The story of one neglected Daytona

Not much of an update but gotta brag a bit...

Another package came flying in today, this time from Racebikebits UK holding a set of blue silicone Samco race coolant hoses.



This set is for an `04->, but since they don`t make a set for mine and basically the only difference is the thermostat bypass which takes about 5mins to cut and mod into the lower hose it won`t matter. One of the engine hoses didn`t come with the set -quite naturally being a crankcase breather and therefore not including into the coolant hoses, and has to be fabricated from separate bends I already ordered from Sweden.

Another thing that got me frowning with the bike was when I drained the "coolant"...



WHAT is that SLIMY SMELLY SLUDGE creeping out of the radiator!? Don`t seem like no water wetter or engine ice to me... Some genius` added straight water in there causing all the metal bits to rot, probably gotta open the water pump case just for inspection... The previous owner of this thing should be neutered or otherwise put under some kind of government act to never have children or if the damage is already done, keep them at least 50ft from the garage! I dread to dig deeper into the bike thinking about what other horrors I encounter before the project is starting to show any signs of hope...

Funny that the hose set came already because it was ORDERED after the muffler was reported SENT, I kinda thought I`d already got that, although these came via airmail and the can is coming as freight...

Still no sign of the Koso gauge...

 

Another box from the mail, this one I was kind of weary about, being sent from Hong Kong...



New bar end mirrors! The first thing that caught my eye was the oddly professional packaging...



...and what got me really astounded is the overall quality of the whole mirrors! The pivot balls are really tight and accurate, the craftsmanship is very good, they weigh more than I expected and even came with the bar end bits that to my understanding were not supposed to include in the package. Best twenty bucks I`ve spent in a while, those things would have easily cost 100e in a moto store here, the only downside is they`re not E-approved which basically makes them illegal here, but I`ve never heard of anyone getting a ticket for that, or even get checked for it... Kinda the same story with LED tail- or turning lights, no one cares as long as you have em...

Some news of the gauge too, the mail has lost the package! I`ve been on the phone half of the day because of it, and basically the only thing I can do is ask the shop to send me new one, and get them to make an official investigation request of the original packet. Not holding my breath with that... As said, this is the reason I`m early with the orders...

 

I would have wanted either CRG Arrows or Driven D-axis`s, but they both cost around 100+ A PIECE! so these`ll have to do, I spent two nights on ebay trying to find ones I liked and those were the best hands down.

 

The seller is MC Motoparts through eBay, see if this link works:

Silver Billet Bar End Reversible Mirrors HiGrade Anodized Motorcycles | eBay

 

The gauge was found today after half a day of yapping onto the phone.



Turns out the packet never was missing, it`s been in my local post office the whole time but apparently there has been a glitch in the computer system cause when it sent me the automatic arrival SMS it didn`t give the packet a shelf code which makes it invisible to the system so they didn`t find it until they went through all the boxes manually, stupid that they don`t do it on customer request but they will when the customer phones the service number and they make them find it... Either way, I now have it.

A few other boxes came from the UK today:



A Red Fox carbon fibre hugger + chain guard (yea yea ok it`s only CF look ) The labels stated it`s for a Sprint ST/RS and not Daytona, but upon a quick comparison with the broken original one they do look similar enough for it to either fit straight up or with very minor modification, it`s probably said to be a Sprint part cause the DSSA rear swing was only available for one year for the Daytona.


The exhaust came today too:



Pretty much what promised, some minor scratches from laying on the chop shop shelf but nothing a tube of Farècla and a drill buff won`t handle.


This is the only even a bit more serious mark, judging by the shape, size and place of the mark seems that someone has bashed a car door there at some point. I couldn`t get it to show properly in the pic but its not too bad, when the bike is upright it kinda stays under the can. I might even go buy one of those dent puller thingys where you hot glue a tab onto the dent and attach a screw puller onto it and try to pull it out, it`s thicker metal than a car door but who knows it might even come up...

 

The hugger does NOT fit, the sticker inside it says that it is for a Sprint RS/ST, and it IS for a SINGLE sided swing, there is no third fixing point on the right side and the bolt hole spacing in the front is wrong. This is EXACTLY why I`m two months early with the part orders. I`ve contacted the seller, they have till 21st to respond after which I `ll use the buyer protection card. They cannot charge the return post fees from me if they`ve sent me the wrong product can they? Cause in Finland they couldn`t.

Was at the garage today trying to weld the rotten exhaust of my wife`s Citroen for the MOT on monday and as I was waiting for the paint to dry I decided to test fit the mirrors onto the bike:







They look PRECISELY as I pictured they would, don`t care what anyone else thinks, I totally love em! Good visibility too. (on the back: the next time the wifey suggests "good pastime with cripsy frenchies" there`s better be ketchup and beer involved!!! )

 

Well this bums me out a bit... I contacted the seller of the hugger and they agreed to give me full refund of it cause it`s not fitting my bike, and they have also pulled the eBay ad of the dual sided swing arm version so apparently they do not have the DSSA version at all, which is a bummer cause I just learned that my front fender has been cut cause it`s shorter than it should be and IMO it would have looked kickass to get both fenders in CF, I just found the front in carbon and the seller was the same too, Squaredeals UK. So I was forced to abandon the idea of the CF fenders cause it seems no one makes a DSSA version of it and I had to order a used silver one and probably just paint it the same as the fairings. What really bums me is that in order to get the refund I have to pay for the return shipping! WHY should I have to pay for THEIR mistake??!! It seems this is the general policy in these kinds of situations, what they haven`t taken into account is that it`s way more expensive for a private person to ship a box abroad than it is for a company. My rescue is that I`m in the transport business myself and have contacts to different parcel services so it won`t kill me but still I feel the cost should not be mine to pay in the first place... Lucky it`s even very light...

Guess I just have to shrug it off and move on... still ticks me a bit as this is the reason I`ve been wary of the whole eBay earlier but am now forced to order through there cause you cannot get ANYTHING for an old Daytona here except for the basic necessities like sprockets and brake pads...

 

Dammit, I decided to get a CF hugger and a CF hugger I will then get! If no one makes them then I will get one made! in a way, sent a quote request to Unique Hydrographics US for a quote on hydrodipping the hugger, chain guard and the tank-tail infill panels in CF pattern, backed out on the front fender as that might be a bit overkill...I know it`s expensive but if it won`t cost me ludicrous amounts I`m going for it.

 

besides, I`m asking a quote for multiple parts, I did study the DIY kits, for example mydipkit.com, and to be able to dip the hugger I`d have to buy a big deep vat to be able to do it, and if I fudge ONE of the pieces ONCE the price difference goes south so I might aswell let a pro do all of them and get them right...

 

Got shipments coming and going from all directions, as I wrote earlier I made a reclamation of the hugger and shipped it back to the seller yesterday, they tried explaining something about having to revise the product as it conforms with the manufacturer description of a dual sided version, have no idea why it wouldn`t fit my bike and something about some 955 RS/ST:s not having the "appropriate" swing arm fitted! ****, the product is marked to fit an `01-`04 955i Daytona, and specified to fit the DSSA, I have an `02 bike and it does-not-fit, what is there to check! To my knowledge the DSSA was only even available for `02-`03.

Getting interesting, it`ll "only" set me back 25EUR to have to pay the return shipping but just out of principle I`m gonna fight over it.


Some incoming bits again:



Got a new pair of fuel rail quick couplers, had to get OEM ones via a parts dealer cause I couldn`t find them anywhere else, went to pick them up yesterday for a very economic, reasonable and affordable pair price of sixty euros!!! That`s 50,85GBP or 81,05 USD. For a pair of plastic plugs known to fail eventually!!! I even found the nickeled brass versions from Inet but didn`t find any company that would have sent me less than 100 pieces so didn`t basically have choice...




Got the first set of turning indicators, just one little thing, they`re WHITE! Made a reclamation, waiting for reply... This is EXACT...this is... does it echo in here?...




Some more silicone hose bends to make the remaining engine hosing myself, got them from Do88, Sweden.




Woodcraft 3" riser clip on set. Dang they`re high!



These puppies will SIGNIFICANTLY change the riding position, even some at the cost of the looks... Imperial scale did a trick on me, could have ordered 2,5" but it`s hard for me to picture how high something is in inches... Well, at least these will help t get the strain off of my wrists as this is not a matter of comfort to me but a matter of necessity...

 

Yet another incoming part update:



Steering damper, ordered a 40cm one because there`s no room to fit it "traditionally" crosswise to the front of the tank, instead I`m planning to fit in lengthwise to the right side and clamp it straight to the shock, just gotta fab a mount for it, probably onto the valve cover bolts.



Used rear hugger, this time for a double sided swing. Doesn`t shy a new one, still in very good condition considering it`s off an 03 bike. Possibly going to get hydrodipped in CF pattern.



A used seat to replace the atrocity that now sits there whittled from who knows what saddle, almost a pity to take it re upholstered but it`s the wrong color so... To my understanding comes from the same bike as the hugger, both ordered from Motofix Spares, Southampton UK.



And two pairs of Koolertron "blade" type LED turning indicators. Now these I am planning to use, they`re a bit longer than I thought but otherwise exactly what I had in mind. Hope they`re amber color, haven`t had the chance to test yet...

 

...and the pile just keeps on rising




A clamp to the front shock for the steering damper. Was slightly let down with this one, the machining is pretty good quality, but it seems almost as if when it was completed it has been thrown in a bin with all the others so it`s all scraped up and even has small dents from a bench vice on the other side, but nothing a little water sanding and a good polish won`t handle. Cost me 5 EUR so I guess I can do a bit touching up without frowning too much...



Adjustable shorty levers. Yet another piece from eBay that totally blew me away! Before ordering these I went to a local motorbike shop to paw on some levers exactly like these, totally loved the three finger grip and the overall looks of them but gasped at the 120 EUR price for a pair! Came home, found these and ordered them right away. I must say I`m really surprised of the quality, I was expecting far inferior finish but these are just like the expensive ones at the shop!

Wanna take a guess what they cost?






















18 EUR, free shipping. Pretty hard to beat that. Just hoping the electroplating will hold...


One other little gadget, not exactly TO the bike but FOR the bike nonetheless...



A bluetooth "dongle" for music listening while riding, another 15 EUR, free shipping... some greasy fingerprints too, the wifey made cupcakes

According to the government I`m "feeding the depression" ordering this much stuff from abroad... yea I`ll keep that in mind every 12th. when I`m paying my company`s taxes for over 1k/ month... Pretty hard to NOT order from eBay if I`m getting the stuff at 20-50% of the price here, home delivered...

 

Need your help guys as I don't quite understand on thing. What does it mean if a price quote says 85£ PLUS CARRIAGE. is it like taxes or something, id assume that does not mean shipping costs. And for that price how much the carriage would approx be? Thanx.

 

Nice to know

Yea I kinda found that out after some vigorous googling, I`m more used to the US english so some brit words or expressions do throw me off a bit from time to time... I`d assume the return shipping would cost somewhat the same as the sending which would be around 35EUR.

I brought my lorry home this weekend cause I have a meter long to-do list on it, but since I`m going to the garage I might, just might steal a minute or two and try turning one or two screws a bit from the bike too got a killer idea for the headlight, gonna look sooo cool if I can pull it off the way I see it in me noggin. Probably gonna start by removing the original gauge and light to clean up the bar area, then fit the riser clamps (the handlebars are getting machined so don`t have them ATM) and possibly try fabbing some crude proto of the headlight unit.

Anyone have any insight on VOLAR chains? Would very much like to get a blue one but the price of 42EUR for a bike that has 146hp:s sounds a bit dodgy...