My first ever bike build!!

[Airwolfie]

thats the spirit ! well done that man.

Guess I'd better brave the cold and do somethin myself tomorrow

Thanks Peanut! Guess I've gone and done it now!! you will probably finish yours tomorrow HA!

 

[peanut]

nah I've hit a bit of a snag .
I finally bought a new torque wrench to check my engine and crankcase torque values but it seems to be out of calibration.

I have developed a very good muscle memory ability over the years and trust my sense of sufficient hand torque more than a torque wrench especially where aluminium is concerned

If I had tried to tighten any more I'd shear something so I'm stuck in a bit of a quandry now.

I need to get both my torque wrenches calibrated before using them but I may just trust my judgement and go ahead an run the engine anyway.

 

[Airwolfie]

Feck it, just run it! Worst case, she will leak a bit! Then you know you need to retorque!!!

 

[I am Carbon]

I still use my old beam torque wrench.
It has never let me down

 

[I am Carbon]

Feck it, just run it! Worst case, she will leak a bit! Than you know you need to retorque!!!

You know that's right!
I had rebuild 2 lawn mower engines as a teen no torque wrench needed as I remember

 

[peanut]

Although I've had a 1/2" torque wrench for years I've rarely if ever used it .
I've restored classic cars for over 40 years and never used one .

I rely totally on muscle memory and 'feel' and never been let down yet . I also don't recall ever stripping anything either .

However I have very little experience with aluminium bike engines but I do know they leak oil like seives so I thought I'd better buy a new 3/8" TW

The amount of force I am applying to the engine studs without the TW clutch clicking is not in my comfort zone so I'm going to rely on my muscle memory experience.

If I'm wrong and it leaks I'll nip the nuts up a bit more . I figure if you torque it to the max and it still leaks you've got nowhere to go .

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

My elbow 'pops' at 60 ft-lbs. Good for lug nuts...

 

[Airwolfie]

- Mount headlight properly DONE!!!
- Find replacement brake line for clutch and front brakes
- fab steering stop
- finish off foot pegs
- replace tyres
- add chain
- mount front fender
- fabricate rear fender
- mount rear fender
- mount rear light
- mount indicators FRONT ONES DONE!!
- mount coils
- add spark leads
- mount tacho and speedo DONE!!
- recon front caliper/s(not sure if I want to go twin or single yet) Going to scratch that, they don't fit
- paint and drill rotors
- possibly make spacers for calipers/rotors
- mount number plate
- wire entire bike
- mount PMA/boyer(not sure which one to get yet, thinking Boyer as it's local)
- mount rear brake switch
- clean gas tank
- paint gas tank
- plug excess petcock holes
- add horn
- add fake oil tank for housing electrics
- paint fenders
- add key starter
- add hi/lo light switch
- add kill switch
- sort out exhausts
- add neutral light
- add petcock
- install fuel line
- add filter pods
- add oil
- add fuel
- run engine
- tune engine
- get MOT!!

So I finished the speedo-tacho mount! Pain in the arse it was but I got it done! Haven't got proper hardware to mount them yet so I just chucked on what I got, but I do kind of like the acorns on top!!

Pics of my hard labour!

They look a bit off, but that is because they are not bolted down yet, just hanging on for dear life hehe!!

I couldn't do any more as I had to change my rear pads on my car. Did the fronts the weekend before last, had a look and thought they will last another month or so. WRONG!! The pads on the inside of the disc I couldn't check and the one was down to the metal! Well the grinding started this week so I realised it was time.

I have never done this before, but I watched my mate do the front ones, and made it look easy, or so I thought! They are completely different aren't they!

Long story short, I had to call my mate today after 3hrs of struggle, and he did it in 10 mins!!!! Bastard! Well he is an MOT tester..............

So most of my day was wasted, well not really because my cars brakes are OK again, but you know what I mean! Not enough time in the shed!!

 

[peanut]

thats good progress AW well done

Don't forget tomorrow when you shoot off down the road and apply the brakes there may be a surprise.

I replaced my front pads a while back ,packed my tools and jack away got in the car drove it down our drive swung round the bend at the bottom of the hill and braked sharply a few feet from the front of my neighbours car and my brake pedal went all the way to the floor ! fuuuuuurk kin ell

Pumped the brakes like crazy and stopped inches from their bumper. !

I'd forgotten to pump the brakes after pressing the pistons back to insert the pads ! It took quite a few pumps before the pads touched the disks .

 

[Airwolfie]

thats good progress AW well done

Don't forget tomorrow when you shoot off down the road and apply the brakes there may be a surprise.

I replaced my front pads a while back ,packed my tools and jack away got in the car drove it down our drive swung round the bend at the bottom of the hill and braked sharply a few feet from the front of my neighbours car and my brake pedal went all the way to the floor ! fuuuuuurk kin ell

Pumped the brakes like crazy and stopped inches from their bumper. !

I'd forgotten to pump the brakes after pressing the pistons back to insert the pads ! It took quite a few pumps before the pads touched the disks .

Thanks Peanut! All sorted, already went for a spin round the block!

Don't need a close call that early in the morning!!

 

[Airwolfie]

- Mount headlight properly DONE!!!
- Find replacement brake line for clutch and front brakes
- fab steering stop
- finish off foot pegs
- replace tyres
- add chain
- mount front fender
- fabricate rear fender
- mount rear fender
- mount rear light
- mount indicators FRONT ONES DONE!!
- mount coils
- add spark leads
- mount tacho and speedo DONE!!
- recon front caliper/s(not sure if I want to go twin or single yet) Going to scratch that, they don't fit
- paint and drill rotors
- possibly make spacers for calipers/rotors
- mount number plate
- wire entire bike
- mount PMA/boyer(not sure which one to get yet, thinking Boyer as it's local)
- mount rear brake switch
- clean gas tank
- paint gas tank
- plug excess petcock holes
- add horn
- add fake oil tank for housing electrics DONE!!
- paint fenders
- add key starter DONE!!!
- add hi/lo light switch
- add kill switch
- sort out exhausts
- add neutral light
- add petcock
- install fuel line
- add filter pods
- add oil
- add fuel
- run engine
- tune engine
- get MOT!!

Got a bit more done on the ol girl. I made an electrics box out of an old chocolate tin I had lying around. I was going to do a fancy horse shoe shaped fake oil tank, but I decided to go this route instead. The tin had a nice lid I just had to use!!

The only problem was that the tin was HUGE! 7' in diameter, so I had to reduce it to 4' to get it to fit. Good thing I learnt how to solder tin when I was building my 1/10th Willy's Jeep! Cut it up, reduced the size of the lid, soldered it all together, and this is how it looks now....

Got a little shelf in there for the fuse box and some other tidbits......

I cut the knob off the lid, and added a few neodymiums inside............

......to hide the KEY SWITCH!!!!

I will just let the knob sit on any metal surface, maybe even the tank. I'm a tad worried it may blow off, but then this isn't a crotch rocket!!

Well at this pace I will have her done in 20 weeks HAHA!!

 

[peanut]

well done AW ...at least you have made some progress ..I have made none this week again.

Nice bit of tinwork !

 

[Airwolfie]

Thanks Peanut, but at least you a LOT closer to the end than I am!!!

 

[peanut]

well if you must do all this fancy brazing of tin boxes lol

I know... I do feel ashamed really.
My next job is fitting the battery and fault finding all the wiring and I don't fancy that out in the cold ....wuss

At least you've licked one of the really difficult and timeconsuming jobs

 

[I am Carbon]

Very cool round box You have made.
Just keep plugging away and You will be starting her up before you know it.

 

[Airwolfie]

well if you must do all this fancy brazing of tin boxes lol

I know... I do feel ashamed really.
My next job is fitting the battery and fault finding all the wiring and I don't fancy that out in the cold ....wuss

At least you've licked one of the really difficult and timeconsuming jobs

Haha! At least yours is running now!! Get a hat and a coat, and get on it!! Christmas is coming!!

Very cool round box You have made.
Just keep plugging away and You will be starting her up before you know it.

Thanks Carbon! that's all I can do at the moment, waiting to sell off parts so I can buy some form of ignition! Got to catch up to Peanut!

 

[Airwolfie]

- Mount headlight properly DONE!!!
- Find replacement brake line for clutch and front brakes
- fab steering stop
- finish off foot pegs
- replace tyres
- add chain
- mount front fender
- fabricate rear fender
- mount rear fender
- mount rear light
- mount indicators FRONT ONES DONE!!
- mount coils
- add spark leads
- mount tacho and speedo DONE!!
- recon front caliper/s(not sure if I want to go twin or single yet) Going to scratch that, they don't fit
- paint and drill rotors
- possibly make spacers for calipers/rotors
- mount number plate
- wire entire bike
- mount PMA/boyer(not sure which one to get yet, thinking Boyer as it's local)
- mount rear brake switch
- clean gas tank
- paint gas tank
- plug excess petcock holes
- add horn
- add fake oil tank for housing electrics DONE!!
- paint fenders
- add key starter DONE!!!
- add hi/lo light switch DONE!!!
- add kill switch DONE!!!
- sort out exhausts
- add neutral light DONE!!!
- add petcock
- install fuel line
- add filter pods
- add oil
- add fuel
- run engine
- tune engine
- get MOT!!

Three more thigs sorted! Whooo!!

It didn't take me long to do this, if all the things on the list are like this I could finish her off this weekend Hehe!

No details, it just involved drilling holes in the head light bucket and screwing in the switches and lights, simples!

I'm not sure about the light switch on the left with the on off surround, I may take it off still, I don't know yet. I'll see what it looks like once painted.

The idiot lights were off fleabay, quite cheap actually(reason? They are chrome coated plastic housings!), so I thought, why not!

That's it for now!!

 

[peanut]

-
Three more thigs sorted! Whooo!!

It didn't take me long to do this, if all the things on the list are like this I could finish her off this weekend Hehe!


That's it for now!!

wow thats impressive. I thought it was going to take a while looking at your list .
The race is still on for the first to MOT

 

[Airwolfie]

wow thats impressive. I thought it was going to take a while looking at your list .
The race is still on for the first to MOT

Haha! Thanks for the vote of confidence!!

I still have 31 on my list, you have........... A LOT LESS than that! Plus, your's is running already!!!

You are miles ahead in this race mate!! But I will try hehe!

 

[I am Carbon]

DUDE! I luv that head light!
I wouldn't change that switch, no way.

keep up that good work Man!