Katy comes home

Here she is, safe and sound just outside Darkstar Engineering (An FVF company) aka The Shed:

Big props to Franco, Chuck and Jess for helping with the moving.

Change of plan - Katana

Yic.  In case you hadn't noticed, we've just gone through one of the coldest most horrible winters.  Work on The Bandit has ground to a standstill due to it being too bloody cold to do anything in the shed.

This puts us ever further behind getting on the road for the target date of May.  So there's a new plan.  We're still going to build the Bandit but at a slower pace, hopefully making the nicest job possible.  Target on the road date is end of 2010.

But in the mean time, allow me to introduce Katy - a 1993 Suzuki GSX600F 'Katana':

Ain't she a beut?  Few bits and pieces need doing - the exhaust strap is kicking around 'somewhere' (note fetching blue nylon rope!), and the seals on the front brake calipers need redoing.  The battery's also dead.  Parts that Franco was going to change (indicators, mirrors) just need screwing back on.  But we've had her up and running and she's sweet as a nut and purrs like a tiger.  The bandit exhaust sounds surprisingly tasty.  So I can get on two wheels in the target timeframe and still end up with a custom funky bike.

Awesome.

Frame, frame, frame frame.

This is the arduous bit.  We're still stripping the frame and it's just a slow process.  It's pretty rewarding though.  A few pics to prove that it's not all Franco doing the work:

Bit by bit, it's getting shinier and shinier.  We've revised the schedule to take in to account our progress so far and the date we'd like to get it ready, and the end of January is the new target date for powdercoating the frame and swingarm.

Bits up your nose

Work continues on the frame, albeit at a slower pace than I'd hoped.  It's amazing how real life gets in the way.  Since the last update we've had another go with the paint stripper and got most of the paint off.  Now I've got one of those 'spinny things' that you put in the end of your drill and it's bringing the metal up beautifully!

Plan is still to get it powdercoated and have a rolling chassis in 2009.  We shall see.

Work commences

No time like the present!  Last Monday I went over to Franco's and we itemised everything in the three boxes of Bandit.  We've got most of a bike, but need a sump.  The clocks currently appear to be missing but he swears blind they're somewhere in the house.  We're a long way off needing them and it's a good excuse for a funky digital speedo if we can't find them.

Tonight we starting stripping the frame.  Rather than pay £60+ to have it sandblasted, we're using elbow grease and paint stripper to do it the old fashioned way.  After a few hours I'd say we're nearly half done.  Once we're finished with the paint stripper it's on to those rotary wire brushes that you put in your drill.  If there's any rust left after that, a spot of rust eater.  The plan is to have it ready to powdercoat by the end of September.  Pics:

 

Here we are cleaning some of the accumulated road muck off.  CILLIT BANG CILLIT BANG etc etc.

 

I'm not using that toothbrush again.

No pics of us actually using the paintstripper.  Gawd it's horrible stuff.  I'll be glad when this is all done and dusted.  Story so far:

So far, so good!  Also, my Street Tripe screen and Powerbronze 'shotgun' undertray have arrived.  £62 and £30 respectively.  Bargains, both of them.  Pics soon.

First post!

Hello everyone!

If you've made it here, then it's hopefully because you're interesting in following me on my journey of 'motorcyle epiphany'. I've always maintained that motorcycles were stupid, unsafe and just downright not the right method of transport for getting from A to B. You get wet, cold and there's nowhere to put your stereo. Why would you possibly want one?

Search me. But for some reason about three months ago while on holiday in Wales I started to get the idea that I might want one. No idea why. They just looked like fun. Steph was kind enough to let me have a little pootle up and down the drive. And the idea grew.

It grew so much that about a month later I went out and bought a lid and a jacket:

Mr Darren was kind enough to give me a set of motorbike trousers (coz they have come unstitched a bit). Franco & Chris have loaned me gloves and boots.

I've now been out pillion a few times and love it to bits. I plan on doing my DAS come May 2009. Which gives me time to build my motorbike. Franco offered to help me rebuild a Bandit he's had in boxes in his garage for a while which I could then have as my first bike on the condition that we split the profits when it's sold. All I needed was a frame and a fuel tank.

A quick search on the 'bay and a trip to Mexborough and I'm the proud owner of this:


It's the frame from a 1200 Bandit which is very similar to the 600, just thicker and sturdier. The plan is to strip this and powdercoat it black. Most of the metalwork will be black with the plastics and fuel tank being that wonderful Ford Focus ST ORANGE!!! You won't be able to miss me!