Seat, done (mostly) and Ninja power

Wrapped up most of the seat this weekend into today. Im very happy with how it came out. The process however was not very fun. I wont show much progress pics but let me just say this: flux-core welder and 18 gauge steel. Not fun but I did it. I estimate about 36" of seams I welded with this damn welder, wire brushing each time, then rejuvenated back to life with an angle grinder. With careful placement of each weld, I'm pretty impressed actually that I didn't warp the steal all that much.

The tail light is an LED trailer light. It slides up from the bottom and bolts in from the inside. Ha, well you cant get inside yet. I will be cutting an opening from the sitting side of it so that I can mount all the electronics inside that tail section, then there will be a seat pad covering up the opening. That part will be coming soon, I had to order more sheet metal. I have almost 4 feet of 18 gauge steel in what you see there.

OH, almost forgot---- this blog is also for ANY bike work that I'm doing. Well a friend of a coworker contacted me with interest in the 250 Ninja. So after he came by, we did some negotiating on sale and now she runs.

Hm, the video didn't upload right.

I had to order a few things that were missing like throttle, clutch cable, and a shock but a few minutes tinkering around with the wiring to figure out what sequence of safety features has to be enabled, it fired right up. The smoke in the video cleared up after a while. It's water cooler so I think it had some time on its side and got some coolant in the cylinder. I'm waiting for the seat to come in, and it will be sold.

This blog post was brought to you by Rocky Patel Extreme Sumatra cigar and Great Lakes Brewing Dortmunder Export. Both of which are excellent, but don't really go together.... oh well.

Back to the seat

The exhaust is on hold, sort of, while I decide on my next section and if I'll have to order more tubing to make up for the sections I screwed up. So I started to work on the tail section of the seat pan tonight. I'm pretty happy with it so far.

Exhaust Part 2:

Well I kinda forgot to update, but I made some progress a couple days ago on the exhaust. It's getting there. The next step is to round it under the engine where it will joing the two into one, and be 2" tubing up and out the right side blow the foot control.

Exhaust Part 1:

Started the exhaust tonight with probably the hardest part; the beginning. Once these pieces are completed the rest sort of falls into place. I hope I don't need more tubing because I kind of over-trimmed 2 pieces of bent tubing... we'll see.

First thing was to cut the off the stock header flanges. Just had to use the cut off wheel and cut along the weld at the end of the tubing.

After some TV magic - here is the matching start to the headers tacked on the flanges.

And she's rollin' again

Alright so now that the shocks are back together and the engine starter is blocked off I was able to get the motor and suspension all back together.

Also put on the front caliper after I finally got the adapter bracket.