I'm not really sure what happened. At the end of the last page it was almost Christmas 2007 and here we are in May 2009. Well, there were other projects, other bikes, adventures on our C11s. The poor old M21 sat under a dustsheet in the shed and languished for over a year. I'm sure plenty of people thought it was never to be finished. In fact if it hadn't been for the constant pestering by certain mates it might never have seen the light of day again!

However, in late 2008, after a year of inaction, I pulled the cover off the M21 and set to work again.

Gearboxes
Gearboxes continue to defy me. They remain a Black Art. Fortunately, I have two friends who can instinctively put gearboxes together and insist that there is nothing to it. Rather than spend hours getting me all confused Jim just put the gearbox together for me. Thanks. The casing has been bead-blasted and the box fitted with new bearings and bushes.

This is what the inside of the gearbox looks like - through the little inspection plate on the back. Is it any wonder I can't make sense of it?

Stainless spokes: bling!
With the engine and gearbox in the frame it was time to lace up the new chrome rims and stainless spokes. I've made a wheel building jig and can now lace and true a spoke wheel in a couple of hours. It takes a while to learn how it all works but every wheel is easier than the last. Doesn't all that chrome and stainless look nice!

A rolling frame at last.
Things are moving ahead fast. The forks and guards are on and everything we add makes it look more like a motorcycle.