Baby Monster

[He11cat]

The little 400 has gone on its holiday ...
It has gone to Carl Harrison to get him running well and a few fugly bits removed.

Part one is to get him roadworthy as its a bit of a dog and been unloved.
Get the lowering done .. get him running again.

Part 2 will be to tidy him up but maybe next year.

I have to save and save then collect bits and do it that way.

Lowering has now been figured to a fine art.. but involves different tyres , shock rebuilds and all sorts is a total mare to be honest. I need another tyre and shock rebuild but again got to save!

It sounds so funny nothing like the 600... oh the original scraped cans are soon to be history the little one deserves a growl.

How I am going to keep two I don't know .... I must be shot away...:dizzy:

[revver]

Bloody hell how short are you, my wife is 5'2" and can reach the floor on the ducati but cant ride it as she is on l plates. But the triumph is a different story she has to get on using the curb. The correct term is vertically challanged. Ha ha ha.

[He11cat]

Oompa loompa size?? 5ft 1 :(
with short stumpy legs it's comical ..
It's in the legs not the height I sadly did not get blessed with height or long legs ..
I measure I house bricks ..
Most normal bikes are a 3 brick which means 3 bricks under my feet to touch the floor :)
so when it was brought up about stacking soles of boots ., I'd be up there with Elton Joh
in Tommy!

[He11cat]

http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq3/helsinkvampire/barbazoonew.jpg with proper screen now on.

[slipper40]

he looks spot on, hellcat , plus they are getting rare in uk...

[He11cat]

Thanks , thats your bikes old screen :) and I will get the casings powder coated as well. :)

[He11cat]

Just a progress report
What I have found wrong with little monster.

So far cosmetics..
wheels been in an off or over as chunks out of the rims and flattened back and front.
Casings dented and on one side acid damaged, paint flaking badly. oily dirty.
Frame I think if I recall Carl said was 4cm bent out at the back the bikes been in a accident .

There was described as rub marks touched up due to cable ties rubbing into paint frame.
Actually again where bike had been over or accident damaged as chunks out of it not just rubs where cable ties where.
Forks felt lumpy and clonky, seals kept going and in paper work this kept coming up.
Forks pitted and not nice Carl fixed.
cans damaged from a off.

Reg rec faulty , instead of replacing rec reg which was faulty battery had been replaced :( so acid damage down the frame and cases damaging them quite badly. Cases very pitted as well.

hangers damaged.

Other bits
As said forks dire and pitted.
Reg rec faulty.
Wiring not good
ran like a dog
oil leak
no belt change in 4 years.. or services.
lots of bits mangled and bent
filty oily and neglected.
Oil like Shreks swamp when I got it home!!
Chain hanging off the bike!!

I had clutch sorted as I now have arthritis and immune system disease which was making me crippled up especially my arms and hands so Carl took two springs out and made it so I could cope :)
Which was better then all the other faff id have had to have gone through!

I am on a very low wage and I can't often afford new bits so often have to buy and tart up stuff or mend.
Also I had to find people to do this and that... sometimes visiting them to talk too all over East Anglia!

[He11cat]

Some photos...
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq3/helsinkvampire/tattywheels.jpg
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq3/helsinkvampire/monsterdirt.jpg

http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq3/helsinkvampire/2monsters.jpg
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq3/helsinkvampire/withoriginalfairingputon.jpg

[revver]

sounds like you've got your work cut out thier mel. Sounds as bad as mine. LOL. You got the faster colour too.

[Albie]

I am impressed with you. You really are an inspiration to me and I really mean that. I know some are impressed with my projects and I thank those who are but I have an engineering background. You my dear are someone who takes her dreams and gets on with it regardless of the pain you go through and sod the cost. Its about the bike which it always should be. Living the dream because you can. I salute you and bring on the baby monster soon.

[utopia]

Nice one, Albie.
And I'll second that.

[He11cat]

I can only mend and tart things up .. I have no mechanical skills now so have to be a bit lame and pay for work as and when .
I've collected parts since I got the bike and still have a few things to get and a few little things to do.
It's been mental running around with bits.

The paint was hell ! First sprayer just couldn't get it how i wanted.
Then came back too soft with decalls in wrong place :(

I had to get another sprayer who I can recommend as he loves Dukes and has one himself.
The tank had to have all the paint off again blasted off !
In all until I found Dave at Tricolour my paint had been done 5 times !
Yet it looks so basic .

Il write a list when bikes done , I'm picking it up this weekend .
I've got a few things to do here.

I got sad at looking at it so tatty and neglected.
It deserved a new start.
As ever it wouldn't have been possible without help and bits from here.
I just see how I want stuff and aim for that.
I have a lot of love for my old bikes.

[He11cat]

Also .. You need to get close up to see the little bits.
Some things don't show up when I photograph .
95% of bits are second hand revamped and collected or donated.
Oh he needs tyres !
I now expect Hector to throw a hissy fit .. The cars making noises

Going to be sanding away Friday !!!
Revver is that warp speed yellow ;)

[He11cat]

I will list what I looked at and decided to replace cosmetically.

Replaced .. I sort out second hand bits and needed to keep price down except for things that had to be new.

New Reg Rec made
Engine casing needed replacing (Thanks Slipper)
Standard tatty cans off
Replaced seat with a cut out and down one
Recovered seat.
Found a set of wheels to replace damaged wheels ... to powder coat.
Switched to a Motobatt gel battery as I prefer them
Brake lines replaced with Hel braided lines
Wavy front brake disc
Extra long crash bungs
Replaced puig for original monster fairing.
Brought another tank
Brought another mudguard.
Dunlop had some forks so brought those as replacement forks.

The Hi level sexy carbon cans I had wouldn't fit with original hangers.
Was advised to fit rear sets which worried me as I have a back and neck injury and arthritis,
All went on but I wasn't happy with fitting ... and yep the rear sets crippled me so much.
In the process noticed my hanger had been snapped when rear sets fitted so had to buy another hanger :(

Bike now was running like total crap god knows why as the other set of termis it was fine ... ran out of money and things looked bad ... had bike that was miserable to ride... which depressed me as Carl had set it up perfect and I was so happy .. I should have left it as Carl gave it to me and not let people try and fit exhausts.
Plan was to save and get it back to Carl to get him to resort it and get it running sweet.

I was so fed up now.... had a pile of bits and just couldn't afford to sort the bike out. Hated seeing it looking rough and hated the fact it was so unhappy.

Grumpy suggested to call a chap he knew to see if he wanted a winter evening project.
I spoke to him and said look I don't mind how long it takes .. but I want to get it all powdercoated.

I can't really do much work as mine as no room and in winter in the cold :(

[He11cat]

There was no way I could afford a garage rebuild as id already wasted the money I had saved on crippling rearsets :( .. I was limited to what I could do as was pretty sick at the time and it was cold and wet and no undercover at mine!!

So left the bike with Daren and then grabbed seat and took to Goldsmiths to be recovered .
Also started looking at powder coaters .
I had whittled my way down to 3 colour ways for my frame ... and wheels..
So I drove up to powder coaters to have a look and then saw a hot candy pink with matt laquer over it that looked the nuts!!
Then saw orange the same ... then matt.. and though shiny tank matt frame!!... then recalled matt stuff marks like a pig!!

Got so confused ...... was so drawn to the pink same as my hair but said to myself I would be sick of it ... it was wrong for that bike and I would regret it... made a sensible choice .... then buckled .. and well a bit of me crept in!! .....

Powder coating .... I took my casings , wheels , swing arm , hoop , frame to powder coaters ... said please please watch the sight glass mask it and I don't want them broken!! Was assured wouldn't happen .. was told couple of weeks and I would have stuff back...
it took a fair bit more :( I had to ring up and chase and chase... I went to pick up and found broken sight glasses.. The frame and wheels where spot on mind!
Then I saw my hoop was wrong colour :( I was going to just leave it and thought no it will bug me!!
So tok it back and also sight glasses and said look... they offered to pay for them to be replaced and where sorry and did get the hoop redone and posted it out.

luckily I had spare casings so the glass came out of them.

[He11cat]

Paint ... I sort of knew exactly what I wanted .. first guy did it 5 times and then I thought ok... picked up and saw decals in wrong place and thought ..... oh no...
The guy I usually get to paint is ok and does lovely shiny work but this was a mare and in the end after a time it was still a bit soft where he had done it again and again....

I got home and noticed a mark ... and again it bugged me .
Also I noticed the paint was soft and it got a little dent in it by now I was going spare and he was going spare!

I recalled a chap in Felixstowe and rang him and he said can I come and have a look and quote so we did that and turns out he rides a Ducati and thats what he likes to spray! So he showed me the bikes he had done and they are really nice with numberboards and stuff.
He was just moving premises as well.
He did the paint and did a great job couldn't have bent over backwards for me more !!
Its a simple paint job but a pain in the arse!! ..

Oh yes I do have all my yellow body kit :) so don't worry!!

And then it all had to go back together again!! lol

I just have the decals to go on now so David at Tricolour will pop them on to finish the job again I am a bit unsure between two kinds.
When they are on il pop up a photo. I didn't like the one the bike came with.

I was so stressed out with this as everything as usual went wrong ... bits I brought some where not as described ( NOTHING OFF HERE!!) so had to go back and start again... I was running about for months with bits and all over Suffolk! At one point my bike was in about 4 locations!!!
It was stressy chasing people for parts I was having done.

I have got some termis on which are nice but I got hooked on a carbon pair .... this weekend I managed to get some .. so need to get them on .
Then the poor little bike will need a final set up with the exhausts on as it originally was... and get Carl to pop on a new set of tyres on as soon as I can afford.

Things to do

I need to change exhausts again and get bike reset up to suit them.
Get a custom shock made for me as my one is killing me banging my back and crippling me really badly feels like a hardtail lol!
a custom stand Mr Gremlin does awesome stuff
I want to sculpt another seat myself so I get the shape right .
upgrade to later forks and have Mr Gremlin do them a nice black he did some for Yorkie and they looked fantastic and I want some :)
Also get him to do my res covers.
I need to fit my bar ends.

I should be done them for a while :) and the little bike will be back to a much loved state again!!

[He11cat]

Carl was fab at getting it MOT'd and sorted and road worthy and running well and will tell you like it is .. I totally trust and like him and he got my frame Jigged... and told me as it was.. and really helped.

Daren is the same .. no bull , no nonsense..
I have to like someone and feel ok with people and I really like Carland trust him totally and I trust Daren and liked him and his wife.
I felt bad as I was back and forth and his poor wife had to put up with me and he was out every evening he could stripping it so I could get to powder coating stuff done and sort paint and stuff.
It was hell when the powder coat did not come back on time as your stuck!!
Then a bit wrong :(
I am grateful for Grumpy saying talk to him as I would have never have been able to afford this without Daren.
He was really understanding and kind to me... there are very few people like that.

I enjoyed looking for stuff and getting parts and running about getting bits painted and powdercoated , looking about places at the work they did and chatting to people. It took me over a year to gather bits and think about stuff and replace stuff a little bit each month.

If I get Hector redone at some point next time I would love to really get involved... hopefully one day I will have another garage and hopefully be further along treatment to do more , maybe able to polish stuff I used to be good with spanners but lost my confidence.

[He11cat]

http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq3/helsinkvampire/comingapart.jpg
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq3/helsinkvampire/frame.jpg
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq3/helsinkvampire/pile.jpg
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq3/helsinkvampire/verygrubbyenginebits.jpg

To do this I had to sell some old parts , new shoes I had stockpiled :) and ebayed anything I could!!
I also did carboots... it really is a bit of a second hand rose of a bike !!

Thanks to everyone who helped , donated bits and kept me from going mental !!
I also learnt a great deal!!!