Ducati Monster Forum

A couple of weekends ago, I decided to take the side covers (which were stuffed anyway after my attempts at dying them before last year's concourse) off and remove the mounting tabs and vertical cylinder coil tabs.

After a day's work with dremel and files, then an attempt at painting the exposed frame with a brush, my OCD kicked in.

I put the bike on chassis stands and set to.  The goals of the project are as follows:

• Build a decent mount for my A123 LiFePO4 battery, so it doesn't rattle around in the stock battery box.
• Respray the heads, which have turned brown and yucky.
• Respray the frame, which looked perfectly good until I attacked it with a file.
• Clean up the wiring loom, which is really truly dreadful for such a young bike.

I've been at it for a little while now.  Here's some pictures thus far.

Firstly what started the whole thing.  My removed side covers.  We'll call these before photos:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XhmBGq2gQ-c/T36GBtvF2PI/AAAAAAAABGQ/QTtoeF6-ZU8/s1223/DSC_2922_modified.JPG)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bnE1E_DUorQ/T36F9FSo6wI/AAAAAAAABGI/O5W_AP3r4zo/s1223/DSC_2918_modified.JPG)

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jXgQjCQNNq4/T36D6jkN9PI/AAAAAAAABFk/CPzvGWND2C8/s1223/DSC_2917.JPG)

Now after pulling the seat and tank off, I had a bit of a play with the existing battery mount to see what I could accomplish.  I decided that if I rotate my battery around so the terminals face the airbox, I could fit both coils on.  That would remove one of the irritations on my bike - having the vertical coil lead run past the shock pivot:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZWF6z-imgLo/T4p4JHGx4MI/AAAAAAAABI8/TF48g2leTfA/s1223/DSC_2942.JPG)

Here's a photo of my vertical head, showing the extent of the paint discolouration:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OFeSVM01lOI/T4p4PbK9rcI/AAAAAAAABJE/Ax1l2vytny4/s1223/DSC_2943.jpg)

Another thing that offends me is the odd routing of wiring.  For example, jamming the loom in between the timing belt cover and fuse box:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5iQ2iEqTTmw/T4p31-qulAI/AAAAAAAABIc/9UgBlA4mXVk/s1223/DSC_2937.JPG)

So I removed the loom:

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gFjKyijofXM/T4ylb5CHp4I/AAAAAAAABKk/qss-DrgCdfw/s1223/DSC_2986_modified.JPG)

Here is is on the ground, writhing in agony:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-EK8xyU037wQ/T4yljfhmsjI/AAAAAAAABKs/1NEoSxJ4wsQ/s1223/DSC_2985.JPG)

But I'm nowhere near done with it.  I need to pull it completely apart, so I can change how the wiring is routed and put some decent quality braid over it.  Next step is to get to the actual wires:

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yaU7Ya7bQmo/T5IumXtdVLI/AAAAAAAABMY/_Na7n_NJxUE/s1223/DSC_3002.JPG)

Scary, huh.

So on to the new battery box.  I fabbed a bracket out of 3mm aluminium sheet, that holds the ECU, battery, 30A fuse, both coils, and the rectifier/regulator (actually a Shendingen mosfet one, which I have to order).  The cool thing about this is that it removes another bunch of cables running past the shock pivot, plus it should get a bit more air out from under the seat:

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VGlZoTf7htY/T5Iua253BXI/AAAAAAAABMI/TZBG6fEPm4Q/s1223/DSC_2997.JPG)

The coils aren't held in properly yet.  A couple of smaller L brackets still have to be made.

Then I supported the swingarm and continued removing things, until I had the frame free:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vFN9i5x9Stg/T5IugyYiUxI/AAAAAAAABMQ/DwSvyjRRv80/s1223/DSC_3001.JPG)

My bike looks a little pitiful now.  And I haven't even started on the engine itself.

Right now I'm removing the welds that held on the tabs for the side covers, as well as the vertical coil and a bunch of other random tabs that aren't that useful, and sanding the frame nice and smooth in preparation for paint.  I'm also working out where to route stuff for the loom.

I totally agree with the wiring. It seems the bike was designed without the wiring locations in mind and they just slapped it on at the end. If you think your engine is bad you'd freak at mine! the frame paintwork aint too good either but meh its 16yrs old. its rustic :D hehe

Great work thus far....I'm interesting to get more info of that battery...don't like my fully leaded stock ones.

I'll be interested to see where you go with this. I've already stol... er borrowed, yeah borrowed a couple ideas from your previous efforts.

A further cool thing about moving the coils up behind the battery is that it liberates space at the back of the airbox where the horizontal coil used to be.  What better use for that space than for the solenoid.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0Gz8KWLv6zM/T5NKsLuC8CI/AAAAAAAABNU/sBm0CZVl408/s1223/DSC_3009.JPG)

It makes the +ve connection from battery to solenoid just a few cm long, and makes it really convenient to route the starter +ve line down the left side of the bike, so it doesn't run across the horizontal belt cover.

So now there's another bracket that can be picked on:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-u3KNQ6b33ls/T5NKwx49reI/AAAAAAAABNc/YlzI29jI4uM/s1223/DSC_3010.JPG)

Bye bye.

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-y-MHOC07Pvs/T5NK267qafI/AAAAAAAABNk/xKezJCVEKC8/s1223/DSC_3015.JPG)

I still clearly have to file back the welds, like I have for the vertical coil mount and side cover tabs:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-hyUIBBVT_VY/T5NK73av0gI/AAAAAAAABNs/jEMp2tMwfFA/s1223/DSC_3014.JPG)

Oh, and some more metal fell off the frame.  I can hardly do all this work to the frame without a tail chop now, can I?

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-rgIYEr5v4nM/T5NLANc5BrI/AAAAAAAABN0/f1idTv4c3VE/s1223/DSC_3016.JPG)

I bought the cells from a hobby shop.  The holder came from a guy here in Sydney, who's into electric racebikes.  He goes by the name ripperton on forums.

Here's some details of the holder he made:  http://www.1000rr.net/forums/showpost.php?p=1665939&postcount=60 (http://www.1000rr.net/forums/showpost.php?p=1665939&postcount=60)

 [thumbsup]

Can you provide some info on your beer tray? Is it a trimmed stocker or aftermarket? I've been looking for something similar, but only found the CF stubbie that's very expensive.

I just trimmed the stock one.  It's fairly straightforward.  I never really liked the look of the CF stubby beer tray.

^^    With that very hacksaw in the picture?  ;D
Thinking about doing it takes longer than actually cutting it off.

Nice. Thanks for the info. Looking forward to watching this project unfold.  [thumbsup]

Oh,  god.

That's so hot...

 [popcorn]

Wow!  I'd like to have a fraction of your knowledge/skills!

Some more work, this time on the heads.  They came off surprisingly easily, once I'd popped the belts off, undone the headers, and removed the head nuts.  I was expecting to have to really push on the head nuts, but I didn't even need to make an extension for my (modified) ring spanner.  Maybe all this motorcycle maintenance is making me stronger?

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-pR0pnFIDeh0/T5h31aS4gDI/AAAAAAAABO4/J7FDHi-w65s/s1223/DSC_3029.JPG)

There's some carbon buildup in the combustion chamber, plus more of the paint discolouring around the exhaust flange, where the head clearly gets hottest.  The red stuff is oil, surprisingly.  Isn't oil supposed to be black and yucky?

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-DQ71KvNMoKo/T5h35WSPa9I/AAAAAAAABPA/haO9-DeoPes/s1223/DSC_3030.JPG)

Another photo showing the paint discolouring:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Xo5y1UpB1hM/T5h39jcHSbI/AAAAAAAABPI/0lXsRA88LF8/s1223/DSC_3031.JPG)

The discolouring is confined to the heads, so I think I'll leave the cylinders on the bike and save myself from having to buy new gaskets:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OPVszgRt8dY/T5h4BcXneJI/AAAAAAAABPQ/D6yXGN5UzS4/s1223/DSC_3032.JPG)

And the combustion chamber after some scrubbing with a bristle brush and carby cleaner, then a light buff with red rouge and a felt mop in my dremel:

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JHKfTK4DMl8/T5h4G14x30I/AAAAAAAABPY/qhuL5HaEVU0/s1223/DSC_3035.JPG)

Now for a question:  There are plenty of tooling marks around the valves.  Is it fair game to buff these out?  I can't see that it would be too hard...

Well they were the nastiest, tightest nuts I've ever had the misfortune to meet.

I started by making a tool to hold the cam pulley in place - a simple bit of 40mm x 6mm steel bar with some holes drilled in it, which I pressed 5mm dowel pins into.

Then I bought a 19mm long-series socket, which I cut back, filed and dremelled to suit the little cutouts in the cam nut.  I used a helper (my bloody big vise) to hold the cam pulley holder, while I applied persuasion to the nut via an impact wrench...

First one (pictured) came off after a couple of minutes of clack clack.  Second one, not so much.  It refused even to budge.  Eventually the prongs came off my tool, so I figured that it'd be more rewarding using my dremel on the nut than on the tool :)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NdJ8MBg-0q0/T5uO2xpI2yI/AAAAAAAABSg/LwiT_dIV9Ek/s1223/DSC_3056.JPG)

Anyway, the pulleys are off now, followed by the belt covers, so the next step is to replace all the bolts with crappy ones, tape up all the holes with copper foil tape, then sandblast off all the paint.

Rather than use the standard castle nuts when I reassemble the heads, I was thinking about using these:  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DUCATI-CAMSHAFT-NUT-HEAVY-DUTY-RACE-CAM-ENGINE-CAMBELT-MOTOR-RACING-SERVICE-DC-/300690453125?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DDLSL%252BSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BUA%26otn%3D10%26pmod%3D300657417344%252B300657417344%26po%3D%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8033039742496916421#ht_500wt_1413 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DUCATI-CAMSHAFT-NUT-HEAVY-DUTY-RACE-CAM-ENGINE-CAMBELT-MOTOR-RACING-SERVICE-DC-/300690453125?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DDLSL%252BSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BUA%26otn%3D10%26pmod%3D300657417344%252B300657417344%26po%3D%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8033039742496916421#ht_500wt_1413)

They use a 19mm socket to do up, which has to be a huge improve on the originals.  They aren't locknuts though, so I would have to apply some loctite.  I'm thinking blue would be appropriate.  Has anyone any experience?

Impressive teardown/improvements!   [thumbsup]

A couple years ago my M695 developed a leak at the vertical cam pulley.  I had Nichols replace the seal and they said that nut was a total beotch to remove - worse than what they usually encounter.

While you have things apart be sure to check those valve guides.  Mine were shot at 5k miles, replaced with better ones.  No easier time than now.

BK

I've never used the hex nuts, I've got the official Ducati tool, and lots of bikes that aren't mine to change...

Considering how tight those pulley nuts are, I think you could get away with nothing at all.  [laugh]
Seriously, I'd use some blue loctite.

IIRC, VeeTwo had hex nuts like that in the past, perhaps the resurrected VeeTwo still has them?

Here's a few photos of the horizontal head after sand blasting the paint off.  There's still a little clean-up work to do in some of the hard to reach corners, which I plan to do with emery.

It was pleasing how easy the heads are to disassemble after getting the cam nuts off.  Just pop off the covers, undo the clips stopping the opening rockers from sliding along their shafts, then do so and pop the opening shims out.  Then just push the opening rockers down, pop the little half-circle thingies and closing shims off the valve, and the valves just slide right out.  Then the cam slides out equally easily.

I've left the closing rockers and spring in there, along with the pulley side bearing, as they don't get in the way for painting.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ugmFHYKRcgQ/T6LuLBpnMAI/AAAAAAAABVs/P0xfsmokI6o/s1223/DSC_3070.JPG)

Note the cam has the key pushed back in it's slot.  The key needs to be removed before the cam can slide out.

So with the valves out, you can see into the ports:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-CuctuyeZBlM/T6LuVS4wNuI/AAAAAAAABWE/I_dRqf4FHY0/s1223/DSC_3071.JPG)

Intake:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-rwPVjtURWyI/T6LublM4NmI/AAAAAAAABWM/rKWWDz1l9qw/s1223/DSC_3074.JPG)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BiHUdDxVYvg/T6LumHGMUZI/AAAAAAAABWc/TL1lJ1vWD8Y/s1223/DSC_3080.JPG)

Exhaust:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5kwf8yn5DlI/T6LuiXfaNHI/AAAAAAAABWU/-HYHldG5E5M/s1223/DSC_3078.JPG)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9UuwjF87Ii8/T6LupiDyCQI/AAAAAAAABWk/qSOBSIrRpek/s1223/DSC_3081.JPG)

I can see why people port their heads.  There's an enormous lump right in the middle around the guides that's just begging to be radiused.

I'm a quarter of the way through porting.  I'm reasonably happy with the intake on the vertical cylinder.  I pressed the valve guides out and went at the port with a burr mounted in a die grinder, followed by emery cylinders, and finally lots of hand work with a stick of balsa and emery cloth.  I've finished the port out to 240 grit - there are a few stubborn tool marks, but I think they can stay.  My favorite burr was a 12mm round nose cylinder - it made short work of the projection at the base of the guide and allowed me to blend in the back nicely.

I also rounded the sharp edges in the combustion chamber.

Here's what it looks like from the top:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-qNTvvnGCuAo/T6jkItOUU3I/AAAAAAAABYY/A5BXA4IslH4/s1223/DSC_3099.JPG)

And looking into the intake port:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-1QTV9ai9aV8/T6jkPyJV2pI/AAAAAAAABYg/SPfHcrNbxvM/s1223/DSC_3100.JPG)

The valve guide isn't staying - it's the original one - I turned it down until it was a loose press fit in the head so that I could see what it looks like with the guide in there.

I did some damage to the valve seat while I was working - if you look really closely at the first photo you might be able to spot it between the two ports.  Once I've finished porting I'll press new guides in, then take the heads to a machine shop so they can regrind the seats.  Current plan is to go with 44mm (1mm oversize) intakes, same as stopintime's S2R.

Also here's one of my exhaust valves.  Note the pitting at the seat.  If that was all that was wrong with it, I'd probably lap it and reuse it.  Unfortunately the runout on all my valves is outside the 0.03mm tolerance, so I'll replace the lot.  This is starting to get expensive!

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-e23Bnxczjps/T6joaKqgO5I/AAAAAAAABY4/HlvU9qwY2LU/s1223/DSC_3090.JPG)

Hey Suzy
I copied these tools courtesy of Mitt http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=22048.0 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=22048.0)

Work well for cam nut removal, i turned a 1/2'' drive socket to suit milled 4 slots and silver soldered in 4 mm key steel [thumbsup]

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3071/2665968898_c285592420.jpg?v=0)

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/2665981306_3677e44d34.jpg?v=0)

i've had quite a few ds motors that the nuts were amazingly hard to get off.  i have a 3/4 drive 800 odd ft.lb impact gun and it has done nothing on a couple.  it's for mv wheel nuts, and eats them up easy.

generally these days people who do heads leave the ports, especially the inlets, rough in finish.

your exhaust valves were very light in colour.  is it an all std bike?

Loving the progress, Suzy. You're giving me ideas.  [evil]


I'm curious, any particular reason why?

Many fuel injectors don't atomize the fuel very well.  It tends to cling to smooth intake ports.  Some surface roughness seems to improve mixing.   

I'd think that you would still want smooth exhaust ports, as the pumping energy comes from the engine. 

Better "stumble" then? Makes sense.

Mostly. I've had a fatduc O2 maniuplator on for 18 months or so with an untouched ECU, but it's clearly still running lean.

Once it's coming back together I'll send the ECU off to get it open loop, then get it properly tuned.

Roughness here is between polished vs smooth, not smoothed vs lots of tool marks.  My goal is smoothed to 240 on intakes, and reasonably poloshed exhaust, though thus far the shape of the exhaust port is less amenable to working, so I might just smooth it out too.

i think the main theory is fuel not clinging to the walls, but i would think it also has a lot to do with boundary layer dynamic, eg, dimpled golf ball.  a polished port should have a much thicker boundary layer.  i guess you could polish the short turn to help get the air to turn, much like D shaping the port floor.  except giving you're using the boundary layer effect you'll be comprimising the overall flow potential.

generally the heads i get back are rough on the inlets, showing tool marks / surface finish from the carbide burr (from a well practised hand).  I think they do both ports similarly.  i can't find a photo on this computer.  i have photos of my 750 heads somewhere.

i had a set of 998 heads here recently that were done by biggelaar and they were very smooth on both.  it made quite a lot of hp.

A bunch of terminals and stuff arrived, so I've gone back to the loom.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-BdkRv6-Hyvg/T6xMA6lGY1I/AAAAAAAABZU/9178jHOd9VE/s1223/DSC_3220.JPG)

It's work that I can do late at night, unlike running the die grinder, which is something I can only do for very short bursts in the middle of the day, for fear of annoying the neighbours.

It's very slow going.  I was hoping to have separate looms for the ECU engine and body connectors, but there's one wire - sensor ground - that I have to connect across between the two.  Also every time I work on it I find another terminal or splice that I have to buy...

Oh well, it's making progress, and it'll be significantly lighter and more reliable than the stock loom.

Next on the to-buy list is 6mm 12AWG terminals, a bag of 1/4" spade terminals, and some more crimp tools.

Oh, and I had the opportunity to buy some shameless bling for the bike, too, from one of the ozmo crowd :)  Thanks Dee!

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-r5HfctyfQcI/T6xME-VWaeI/AAAAAAAABZc/0ggNTkJlW5I/s1223/DSC_3221.JPG)

Man! can't wait to see the finish project. you're a very handy person,good job  [thumbsup]

Big question is: when will you offer the production run of a SuperLoom for sale?  :D

It's not really applicable to a standard bike, as I've changed things.

One of the things I've changed is this:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-qWjwVC-iOTo/T8QjL_FM-sI/AAAAAAAABao/TIlXgXT9dXE/w497-h373/2012%2B-%2B1)

It's a board I knocked up that'll take a set of big-arse power MOSFETs and Linear Tech LT1910 current limited high-side drivers (http://cds.linear.com/docs/Datasheet/1910fa.pdf (http://cds.linear.com/docs/Datasheet/1910fa.pdf).  Sorta like a motogadget tailored for my bike.

Basically it means I can chuck out my relays and fuses, and mount this thing where the fuses went (actually on the bracket that holds the ECU).  Then I run smaller gauge wire for the ignition switch and headlight high/low beam switch, and the whole thing should be awesome :)

^^ Good idea!

What are the protected loads in this case? Are the "fault" outputs driving something like an LED? Are the FETs on the bottom of the board?

There are eight outputs in total, each driven by a big D2PAK MOSFET (Probably IRFS3006, but I haven't bought parts yet) on the bottom of the board, with the drains connected to the +12V buss via a current sense resistor.  Each output terminal has a little surface mount LED next to it that lights up if there's a fault.  If there is a short or whatever, the driver chip just shuts off the output and lights it's fault LED.

Outputs are:

ECU (permanently enabled)
GAUGES (permanently enabled)
IGNITION (enabled by active high ignition sense input)
LOADS (enabled by active high ignition sense input)
HIGH BEAM (enabled by active low light enable input and active high high beam input)
LOW BEAM (enabled by active low light enable input and active high low beam input)
INJECTORS (enabled by active low fuel pump enable input)
FUEL PUMP (enabled by active low fuel pump enable input)

These correspond roughly to the standard Ducati fuse box outputs, but with lights split into low and high beam, and fuel pump split into fuel pump and injectors.

Each output can be current limited from 0 to 20 odd amps, by selection of an appropriate current sense resistor for the channel.  All the outputs are via 1/4" spade terminals. The 12V input is from either an M5 stud or a pair of 1/4" spade terminals.

The holes around the edge correspond to the mounting holes on the ECU, but mirrored. The idea is that the ECU mounts to the top of an aluminium plate and this board mounts underneath.  There's no provision for heat sinking the MOSFETs, as they have low enough on-resistance that the power dissipation is negligible.

Here's a photo of the bottom:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Bn_QhivgZsQ/T8Q73C_xERI/AAAAAAAABbI/b_NQWqzh_3I/s640/2012+-+1)

Apologies for the awful photos - I'm at work so just took photos with my phone.

Both heads are ported now.

Here's the vertical head:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Wv52gIx89uk/T8rkYW_mgoI/AAAAAAAABcc/c0PLfl9CMLE/s1757/DSC_3227.JPG)

if you look really close you can see where I damaged the valve seat - this will be fixed shortly.  I cut down the lump around the valve guide, and then blended it all together, removing some of the casting irregularities, before finishing with emery.  I also rounded out the sharp edges in the combustion chamber and removed many of the tooling marks.

The horizontal head looks much the same:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-V5iSndGfqHo/T8rkcOgCeJI/AAAAAAAABck/l9xCOnRRi80/s1757/DSC_3228.JPG)

Looking into the vertical intake port from the head side:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-clk7LTD0gLM/T8rk6D7NIwI/AAAAAAAABdU/IpfP051DfC8/s1757/DSC_3240.JPG)

And from the intake side:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Xb215YO8t20/T8rkr1Rav0I/AAAAAAAABc8/JSdRNFBBkQo/s1757/DSC_3235.JPG)

You can see how much it's opened up from stock:

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BiHUdDxVYvg/T6LumHGMUZI/AAAAAAAABWc/TL1lJ1vWD8Y/s1757/DSC_3080.JPG)

The exhaust is similar:

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2fypFC1Zrhk/T8rkw1qjClI/AAAAAAAABdE/cd4aG-P0asM/s1757/DSC_3236.JPG)

It was a huge amount of work. I have enormous respect for the people that do this for a living. Here are a selection of the tools I found useful:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-EjyQ-jIutd0/T8rk1-Bp3ZI/AAAAAAAABdM/WsfSZEcA8Rg/s1757/DSC_3238.JPG)

On the left are carbide burrs of various shapes. The long rounded cylinder was useful for bringing the guide protrusions down. The ball was used for blending around the back of the guide, and the little one was used for some final blending. After the shape was right I went at it with the emery cylinders to remove as many tooling marks as I could, then with emery cloth by hand, then finally with the flap wheels.

Last step was spinning some scotchbrite in the ports using a simple homemade holder.

Next step in terms of the heads is to measure up the guide holes, then order guides and press them in. Then I'll ream them to 7mm, and buy some Neway seat cutters in 30, 45, and 60 degrees to clean up the seats before fitting valves.

Ooooh.... Purdy...

 [drool]

holy smokes. soooo much. brain on meltdown.

Impressive!!  [beer]   [bow_down]

For something completely different, I figured I'd take a break from engine and electrical stuff and paint my frame (that was ostensibly the reason for doing all this in the first place).

I decided the original paint was in very good condition, so rather than stripping it completely I'd touch up the areas where I'd removed brackets and then clear the whole thing.

So first step was to wash the frame.  I started with a rag soaked in kerosene, then ordinary car wash stuff, then finally prepsol. It's critical to get the frame as clean as possible, especially removing wax and oil, as the clear won't adhere to these.  I went over much of the frame with 600 grit wet, both to smooth things out and to give some key for the clear.

Then I went out and bought supplies:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-aWI6GEA035o/T9LivgyQMcI/AAAAAAAABg4/xtiPr3d-Nd0/s773/DSC_3249.JPG)

The ingredients are primer/surfacer, colour, and clear, with a hardener that's shared by the surfacer and clear. I used a little Iwata RG3 touch up gun to do the work. I bought this for painting bicycle frames. It's a little small for this, but worked okay.

So after much cleaning, I applied surfacer to the bits where the bracketry had been removed:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-wfSz6xcF754/T9Li0ponr_I/AAAAAAAABhA/rghYj-BxI2A/s773/DSC_3251.JPG)

Then I erased the surfacer with colour.  I blended it in to the existing colour carefully (the colour match is really good):

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tNz8AHjYeJs/T9Li6fodF4I/AAAAAAAABhI/rqk4OILW2m4/s773/DSC_3255.JPG)

These steps were both done inside, in front of a little spray booth.  There was no way the booth would cope with the volume of paint when clearing though (you have to work quickly or else you get overspray on bits you've already done, ruining the gloss), so I took the whole assembly outside.

This was by far the hardest bit - my Ducati frame is ten times more complex than a typical bicycle:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wMPxdjSLp-k/T9LjAahBPPI/AAAAAAAABhQ/-Fl4KkCd3bc/s773/DSC_3257.JPG)

I got a reasonable gloss without any terrible runs, so I'm happy with that.

Now for the hardest part - not touching the frame for a couple of days.

The bits for my power distribution board arrived today, so I assembled it at lunchtime and gave it a quick test.

Here's a top view, showing the control circuitry:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-noxAg5y6jG4/T9sMER5ogpI/AAAAAAAABh8/WDfV6s6Wdmc/s773/DSC_3261.JPG)

The chips here are protected high side MOSFET drivers. They allow me to turn things on and off, with full protection against over current. There are LEDs that light up if there's a fault for each of the eight channels. The bolt in the middle is where +12V is connected.

Here's the other side of the board, where all the heavy lifting is done:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FlbhCImlaUY/T9sMIIBJi6I/AAAAAAAABiE/vejhhPcbTBo/s773/DSC_3262.JPG)

Each of the power transistors is a 2mOhm switch, with 4 mOhm current sense resistors in series for six of the channels, and 12mOhm ones for the ECU and Gauges channels. That gives me 15 and 5 A current limits respectively. I can change the current limit for each channel just by swapping out the current sense resistors.

Here's a photo of the board in situ. It replaces the fuses and relays, so I've cut the mounts for the fuse box off the battery box bracket.  You have to look carefully to spot the board - it's under the ECU:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i1_IYD-V59Y/T9sMQ7yBikI/AAAAAAAABiU/KC8S9Y4jARQ/s773/DSC_3265.JPG)

Once the tank is in place, it vanishes:

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UCuEy1BAADA/T9sMXtuwyEI/AAAAAAAABic/2lCuc8ZagjM/s773/DSC_3267.JPG)

Oh, btw, that's my nice shiny newly painted frame.  Here's another view:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FWvm2widMGE/T9sL-mrqN2I/AAAAAAAABh0/yFcm5eL4IaQ/s773/DSC_3258.JPG)

It's really nice to finally be putting things back together again rather than just pulling them apart.

Awesome!   [thumbsup]   [beer]

nice one!

Question for ya Suz... Where do you get your harness braid/sheath from? What brand is it?

Cheers!

I buy it from Element 14 (AKA Farnell). They're an electronics wholesaler. It's "pro power" brand.

Here's a link to the stuff in 10mm nominal size:  http://au.element14.com/pro-power/petbk10bg5/sleeving-braid-10mm-black-5m/dp/1297227?Ntt=1297227 (http://au.element14.com/pro-power/petbk10bg5/sleeving-braid-10mm-black-5m/dp/1297227?Ntt=1297227)

The 10mm size can be expanded to 22mm dia, and is applicable for cable bundles from 7 to 22mm dia.

I use 3mm, 5mm, 8mm, and 10mm sleeving.

It's polyester, with a working temperature up to 150 degrees C.  You need to secure the ends with glue-filled heatshrink to ensure it doesn't fray.

You can also get silicon coated fibreglass sleeving, for example http://au.element14.com/pro-power/pp14789/sleeving-4kw-silicon-glass-6mm/dp/1242827 (http://au.element14.com/pro-power/pp14789/sleeving-4kw-silicon-glass-6mm/dp/1242827)

This stuff doesn't expand or conform to different size cable bundles like the polyester stuff does, but it is good for higher temperature (180 degrees C), so it's applicable to things that are in more intimate contact with hot parts of the motor.

Ahh excellent thanks, I buy quite a lot of stuff from them for work :)

Simply. Amazing.

I've updated the loom diagram to show the changes that I'm making (not including rerouting).

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GtxoYklKURs/T_Y5AC1DS8I/AAAAAAAABjM/sxSeLDKJTxU/s759/Loom.png)

The image is pretty grainy unfortunately. The google photos version:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/114069696154074856835/albums/5761855448248757009/5761855446189296578 (https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/114069696154074856835/albums/5761855448248757009/5761855446189296578)

is better (click options - download original), but still nowhere near as readable as the svg original. If anyone wants that, PM an email address and I'll send it to you.

In any case, modifications are:

• Remove park wiring. This means removing the wiring going from the ignition switch park position that drives the little globe in the headlight, and also the taillight (no more accidental flat batteries). The ignition switch connector is now reduced to a 2 pin one (from 6), and the headlight from 4 to 3 pins.
• Add power distribution board. This replaces the fusebox, plus the fuel pump and headlight relay. I can now run light gauge wire to the ignition switch, and also to the headlight high/low beam switch. Using mosfets to control the headlights means that I can now run any headlight bulb I like with impunity, with no risk of melting the left-hand switch.

• Buffered the starter contactor. I made a little board that has a power mosfet to drive the contactor, rather than loading up the ECU. Hopefully that'll cure my intermittent start problems.

I toyed with removing the O2 sensor and immobiliser antenna, as I'm going to get my ECU reflashed, but decided to leave them in. It's not a huge amount of wiring.

I just spent all my pocket money on crimp tools, so when they arrive I'll be able to finalise the loom.

Unfortunately, I don't understand the wiring one bit

But

Everything else looks nothing short of amazing

Seriously

Fantastic work with the heads and one clean looking bike  [thumbsup]

Will you come do my bike next? 

Pretty please? :D

Here's how the regulator/rectifier wiring turned out. I swapped the stock regulator for a Shindengen FH020AA mosfet one, from motoelectrix. I bought a thumping big Hero BL-255 (A really high quality Japanese made tool, despite the funny sounding name) crimp tool from Eastern beaver, and went at it.

Here's the business end of the crimp tool:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XAlW9yOz9gA/T_9PeQvFAXI/AAAAAAAABkE/n7ADEZ4BiOc/s1070/DSC_3279.JPG)

Here's what it does to the Furikawa terminals used to connect to the rectifier/regulator:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tsIfrze1xSU/T_9PbGcT72I/AAAAAAAABjs/RRsHQa_lkFI/s1070/DSC_3269.JPG)

Once the cover is on, they're nicely sealed.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-FXRULRhRv68/T_9PboauyyI/AAAAAAAABjw/xQd3fUzwO8c/s1070/DSC_3270.JPG)

Rinse, repeat, add some braid and heatshrink, and in a little while all the wiring for the rectifier/regulator, battery, and 30A fuse is sorted:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2RKv5zIYiUs/T_9PeJS7I8I/AAAAAAAABkI/Mr_ArQe9HQM/s1070/DSC_3276.JPG)

And from the top side:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-wh_o3XygJeA/T_9PcQl8IbI/AAAAAAAABj0/xuezMkFN0oY/s1070/DSC_3271.JPG)

Now for the fun bit. I'm a bit of a ditz, and sometimes I can't remember if the red wire goes to the + or the - (after all, I'm just a girl). Here's what happens when I short the gauge supply straight to ground:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-C9YRqIytsZo/T_9TQrb2ISI/AAAAAAAABko/3Pf-SmwAU4Q/s1070/DSC_3280.JPG)

Cool, huh. No sparks, no smoke, no burning. Not even a fuse to replace. Just a little red light to tell me there's a problem. The offending circuit is shut down until the fault is rectified, and then it just works again. It's Suzy proof!

Very tidy work there Suzy , now hurry up and get it back in one piece and come out for a ride
with the OzMonsters  [Dolph] .............................or has Perry got you chained up again  ;D

ok. so again. why isn't Ducati doing it this way?

In reality, because they don't need to. Ordinary fuses and relays work perfectly well for nearly everybody, as long as they aren't OCD EE's, of course. For the 0.03% of the population that can't look at an electrical anything without redesigning it in their head, well there's a problem.

A true work of art.... [bacon]  [thumbsup]

Starter contactor buffer circuit:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_T8qZjrDsIc/T__eLh0ko7I/AAAAAAAABlI/fw98rtRn7AE/s1070/DSC_3281.JPG)

And in context to show how teeny tiny it is:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-eZH_INLivSU/T__eMOQ0C5I/AAAAAAAABlM/fIC5jKLptUY/s1070/DSC_3282.JPG)

This little board replaces the back emf diode that normally lives in a monster's loom. Basically I came to the conclusion after pulling an ECU apart that the driver transistor for the starter contactor wasn't really big enough to handle the current reliably. My contactor is a tad sticky, and occasionally doesn't engage. I found that the unreliable starting went away if I bypassed the ECU and simply put 12V on the contactor.

So this board does that, but using the ECU driver line as the input. It's good for much more current than is needed, so the voltage drop will be negligible - I expect it to completely cure my starting problems.

Oh, and I can connect my battery backwards with impunity - all that will happen is I'll blow the 30A fuse.  [cheeky]

Edit: For reference, the coil on my starter contactor measures 4.7 ohms. When energised, the coil draws 2.8A. That's a pretty hefty load, either for a starter button (on older monsters) or the ECU.

I'm starting to think I want to download your brain... This is some cool stuff!

suzy proof... sure.
but is it COREY proof? that's the true test.
i'm hoping that maybe in some way, my slight mishap with the starting circuit was somewhat of an inspiration ;D

yeah but for a company that prides itself on tech and lightness, seems that this solution would be a must do for Ducati. Really think you should shop this to them

Cost will be way to prohibitive no doubt..

huh? how? a circuit board and standard off the shelf components? smaller guage wires and less of it?
serious other than the design, which is done (selling point again for you Suzy), this HAS to be cheaper in large scale than the current wiring.

plus imagine the weight savings.
seriously even if they only put this on the S or R models, it has its merits.

Hehe - if I was working for Ducati (and had my druthers) the whole loom would be one CAN bus - the number of connections would be about 1/4 of what's there now.

Because it complicates things.. Having to re-tool a production line and so on and so forth..

Cost will be the overlying factor. It always is with things like this

Beautiful work Suzy!!

Just because you've always done something one way doesn't mean it is the right way.

Suzy I'm really interested in that battery now as opposed to the shorai. I followed the link to the cbr forum. I presume if I just wanted the battery I can hook it up like a normal battery?

Suzy, great thread! What did you end up doing about the discolored heads? I, too, have a 695 and mine are beginning to look way worse than yours riding around in this 110 degree Texas heat...

Dan[/list]

As I'm having issues with my single phase regulator, i have to ask. Have you developed a better solution to the hot R/R

They're a work in progress.

So far I've:

• Removed them from the bike
• Disassembled them
• Bead blasted the old paint off
• Removed the valve guides
• Ported the intake and exhaust ports
• Bought paint (VHT)
• Ordered new guides

Still to do:

• Buy appropriate reamers for new guides
• Make tool for holding head in a mill for reaming to ensure guides stay concentric with seats
• Ream head and install new guides, then ream guides
• Buy seat cutters and pilot
• Cut seats
• Paint
• Buy new valves, guide seals and shim kit
• Reassemble heads
• Shim valves
• Put heads on bike
• Fit new belts and set valve timing
• Finish the wiring and putting other stuff back together
• Start it and grin a lot

I've had some other expenses of late, which has slowed things down a little. Should be back together in the next couple of months.

No. I bought a Shindengen one. You should do this also.

Yup, that's how mine has been wired up for the last 18 months or so.

I came across a bit of a gotcha with my fusebox replacement - it draws 17mA when the bike is switched off. That's enough current to flatten the battery in a fortnight or so. I plan on engineering a better one, but in the meantime I'll have to either remove the 30A fuse or leave the bike on a tender when I'm not riding it for a while.

can it be used for a 98 st2. single phase 450w stator

Can't see why not - just connect to two of the three stator inputs. Roadster cycle certainly says they can. http://roadstercycle.com/Shindengen%20FH012AA%20Regulator%20upgrade%20kit.htm (http://roadstercycle.com/Shindengen%20FH012AA%20Regulator%20upgrade%20kit.htm)

Mine is an FH020A.

Truly brilliant. What's your mechanical/electrical background? I would one day love to be as knowledgeable as you.

 [clap]

suzy, what are your thoughts re the circuit breaker versus maxi fuse

Both have their place. One is not inherently better than the other - circumstances dictate which is better in a given application.

For the main 30A fuse in series with the battery, my preference is for a fuse (I'm using an ATO fuse on my bike, but a maxi fuse is fine here). My reasoning for this is simply voltage drop. The resistance of a 30A ATO fuse is 1.85mOhm (http://www.littelfuse.com/data/en/Data_Sheets/FKS_32V.pdf (http://www.littelfuse.com/data/en/Data_Sheets/FKS_32V.pdf)). At a typical current draw of 10A, this equates to less than 0.02V drop. A typical circuit breaker (for example the Tyco W58 - http://au.mouser.com/ProductDetail/TE-Connectivity/W58-XB1A4A-30/?qs=%2fha2pyFaduiezy%2fpT8nwB7sXuxNcrL9e%252bxOE3VYdzQv3SVyJby7EIA%3d%3d (http://au.mouser.com/ProductDetail/TE-Connectivity/W58-XB1A4A-30/?qs=%2fha2pyFaduiezy%2fpT8nwB7sXuxNcrL9e%252bxOE3VYdzQv3SVyJby7EIA%3d%3d)) has 4mOhms resistance, so 0.04V drop at 10A.

Of course the breaker has the convenience of being easily reset. That can be good, but it can also lead to significant wiring damage or fires if the cause of the problem isn't tracked down first. ISTR there are strict rules regarding resetting breakers on aircraft, for example.

My power distribution board is essentially a set of circuit breakers. In this case though six of the breakers are replacing both a fuse and a relay or switch, so the overall voltage drop is reduced.

Hi Susyj,

Any update on your work on the 695?
I'm very interested to see your progress.

Rgrds.

Just discovered this post and read it from front to back... twice.... [clap]

Great work and thanks for sharing

Looking forwards to seeing how it all ends  [popcorn]

It'll be a little while as I'm currently crating the bike for a move to the other side of the country.

Perth?

Suzy
Great work. I have been rewiring and replacing electronics since my '65 MGB (Lucas is Latin for Dark) and   every bike since my 305 Superhawk. Haven't touched the S4RS though never seem to have enough time anymore. This has been a very interesting read and glad to see there are still people willing to tackle such issues

BTW did the same work on the MGB cast iron head you did on your bike - the neighbors loved me

My 695 engine has a ton of that paint discoloration as well.  I see that you sandblasted yours, but I'm really not looking to do a complete tear down of the engine at this point.

Are there any other ways to remove the paint discoloration, like maybe a dremel to get it down to the metal again?

Hey Suzy,

I've started down the engine rebuild path myself recently:

(http://i1157.photobucket.com/albums/p594/C11Gidasi/Day1_zpsc36a1555.jpg)
Day 1

One question I have for you is how much of a process was it to sand blast your heads to get down to the metal? This is something I would love to do to my 695 while I have the engine apart, but I have never sand blasted anything before... Wondering if its something I can do with reasonably professional looking results in my garage or if it's something I'm going to have to send the heads away for...  Thanks, and good luck with the rest of your 695 project! I think a lot of us are following with great anticipation for your next progress update!

Dan

Here's how I'm doing my indicators.

Basically, adding ballast resistors so your indicators don't flash at double rate really offends me. I think it's much better to disable the circuitry that detects a blown bulb.

So on modern Monsters like mine, the indicators are driven from a little circuit in the gauges. It's a BTS711L1 quad high side driver, from Infineon. This little guy has four power mosfets inside, and uses them to switch the indicators. Each indicator has its own mosfet. Google-fu tells me that the BTS711L1 has a pair of "status" outputs, which pull to ground when there's a fault (like a blown bulb), telling the microprocessor in the gauges that something's amiss. When all is well, the status outputs are open collector, which means they are only connected into circuit when there's a problem.

To ensure there's no problem, let's remove them from the circuit.

First, we pull the gauges off the bike and pull the back cover off. This is what we see:

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2Xs9yYn_dmY/UYSlmuaynxI/AAAAAAAACXE/VwHWt7YUEWM/w1644-h1092/DSC_3456.JPG)

To get at the other side of the PCB where all the circuitry is, we need to pull the board off the front bezel. Start by popping the two little tabs on each side:

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0VczJredU_I/UYSlnUp9jdI/AAAAAAAACXM/lFMiGwN84_s/w1644-h1092/DSC_3457.JPG)

So now here's a view from the front, with bezel removed. The pointers have to come out to get the PCB loose. This is done by pulling the little round bits off, and then popping a screwdriver under the clear pointer at the base and levering it up. It's on the shaft pretty firm, so some courage is needed:

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4WGTm5tDvG8/UYSn-dwhokI/AAAAAAAACYs/CGJqgVDnj38/w1644-h1096/DSC_3459.JPG)

Once that's done for both tacho and speedo, flip it over, undo the two screws, and pop the four plastic tabs, and you'll have the PCB free. This is what it looks like:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gOUZt0p0o9g/UYSlqUIzT0I/AAAAAAAACXk/iJrlk1ucR68/w1644-h1092/DSC_3464.JPG)

The little dude that drives our indicators is in the middle, with the label "BTS711L1". The pins are pretty small. You'll need some very teensy cutters to cut them without mauling other pins. I borrowed a pair from my work, where I spend my days working on teeny-tiny electronics, in thumping big radiotelescopes:

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rr-qHrBrMas/UYSlsCo6a1I/AAAAAAAACX0/i3RO2lyN2lk/w1644-h1092/DSC_3468.JPG)

We want to cut pins four and eight. Afterwards it should look like this:

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-opNXcKBHlIQ/UYSn3O8OTjI/AAAAAAAACYk/1HjszL1HZ7k/w1644-h1096/DSC_3466.JPG)

Voila. Now reassemble, put it back on the bike, and enjoy.

Just for fun, I moved the current regulator board that came with my Rizoma indicators from the positive side to the negative, and used one board to drive both indicators at the back. This works because only one side flashes at any given time. I hid the little board in the wiring loom, so it's out of the way. I also used slightly better quality connectors for the indicators. Here's my tail wiring:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KY3vYsqb-70/UYSltFA7TII/AAAAAAAACX8/9KpHKLyzS-0/w1644-h1092/DSC_3470.JPG)

So the loom is basically complete - there's still a couple of bugs to iron out but they should be fairly straightforward - for example my power distribution board won't allow my headlight to turn on because of the high inrush current - I'm thinking that rather than just blithly increasing the current limit, I'll add circuitry in the headlight housing to soft-start it, prolonging the life of the headlight globe.

The last thing I did for the loom was a "test fit" of pretty-much everything - the battery, coils, rectifier/regulator, airbox, tank, seat etc. I even put the (empty) heads back on, so I could see how the various bits fit and how the wiring routes best.

Then I turned it on and tried stuff - indicators, horn, lights (see above), etc. The gauges sweep and the oil light comes on, as well as the check engine light. The bike has no oil in it yet, so this sort of thing is to be expected. I'll progressively tick stuff off as I get the rest of the parts. While it was together I took a bunch of photos, as I reckon it looks kinda cool like this.

Firstly from the rear, showing my tail chop with homebrew licence plate bracket and sexy Rizoma indicators:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-htOVy12Sjqw/UZInkqABFeI/AAAAAAAACks/3cx1-f9ABBA/w1644-h1092-no/DSC_3480.JPG)

The right side, showing just one!!! wire crossing the horizontal belt cover. I rerouted the starter lead on the other side, and brought the oil pressure line up the back.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XJwNExlc5qU/UZInzMPx6YI/AAAAAAAAClE/6lpAZ3IDmrY/w1644-h1092-no/DSC_3481.JPG)

The left side - more wiring here. The cable ties are temporary - once I get a stash of the little saddle thingies, they'll be hidden behind the frame.

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ZjmqxmG-FAE/UZInvcl3j1I/AAAAAAAACk8/MubIAZNWTjw/w1644-h1092-no/DSC_3482.JPG)

Here's one under the tail, showing the absence of rectifier and coil:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-2dV7jvXrCck/UZIni-6CfqI/AAAAAAAACkk/He7Zi1UeYQg/w1644-h1092-no/DSC_3488.JPG)

Quite a bit of wire never made it back on the bike:

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tXGw4wu7530/UZIoS1JH7uI/AAAAAAAAClo/_Sqnv-Mbyms/w1644-h1092-no/DSC_3486.JPG)

Here's me making the most of the bike looking like a bike again, and sitting on it making "vroom vroom" noises while wearing appropriate footwear:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1TJ6s7id9iw/UZInerldN6I/AAAAAAAACkc/NwncnKlULs8/w1644-h1092-no/DSC_3499.JPG)

Turns out I'm not the only one who does that. My faithful workshop cat also likes sitting on my bike:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-YHSuU5RZYCc/UZInc4jX8jI/AAAAAAAACkU/xc-bqp12wAI/w804-h1211-no/DSC_3519.JPG)

No bare feet in the shop!

As always - impressive work. I wish I had your skills. My 900 could probably well do for some electrical modernization.

A monster clean enough to eat off of! Great work.

Just discovered this thread and read it front to back.  I feel emasculated in the knowledge that my moto-tinkering skills are feeble and weak in comparison...I bow down to your skills Suzy [bow_down] [bow_down] [bow_down].  

Awesome, SIMPLY AWESOME attention to detail and creativity.  Great work dude, uhhh, I mean dudette!  

Rolled it outside this morning to take some better photos of the loom.

Still a fair bit of work to do - the heads have no valves or cams in them at present, so they have to be done, plus obviously the exhaust has to go back on.

But it looks quite a lot cleaner than when I started.

First from the left. At the bottom I've braided all the cabling - sidestand sensor, O2 sensor (even though I've asked Brad to disable it in my ECU, I'll keep the physical wiring), crank sensor, and starter +ve connection all run up the front left side of the motor in a bundle. The original spark plug leads were the wrong length to reach my relocated coils, so I went with NGK racing leads (with resistors). Doesn't hurt that they're red :) Without the side covers and coil bracketry in the way, you get a nice view of the rear shock.

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8UqzVis8PsQ/UZhn8lk5cGI/AAAAAAAACns/QYiQyQ18C3w/w1676-h1113-no/DSC_3535.JPG)

Here's a better view of my fancy superbike shock.

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-5UCpY4Unoxo/UZhoDtlzP_I/AAAAAAAACn0/yqpmnfM5hTY/w1676-h1113-no/DSC_3536.JPG)

The view from the other side. Now that I've chopped my tail, I think the hugger looks enormous. Anyway, the only wire crossing the horizontal belt cover is the oil pressure sensor. The oil temp sensor goes backwards and joins the loom along with the neutral wire, rear brake switch and speed sensor wiring. The starter +ve goes across the other side. You can also see the braided undle going forward to the instruments and controls in the usual position. I need to shorten my throttle and throttle advance cables.

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MsH4tg4QYH8/UZhoIQtYkxI/AAAAAAAACn8/fygzd1UUOzc/w1676-h1113-no/DSC_3539.JPG)

The front end, showing not much in the way of visible cables. I like my teensy new Rizoma indicators.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0PkCuyaeoRg/UZhoSKKtWXI/AAAAAAAACoU/3ZNRy8av1mU/w739-h1113-no/DSC_3546.JPG)

When I take the seat off you can see how the cabling is done back to the taillight. I removed the five pin connector and incorporated the tail wiring into the main harness. Also hiding in the harness back here is the little Rizoma constant current cicuit to supply 300mA to my indicators rather than 12V.

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9iDckrjBcAw/UZhoWMUT59I/AAAAAAAACoc/-4u1rhDnyps/w1676-h1113-no/DSC_3547.JPG)

When I lift the tank you can see where most of the work went on my loom. Here's the battery, coils, ECU, power distribution circuit, master 30A fuse, and Shindengen MOSFET rectifier/regulator. The wiring here is a little crowded, but reasonably tidy. If you look carefully, you'll note the coils ended up at an interesting angle. This is to get around a clearance issue with the fuel pump section of the tank.

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tqxlLrJJY3U/UZhoZhDXiEI/AAAAAAAACok/XQWASuRMLFc/w1676-h1113-no/DSC_3548.JPG)

The ECU side. I need to make a cover for the exposed wiring on the power distribution board. Here too is the only insulation tape on the whole loom. This junction was just way too complex to do with heatshrink.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-lIic1NsL3xM/UZhobyXJZ-I/AAAAAAAACos/3-fKozCXbhA/w1676-h1113-no/DSC_3550.JPG)

The rectifier/regulator side. Again note the angle of the coils. Everything fits... Just. I've also chucked in a connector for my battery tender, so I don't have to lift the tank to put the bike on charge. Yes, I forgot to plug in one of the connectors for the rectifier/regulator.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ZN9i96Xs1NI/UZhodOa6SPI/AAAAAAAACo0/DKo709lZd4M/w1676-h1113-no/DSC_3553.JPG)

And the whole bike with the tank lifted and seat off, just to provide some context.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qZISWdWo5AQ/UZhog30zbmI/AAAAAAAACpA/ViKjG1SZSFc/w1676-h1113-no/DSC_3555.JPG)

All the loom works so far. I've tested all functions independently with the exception of the crank sensor, coils and injectors. Once I've thrown some oil in the motor and have bits in my head I'll do that. Fingers crossed it'll be running in a few weeks :)

with the huge difference in plug cable length will you need to retard/advance spark to match?

what kind of airflow will you be getting to cool your rectifier?

hugger...
(http://www.carbonworld.de/shop/images/product_images/popup_images/002hdm_2.jpg)

I'm not sure the difference will equate to a significant time.

Oh, and that hugger looks perfect.

Looks Great. Ditch the plastic seat tray and make one out of Al.

Fantastic job.  Should have come from the factory this way.

BTW you should consider vinyl wrapping your front forks black like this: http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=24603.0 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=24603.0)

Top drawer job!

I've seen the self-vulcanising tape used in situations like where you've got the insulation tape.

 Really nice! Now you need some red zip ties! And the position of the coils should work well as the electricity can run down hill into the wires!

I am nowhere near your knowledge in electronics, but, if you were to make this part as a "plug 'n' play" part with connectors so that I just unplug the connector and plug this I would purchase at least 3 of these . . . unless, you would assemble it as shown, with wires, and send "dummy proof instructions" . . .

It's not a straightforward plug-in swap. Note there are 2 wires going to the contactor and three to the loom. The loom has a two pin connector for the starter solenoid, with one pin being +12V and the other signal (active low). My buffer needs a gnd connection in addition. Easy for me as I was rebuilding the loom anyway.

If you want to replicate this simply, just use a relay (same as the one that enables your headlight or fuel pump). Run the coil off the existing wiring, and connect the starter contactor to 12v with the relay contacts.

but wouldn't this render the solenoid "useless"? Just want to eliminate the 'damm' diode ;D

I've decided my bike has been off the road too long, so I'm getting off my arse to get it back together.

I' no longer have easy access to a really well equipped workshop, with lathes, mills, hydraulic presses, liquid nitrogen etc. This has made me re-evaluate the work I'm doing with my heads. I still need to ream the heads to take my oversized valve guides, then press the guides in (liquid nitrogen would have come in really handy for that), then ream the inside of the guides, cut the seats, add the valves and cams, etc.

Without a lathe, mill, and press, this is kinda hard. I'll likely get access to such tools in the future (part of my new job is equipping an electronics lab, and one of my new colleagues is similarly equipping the mechanical workshop), but this all takes time.

In the meantime, I found a pair of low-mileage 695 heads on ebay, so I bought them. I've justified this by saying it'll be back together faster, plus I'll have a pair of stock heads to make comparisons to, not to mention having spares. While I was on ebay, I also found an S2R1K oil cooler in nice nick, and lines for same. I got onto the Commonwealth Motorcycles website (what with them being board sponsors and all) and ordered all the gaskets and seals I need to rebuild the top ends, plus a pile of "tucker fittings" for my loom, an S2R800 horizontal intake cover with associated rubber mounts for my oil cooler, and an oil bypass spring to go under my oil filter, plus the rest of the fittings I need to connect my oil lines.

It's all due to arrive over the next week or two, so I figured I'd get things ready. I started by stripping the tank, airbox, battery, then throttle bodies and (empty) heads. I had a bit of oil seepage from the horizontal cylinder to crankcase gasket, so (having ordered a replacement gasket) I figured I'd pull the cylinder forward, press the little end out of the piston, and pull the piston and cylinder off. Alas it didn't work quite as I intended. I pulled the cylinder forward, and pop, out came the piston. Aargh. This is what it looks like. Thankfully I don't appear to have damaged any of the rings, so I should be able to pop it back on.

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bRYdBIH9dRM/UaHTGW6CdlI/AAAAAAAACqU/GI_L-HU-mpk/w1679-h1115-no/DSC_3557.JPG)

I went to the local auto parts place, and the only "ring compressor" they had was simply enormous. I can't see how I'd get it on there without pulling the piston and dropping it in from the other end. Is this how it's done? I had a go with an ice cream stick and managed to get the first ring back in the way it came out, but the second one stymied me. I suspect there's a smaller ring compressor available somewhere...

Anyway, here's my (not to be used until further down the track) horizontal head sitting on the now rather free cylinder. I sprayed the head with VHT "universal aluminium" engine enamel, and the valve covers with "GM satin black". I think it's a little on the light/white side compared to the OEM finish of the cylinder, but it should be okay.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-k2cAXblnnWo/UaHc6zcnn2I/AAAAAAAACrA/C5NgpArSgeM/w1679-h1115-no/DSC_3562.JPG)

This type works best IMO...

http://www.amazon.com/Alltrade-940387-Piston-Ring-Compressor/dp/B0028QGTP4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1369565030&sr=8-2&keywords=Motorcycle+Ring+Compressor (http://www.amazon.com/Alltrade-940387-Piston-Ring-Compressor/dp/B0028QGTP4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1369565030&sr=8-2&keywords=Motorcycle+Ring+Compressor)

Nice 5S tool box  ;)

That's the one to get.

You may need to fold the ear flap a bit more to allow you to get it off.

Be nice to the oil ring, it's *very* delicate.

The bands are a bit asymmetrical due to the placement of the sockets for the plier, so they taper slightly

 Last time I did this I used a beer can and a hose clamp!

That's make the beast with two backsing brilliant.

<idea stolen>

No FHE, but here's another if you like billet tools:

http://nicholssportbikes.com/products/N_GRN_COMP.html (http://nicholssportbikes.com/products/N_GRN_COMP.html)

BK

Fanks DP!

Is my OCD showing?

Yup.

It's hawt.  ;)

uwelcome...

.

haha, a little. No worries this will be the first thing i'll do once i acquire a good amount of tools. The heads look good! Mine are all crusty also.

Yet another fantastic use for beer. It never ceases to amaze me.

See this is why you're smart, and I'm maybe not so smart. When I read this the first time, I had no idea wtf you meant. Now having done it, I know _exactly_ what you meant.

So here's the ingredients for the base gasket leak stoppage:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-iBHjN47DpWY/UbRJYQ3QoAI/AAAAAAAACto/iXMbBUwWKKM/w1679-h1115-no/DSC_3601.JPG)

Unfortunately once I got started, I forgot about the camera, as I couldn't work out how to get the %^&%en ring compressor out after the cylinder went on. See the head studs, they are in the way.

It was only once I worked out that you could sorta kinda squeeze the ear flaps between the stud and piston, and spin it around to get it outside the studs before pulling it out. Now if only I'd had the foresight to fold those ears in a bit more. Now who could possibly have mentioned that?

Anyway, all back together, with the head on temporarily with nuts torqued up to seat the gasket nicely.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-DgfLE6wn46Q/UbRJbPM9D7I/AAAAAAAACtw/nmi4udIISVQ/w1679-h1115-no/DSC_3603.JPG)

And here's some of the threebond having squeezed itself out, to show I put maybe a tad more on than I should have:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-kSYftGsNxXU/UbRJekw76nI/AAAAAAAACt4/vOf50FyEXU8/w740-h1114-no/DSC_3599.JPG)

So I celebrated by changing my brake and clutch fluid, which has been sitting around for 18 months:

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-CsLWonYn4VY/UbRMKcpagmI/AAAAAAAACuk/ppmwE1ow4bQ/w740-h1114-no/DSC_3596.JPG)

Rather scarily, the contents of my whisky bottle look _exactly the same_ as when it had whisky innit. I guess that's how they make Islay single malt.

Hi there  :)
Nice write up and very useful info!!!

What is the vendor of the 44mm valves? Is it a plug 'n' play thing or did you have to (in any way) mod it to install it?