With the forks and side stand now installed, it was finally time to wheel the bike out for its first outdoor test. The side stand held perfectly, supported by a large surface area that backs onto the engine plates, ensuring stability. The bike rolled smoothly, with only a minor adjustment needed for the new brakes, which resolved itself after a few rotations. It was exciting to see the project from a different perspective.


The seat isn't mounted yet as I am awaiting the arrival of the fuel tank. This will help determine the optimal position for the seat. A quick sit over the frame gave me a sense of the riding position with the clip-ons—it's easy to forget how far forward you need to lean on these speed-focused builds. At this stage, most of the frame build is complete. The main components still pending are the tank and rear sets. Once these are in place, I'll mount the seat and send the tanks off for painting. Based on the current timeline, the painting and final assembly should be completed in about a month to six weeks.


Recently, I've been polishing the frame and addressing any small details. This included finishing the instrument panel, which now features a custom Triton sticker. Additionally, I installed an oil pressure gauge, adding a more authentic racer look to the bike as well as side mirrors. There's a diode needed for the LED indicator system to prevent back feed, which I plan to install later today. The rest of the electrical system is ready to go. The exhaust pipes and silencers will be installed once the rear sets are in place, as they share the same mounting bracket.

Not too much longer to go now. The goal is to have it ready for the NZ Motorcycle Show in October.