Hi from NI..........

So, not new to forums but new to this one.
Quick history:
Was an RD 2-stroke man from the 70's, raced an RD350B in the F2 class in the 80's, bought a XJ650 in '84, a XJ900 in '91, was a bike courier in London early 90's, currently a development engineer scratch building machines for a pharmaceutical company. Restored the RD back in the 90's and again about 5 years ago and was my only roadworthy bike until 2 years ago. That is when the missus caught me looking at "bike porn" on ebay, notably a '97 916 Biposto that needed "some work"......... She encouraged me to buy it and the money drain started. Bike was purchased and lifted from Kent for delivery to me here in NI on 14th Feb 2012 (yes, Valentines day.....) 6800 miles on the clock but looked it had been stored in the sea. Some of you might have seen it as it featured in last December's PSB as the first full restoration of a 916 they were aware of. Named "Daisy Duke" by the missus in deference to the legendary Daisy Duke from The Dukes of Hazzard and "the other woman" in my life.
Why am I here.......?
Well, it's in bits again as its drinking oil and has a vibration on acceleration, and this time I'm way further into the engine than the first time so will be picking some brains on this one. I'm fairly competent pulling down any engine but this one is different so will need to know about techniques and special tools.

This is what is looks like on a good day:



This is what it looks like now:

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Correct, that's the one................. Failed it's first MOT here due to not having a dual marked speedo.

Here's Daisy on the cover of PSB




Not quite so tidy as that now due to stone chipping, 3 minor drops and an additional 4K miles on the clock, some of it in appalling weather.............. but, like my RD350, it's a rider not a show'er............

 

In a word....... Yes...........

 

Thanks, yes, big job............ took 3 months of every spare waking hour I had, every evening to 12 and every weekend. Included binning all the wiring on the right side of the engine and making an entire new loom from tri-rate wire and new 50A charging connectors from a truck..............

 

Thanks, it looked absolutely fantastic when PSB came over. That front cover is not Photoshopped, that front cover is the true picture, taken on a rare sunny morning in November 2012 outside Howard Abraham Peugeot in Seagoe by Stephen Davison, one of our top road race photographers in Ireland. The background there is actually a real cloudless winter blue sky.

 

There is a set rule and they adhere to it by the letter, any vehicle registered after 1984 must have a dual (MPH primary/kph secondary) marked speedometer face. The marking should not be an overlay but must be on the actual face and be illuminated at night by the instrument lamps. They visually check it after they do the lights, indicators and brake lamps...............
Although written into the MOT regulations for all of the UK, it is not enforced on the mainland, only in NI is it a requirement as we have a drive-over border with another EU country (Ireland) that is in KM/H. A post '84 vehicle will fail in NI if it does not comply.

 

Thanks for the welcome guys........ BTW, Dublin is only 45 minutes away from Portadown on a 916........ :biggrin:

 

This company do a dual marked face for the 916 so I might change my DIY version as the Dymo printed numbers are starting to fade a bit.

DUCATI 748 916 996 1994-2002 REPLACEMENT MPH SPEEDO DIAL UNDERLAY | eBay