Jez 900ie:
I will let you know how cunning the plan was/is when I know whether (or not ) it works.
My original plan re colour scheme was to copy the Paul Smart Ducati look, silver tank a light blue/green frame (with just a fly-screen) but the M900 monster will be a bit smaller than the bevel and I do think the original bike’s presence enabled that colour scheme to work. Also, black CF wheels on my bike change the look over the spoked and will not go right with/ overpower the silver /blue green option.
I will try to keep you all guessing as to the actual colours/finish chosen just as long as I can.
I promise pictures of CF wheels will be posted as and when they arrive.
Utopia:
Re cable ties: For about 5 years in the early 90s a mate and I entered classic car rallies in his 1954 Austin Healey 100/4 (precursor to the Healey 3000), him driving and me navigating. This was fitted with a 2.7 litre 4 cylinder Austin truck engine, (an all iron long stroke lump about 90 bhp originally at 4600rpm in the Healey with twin SUs). After a lot of tuning, 100M alloy head, 4 speed with 2 speed full power overdrive, bumpy cam, big valves, lightened rocker gear and 2 x 2” SUs we got it to about 150bhp at 5800rpm. Fabulous car to drive and quicker up the Col de Torini than anything else (works replica Healey 3000s (about 225bhp), E types (about 265bhp), TR6s (tuned to about 175bhp).
Our first rally was the classic Monte Carlo and we finished building the car the night before the start from Bristol. We had lots of adventures on that (and subsequent) Monte Carlo (and other) rallies. First, we stripped the splines in the OS rear knock off wire wheel and had to swap it for a front wheel which then meant no front brake on one side. At 2 am at 7 degrees below somewhere in the mountains above Monte Carlo the handbrake cable chewed through and shorted out the loom causing the car to stop with no lights whatsoever.
The point re cable ties is that on the last night of that first rally on the run down into Monte Carlo after 30 straight hours in the car just as we could see the finish about 15 miles away, there was a horrible graunching sound from under the bonnet.
We discovered dynamo was hanging forlornly off the slotted adjuster bracket with the fan belt now so loose that it had been chewed up by the fan. The dynamo was from a truck about 175mm diameter and weighing at least 10 kilos and the substantial 10mm steel plate acting as the pivot bracket had separated. Fortunately, in our emergency spares kit we had the biggest cable ties I had ever seen, two of these were pressed into service and tightened with mole grips, forcing the two separated halves of the fatigued steel to match grain for grain. We drove to the finish (103rd out of 130 finishers, 200 starters) and the car, next day, was driven home from Monte Carlo to Calais in 13 hours (because we both had to be back at work on Monday) and then on to Nottingham.
Cable ties, I love them, except on the outside of Ducati frames holding the wiring in place.
These forks originally came from a non-running S4 I bought for £500 less tank and seat and wheels and front brake system. The original M900 legs are non-adjustable and the gold anodising has faded and been eroded by chafing brake pipes.