I’ve been sick of looking at that rear fender from day dot of owning my Hyper but because it’s a Ducati and because I have two left hands when it comes to anything to do with tools I’ve just let it sit there and annoy me. But today after reading notanothermotorcycleblog and having a chat with ‘Big Steve’ over there I got the courage up and set about doing my first real mod that cost nothing. I say mod because I used tools. I even cut something. Without chopping off a finger, bruising something, breaking skin or damaging the bike. Maybe the Ducati thing scared me into patience and focus.
Not a big job but you do need to disassemble the number plate, the light for the plate holder and then cut the plastic whopper of a fender that it comes with. International plates must be massive.
I found the reflector piece fit nicely back up with the bottom holes on the number plate itself so I bolted that back on.
I know it would probably look better without it but I think technically it’s illegal and the Polis have been slapping canaries on bikes with tail eliminators in the city lately, so I kept it on and think largely it’s quite a big improvement over the massive big X shaped bit that used to be visible.
Next up I took those massive big pillion pieces off. I looked at them before and though, hmm it would look cleaner without those and help make access to the chain a lot easier as well, but I was not really sure if that made it illegal or in any way dangerous (don’t know what I was thinking really.
Anyway, four allen key bolts later they were gone. I felt like Mr Goodwrench. Look at me go. Enough tools to be dangerous.
Conveniently I kept a few old rego plate holders and liked what Steve did with his so I followed suit there too and just mounted one on the top left bolt position which kicks it inline with the trellis and sort of forms a bit of a heel plate guard against the chain I suppose. Anyway looks a lot cleaner. I think it needs a spacer cause the bolt is longer now with the pillion peg gone, but I couldn’t find anything suitable so i went without it. Now that bolt is sticking out the chain side so I will have to keep my eye on it and get a spacer soon enough.
That lead me to the rubber pegs and scuff guards on the pegs, something I’ve had mixed feelings for in the past as well. Are the big red peg sliders cool or pox? Rubber pegs comfortable but feel limiting?
But another four allen key bolts later and they were gone too.
Looks like they bike will have a lot better grip and provide better feedback now with proper grippy peg-teeth.
Bored and with nothing to do on a beautiful day that I’d rather be riding on, I had nothing let to do than sit and tub her – after some seriously shitty rainy days lately she was definitely needing a good wash.
Which lead me to the local Supercheap Auto for one of these roller chairs ,with a tray for bits n bobs. Only $59 bucks and now I can scoot around the concrete yard cleaning. Wheee!
Look at this new tyre. Dying to be properly scrubbed in it has less than 100kms of city commuting on it, due to a certain meeting with a Magistrate that didn’t go as planned, ending with a temporary displacement of license status. Anyway, no more than 3500kms on the clock and I picked up a nice big fat tech screw and was somehow talked into a brand new tyre. Not that I knew what I really wanted I ended up going with what was recommended and found myself the owner of a Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corse. I think I’ve had similar in the past but as I am not really sure about tyres I just sad I wanted something that had a bit more of a pattern in it as the slick like stock tyre on a EVO SP 2012 was pure shite in the all-encompassing conditions that are Melbourne riding days, it couldn’t get worse.
I even got the brake cleaner out and using a rag gave the swingarm a clean up, and then the chain. Not feeling inspired any more, rather the opposite and rather humbug – I really just wanted to go out for a squirt to get some heat in to that chain so I could lube it up, but alas. I ended up staring at that clutch cover and starting to wonder if I too need an open, or half open clutch cover to achieve that Ducati mating call sound. Dam you Big Steve!
Looks good with the new Sargent Sport seat on it I reckon. I’m glad I didn’t go with the red piping. The black still looks tuff but has all the added bits like padding. Huzzah for padding! Can’t wait to see how it feels after a proper ride.
So all up I spent $59 today and a few hours farting about cleaning and taking bits off. Might get the guts up to try putting the oil cooler guard on tomorrow, which is still sitting in the shed because of a ridiculous fear that if I don’t apply the right newton metre of torque doing bolts back up the whole bike might explode on next turn of ignition, which is probably a bit dramatic, but on the other hand not entirely ridiculous given my mechanical abilities.