okay- heres those pics:
three metric box-end wrenches and 45 minutes later:
the mini came apart without any trouble, i didnt find any hidden damage. the tank looks hammered in the photo, but thats just the remnants of duct tape.
ill start with stripping the frame and polishing all that chrome and aluminum. after seeing some nice examples on pm im starting to consider a flat black paint job- I KNOW i havent the skills for an OE paint job yet.maybe flat black and pinstripes...