'Diamond in the rough'

[Syscrush]

Lookin' good! Thanks for the update.

[EMS]

When I first click on the thread, the very beginning of the story shows up. What a story it is!

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

I do like the look of the new seat.
The photo from above is very cool.
You wear a Camelback when you ride? I can't last in the saddle that long.

[bikeymikey748]

Steve-O, along with my heated vest, my Camlebak is one of my best 'finds'. I used to get migraines and dry mouth at the end of the day,when out on a regular (!) ride, even when chugging Gatorade at most every opportunity. That hasn't been an issue since I started bringing the water along. Seems more thirst-quenching than anything else too....and cheap ! I put a squirt of lemon juice into the reservoir when I fill it up, great stuff.

You wear a Camelback when you ride? I can't last in the saddle that long.

Well, the way our bikes consume hydrocarbons, you're actually not sitting for more than a short(ish) while

[Syscrush]

Get this next and you'll be unstoppable:
http://www.biorelief.com/freedom-male-e ... plast.html

[scotsy]

WOW

I have just spent new years day morning 2016 sat in my bed reading this whole build thread on my laptop.

Congratulations on the final outcome and your skills are amazing , both building and posting for others to follow in such detail

Happy new year



Ian (UK)

[Syscrush]

I just dropped in to marvel over what you've accomplished with this build, Mike.

It really is remarkable. I can't tell you how much I love it.

[bikeymikey748]

Coming up on 60,000km. since the major part of the build was completed.
Had been aware that Photobucket’s (the photo-hosting service I had used) new parameters had ravaged my own, as well as thousands of others’ threads. I have tried to reconstitute as many of the photos as possible (trying another service now), but sadly the videos have been lost to time
Apart from that, there have been a few noteworthy additions that might, hopefully, be of interest. My addled mind being what it is, I will try recollect the new items in the order I McGyvered/installed them. Here’s hoping I can pull it off.
Here’s one of the most recent shots...

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Despite the snow in the background it is still a nice photo, Mikey.
Certainly a bigger fairing. A bit more protection?
Did you always have the steering damper? Hopefully it isn't the addition of the larger faceprint causing a fork shimmy.

[Syscrush]

Steve looking at a photo of a sick CBX: "Nice work, but I think that fastener under the access cover needs another quarter turn."

Me looking at a photo of a sick CBX: "Oooooooooohhhh... Shiny!!!"

Looking great, Mike. I'm glad to hear that you're putting so damn many miles on that thing. It really must be treating you well!

[bikeymikey748]

First off, I’ve been very lucky. The ‘X’ has always gotten me home. Even when....
—After being in ‘parade mode’ for an extended period on a charity run (never again!) it started knocking so bad I thought I had thrown a rod. It stalled out so I found some shade and waited a good forty-five minutes before trying to start it. No worries! Ran like a champ all the way home. Split the cases to verify the crank and rod bearings...minty!
—A loose connector on one of the coils had me running of four cylinders for half an hour to limp home.
—The opener cable snapped an hour from home. But...using my idle adjust knob modification and a combination of the clutch and kill switch to moderate my road speed, she got me back. STILL marvel at that one

[bikeymikey748]

Did you always have the steering damper? Hopefully it isn't the addition of the larger faceprint causing a fork shimmy.

Yup, but swapped out the non-adjustable Suzuki one for an adjustable/rebuildable aftermarket item. Set it in the middle of available settings, and haven’t touched it since. The bike never puts a wheel wrong, even when pushed. Here’s a clearer image of when it first got mounted.

[bikeymikey748]

Steve looking at a photo of a sick CBX: "Nice work, but I think that fastener under the access cover needs another quarter turn."

Me looking at a photo of a sick CBX: "Oooooooooohhhh... Shiny!!!"

Looking great, Mike. I'm glad to hear that you're putting so damn many miles on that thing. It really must be treating you well!

Funny observation, and yes it is going great, Phil.

More bits.
The supplied footpegs on the rearsets were crap. Boots kept sliding off. Swapped out for these...problem solved!



Got tired of ‘official’ interest in the straight-through Yoshimura resonator in the DG. Fabbed a MotoGp-type mesh and brazed it into place. Also in the pic a longer aftermarket inner fender intended for GSXRs.



Added some ‘bling’ with alloy engine plates. The larger front ones are one-offs from a lad in Israel.

[bikeymikey748]

Added a gear position indicator. A qualified success.
It doesn’t always ‘read’ neutral.





After the ‘parade mode’ meltdown (yes I realize the value of moving through the cooler), and noting my oil temps climbing during extended high-speed cruising, I decided an oil cooler upgrade just might be the ticket. Popped on a ten-row one with 10AN fittings. I reasoned the larger diameter tubes might drop, the already low, pressure slightly, but would compensate somewhat by adding volume. Couldn’t locate replacement fittings at the cases, so I cut the originals to accept the male AN fittings. I pressed an alloy sleeve between them for strength, and then aluminium-brazed the plot. A few thousand kilometres later and pleased with the results, though the anodizing was relatively quick to fade





The clutch was next for attention. I was forever playing with the clutch lever free-play as the engine ran through various temps. Annoying. Hydraulic it is then! Discovered Kawasaki ZX14s run a Nissen radial-pump clutch master that is a match for the one on the front brake that came on the GSXR front end I’m running. Scouting ‘round found the fine folks at Frando produced a nifty 14mm. reverse slave cylinder as well. Great change in operation. Linear engagement, self-adjusting. A word of warning: The cap of the Frando slave vents directly to atmosphere. I press-fit a small diameter brass tube into it with a short length of rubber tubing. There’s a small inline filter from a Toyota VSV on the end of the tube. It goes to keep water/crud out of the slave that would otherwise contaminate it all too easily.

[Syscrush]

Mike, that's an amazing update. I'm glad that the X has rewarded your dedication!

In case people come here looking for clutch conversion ideas, I'll share a bit about mine too - my conversion isn't done yet, but I have scored the necessary parts. Like you, I hunted and researched around and found that Magura makes a variety of clutch slaves for MX conversions from cable, and I also found that a few BMW bikes share the same Brembo brake master and Magura clutch master with coffin-type reservoirs and integrated mirror mounts. They match each other perfectly and IMO would not look out of place on a CBX: