Lovin' the improvements on the bike! A lot of dedication in shedding weight! You trying to do a wheelie or something?? haha How does the cluster look without trim bezels? I understand where your coming from with the panels. If you do decide to sell I only need 3 pieces from the right side.

I like the paint scheme on your bike, it's something that no one else has, but it still looks like it could have come from the factory. I noticed that your tail fairings came with a hole on each side where it meets the tail cover piece. I have a set that has that too. I thought it was a flaw, but maybe it's actually for something? Figured anything out on that?

Did you change anything up on the license plate bracket? I see different turn signals. Pretty soon I'm going to ditch the rear turn signals and put in sequentials. So my license plate bracket might be coming off. Just seeing if you changed anything up on that.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

Yeah, those annoying holes are for the grab bar, which I've only seen on European models - I mentioned this earlier in the thread, where I was giving my "extensive comments" about these particular Hong Kong fairings - you can REQUEST that the tail fairings come without the holes, but you wouldn't know to make that request, unless someone had already warned about it!
I'm livin' with it, but I REALLY don't like it.

 

I mentioned that earlier in the thread too, you must have missed it ...I installed a fender eliminator kit from Competition Werkes - those signals come with the kit - it REALLY trims that fat at the rear, but mostly just with appearance - since the main panel for the kit is stainless steel, believe it or not, I only lost 7.3 oz with that change.

But it looks MUCH better than the enormous stock unit

 

So, back to the fueling issues.
I already had top-end issues, no doubt due to the carbs needing some cleaining attention, and I knowingly made this worse with the new filter and pipe (though the slip-on by itself doesn't really have MUCH affect), since I planned to make adjustments anyway once I had the carbs off.

I mentioned that the largest mains shipped with the kit were 138's, and I figured they might be too small, but took a shot anyway.
Sure enough, the 138's didn't cut it, so I ordered a set of 140's and 142's.
Since the fueling was still WAY off, and I had the same stumble after around 9000 RPM, without even being able to rev past 9200, even with the carbs now squeaky clean, I decided to jump right to the 142's.
All I can say is: Wow!
Until I run 1/4 miles times with these mains, then again with one size above, or do the same with a dyno, I can't say whether I have it spot on or not, but I can say this: I can barely keep the front wheel on the ground with the throttle pinned in 1st and 2nd, and the front wheel is still very "light" in 3rd - the "rocket" is back in "crotch-rocket"
On my first run, after getting the 142s installed, I was rolling up an entrance ramp to I-35 (it was late at night, with little traffic), in 2nd gear, at somewhere around 4500 rpm - when I saw it was clear, I pinned the throttle and got on the highway, the front end was skittering along the pavement as a banged up the gears, redlining in second and third so quickly, I barely had time to view the tach before it was time to shift again. As I very quickly built towards redline in 4th, I realized I was already surpassing somewhere between 120 and 130 (indicated) - this took place in the matter of just a few seconds, and I was giggling inside my helmet like a teenager that had just scored his first date with a smokin' hot chick!

 

Now, I'm expecting someone to maybe pipe up, proclaimin that K&N filters are total junk, that they are worthless, and that they will never use one, saying that you will NO DOUBT lose power if you install one...well, to an extent, that's true - if you don't put in the work to TUNE the carbs afterwards.
Now, I don't know if the reason that some folks are absolutely against hi-flow filters is because they were unable to tune a bike with one, or if they are just irritated with "squiddish", full of $#!t blow-hards, who install a K&N filter, put on the sticker, and claim that it's faster afterward, and the truth is, I really don't care.
I am almost 40, and I have installed these filters on nearly EVERY bike I've owned, endured the pains in the @$$ to work-over the carbs, and seen these bikes go from fast to faster, time and time again.
So, naysayers, save the mileage on your fingertips - I will not argue with you, but will rather ignore you.

 

I know I still need to tweek the needle clip positions, and pilot screws, to completely dial in the carbs, but at this point, the lower and middle ranges have good grunt, and no glaring issues to deal with just yet - I WILL, however, mess with the carbs some more later.

 

Time for some more dieting, as well as improved acceleration, via chain and sprockets.
I am very loyal to certain brands, for certain parts - I will ONLY use D.I.D chains, when available for the current application, and will ONLY use AFAM sprockets.
I went with a 520 configuration, and added two teeth to my rear sprocket, while leaving the front sprocket at the same tooth-count.

Here's the rear sprocket:



Front sprocket and D.I.D X-Ring chain:



...and the wheel re-installed:





The chain is lighter by 14.2 oz, the new steel front sprocket by 1.1 oz, and the rear alloy sprocket by 25.1 oz, for a total of 2 lb 8.4 oz.
This is 2 1/2 pound less overall weight, and 2 1/2 pounds less rotating mass for the engine to "move".
Understand something - if you are considering this type of modification, this set WILL wear faster than an all-steel, 530 set - though if you do use high-end parts, you should get better life than you would out of some cheap off-brand "520 acceleration kit" - just like anything else in life, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
I am not new to this stuff, and understand that these parts will wear faster, this is a known and acceptable part of the game.

Right around this time, I also installed AllBalls Racing bearings and seals, both front and rear.

 

This bike will NEVER have a center-stand installed, so, goodbye to the center-stand mounts:





So it only took off 6 oz, so I'm a weirdo - rip on my all you want - excess weight adds up!

 

Sorry, Ryan, I forgot to answer this earlier...

The particular bezels, of which I speak, are the ones that mask the fairing stay from view, at the point where the mirrors/upper faring/windscreen screws come through - they are kind of kidney bean shaped, and I believe they are each held on by two small screws, if I remember correctly.

 

The next bit is purely cosmetic and some may not like it, but I do, so

One thing I hate about the top yoke of the triple clamps, is the fact that it's an ugly, dull, flat black, which is easily marked up, and by now has many scratches from years of jangling keys and such.
I pulled the part:



Stripped the finish with my wire wheel:



I Primed and painted the yoke, and then installed a carbon fiber cover - notice I didn't say faux carbon fiber - this IS something with an adhesive backing (very strong, I might add), but it is actual carbon fiber.