Flat Track Replica xt500 project

**Badcat** · 25th February 2006, 00:40

hee hee - with daddy...

**Bonez** · 25th February 2006, 12:50

Originally Posted by Badcat

hee hee - with daddy...

Ya look like a happy wee lad

.

**Badcat** · 25th February 2006, 14:57

Originally Posted by Bonez

Ya look like a happy wee lad

.

\
yep - i'll be happier when it's on the road - hopefully a week!!!!
k

**ducatilover** · 26th February 2006, 20:07

thats amazing dude! im lovin it

**Badcat** · 4th March 2006, 19:58

well, i got it home from custom chambers (sweet pipe peter...)
i dropped it down to kerry aqt motohaus to straighten out a couple of things and bleed the front brake etc.
i picked up the black acerbis front guard and fitted it this afternoon, just need to wire up the rear indicators and tail light.
i do have a problem though - the right indicator lamp stays on no matter what..
anyone have an idea or maybe can help?
here's some pics...

**NordieBoy** · 4th March 2006, 20:12

Ohhhh baby!

**Sensei** · 4th March 2006, 20:20

From owning 4 TT/XT 500's the wiring is abit funny brown is used as an earth on some models as well as the black so just check that out . I think a guard on the front wheel would look more the Style that you have gone for rather than the High one but thats just me . Sweet bike .

**Badcat** · 4th March 2006, 20:26

Originally Posted by Sensei

From owning 4 TT/XT 500's the wiring is abit funny brown is used as an earth on some models as well as the black so just check that out . I think a guard on the front wheel would look more the Style that you have gone for rather than the High one but thats just me . Sweet bike .

yeah, the guard is temporary - I plan to change the guard for a wheel-fitted one, but the shortened MX forks have no mounts. i'm working on a plan to make brackets off the front axle mounts. The supermoto guard looks better than i was expecting, but doesn't really go with the rest of it.
but - it's been away for 4 months and i need to RIDE the damn thing.
ther's heaps i'll refine and change, but i want to get it moving while there's still some good weather...

K

**DEATH_INC.** · 5th March 2006, 18:22

Lookin good man! Well done.

**ducatilover** · 5th March 2006, 21:34

...... wow ........ ummm...... yeah.....wow! i love it, as sensei said it would look better [to me] with a lower front gaurd. lovely bike though congrats

**riffer** · 6th March 2006, 07:59

Ken - that's looking really mint.

I thought you were doing the scrambler exhaust thing?

Those wheels look great! And the nice shiny swingarm...

Would you be able to give us a parts list and breakdown of all the work...

It will be interesting to see how you go with certification/VINning it.

Well done mate. I hope it's been worth the wait. You look happy.

**Badcat** · 6th March 2006, 08:03

thanks simon.
the high exhaust just didn't work on the end - it either would stick out and burn my leg, or melt the sidecover.
the exhaust we made in the end is a better fit to the bike in my opinion, and the pic doesn't do it justice.
the bike is still nowhere near finshed, and i will so a summary including a parts list soon.
certification is something i'm going to start soon.
Ken

**Badcat** · 29th April 2006, 09:48

Hey all.
after finally getting the front end rebuilt (thanks matt at mt eden motorcycles), the bike is now capable of a decent punt through the twisties!
i took it for it's first decent ride, up the piha road.
finally - the bike is starting to WORK.
the front end is sweet, the awful tight off camber rutted corners were no problem. the front actually feels as good if not BETTER than my KTM with it's WP suspension !!
the rears are not as good. i got some used konis as the ohlins became a dream due to the fabrication budget blow-out. the konis are oversprung and underdamped. not good - and so apparengt now the front is working well
so.......
i've been chasing a pair of ohlins on ebay for the last 4 months, and last week the vendor accepted my offer.
new they were $1800 from robert taylor (not that he ever answered my 3 emails ot my 2 phone messages) and shaun here on the list offered them to me at a brilliant price - much better than robert, my budget just couldn't get there.
i finally got the ohlins for $750 inc freight - so they are on their way.
next steps are to tidy up the headlight and instuments, i want to lose the heavy chrome insruments and go with a bike speedo or panoram.
when i do that however, the headlight will loook like it's hanging in the breeze, so i will have to remount it closer and tidier.
i have a ducati monster s4 bracket that i'll be modifying to tuck the headlight in and i'm hoping to move the ignition keyswitch to under the tank.
i'd go to an enduro headlight, but it would ruin the oldschool look.
so that's the plan, and loose that awful supermoto front guard.
what i really need is an engineer to make some brackets etc..
any volunteers?

K

**ducatilover** · 29th April 2006, 11:03

good shit man. i want ohlins for my silly gutless spada

**Badcat** · 29th April 2006, 11:19

wow.
just realised this project has been a year so far, and the bike is freally only properly rideable now.
funny thing is that the first real ride was on the 24th april - a year TO THE DAY from the first post ..

spooky.

still - it's all been worth it to see my idea on the road in the flesh.

k