Bike Update

I've been doing some working on the new bike...
First I gave it an all over wash and de-grease (badly needed)...

And then, once a few parts that I ordered on ebay arrived, I swapped over the handlebars, and mirrors while I did a detailed front end "inspection/clean-up".
And then I did a full service on both the carbys and the fuel taps (all of which were leaking terribly!)...
And  then I took a few pictures... it looks a lot better I must say :)

And then I stopped work for a week or so while I had family visiting... and we went to the Aquarium and I took some pictures of jellyfish and a pretty emerald python :)

And then the family went on their way and I did some more work on the bike :)
I was working on the back end this time and trying to decide what sort of seat arrangement I want and how to position the monoshock that will replace the two rather rusty and ratty shocks it has at the moment.

Im not sure if I will go with a short solo seat or a full length solo seat with an upholstered rear tailcone piece?

I got lots of the rust off the exhaust pipes, but they will rust up again pretty quickly so they will have to be replaced.

The mono-shock fits in there pretty snuggly! This bike is a "short wheel-base" version (from 1972 and before) and that means that I have about 5cm less space for the shock than in later years... I got the shortest one I could find and I think it will work. I wanted a shock that was simple and without the fancy adjustments and fluid reservoirs of modern shocks... It feels more "period correct" this way :)

The top of the shock fits up under the tank just behind the ignition coils... I think it will just require a couple of  small plates of 3-4mm steel to be welded under the frame top-tube and a hole drilled to bolt it on... minor job.

The bottom end is a bit more complicated but I think I can make a simple "U" shaped piece of say 20mm diameter thick-walled steel pipe that will bolt onto the existing lower shock mount points and wrap around the front of the wheel. the front section can then have a 10cm high "stand-off" (made of the same material) that can "clamp" to the front of the existing swing-arm with U-bolts... It will be completely "bolt-on" and will not require any welding to the frame or other unpleasantness, and as a bonus, its completely "reversible" if I ever want to restore the bike back to the two shock set-up :)

... and thats as far as I have got so far...
Now I need to order more bits on ebay to sort out moving the foot controls back to the rear foot-peg position... and new exhaust system, and new seat (more spending as usual!)

...in progress...