Next, i went for a more radical overhaul once again - the second, and so far last, paint job. Flat black is a nightmare to keep clean, so i went for glosy black again....... this time i actually took the bike apart, at least partly, and also for the first time the "Bulldozer" theme is applied.
Also a steering dampener had been installed meantime:
And then i finally went to do something about the frame. Maybe you have spotted it on some of the previous pictures and wondered - the bike doesn't really look "straight", right? Correct you are. The accident which the previous owner had with the bike must have been a pretty heavy one, as the rear frame was broken in several places, and they had welded it very amateurishly, using rebar pieces as reinforcement. That welding, judging by the burn marks on several surrounding bits, was done like my paint job - without taking the bike apart. As a result the rear frame was about as "straight" as a banana - it didn't bother me too much, HOWEVER as i often ride wit hpassenger (my boyfriend) or carry heavy stuff on that bike, it bent more and more, and at some stage even broke once again.
So i decided to intall what i had seen on several motorbikes here in Bangkok, specially those that haul gas cylinders and other heavy goods:
The V-4 suspension!
The sole purpose of this is to stop the frame from bending further downwards. it takes away all comfort as the suspension becomes VERY hard (hardtail Harley riders anyone? THAT's how it feels like!) but also it maes the whole thing more stable - i guess i can drop a 500 kilogram load onto it and won't have a problem. Also note the somewhat weird-looking metal contraption that serves as an additional support for the top case - it serves the same purpose
And as you can see on those pictures, i was meantime also able to finally find the (probably last one in Thailand) genuine Yamaha "Lemang" type exhaust that is supposed to go on the older model RXZ.... it has a very nice sound (the old, stock, one was too loud for my taste - i HATE loud two-stroke engines!) and also more decent power curves - more torque specifically.
To be continued.