As summer is now here, well it will probably be over by the time I finish typing this, in my usual sanity I have decided to strip down the M900! Good plan as the weather has turned out superb, I have two bike shows to go to, maybe three if I can get motivated for the Ace Cafe Italian day!
At least the cleaning keeps me occupied! Phase one has been started. As the insurance runs out this weekend on the old Monster, I've hidden her away in her secret West London workshop for some essential cleaning and TLC. Fine, she will not win any best in show awards, apart from probably a Ducati Rat Bike award maybe, but I would like to have semi decent looking bike, even if she has been in two accidents in the last month!
So, back to phase one. 18 years of dirt, crap and oil burnt onto the downpipes. May as well start with something easy. After undoing the front clamp nuts with relative ease, the rear bolt was a pain! 18 years of road salt, cooked on oil and chain lube, probably some petrol and more oil had taken its toll on the poor allen bolt. It was seized fast and the allen head had rounded off, no doubt during last years engine rebuild, but the garage decided to ignore that bolt (as well as the two on the suspension brace, another story all together!).
After some jiggery pokery, the full exhaust system was off, but still with a clamp in place. A couple of lunch hours used up a couple of tubes of Autosol, lots of cloths and some wet & dry sandpaper. From a crusty, rusty brown mess a little glimmer of stainless steel shine was beginning to shine through.
Another day of polishing should get the exhaust nice and shiny again. Then I'll find another cleaning project to keep me occupied.
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