Grab yourself some popcorn this might take a while!

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Fitted the cush drives to the quick change carrier.



Flange fitted. Sprocket nuts torqued to 44Nm (as per the manual) with a dab of Loctite 243



Rear sprocket fitted (stock 41 tooth option). 1/4 turn fasteners secure it to the QC carrier.



With that done, it was time to break out the special grease for the swingarm pivots and retaining bolts.



Swingarm fitted. Pivot bolts torqued to 100Nm.





Next job was to fit another MotoCorse part. This time one half of the side support plates (RHS). I also took the opportunity to fit the Termignoni exhaust bracket as well. 3 x Pro Bolt M8 x 20mm bolts used. The swing arm shaft pinch bolt is torqued to 20Nm. The other two that bolt to the engine are 25Nm









OEM 520 front sprocket refitted. Not as yet torqued to spec. That will have to wait until the new chain is fitted. (The yellow marker on it is a hangover from the factory and will be replaced)



Hope to fit the rear sprocket/carrier later this weekend. Not much else I can do until the parts come back from the Cerakoters and the paint shop. I may fit the frame, depending on if there is enough clearance to fit the metal coolant tube once it is in place (which is away being Cerakoted), else I will have to wait until I get it back, fit it to the frame, then fit the frame to the engine.

 

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Some judicious use of enamel paint and an hour of my time before refitting the sprocket assembly and titanium rear nut back onto the bike.

 

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So one of the issues I have had to deal with are some of the extra or modified parts that come as part of the full Akrapovic exhaust sytem, that naturally don't if you choose another brand, such as Termignoni in my case. However after much research and a patient local dealer, I've managed to source all the extra parts required, which take into account removal of the EVAP canister and exhaust valve motor. Things like the additional breather tubes, purge line bung, purge valve connector blank, exhaust valve connector blank and the modified ABS bracket, as well as various clips, grommets, rubber pads and heat shielding. It's taken a while to source them all, but I finally have a complete set. For example the ABS bracket that is only available if ordered as a V4 Superleggera part. This part does away with all the additional plastic that would have housed the exhaust valve motor and would otherwise be redundant.

On the left is the OEM ABS bracket and the modified one on the right



Dampers and bushing were removed from OEM bracket across to the new one.



Heat shielding panel fitted to the back of the new bracket. Since the front headers on the Termignoni system do not come with a heat shield in the kit, this is the only protection the ABS unit has from the searing temperatures, so it's important to apply it as per the recommendation.



There is another small grommet, rubber strip and Hellerman tie to fit (all parts ordinarily only supplied in the full Akrapovic kit), then the bracket will be ready to mount back on the bike at a later date.

 

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Just ordered some special titanium bolts from TGP MotoRacing in Germany, that are specifically made for the MotoCorse rear linkage, rocker arm and suspension brackets. Hope to have them by the weekend so I can assemble the rear end and fit the shock. The torque values are much lower than OEM spec but they have fitted these bolts on ten of their custom build bikes with zero issues.

 

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Whilst I wait for the Cerakoted parts to return, I need to check the clearance for the aluminium radiator pipe in between the frame and engine, as if it clears with the frame in situ, then I can fit the frame now and the pipe at a later date when it is back from the paint shop, which will allow me to make much more progress over the next few days. Not looking hopeful if I am honest. The alternative would be Wednesday at the earliest to refit the frame, which is very frustrating since I have a few days off work

 

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So it looks as though the aforementioned clearance is good, which means I can fit the front frame. Hallelujah! First job was to sort out the all main wiring branches which need routeing a specific way around or under the frame, before securing it to the engine using some very special bolts (more on these later). Next I had to remove the frame brace to be able to access and connect up the front coil packs to the loom, then clip them to their dedicated mounts under the airbox. This brace was only introduced on later models, incorporating the cut-outs in the main frame.

Here are the coil packs connected to the loom.



After this I could attach the cyclone pipes to the engine and secure the 'Norma' clamps in place





Re-fitted the front frame cross brace. Torqued to 23Nm as per spec. Retaining nuts are accessed through the frame cutouts.



As you can see (with it fitted) it is difficult, to say the least, to access the wiring and connectors. In fact the service manual requires it to be removed when doing any work on the front cylinder head, as you can't remove the coil packs with it in place.



I am hoping to get the forks back on in the next few days and once the linkage bolts arrive from TGP MotoRacing, I should be able to dispense with the engine stand. Lots more work to do with all the various wiring branches, so plenty of jobs to keep me busy

 

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More from MotoCorse. Here's one of the four front frame plugs. These comprise of the main frame bolt, cap and allen retaining bolt. I have not tightened everything up yet so I will show you them in situ later.

 

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A few more bits and bobs today. Fitted new pads to the rear caliper I transferred over from the previous project, then bolted it back onto the bike. Pro Bolt M8x20mm stainless steel bolts torqued to 25Nm. The pinch bolts were fitted during the previous project. The stock bleed nipple will be replaced with a Stahlbus bleeder check valve, once I begin fitting all the hydraulics back on to the bike.



The garage lighting tends to wash out the colour, as it is a much deeper red than it appears here.



Battery earth lead fitted. Pro Bolt M6x12mm stainless flanged head hext bolt and ACCU stainless serrated M6 washer. Torqued to 10Nm.



RPM Pick Up Sensor fitted. Pro Bolt M6x15mm stainless flanged head hext bolt and ACCU stainless M6 spring washer. Torqued to 10Nm. Note that the steel blanking plug is no longer fitted to the later engine casings, which was previously used to inspect the gap setting of the sensor, as can be seen on the earlier model in the last picture.

 

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Looks like my Cerakoted parts and those I sent off to the paint shop will be ready mid-week. Should allow me to make some decent progress over the weekend. No chance of doing much in the meantime sadly, as I am flat out at work with a lot of extra flights scheduled and covering for other crews. I've got a large batch order of ProBolt, Racebolt and RaceTi fasteners en-route and the TGP MotoRacing suspension linkage kit which has left Germany. Most should be here by the end of the week or early next week. Still have a few more parts to order but these can wait a while, as I don't need them at this stage of the build.

 

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Here's a sneak preview of some of the clear-coated parts I am due to pick up at the end of the week. Matte carbon be gone!

One of the winglets



Drive chain shark fin guard



Frame protector



Dry clutch cover



Termignoni main heat shield



Rear silencer heat shield



Cross pipe heat shield



As for the rest of them, you will have to wait and see.