Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Bimota BB1 Paint Job

Well, finally I'm getting around to posting an update about the BB1. About 2 months ago I picked up the bodywork with its final decal application and clearcoat. As you can see from the pics, it looks great! Thanks to Andrew at BodyMold in Australia for providing the great decal replicas (and a spare set to boot). And thanks again to Frank at FZ Restoration for the excellent paint job.





So now I just have to reassemble everything and it's ready to go. I installed the tank and tried to start the bike, but to no avail. It seemed that no fuel was getting into the carbs even though I could hear the fuel pump running. So, I had to remove the tank again, and I connected some clear vinyl tubing to all of the outlets on the pump assembly to test the fuel pump. I ran the tubing back into the tank filler neck and connected the fuel pump leads to a battery. The pump is working fine, I can see the fuel flowing through the tubing. So, I have some more troubleshooting ahead of me :-(

There are a few other minor issues to deal with. One is the front turn signals. For some reason, the ones that were on the bike don't flash correctly. I've tested with turn signals from another bike and they work fine, proving that it's not a wiring or flasher issue. So, I'll try to find some other signals that look decent and work correctly. Ideally, I'd like to return to mirrors with integrated turn signals, like the original. But the original mirrors are unavailable, so I will have to find something else that fits. With so many bikes now that have mirror-integrated turn signals, I should be able to find something that looks good, and I'll have Frank paint whatever I get to match the silver of the upper fairing.

I'm growing quite anxious to get this bike finished and back out on the street so I can enjoy it properly!