Benelli 900 Sei ~ Styled to look like a 750 Sei with modern ergonomics.
Contact: alan@jenal.co.uk. Mob: 07768 166065

A Potted History of Classic Benelli A Potted History of the Benelli Sei Range The Differences Between the 750 & 900 Sei's List of Respected  Suppliers for this Benelli Project
1) The first day of getting the unused and unloved Benelli 900 Sei to friend Simon's garage ready for planned restoration.     2) The start of the stripping of the bike down to bare chassis. Note the small fuel tank hidden under the standard 900 Sei fibre glass paneling.
3) We trial fitted the second hand 750 Sei fuel tank and seat to see what mods were required. The tank was an easy alteration to its fittings but the seat would require a new set of steel fabricated mountings for both the seat hinge and its locking mechanism.     4) A closer view of the front suspension showed us the lack of attention this poor specimen of a bike had received over the years. The brakes were seized on and the forks were poorly painted. No problem because they would both be rebuilt with the forks being stripped of their reddish paint and returned to polished aluminum.
5) The six into six exhaust system arrived from Italian supplier Coco's Garage. Unchromed and unmarked so Alan had to initially discover which part went where.     6) As can be witnessed by this picture, the stock 750 exhaust system looks ridiculous on the 900 because the 900 Sei's engine is mounted more upright to assist in bike balance and handling.
7) The poor old 900 was in a sorry state when Alan first started stripping it. Battery acid had boiled over and run down the frame corroding all in its path.  

  8) Part of the modifications are underway here, carried out by DULA Engineering who have made the new seat mountings, exhaust changes and added some extra bars.
9) The front disc brake and fork leg were in a poor state. The discs' were shot-blasted and the leg to the metal treatment specialists Baker Engineering for polishing.  

  10) More mucky bits, in particular the front end awaiting its strip-down. The bike had recently returned from DULA and the now correctly fitting exhaust pipes can be seen on the engine.
11) Hardly anything is left on the bike save hauling out the engine and transmission and a few other items.  

  12) These unusual items are the old and new OHC timing chain tensioner. The original black one at the top had sat in this engine for some 30 plus years and renowned for failing if not used. 
13) The engine had only covered 4500 miles in its 30+ years of existence so it theoretically didn't need re-building. It needed a big clean and repaint though - Ice Blasting was suggested as the best way of cleaning it.  

  14) Benelli 6 cylinder engines are only air-cooled and susceptible to overheating, not so much from high speed touring but more from traffic congestion where limited amounts of air pass over the engine. An external oil cooler is the answer.
15) The oil radiator fits in its own rubber mounted steel housing just below the steering head-stock. It replaces the Benelli's original twin horns which were replaced and repositioned under the seat.     16) Benelli Sei's have a torturous air flow route from their under seat air cleaner to the triple Dellorto carbs so we turned to K&N Air Filters for a remedy. 3 individual cone shaped cleaners, a filter to neatly fit the transmission breather hose and a cam-box filter.
17) The Benelli Sei Special starts to take shape. The shot-blasted and undercoated new metalwork is trial fitted on the frame to make sure it all fits correctly.     18) More of the Benelli's components are shot-blasted to rid them of their 30 odd years of corrosion. The now 3 drilled brake discs can be clearly seen.
19) An unusual choice of foot pegs and possibly bordering on 'bling' but one that Alan believed suited the bike better than the boring original Benelli items.     20) The fully rebuilt front forks with freshly re-hard-chromed stanchions by AM Philpot and fully smoothed and polished aluminum legs. All having also undergone bush and seal replacements.
21) The Benelli's brake components all came in for major upgrades and fresh ideas. Here the front discs have been cross-drilled and repainted. The cross-drilling assists in brake cooling as well as speeding up brake efficiency when wet.     22) Benelli's six cylinder engines are wide with their vulnerable electronics (ignition system on the rhs & alternator on the lhs) residing at each end of the crankshaft. These purpose made side crash bars were custom made by DULA Engineering should save the day. 

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