Well the Mutant is now back together and looking pretty damned good.
First of all some big thanks - a huge thanks to Robracer for the stickers. Mate, you're a deadset legend and worth your weight in gold. Your RT stickers now have pride of place on the tank as a token of my appreciation.
A big thanks also to greenman43 - you've supplied quite a few of the parts, much of the inspiration and that crucial banjo bolt on a Saturday morning in the middle of a long weekend to get me out of trouble. Cheers.
I also owe a big thanks to Richo for spending most of Monday in the garage with me trying to suss out the suspension - I think we both learned a heap along the way.
Thanks to Greenblood for the loan of some stock swingarm pivots - I think the TKA ones I've got will be OK, but appreciate the loan in case I need them.
Thanks to Sam (formerly of MAW) for all your help with bits and pieces too.
Finally, a huge thanks to Cath for tolerating my endless hours in the garage and surviving as a 'garage widow'.
Oh, and sorry to anybody I've forgotten
The rebuild started out pretty quickly - by the end of day one the engine was sitting on the floor waiting for re-assembly, and that's pretty much where the easy bits finished. The 900 engine is a *very* tight fit into the braced M1 frame, and for a while I thought I was going to have to take an angle grinder to the gusseting that's welded into the frame. In the end I got the engine in, but it's so tight that I can't take the rocker box off without dropping the engine out completely - makes those pesky 12's seem pretty low maintenance now.
With the engine in I fitted the J model swingarm up using the alloy P model pivot sleeve with the TKA developed swingarm pivots - up 2.5mm and forward 2mm and discovered that at some point in the stroke the swingarm touches the block. As it turns out I think it only touches outside of the regular stroke with the shock fitted so it should be OK.
Once the swingarm was in I could start fitting everything else back up - I took the opportunity to tidy up the wiring even further, removed the ignition switch and replaced it with a regular switch, wired up a neutral light, re-connected the temp gauge. I also added a right-hand switch block from a later 600 as the stock one was integrated with the throttle housing and the throttle was replaced with a quick action jobbie.
Added a BMC air filter (stock only, they don't do a race filter for the old 900s), fabricated up a bracket to mount the dynatech coils behind the headstock (because there just wasn't room to relocate them to the middle of the bike.
On Friday I picked my P model forks up from Terry Hay - they'd been off to be re-hard chromed as the chrome above the dust deal but below the oil seal was damaged (couldn't see it in the pics when I bought them). Terry also modified the forks using caps off a late 90s R1 (or FZ1). With the different caps the fork rods were machined down 20mm and I now have "proper" preload. Along with the new forks I bought the later model 6 pot callipers too, and a set of Bendix race pads (thanks Sam). I've also had a Brembo master cylinder sitting in the garage for a while and decided I'd fit it up along with the rebuild. I've also replaced the bulky rear brake reservoir with a piece of clear tube and fitted a keyless fuel cap. Finally, after a rapid dash around the city on Friday afternoon I got my new gearing sorted too and it's now running a 520 chain with 15/45 gearing.
To top everything off I've glued up the little cracks in the double bubble screen (cause I can't find a non-drilled replacement anywhere), cleaned everything up and finally re-numbered the bike to #3.
I can't wait for Saturday at EC to test it all out, then bring on PI in November.
A few pics
Brembo bling
6 pot callipers
Blingy ride height adjuster
It looks like a preload adjuster .... and actually works like one
cool
) let me know and I'll see if I can get a pass out.
