First job today was to make a couple of stand off spacers.
Suitable diameter alloy bar stock located, a quick mock up showed they needed to be about 25 ish mm in length, so being the cautious (been play motybikes a long time) type that I am I cut a couple of 30mm lengths. Quick face off in the lathe, get them both the same length and then put a 6mm hole though both. Another quick mock up showed they really did need to be 25mm so another saw / facing sesh soon had the job done and time for a proper bolt together mock up....perfect.... even though I say it myself, so, out with the not quite matching NATO green paint and then leave them to dry, along with the steel mounting strip that had a couple of coats of spray galv last night before I went in.
Right, now to tackle the biggie, pannier racks.
George sent me one of his pannier fitting kits, which for the amount of hardware included in the bag in an absolute bargain, the only issue being that even with a printed copy of the exploded drawing from the manual, it was still a very suck it and see job sorting out which bolts and washers to use.
Offside pannier rack was pretty straightforward, a bit of brute force required to get everything lined up at times, but not too bad a job. Nearside... well what a mother.... of a job that was
Almost nothing lined up, or at least if the rearmost mount had the bolt loosely in place, the front mount weren't playing, noooo sir. Still, as I say I have been messin with motorbikes a fair old while and built my fair share of bitza's, so in the end foul language and a large rubber mallet prevailed.Last two jobs, fit the heat shield to the nearside rack and the tool box to the offside, at last, bolt holes that lined up.... job done.
I have been taking photos of the whole process, so I will ride the MT somewhere more presentable than my clutter filled workshop and get some finished pix and then get them posted.
Next job, LED day running lights, but that can wait until after the MOT in a few weeks.
