Ground Zero

[Coyote]

Back from powder coat this morning, All shiny and clean ---------------

[2strokelove]

Be sure to grind off all the areas that grounding is needed. Easy to do it now before a bunch of parts are put on. Important where the coils sit. Also in the back where the real signal mounts mount to the frame. Just a reminder as you probably know this already

[yeadon_m]

Lovely!

and as I'm sure you know, if you didn't protect all the dozen plus thread holes, now is the time to carefully tap out every one of them. Its a bugger to do later, to say the least. I'd so glad I put a bolt in every thread on mine (good advice on this forum I think it was), its was a joy to reassemble.

Mike

[Coyote]

I put bolts with washers through most of the ground connections before sending it out. Hard to tell in the photo cause they are still in place. Bolts (and nuts)/ washers all around battery box mounts and through the coil mounts so those areas will be bare. Plugged steering neck as I installed the bearing races before coating. Not seen is the swing arm. That has a long all-thread with a washer and nut on each end. Left a few bolts in here and there. The powder coat shop is pretty good about masking threads left exposed. I will have to tap a few. but not many. Major things like shock mounts and brake stud masked and not coated.
This is my 3rd frame to get powder coated so I was well aware of all the issues. Last time they missed masking the brake pedal stud. It took hours to sand the coating off enough so the pedal would slip on and move freely.
A tip for all. If you mask things with washers, score around each one with a utility knife before knocking it off. This prevents chipping off any adjacent coating.
And I repeat for the 80th time, don't remove the muffler mount bushings. They stand up just fine to the oven heat and they are a bitch to replace.. Suzuki must have put them in with a hundred ton press. I did that once. NEVER again. If you are paranoid about the hole, just put a bolt through it with a couple of washers. Don't take them out. You'll be sorry.

[yeadon_m]

Looks terrific! agree re exhaust mounts too!
Mike

[Coyote]

Yeah. I believe I have found the most reasonable guy in the world. It's a big outfit with a constant flow of commercial work. Maybe 15 - 20 employees. I deal directly with the shop foreman. He is biker himself. A Harley, but whatever.
So I got the frame, swing arm, center stand, side stand, side stand mounting bracket, brake stay, upper and lower triple tree, battery box, rear blinker brackets, tool box, handle bar clamps and a clutch lever.
Price for all including blasting - $100. I had to gripe at him because he did the silver frame on RedZone for $65, but that was several years ago.

[yeadon_m]

Good price indeed. I paid ~2x that last year for a very similar job here in UK and thought it very cheap vs the cost of other jobs!
Mike

[Coyote]

I forgot. There was one more part in the batch. The motor mount plate. The one you need to remove to get the motor out.