It Looked Perfect... Until I Rode It...

Following up on the initial shakedown run of the 1998 Airborne Titanium hardtail, it’s time to address a few mechanical issues and drop in some high-end, period-correct upgrades. We dive into the unique process of using a football inflation needle to repressurize an old air fork, myth-bust a common theory regarding Shimano Dura-Ace vs. XTR Octalink V1 bottom bracket spline lengths, and treat the M950 drivetrain to a full ultrasonic deep clean and hot immersion wax treatment. Finally, we respond to the comment section's feedback by binning the counterfeit hardware and pressing in a stunning, classic WTB Grease Guard headset. Retro Air Fork Pressure: Using an old-school needle adapter to pump up the front end and diagnosing a common rubber pellet valve leak. The Octalink Spline Myth: Comparing a brand new Dura-Ace road bottom bracket against the original XTR unit to check compatibility and spindle spacing. Hot Chain Waxing: Stripping factory grease from a KMC chain using Ceramic Speed cleaner in the ultrasonic tank before a hot dip in Enigma wax. WTB Grease Guard Installation: Pressing in a proper, period-correct Wilderness Trail Bikes headset with built-in grease purge ports. Airborne Titanium Finishing Touches: Installing rare, hexagonal profile Airborne titanium bar ends and replacing a damaged frame decal. Chain tree - https://tinyurl.com/5ev63mcr Sponsor: Big thanks to Sport and Leisure for supporting the channel. Get 10% off your order here: https://www.sportandleisure.com/bcr (Discount automatically applied at checkout) Tools I use!- https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/bcr/lis... #bikerepair, #bikemechanic, #vintagemtb, #titaniumbike, #shimanoxtr, #bcr, #retromtb, #chainwaxing, #workshopdiaries, #sportandleisure, #airbornebicycles, #classicmtb