finally bought bike #7, and it almost killed me to get it

this is how it looked on the first day I  had it

it's a Kawasaki EX500D...I'd been looking for one of these for maybe a year....as my step-son had taken the Motorcycle Training Course and gotten a permit to ride with me on a few little day jaunts(with nether the 'CafeSport' nor the other Wecked CL350 bikes on the road yet, we found it kinda impractical for us to ride together on such mismatched bikes in my collection, like with him on the Derbi SuperMotard or Yamaha Cruiser and me on the BMW or SuperSport)....the EX500 'Ninja' does have a very sporty look, but actually is known to be a "beginners bike" I was even alittle shocked how underpowered it was when I first jumped on one

...tho not much power, the engine is very well mannered, feeling that there is no wrong RPM range to run it in(which finding the 'power-band' of the Derbi or Yamaha is important for healthy riding) and it runs smooth from low 3,000RPM all the way to 10,000RPM without surprises....with a slightly lower seat height and much more upright sitting position(than any 'real' sport bike) it's actually comfortable.... with neutral predictable easy riding for confidence and forgiving handling, this bike still ran strong enough on the highway at 70~90MPH, and nimble enough on the corners that I thought it would be grand for the Kid to tag along with us older folks without giving him a chance to get in over his head, or enough power to embarrass us
...sure, the bike did feel stable enough to reach the "ton", but besides the looks, its, in a word: "unthrilling"



*then the next day* I took the bike out to get a new title in my name, plates, and insurance...and almost with in minutes of competing those official tasks of making it mine, changing the plates in the parking lot, and pulling out into the street, I was run over by a car pulling into the lot I just exited(he turned into a different entrance cutting across my lane, from the wrong far lane, while I was traveling in the lane next to him nearest to the lot with access to the lot's entrances/exits) on a one way 2-lane street, that the driver of the car must of thought he was on a two-way street and only looking for on-coming traffic, and not me beside him...one of those classic 'car turns left in front of a motorcycle that they don't see' type of scenarios ...

                                            ...and the bike suddenly looks like this now

                                                                     after one day!!

                                  ...anyway, the whole story is/could be another blog in its self

                                             link >     http://runoverhead.blogspot.com/    <  link

                                                                    ****sigh****

another project bike, this 'fix'(along with the zebra repaint I'm doing on the Derbi) just will delay action on the CafeSport even more than any of my own procrastination that I was already having trouble with...this Ninja was bought as a 100% clean ready to go bike, mostly just so I wouldn't have to mess with the Yamaha, Derbi, or even the Wrecked CL350 for the KId, as well as giving me a better around town bike opposed to the kinda clucky(and often miss-behaving) Yamaha, and I could move the CafeSport back into the benching area ...D'oh

Bike #6, one more to go

I'd said that I would limit my collection to seven motorcycles(one for every day of the week, as I had done with VWs (mostly Karmann builds) before I would sell any off(replacing them, keeping the head count at seven).....so I found this Derbi SM50 Extreme
...kinda a rare/sought-after euro Super Motard because they originally can be licensed as "mopeds" for younger riders...where most of my bikes are the more 'iconic' popular bikes, but this is only in the 'style' of a more typical Motard/SuperX bike...this does fill a niche in the lineup, it being a very light weight(maybe only 200lbs at most) run-about for quick short trips.....with its small 2stroke kick start motor, it's alittle screamer as it runs thru it's close ratio 6 speed up to 50 or so mph top speed...tho smallish, it's still a full size motorcycle with 17" wheels for good street rubber....nice quality with braided steel brake lines, great disc-brakes front and rear, and aluminum frame and wheels

I'll polish it up alittle, fix the lights, and see if cleaning all the oil out of the expansion pipe plus repacking the silencer helps quiet it down alittle....as the high pitched wail of this thing is incredible, with the useable powerband only in the 9,000~13,000 rpm range to keep it moving in a "all or nothing" sort of manor...which when it is going, it's a brisk thrill ride, seemingly bagging to be ridden as hard and fast as possible, only happy at full throttle snapping thru the gears like mad, not putting along at any steady cruising rate

Back in the Pit

something is just so right about this bike, I really love looking at it now that the tank and seat are starting to define its character ....but anyway, it still has far to go, hopefully throughout the colder months coming, I'll get some heat out here(and/or take parts inside to the Mad Scientist Lab/laundry-room for rebuild) and get some work done so the bike 'approaches' running/riding conditions for the spring

The Line Up

Did an impromptu 4,000mile ride on the BMW(4,600 if you count the cruse to Oktoberfest in LaCrosse and back with a one day stop at home before heading out) so now it's time to settle in for winter, and a good garage cleaning is in order

Out in the Sun

I mounted the new back tire...the Kid wanted the old wheel n tire I was borrowing back for the other CL350, as he passed the basic rider training course, and I said he could have the wrecked bike to fix with leftover parts from my project ...so here they are rolling out as I'm doing some workspace cleanup to go hardcore on both bike's mechanicals

New Steed in the Stable

...I was still after that BMW, and riding the "Super Sport" GSXR to all the races this summer(200mile to Iowa Speedway in Newton and 300mile to sprint car dirt track races in Oskalossa/Knoxville, round trips) was getting extreme ....then a "Sport-Touring" R1100RT showed up at a public auction, tho arriving for the bidding seemed like I would have a very dim shot at bringing the bike home with me, judging from the masses of guys there(huge crowd!) half of them pulling empty motorcycle trailers that I'd have to out bid...but I somehow did it!

In the first week I had this bike I put almost 1,000miles on it!...it's hard for me to understand how a 16year-old bike like this would only have 23,000 on it...less than 2,000 a year? when I do that much on my other(less comfortable) bikes in a few months

anyway, tomorrow I'll take it on a longer trip(done a few 300mile ones already) as my riding buddy(has a 1400cc Concourse) and I head out on a 4 day weekend to Indiana for some GP and Flat-track motorcycle races

Tanks Alot

Jakeultraviolence from eBay made me a great deal on the gas tank off his SR400 Yamaha that he is totally redoing(he sent a photo, so I can show it here)....along with the clean tank with locking gas cap came the ignition switch plus helmet lock and the working key that fits them all...the tank came packaged very well; layers of cardboard, newspaper, drop cloth, and thick plastic cling wrap, all held together with some of the most hardcore black duct-tape I've ever met.....such a shame the tank was so nice and protected from any scratches or other damage, and then I destroyed it to reshape it into my own design

Spent about a week beating the heck out of it with a hammer, scratching the finish with a saw, and sticking foam to it
...I use a foam shaping technique I developed when I worked as a sculptor using a "foam machine" and doing large scale statues....I recently found that the foam in a can stuff can be used the same way, if you add alittle water...still it's much slower, and the foam quality varies, but it does what I need it to do for the basic shape, the trick is to do thin layers and smooth them out using a sheet of plastic so it doesn't stick to your hands(as this stuff doesn't come off, and only won't stick to some plastic surfaces)...then the foam can be cut and filed to a final shape....next will be fiberglas, bondo, paint, and sanding to perfection

It was important to get the shape right to fit the bike, and I spent much time fitting it back on the bike and redesigning its look...as well as sitting on the bike to get the 'knee dents' just right and 100% functional, not just looks, but in this riding position you have to grip the tank with your knees to hold your body's weight off your arms/hands and back....didn't want a hard ridge cutting into my inter-thy after 70miles

The tank still has alittle more finishing of the foam to do in order to complete this stage... but I wanted to get the seat moving along as well first so that the tank can finished so they match up

mostly the final shape I want, but still in just the raw foam

the tank came with "YAMAHA" badges, so trying it on the bike for initial size n fit, I stuck the "HONDA" badges on there

before the knee dents, adjusting the front profile down so the whole tank is more arched instead of original teardrop
(I also had to shape how it fit the frame underneath the tank)

this is Jakeultraviolence's bike project: that the tank was leftover from

but here is the basic technique for shaping the foam

tank after being shaped with a hammer, and scratched so that the foam would be sure to get a 'bite' and stick

foam as if first comes out of the can...if you just let it grow and harden like this, you will end up cutting most of it off

squirt bottle will add just the little bit of moisture the foam needs to set
(when its covered with plastic to shape as it grows, the plastic seals it from the air which normally has a little moisture in it)

I just use a thin drop cloth plastic, but some garbage bags will work to..cover it so that it won't stick to your hands
(the liquid foam in this state is very delicate, gently spread it or you squish all the air out of it and it won't grow) 

you can use something flat to press it into smooth shapes, as the foam gets harder, you can press harder
(do not move or peel the plastic off until the foam sets all the way, about 20~30min, as when its 'doughy' it might all come off with the plastic)

now I use a hand saw, steak knife or wood file and sand-paper to cut it into shape on spots where bumps grow up too far...and then go over it again with more fresh foam...you can try out different shapes and then redo them....even try different designs on nether side, but try to make both sides the same to finish

less finished and testing the knee dents with the seat
...the foam will flex enough to shape with more hammering on the knee dents and any high spots

it has to clear the handle bars at full turn as well

using the foam will keep the tank much lighter weight without having to do extensive metal work

testing the shape of the tank on the bike as I go to decide the design
a few layers of fiberglass and then bondo will give me the final surface