[spent_too_much]

I had enough components, from all of my parts bikes, to build another one. This time around, I had professional help for the painting, which was amazing. The colors that I chose are slate blue, orange, and black.

I learned three new skill sets this time around:
plastic welding
"Ducatiman" style carb cleaning - I have a deeper level of respect on the service that he provides.
rekeying my locks

I also constructed a "lift" to work on the bike - this made the process so much easier.

The frame is a 96, with a 2004 motor - with only 9K miles. Every part was cleaned, painted, and/or refreshed in some way. I replaced all of the bearings and cables too. It is like a brand new motorcycle!

edit:
I forgot to mention that I have set this one up for highway cruising. To this end, I have installed 15/43 sprockets ( with a 106 link chain ) and 100/90 and 130/90 tires. I hope that this drops the rpms at speed.

Also, I chose to replace some of the smaller bolts, and sourced them from MonsterBolts.com. I found their selection vastly superior to the local hardware store, and pricing was much better too. They sell in packs of 10, for what I would pay for 2 locally.

One last thing. This time around, I waited to begin assembly until I had all of my parts sorted and painted. This way, the project wasn't stalled while I waited on a part. I had the entire thing reassembled within a few days this way.