On Sunday, I finished making the bearing mount on the right side of the motor spindle. This will help take a lot of strain off the bearings on the motor and prevent it twisting out from the torque. Also, I shimmed the front pulley with the thin metal from an aluminium can -- it was just perfect to close the gap between 12.5 mm and 12.0 mm. As a result, the motor is working much quieter now -- I just love the sound it makes when it accelerates -- gotta post a video.