Polini 911 tech tips
911 full fairings can be cut to make a "3/4" fairing conversion. Spark plug access is easy (fairings stay on), and you can remove the exhaust without pulling the front fairing as well.
We found that the GEM free-floating rotor pins work beautifully on Polinis. Polini 122mm rotors are notoriously soft, and warp if you look at them cross-eyed. If you drill out the mounting holes with a 9/32" bit, and clearance the inner fork legs (with a file!), the GEM free floating rotor mounts will fit (for best fit you need to source some button-head bolts to mount the rotor too).
What we get from all this, is the little warpage present has no effect, as the rotor can free-float, AND as an added bonus, if the caliper angle isn't quite perfect in relation to the rotor, it can now conform to the caliper. What this means is we can now set the pads to ride a lot closer to the rotor surface with no drag and lockup problems. Pictures will come soon.
You can buy the free-float mounts from Gordon Edwards at: info@gemminimoto.com They cost about a buck apiece, and you need 6 for the twin front brakes, and 3 for the rear (9 pcs.).
Another nice trick I learned is that the textured finish on Polini bikes can be easily restored by a quick sandblasting. A sandblaster costs about $20 at Home Depot. Cheaper than two footpeg brackets! it makes a mess and requires some effort, but here's the result (note installation scratches and dirt- the piece looked perfect when I was done). Contrast this with the darkened frame. I will blast this too one day when I get around to stripping down the bike again.
UPDATE:
I just went ahead and powdercoated the whole darned thing. It looks better, and cleans up QUICK. Sandblasted parts look nice, but they tend to soak up oil and crap. Not fun to clean!
I found a replacement for the awful hex head bolt in the back with a Allen-head bolt too. Looks better! The old hex bolt was chewed up too.
Go here for any oddball metric bolts you can't find- trust me, these guys have it! I think they only do shop sales, but it's great for those within a 40 mile radius.
Metric Specialties
622 S. Flower, Burbank, CA 91502
(800) 800-6696
There was a neat add-on on the demo bike too- a steering damper custom mounted to the 911 frame.
It is mounted to the front fairing mount. I assume you could hole-saw an opening into the body as well to facilitate a 910 Steel GP mount, but why? This is removable and doesn't alter anything permanent, besides a $5 mount.
Note welded nut on fairing mount that holds the front of the damper.
The original nut on the fork clamp was too short too- it cracked off part of the clamp when overtightened. I found a longer bolt which solved this problem by threading all the way through- STRENGTH!!!!
UPDATE:
You can now buy a 911 GP front stabilizer mount and save yourself the trouble- it is a bolt-on fit, and is more stable than the unit I made. If someone wants the unit I made, send me $5 for it :)
I recently found that the 910's chain guide thingie in plastic fits quite well to protect the 911 swingarm. You just need to dremel out the slot, and add some double-sided tape to hold it in place after you get it on. Don't remove too much material, and keep it nice and snug.
I powdercoated my frame gray and wheels black too. Here's a pic of the bike set up for riding, with the contraption installed!
you can see the swingarm protector if you look real close at the front of the swingarm.
Email me for additional questions: