She’s petit, beautifully proportioned and Italian..

[DAZ]

The way that you're recommissioning this bike shows it's in the right hands, taking the time to go through the bike thoroughly not just a quick service is great to see thanks for the update 

[Mike990]

23 hours ago, DAZ said:

The way that you're recommissioning this bike shows it's in the right hands, taking the time to go through the bike thoroughly not just a quick service is great to see thanks for the update 

Thanks for your kind words Daz!

I feel as though I owe the forum a few words as I've really enjoyed reading the other build threads on here - there are some really talented and helpful people on here so it's nice to make my own small contribution..

I did an engineering apprenticeship when I left school and I've away's had a secret ambition to build my own steel framed bike - so the special frame section on here has rekindled that ambition somewhat... We managed to retire early and we've spent the last 4 years mostly traveling in our campervan but we have just had our first grandchild and I can see our travelling days coming to an end as my wife wants to help with childcare. So I can see the van getting sold and the garage getting kitted out with more expensive toys

 

 

[Mike990]

Finally finished rebuilding the rear shock. It’s the first time I’ve rebuilt an Ohlins shock but I was determined to do it myself, however much pain and angst it caused me

I watched ‘the Ohlins Guy’ YouTube video a couple of times and ordered a K-Tech service kit and clamped it up in the vice and set about dismantling it. To be fair as long as you let the air pressure out first (if you don’t it will hurt you!!) it’s a pretty easy job. The oil was actually fairly clean for 23 year old oil and the seals all looked fine. I replaced them all anyway as the seal kit is quite cheap and used plenty of oil seal grease during reassembly and apart from the nearly impossible to remove and reinstall piston head circlip it was all home mechanic doable. I spent a fair bit of time bleeding air bubbles and rewatching the Youtube video so it took me much longer than I expected but I reckon the next time I do it it will be much quicker/easier. 

I must admit that noticing the rebound adjuster had stopped working during reassembly threw me and meant that I fully disassembled the shock again to check on what I’d screwed up but it transpires that the air pressure pushes the rebound needle onto the adjuster clicker so without air pressure no clicks! I wish the Ohlins guy had said that! But after a lot of swearing I figured it out and once pressurised all was sweet in the Ohlins universe in my garage!

[Dezza]

Ace : did you have to buy any specialist tools in order to strip and then rebuild the shock?

Edited November 30, 2023 by Dezza

[Mike990]

7 hours ago, Dezza said:

Ace : did you have to buy any specialist tools in order to strip and then rebuild the shock?

Just a shock needle and a small nitrogen bottle and gauge - less than £100 on Eblag. 

I used the 'car jack' method to compress the spring to remove and refit the collet. I know this sounds a bit dodgy but in actual fact there's hardly any tension on the spring once you slacken off the adjuster and this part of the job was very easy

Other than that standard workshop tools and a vice...

 

 

 

[Dezza]

What's a shock needle? On my Ohlins the shock doesn't even need to be compressed in order to remove the spring. Simply backing off the adjuster does the trick.

[Mike990]

On an Ohlins shock they use a self repairing rubber bung instead of a valve to hold the air in the air reservoir. Its behind the screw at the end of the air reservoir.

You use the needle to puncture the bung to release the air pressure (do this slowly)and then needle in again to pressurise at the end of the job...

And remember not to mix up the shims and spacers and you've got 12bar of pressure in there - so what could possibly go wrong:)

Interestingly a few of the shock rebuild companies I phoned for the seal kits wouldn't sell just the seals because of the danger factor. The world's going crazy:)

 

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by Mike990
Additional

[Gammaboy]

2000 year model? It would have been built 97 at the absolute latest, SB6R ran 97-99...

Can I ask what frame number? 

I think this makes 7 SB6 owners on here

Sibag, Evil chicken, BimotaMartyn, ArcanumOne, Angry and myself being the others.

[Mike990]

Hi it was first registered in 2000 - I'd assumed it was made in 99 and sat in the dealer's showroom for a year or so..

The chassis number is 01227 so its fairly close to the end of the production run. 

I read your posts with interest - thanks! I think my journey to getting mine roadworthy has been a bit more straightforward than yours. Where are you at with it now?

Cheers Mike 

[SiBag]

Bimota went bust in 1999. I think a few SB6 were built out of what was left in the parts bin around that era. Mine is 2000 registered.

@Mike990looks like you have one of oily's bikes.

There is a list of known frame numbers here.

http://www.bimotaforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=2269

[Mike990]

1 hour ago, SiBag said:

Bimota went bust in 1999. I think a few SB6 were built out of what was left in the parts bin around that era. Mine is 2000 registered.

@Mike990looks like you have one of oily's bikes.

There is a list of known frame numbers here.

http://www.bimotaforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=2269

Thanks for the info- I'll register it to me on the Bimota forum. 

BTW who is Oily? 

[SiBag]

1 minute ago, Mike990 said:

Thanks for the info- I'll register it to me on the Bimota forum. 

BTW who is Oily? 

Oily use to be on the original OSS forum and did a lot on the bimota forum. Lived in Kidderminster. Not heard anything of him for a few years.

[Gammaboy]

On 1/17/2024 at 7:04 AM, SiBag said:

Oily use to be on the original OSS forum and did a lot on the bimota forum. Lived in Kidderminster. Not heard anything of him for a few years.

I think one of Oily's other bikes showed up worth a new owner on one of the bimota faceache pages? I think he may have passed away at some point?

[Gammaboy]

On 1/17/2024 at 3:52 AM, Mike990 said:

I read your posts with interest - thanks! I think my journey to getting mine roadworthy has been a bit more straightforward than yours. Where are you at with it now?

Cheers Mike 

Hah, yeah, being one of Oily's (which explains the carbon half of the airbox) yours has been well looked after at least up until the point it sat, mine (well, the main part) got dropped off it's side stand at some point, got bought from the insurers and say as a parts donor at one of the Bimota importers. 

Anyway, after 4 years of not having the bike to be able to work on it, I'm finally getting back onto it, and remembering where I was up to.... 

[Mike990]

9 hours ago, Gammaboy said:

Hah, yeah, being one of Oily's (which explains the carbon half of the airbox) yours has been well looked after at least up until the point it sat, mine (well, the main part) got dropped off it's side stand at some point, got bought from the insurers and say as a parts donor at one of the Bimota importers. 

Anyway, after 4 years of not having the bike to be able to work on it, I'm finally getting back onto it, and remembering where I was up to.... 

Well best of luck getting it sorted..

I only have a few jobs left on mine but it's sitting at -6c in the garage this morning so it will have to wait a while.  The plan is to get it on the road in April and also to do a couple of classic track days- let's see.

I think the key to keeping these older bikes running well is to use them regularly so that is my main objective this summer. But I also have an Aprilia Mille, a Buell X1 and a KTM 1290 that also need looking after so finding enough time is a challenge.

[Gammaboy]

I've had the opposite problem, it's been 40+ degrees C in the shed....

[Mike990]

After many more hours in the garage the Bimota is finally finished!! I found a few previous owner bodges in the wiring loom which took a ridiculous amount of time to sort but (I really don’t want to jinx it) all now seems good. 

 

The tank seat unit has to be taken off and reinstalled at exactly the right angle and I have finally mastered that fine art after several ‘practice’ sessions. But by far the biggest pain in the arse was the one piece fairing - it really is a tight fit and I can understand why many owners cut it into sections to make the job easier.. But I finally managed it after a few deep breathing de-stress sessions and it’s all back together.

 

I must admit that I’m pleased with the end result as I think it looks great..

[SiBag]

If you use the front lift arm on your abba stand you can get the front wheel off the the floor. Makes it a whole lot easier to fit the front fairing.

Looks fantastic..

[BasilBrush]

That`s a beauty and don`t think I`ve ever seen one on the road. Good that you have resurrected it ready for Summer. Be interesting to see how it goes and what you think of it

[Mike990]

9 hours ago, BasilBrush said:

That`s a beauty and don`t think I`ve ever seen one on the road. Good that you have resurrected it ready for Summer. Be interesting to see how it goes and what you think of it

I'll do a ride update ASAP - I had an eye operation recently and I'm not allowed to drive or ride for another 4 weeks so I'm going to have to be patient

[Dezza]

Ace

[BasilBrush]

2 hours ago, Mike990 said:

I'll do a ride update ASAP - I had an eye operation recently and I'm not allowed to drive or ride for another 4 weeks so I'm going to have to be patient

Should coincide with beginning of Summer. I have to say I`ve had metal bits dug out of my eye in past and it`s not nice. Used to work in a factory and machinists didn`t always dust off machined parts and when came to spray would fly everywhere.  Be in your hair so when take googles off would drop down into eyes. makes me shiver even today, thinking about it .Hope the eye heals up and no problems.

[Mike990]

1 hour ago, BasilBrush said:

Should coincide with beginning of Summer. I have to say I`ve had metal bits dug out of my eye in past and it`s not nice. Used to work in a factory and machinists didn`t always dust off machined parts and when came to spray would fly everywhere.  Be in your hair so when take googles off would drop down into eyes. makes me shiver even today, thinking about it .Hope the eye heals up and no problems.

Yeah thanks for that..

I had a detached retina which based on their last assessment after the operation all looks good now. The procedure is a bit grim especially when the big syringe comes out and they start injecting your eyeball but it's fixed now and that's the main thing.

If you ever see a shadow in the corner of your vision go straight to a&e as if the retina detaches completely you'll go blind in that eye. 

This needs to go in the list of things you don't want to know but really should. 

 

[BasilBrush]

1 minute ago, Mike990 said:

Yeah thanks for that..

I had a detached retina which based on their last assessment after the operation all looks good now. The procedure is a bit grim especially when the big syringe comes out and they start injecting your eyeball but it's fixed now and that's the main thing.

If you ever see a shadow in the corner of your vision go straight to a&e as if the retina detaches completely you'll go blind in that eye. 

This needs to go in the list of things you don't want to know but really should. 

 

Thanks for that, never know might do some good on here. Lots fabricators etc might get same problem or other things that might cause it. Last metal shard I had in eye they used big like hypodermic needle to ease it out. Bloody horrific when you see something 2-4 times size of normal needle being insert into front of eyeball.  How on earth you manged with fluid being injected I don`t know. As the saying goes `Glad it wasn`t me` but as you say , sorted now. So that`s a good result

[Mike990]

Finally I've got the Bimota on the road and I've put a few hundred miles on it so I'd thought I'd share my initial thoughts-

Engine/performance - the throttle response right through the rev range is very crisp and the exhaust has a wonderful raspy howl to it - very nice. In terms of performance I like the instant torque right the way from 4k and it's makes easy work of top gear roll-ons and overtakes. It's definitely not a match for ‘modern’ superbikes in outright acceleration but in all honesty who can actually use that performance on the road anyway? Overall I'd say that I'm happy with the performance and probably won't do any work to increase bhp..

Handling/suspension - I spent a fair bit of time trying to replicate the damping characteristics of my Aprilia rsv and whilst my setting process was not super scientific - just seat of the pants - overall the front and rear feel matched if a little on the firm side- but hell it's a Bimota so it's meant to be firm right? I raised the rear ride height to the max in order to put more weight over the front and once the bike is moving at a reasonable lick the handling feels very nice and neutral and very stable at any speed. I could probably spend hours fine tuning the damping but I think I'll give it a miss and spend more time riding it! 

General impressions - well everything works as it should and the bike feels taught and sharp and I think it looks fantastic! I'm super happy with it!