a great day, but I think he was finding it difficult to pull into the garage only to see me give him "the look."  There had been a bunch of red flags during the day and he had decided to call it quits after the last one took a long time and resulted in our paddock-mate across the way needing a ride to the emergency room.  We loaded up the bikes and started the long drive home.  

So today I stopped by the shop to ask a few questions.  The good news is that according to him, "It seems like a simple problem."  I was given a few electrical things to test and am hoping that something is revealed.  The culprit of the moment, after my description of what happened, is some sort of thermostat thing.  So I'm checking that and am going to try to reproduce the problem.  I'm also going to take the bike into the Dyno, even if I pin down the problem on my own, just to make sure.  

Looks like I have at least a few hours' work ahead of me--again.  Fixing the seat, checking the gas leak, attaching the loose bits...in addition to doing some electrical tests that I've never done before with a gadget I've never used before.  It didn't seem that hard when it was described to me, and electrical stuff has not usually left me too baffled.    

Part of any hobby is learning to fix stuff associated with that hobby.  So... naturally I had a good workout tonight and tried not to think about the bike at all.   [cheeky]  I didn't even look at it as I rolled into the garage.  I'll try to clear some time tomorrow evening to dig into it.  

Belle,

You came a LONG way in a short time.  Be proud of what you've done thus far.  It's likely something stupid and small.  Bike runs, you didn't crash and it's still purdy.  ;D

Your friend --Stu

Thanks, everyone, for the compliments...and Stu for the words of encouragement.  I'll keep at it.  If nothing else I can roll it into the living room and throw out the TV.  I like looking at the bike better anyways.   ;D

most excellent (spidey's leg and arm ... not infinion track surface)

absolutely ... mazel tov!!!

Okaaayy....So here was my list for today.

Test/check/think about the following:


1.  Kinked fuel hose--I think not, but check.
2.  Bad valve at hose connection at tank where it was leaking?  Get new one?
3. Messed up ECU?  Consider aftermarket one.  Figure out how to test.
4. Bad battery?  Test voltage output under load.  Consider buying new battery (sealed) or swap with Monster battery. Might be affecting alternator and/or rectifier.  Figure out how to test.  Check connections to both alt and rect.  
5. Fuel pump jacked?  Borrow one and install if problem persists and above checks out.  
6.  Replace fuel filter?  
7. Check headers when bike has been running hard for a while--IF it will run hard.  Headers should not be glowing.  Might be running lean??  Coord. w/ Ev on following in truck before he leaves town.
8.  Re-attach loose coil and check it.  
9.  Look at frayed wire--think it's OK.
10.  Re-tap cross-threaded tank bolt housing.
11. Check voltage on ignition pick-up and temp. gauge.  Temp gauge should read 2.7 K-ohms--check for short.  P/U should be 93 K-ohms and check for short.  
12.  Fix effing seat attachment, stupid.
13.  Why does bike backfire, stall at low rpm after exhibiting problem at speed?

Well here are the results...

The bike ran like crap this morning when it was cold and continued to run like crap when it was hot.  A bunch of connections were tested and nothing really screamed, "It's me!  It's me!"  The pick-up's tolerances were too close, but we put it back on and moved on.  One thing that was a bit odd was that the bike ran with the temperature sensor off.  Anyways...

We tried swapping out ECU's and chips and that actually helped!  So we kept on the new ECU and swapped the chip and that helped too!  So then we tried the old ECU with the new chip and, uh, that fixed it as well... And then we tried the old ECU and the old chip and the problem was gone.  Uh....OK.  So maybe the ECU wasn't plugged in right? 

Then we tested the pick-up again and found a short.  The short only occurs when the bike is hot.  It didn't show up when the bike was cold. 

So there's no definitive answer just yet.  We're not sure why the bike's issue resolved itself after we fiddled with the ECU and chip.  We have to order a new pick-up and try running the tests again.  I'm going to put the bike on the dyno this time and try to see if we can get it to mess up.  If I can get any time I'd like to try another trackday (close by this time) and take a different ECU with me.

Good to hear you're making some progress getting it sorted.

Replace the fuel connectors with metal ones.
They're a bit pricey, but the plastic ones will eventually fail.

I feel a lot better about everything now. 

picking the plastic bits out of the flange is the suck..... this I know ;)

What about Thill nov 7th and/or 8th? I'll be there and it'll be good see some familiar faces  ;D  Hopefully, it won't rain!


Awesome job dealing with all the technical difficulties with such a positive attitude. I bet the bike will be so sweet on the track once it's running right!!

+1, you're doing great.  Huge undertaking.

I'd love to do the early November weekend, but I promised to go hiking and I'm not sure the 1198GRRR will be ready by then.

If you're game for the cheap Buttonwillow November 15 day, I should be a go for that one.

BTW: congrats on making the bike look so good.  It really was impressive to see it in person after your paintwork.  Sorry about the running problems.  It comes with the territory of riding a duck at the track.  I've been dealing for several painful years.  The upside is that when it runs correctly, there's nothing else like it.  Hang in there!

Thanks!  I've been busy and keep forgetting to call about whether the part is in and the dyno has been run. 

The above translates to:  ...blah, blah, blah... My priorities are all out of whack.




 ;)

I know, I know...  [laugh]  I'll get to it!   [cheeky]

Been nearly a week Belle...


Now you're a slacker with out of whack priorities...  ;D

I called...part is still on order.  I'M not the slacker!

Update: 

I finally had some time and dropped by the shop today.  They had run it on the dyno and the problem that it had at the track appears to be fixed, with one caveat:  There's a little hiccup around 5K-6K where it runs lean...really lean.  So, a Power Commander is being donated to the cause to see if this fixes the issue. 

In the meanwhile I think I want to shave the seat down.  I've got some time after the holidays and I'd like to give this a go and see if I can't raise the bike back up a snit as a result. 

Don't.  It's a track bike.  You want to be able to move back and forth on the seat, not be stuck inside a scooped-out version of it.  Save your corcerns about flat-footing for a streetbike. 

take this advice from one who is 5'2" in heels  [roll]

And that's in my 6" stillettos. 

<doin' the sex-aaaaay dance>

Ohhhhhh-kaaaaaay.... well, work has kept me busy, but the bike is technically done.  I got it dyno-tuned and had them make a nice seat bracket.  The seat falling off shouldn't be an issue anymore--which is important I hear.  I'm very excited about the dyno-tuning.  Never had that done on a bike and it sounds like it was really successful.  I'll pick up the graph and post it when I get the bike home which should be sometime in the next week or two.  I'm headed out of town immediately after a big deadline for work, so I might not see her it 2011.  Looking forward to trying it out--might have to do a few laps around the 'hood just to get a feel for it.

Dammit, I had $5 on "bike blows up on dyno"

I can't remember, did you go with a powercommander / tunable ECU or not?

Regardless, I'm going to predict about... 105HP.

I bet it didn't break 100HP, unless the motor's over 800cc now...

It's an 853 with a power commander.  Should we start a pool?

I forgot to ask what the HP read as, but it started out on their dyno at about 90 hp.  Scott said that he could get a few more out of it, but I'd guess it doesn't break 96. 

The torque output tells a large part of the story. Those are the numbers I look at.

Torque is in the low 50's.  Nothing to write home to mom about, but enough to have fun with.  I don't particularly give a rip what the engine can do, because it's still me riding it.  I could be on Rossi's bike and my laptimes would still suck.  As long as it's smooth, I'm happy. 

Keep in mind the dyno at Desmoto (Double Dog's dyno, actually) is an inertial dyno, so the numbers will read ~10-15% lower than a "standard" dynojet style dynamometer.

Desmoto told me that there's a huge +/- with any dyno numbers, but yes, theirs reads lower than a dynojet.  I'm really just looking at the curve and where the changes happen in relationship to the numbers.  The numbers themselves aren't that critical. 

agreed... numbers are generally not comparable from one dyno to another.  I saw the discussion about the pool for whether it will crack 96hp and thought I'd call that out.

Good point.  My guess was premised on an earlier run on that same dyno. 

ok.  yep.

I'm curious where my monster netted out on their dyno.  I was so overjoyed by how smooth it was that I forgot to ask!

I thought you were tossin' out numbers all over the place.  Now that I know that you don't have it on paper, I'm going to tell everyone that heap of junk ran at 35 hp. 

If we're getting into numbers envy, please keep in mind I've got an 1198R* with kit cams + velocity stacks, ported heads, and several drums of MR-12 waiting to get mapped.

*true... it started as an "S", but when I replaced the complete heads (including cams/valves), rods, crank, and swapped the rear shock for a TTX, it became an "R"...

You're too easy.   [laugh]

Thats cool n all but its still painted like a tiger.  [roll]

Good point -- it's an 1198GRRR

Well I haven't heard any updates lately, when does the gold plating, titanium replacing, carbon fiber adding start?

In other words when do you start replacing perfectly good stuff with slightly better more expensive stuff? 

Yeah....my budget doesn't exactly support the stereotypical Ducati attitude.   [cheeky]

Yeah I know.



_{Neither does mine.}

I finally got my hind end over to the shop to pick up my dyno run.  Came about just about where I expected.  This isn't on a DynoJet Dyno...It's on a "SuperFlow" or something like that.  Not sure what that dip is at 5100, but I was told that it was a lot worse before.  I need to ask about that, but I guess we'll see at the track what it does.  I'm scheduling something for this spring--probably late April. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748/748run.jpg)

Well I see that you are making about 50 on the tourqe pretty much all across the range. Compare that with this chart of some 600's  and their peak tourqe of 49. Your HP is a result of faster engine rpm, and the resulting measurement showing an increase in work getting done.
I'm not going to do the graph, but if you could spin to 13,000 RPM you would get a higher HP number like the 600's.

http://www.sportrider.com/dyno/146_sportbike_dyno_charts/photo_89.html (http://www.sportrider.com/dyno/146_sportbike_dyno_charts/photo_89.html)

Getting that bump figured out would help in slow corners.

In light of it being a 'big' motor, it should do a bit better on the torque, but...comparing numbers across dynos is pretty useless.

Regarding the dip at 5k rpm:

Some info here:
http://www.bikeboy.org/748strada.html (http://www.bikeboy.org/748strada.html)

More here:
http://www.bikeboy.org/45_50crossover.html (http://www.bikeboy.org/45_50crossover.html)

Right. The numbers could be plus or minus from dyno to dyno, but look at the curve on the 600 chart vs the nice steady spread of the 748. That was pretty much my point. Nice, steady, across the board, tourqe curves kick butt.

 [popcorn]

You should find an 848 engine and put it in there..
 [popcorn]

At that point, just go find an 848 for fek sakes.
Ya just proved you could build one from scratch with some glue, pasta, and iron filings. Your done. Go ride.  [clap]

Yeah, but I could probably afford just the engine from an 848...can't really swing the whole bike. 

Well, I finally got 'er out there.  I took the newly tuned machine to T-hill on Easter Sunday.  I have a small laundry list of items to fix but basically it's there. 

I noticed that "flat spot" that shows up on the dyno on the track and am hoping to alleviate that a little with some better gearing.  The gearing is stock, and therefore really tall.  It was difficult to cruise through the pits doing anything less than 25 without yanking the clutch in.  The flat spot seems to show up at around 8K--there's nice pull on either side of that.  I'm not sure if that can be tuned out, but I'm guessing not.  I'm spoiled with my old Monster--that thing is so smooth.  Wish the 748 were like that. 

A near-fiasco after the 2nd session nearly ended my day.  Just as I was about to head out, my husband noticed a small puddle of oil under the bike.  It looked like someone took a teaspoon or two of oil and just dropped it there.  We opened up the plastics expecting to find nothing but molten slag fused together but instead noticed a small drip coming from the clutch cover.  Considering that this is a dry clutch, that's a little weird. 

Sure enough, there was a leak coming from behind the clutch basket.  We figure the seal that seats up against the engine wasn't seated correctly because of wear or damage and had leaked.  It seemed to have stopped, so I took it out for a slow couple of laps to check it out.  No oil....So I went back out again and it was seeping slightly after every session, but just a few drops.  Whatever had happened seemed to be over.  I continued to monitor the situation, but it ran fine the rest of the day. 

The ergos on the bike aren't quite what I had hoped.  While they are leaps and bounds better than the FZR, I'm still fairly stretched out.  However, I wasn't nearly as sore the following day as I used to be on the 400.  This is definitely a step in the right direction.  This bike forces me to stay low, and that I love.  Also, the darned thing is just downright sexy.  Just look at it...

A photo of me (in front) and a Desmostro (behind, on his 848) goofing around on track.  It felt good to be out there again. 

(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o131/etoile_polaire/748/JR1N8844.jpg)

Next trackday I'm going to ride Enzo's R6 and he's going to take the new sexy out for the day.  I'm going to test ergo's and see how I like his bike.  I might give him the 748 and find myself another project.  :o