Sports: Re: [DucatiST] Desmo Times Fairing Modification Brackets

For everyone who has been waiting with abated breath on my fairing mod up date....Oh, and everybody with the yellow color info..THANX...I'll get it ordered this week.

Got the fan override switch in and it works fine. Did it a bit differently that what was suggested in the instructions. I put it on the right hand side panel and I used a lighted handle switch so that when it is on it is bright..a reminder that it is on and to not drain your battery! I used some 90 degree angled spade connectors and when I ran the hot side, I ran a negative wire to so that the switch lit up. On splicing into the blue wire at the fan, I used a heat shrink butt slice with another bit of heat shrink at all my connections then used a bit of Corrosion X at all connections. I used Corrosion X (should be available at electronic supply houses or marine/boating shops) all the time when I was an instrumentation tech at the aquarium in Galveston (a very hostile environment!!!) and all but eliminated connection problems in all the stuff I worked on (4-20 milliamp to 12,400 VAC). Stuff works. Comes in a small bottle with a pinpoint tip so you can get it in areas hard to access with dielectric grease (available at you friendly local Honda dealer..whats left, you can bequeath to your great grandkids)...which is another must have in the tool box. I use acid brushes as an applicator.

OK..fairing....Got it on yesterday afternoon and it was a two way struggle, temper and fairing. I figured I'd have the most problems with the right hand side but it was the left hand side that gave me fits. After several on and offs of the center piece, I got it all together. One thing...while you have the center piece off, go ahead and replace the two forward wellnuts in the chin piece and that would have saved me problems. On the left side, the holes didn't match up too well so after an unsuccessful wrestling match, I bent the bike's rear attachment point tab forward a bit and that pretty well cured that match-up problem. Doesn't take much.

The right side, I had to bit of fiddling, but if you do your lower attachments, the above mentioned wellnuts, that pulls the fairing back a bit and everything lined up OK. I used a small Philips screwdriver as an alignment tool. The female dzus clips kept popping out of place and off the DesmoTimes stainless steel band so I used pliers to slightly bend the lower side of the clip so that it grabbed the band and then they pretty well stayed in place. I also had to squeeze the bend on the clips some more so as to bring the female part closer to the band.

The 19mm male dzus piece is long enough to attach the layers of band and fairing but you need to carefully push in (and not on the leading edge turn signals, they will pop out!) on the fairing and turn the dzus piece. There is not the well defined release of pressure that you feel when the pins sets in the notch but you can tell when it "lands". Double check that the fastener took a bite before going to the next fastener. I didn't use the plastic washers as a retainer but used them as a washer for the time being.

I left the lowers off for the time being and took the bike out for a trial spin to check all my adjustments. It was getting dark and foggy so it was a short spin but long enough to lose my glasses in their case..today it's a search and rescue of said case! Got the bike back...it still TALL in seating adjustment!!!! and rolled it back onto the HandyLift and then did a R&R of the rear brake arm. Put an aftermarket arm on, had to make to new brake switch adjuster bolt out of an allen bolt and in putting all together, the circlip popped off and vanished into the ethereal void that exists in all garages and shops. Never even heard it land! So, a side stop to the search and rescue will be at the local auto parts shop to see if they have a very small circlip!

Circlips..here is a handy tech tip about circlips...Most circlips, at least those that are big enough to see with old eyes have a very flat side and a side that has rounded edges. If you're able to see the edges, <grin>, always put the machined flat side with the sharp edges facing the direction of the load...this is VERY important on the likes of piston wrist pin circlips. Hard to explain but if you put the rounded edge in the wrong way, it acts like a taper and will either squeeze inward fro internal circlips or outward for external circlips and then pop off.

If you can find one..some auto parts shops have them on the ubiquitous carousel, use the circlip pliers that have a screw driver handle that opens or closes the pins with a twist of the handle. That way, you're not in a strain and have less of a chance of over opening/closing the clip. Oh..and plenty of light to see what you're doing which I didn't do in my case of the missing circlip!

So..is the fairing mod worth while? I guess time and use will determine this. If you're into the innards of the bike a lot, probably would be a big help. The fairing is such a PITA and it takes a technique to properly do, mod or not, which only comes with time. But I guess in the long run, yes it will be OK. Just take your time and realize that each bike is slightly different so a bit of tweaking will be necessary and remember..."patience is a virtue"...&%&)(*^%$@.

Hopper...now to do my search and rescue...

From: Gary L. Smith <lgranch@laughing-gargoyle.com>
To: st2_owners@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, February 25, 2011 4:07:54 PM
Subject: Re: [DucatiST] Desmo Times Fairing Modification Brackets - pre 2004 STx

I your bike is yellow then the Colorite part number for touch up paint
is 7560 and the cost for a touch up bottle is $20.95. Plus shipping of
course. HTH.

Gary '01 ST4 Gaston, OR

On 2/25/2011 10:11 AM, Ian Ellison wrote:
>
> I suspect the yellow is the same as a Fiat colour. Lots of small Fiats
> (Punto, Cinquecento, Barchetta) are a very similar shade, though I don't
> know if they were available in the US....
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: st2_owners@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:st2_owners%40yahoogroups.com>
> [mailto:st2_owners@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:st2_owners%40yahoogroups.com>]On
> > Behalf Of martin nelson
> > Sent: 25 February 2011 17:52
> > To: st2_owners@yahoogroups.com <mailto:st2_owners%40yahoogroups.com>
> > Subject: Re: [DucatiST] Desmo Times Fairing Modification Brackets - pre
> > 2004 STx
> >
> >
> > Hi Hopper,
> >
> > Thanks for the tips. I also have removed the horizontal mounting
> > tabs on the top of he mid fairing section. I'm trying to figure
> > out if there is also part of that fairing that people are
> > removing up near the front of that mid fairing to help it slip
> > behind the air scoop section of the fairing to ease the
> > re-installation of the mid fairing section. Have you heard
> > anything about that?
> > My bike is a blue 2001 ST2 and they do a perfect color match at
> > Color Rite, (colorrite.com). You might give them a try to get a
> > paint match for your bike.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Marty
> > Seattle, WA, USA
> >
> > 2001 Ducati ST2, Midnite Blue
> > 1976 BMW R90S, Daytona Orange
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > To unsubscribe from the list please send an email to:
> > st2_owners-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.comYahoo
> <mailto:st2_owners-unsubscribe%40yahoogroups.comYahoo>! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>
>

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