I've spent the last few weeks rebuilding from the ground up. The light at the end of the long tunnel (400 hours I'm guessing at this point) is getting close, so I haven't been posting much.
Here's a brief update: I started with the frame and engine, obviously, and began building up from there. I have to be constantly aware of parts scraping together so it's slow work. Also, the paint does change the tolerances of certain tight-fitting pieces which have to be sanded, oiled or ground down to fit together once again.
This is where the blog and photos have come in real handy. Complex parts like the lantern had bags of parts to be reassembled but with records of everything I've done made it easy to figure out the steps.
The most intricate part was the wiring. While I had wheels off I had the advantage of running the final splices through the frame in sleeves for a nice clean look. Some minor setbacks such as a speedo drive that was too small have been the only real problems.
Here you can see some washers and bolts I've painted before installing. It's tedious, but I'm painting each set of bolts before they're put back on the bike and it is SO worth it, the contrast really pops.
The bike is almost done, save a few more components including seat support, exhaust, condenser, wings, etc. A few more days I may actually be
ready to start it. I can't wait. And I have to say, even though it's mine and I have spent so much time on it (yeah, I'm a bit biased) i still think it looks fucking awesome.
