PGK's beemer with a big update!

[PGK]

Put it together yesterday and today. Crank turns freely, nothing hits anything else. Used a pair of custom re-usable copper head gaskets, I'm testing them for possible production and sale. They just need to be annealed prior to each installation. You can't see them, but they are tres cool.

Headers mocked up. You can see in this picture just how offset the cylinders are, which is the source of the only discernible vibration in the otherwise perfectly balanced horizontally opposed twin.

Engine covers painted, with highlights added by Black&Decker and a roll of 100 grit.


A couple close-ups of the new valvetrain parts.

A few days ago I cut open the exhaust collector and removed the baffles. I didn't have my camera with me, but the way the baffles were arranged was baffling to me. Very restrictive. So, I removed them. Today, I re-assembled the collector with an Oxygen-Acetylene torch and some wire coat hanger.

This is the first time I have welded anything, ever. So naturally, I screwed it up, and my first experience welding led directly to my first experience brazing.

I actually went a little overboard. there were a few pinholes that i wanted to plug, and i wanted to patch up some holes that had rusted through. Once I painted it it didn't look so ugly.

Then, once all the exhaust paint had cured in the oven, i mocked the whole system up.

The can is a Leo Vince, for an '07 R6, courtesy of Andrew. It's just hanging on the end there, I need to weld and elbow to it so I can neck the inlet down enough to fit on the collector, and I need to angle it down enough to clear the subframe on the bike, but as it hangs there is basically as it is going to be.


BRAAAAAAAAP