Tuesday 28 February 2012

Street Scramber Brake

knocked off working today about 4 so ive had about 2 hours till the light died to have a play in the shed. havent done it in a while, and it felt GOOOOOOOOOD!  

Me and Tombo went halfers on a big drum of Jizer for parts cleaning. Havent picked up my parts washer yet, so it was a case of washing the brake parts in a bucked and scrubbing with a toothbrush!

both the lever and the calliper came out nicely. I changed up the lever on the handlebar control as the one that came with as bent to hell and back!




I realised that I haven't got a set of torque (star drive) screwdrivers, so the calliper only had a superficial clean, and I couldn't change up the pads yet. I will probably spray the calliper back black when I get it stripped down.

I then had a crack at the adaptor plate, the template for which was so kindly supplied by Mr Pixie! 


I had some 5mm Alloy there, not 6mm as had been specified, but should be ok (Hopefully)

I scribed the outline as carefully as i could to the template that I had cut out, then centre punched the holes...
 


then with the angle grinder I tickled it to death to get the rough shape before finishing with a file...


checked the holes lined up alright prior to drilling (all was ok!)


and there you have it!




I tried it on the calliper, and after I had run through the threads with a tap, it fitted nicely!



By this time the light had gone, and I haven't fitted any lights in the new shed yet, so a bit of a crap picture of it mounted...




I assume its fitted correctly.....

The wheel I'm using isn't an XS650 one, so I may have to make the disc spacer to a different size to what Pixie said originally.

Saturday 18 February 2012

New Knucklehead Cases

Arrived this morning fresh from Germany. I am one HAPPY Mofo!

Brand new cases to build my knuck basket with, better start saving for some rods and flywheels next!

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Repop cases....

This is one of the coolest pictures you'll ever see of bits of metal in boxes! Repop knuck cases made to the exacting sizes of original cases. Whoa baby!

Come to daddy!

Monday 13 February 2012

Chicken poo

Benny has a cracking old bike for sale. It's an old Harley 45 survivor chopper that's been pulled out of an American barn chicken shit and all (hence it's affectionate name)

I wish I had the spare brass to buy this bike, whoever buys it needs to keep it called chicken poo, and ride the hell out of it.

This is it on eBay:-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320846726211

Tommy Trouble

Tom came over to mine on Saturday to scope out my new shed, and to have a sit and good look at the relic.
He has his engine issues resolved now on his XS, so its full steam ahead with his chop project.  He wanted to see how the bike sat with the TC Bro's Hardtail, fits him a treat, I'm sure you'll agree.

I need to get it finished and on the road now. Its at the final hurdle, just the last furlong to go really!


Friday 10 February 2012

Scrambler top end build

Started this morning with a tidy shed and the top end off the new engine.



The bike came with 3 boxes of parts, so I rooted round in them and found numerous sub boxes of parts. Everything was stripped and put into polystyrene dishes, with it's contents written on the rim. Was like childplay putting it back together.

A full set of top end gaskets, the engine has been reported to +.25 and a brand new set of pistons and rings were also in the box (plus the old ones. All bolts and nuts had been cleaned and in some cases polished!

I had never fitted or seated valves on my own before, I had help in the past. Seated the valves in place, cleaned it up, then spend fooking ages trying to get the damn collets in. After probably an hour with no success I came into the warm for a cuppa with the boss, and to text tombomb out how shite I am!

Returned back to the shed, first try back with a cuppa in the tank and BOOM, the bigger went straight in place. The other 3 went in fairly easily despite my valve spring compressor bendi somewhat (I don't normally buy cheap tools, guess I know why now!).

Anyways, got it all buttoned up to the valve covers. It looks great, I could kiss the guy I got it from!



Still some bits and bobs to do on it, but the cold was wrecking my hands, and I need to get into town.

Well excited about this batboy, might try and sort the tyres and wheels out tomorrow morning on the way back from Donny ( found some cheap jizer parts cleaning liquid)

Thursday 9 February 2012

British skill and design

Just goes to show that there is still plenty of skill and talent around, and not everything relies on computers these days!

Tuesday 7 February 2012

Engine scramble

Despite the snow on the ground I lugged the xs engine up all the steps to the new shed. After 2 days and nigh on 800 miles driving I had to see what it looked like.

I'll get the top end on it in the next couple of days hopefully!

Sunday 5 February 2012

Street scrambler

I need another project about as much as I need a hole in the head!

Just put the roof on my new shed and put the xs I bought to sell on in there...

You know how things go, I'll just put it in the shed... I wonder what that tank I bought would look like.... I had some renthal bars somewhere..... Them biltwell grips might work.... I had that cool little headlight somewhere.... Oh there is a stock mudguard....

THAT LOOKS FECKING AWESOME!

Right a new project it is then!!!! 70's inspired, knobbly tyred, high piped scrambler for the road!!!

Been swaying back and forth with this whether to do it or not, but it's gotta be done. All major components are there, will just need:-

Pipes
Knobbly tyres
New pair of minkuni's
Cables
Boyer ( sold my last one like 3 weeks ago - doh!)
Speedo
Seat (probably speak to Matt at Caulfield leather for that...)

I think I'll make some frame mods, removal of unneeded tabs etc and job should be a goodun!

Saturday 4 February 2012

Snow day results in leatherwork

Weather is crap up here today, by the time I got my duties done it had started snowing, and it's not stopped since. Sarah wanted to make a purse, so I sat up the table and made a little leather case for my gopro. Quite enjoyed myself!

Time for a JD and get into hibernation mode....

Friday 3 February 2012

45 continues

Had half a day over at toddy's today. Plenty of chatting and discussing the plans for the project ensued...

I got a new primary sprocket delivered a few weeks back and took it over along with the freshly powder coated rear triumph hub. I also had a rim and spokes from central wheels. The rim was supposed to have been powder coated black too, but the fecking ijuts hadn't done it, so that'll have to be coated prior to building.

We had a play about with the BSA box, triumph gearbox and primary.

To run the 450 rear tyre the gearbox will be placed in a way that wouldn't line up with the primary sprocket on the engine. After a few suggestions we decided that a custom triplex sprocket is in order for the engine, which will allow the chain to align with the gearbox.

Toddy also knows what way to progress, so he will be chipping away at things like the gearbox mount and axle plates when I'm not there when he has time spare.

I did get some of the small parts for the rear hub bead blasted, and the bearings in the back wheel ready for mr T to build up the rear wheel when the rim comes back from powder coating.