Recent content by Bentwrench

Super glue? Really?

"before the cover starts to break." Well, so much for that!

This was a discovery. There are remnants of an aftermarket gasket and lots of liquid gasket... I always wondered why there was orange goo on the side covers. Now I know... Replacement is not expensive, but the purpose of the side covers is mostly decorative and to keep dust out of the...

This looks wrong...

I know about the engine. I have a spare. I got this bike from an inveterate tinkerer with an anxiety disorder. I have a spare engine, spare wheels, brake discs and calipers, wiring harness, shocks, cables, handlebars, controls... I'll be looking today to see if I have a left hand front caliber...

Dust cap: check. There’s no rubber washer or anything though. And for all I know, the previous owner didn’t clean the parts before installing or inspecting.

And the wiring harness is off. I feel like I made a mistake not taking more pictures while disconnecting all the plugs... but I'm somewhat colour blind, so I'm not sure it would have helped anyway. Next step: remove carbs, and remove engine.

Cleaned up the bearings, they're as good as new. The top bearing did have grit in it. So shopping list only requires stuff for the rear (and one grease fitting for the neck.)

My birthday present to myself was a parts washer. I'm always looking for opportunities to use it. This fits the bill!

Do I have to remove the lower bearings to wash and regrease them? I’m worried I’ll damage them pulling them off.

Yup. That'll be step one. Elbow grease is free.

Upper and lower seem properly seated and smooth. And the bearings seem good. Should there be spacers? And is there a way to tell that the top race was put in the top and not the bottom (and vice versa?)

Wow! I am incredibly surprised! So, why would roller bearings be notchy? When I turn the steering stem, it definitely wants to be straight and rattled through that centre alignment. Also, I have no idea why this picture is sideways...

I can tell when I turn the steering stem by hand that these bearings are shot. I can practically hear them grinding...

Slower day today. I have to travel next week, so I want to check the steering head bearings and order parts if required while I'm away. But instead I started removing foot pegs, pedals, and parts off the rear. I only had about 30 minutes, and taking the front end apart seemed like it would...