What's going on!

I can't believe I haven't done anything on either bike for over a month! I've loads of good excuses, but still.

Finances heading toward Christmas were always going to be tight, and that tends to slow up progress at the best of times. But at this point in Abigails' development, lack of money has proved a killer. I have not been able to buy the gaskets and stainless steel bolts needed to bolt the engine back together. I'm hoping that my new job which I'll be starting in January and the re-shuffle of family finances will free up cash to continue the project.

Pippa has also kept me out of the shed. It's like having a baby around the house! She is settling down now and the boys are getting better at walking her without fighting so I might be able to sneak out for an hour or two in the new year.

The last stumbling block is a biggy. Planning permission for the kitchen extension has been approved. Good news indeed, but time will tighten up again once I start knocking walls down and building them back up again.

Heyho! But all that is for the new year, for now I admit defeat and shall sit back and enjoy Christmas. 10 days off, at home with my pooch and the family. Brill.

Happy Santa to anyone out there.

A new member of the family

Please put your hands together for.....

.....Pip!

Full name Pippa, she is a four and a half year old ex-race dog that joins the dray from the Dogs Trust. So far so good with her house training, though she is a little fretful at bed time. But she seems to be a very happy, soppy pooch and a welcome member of the family.

More stories to follow, I'm sure.

Weekend's work

I set about the little jobs that came out of Lucy's MOT on the weekend. First one on the list was the front wheel bearings. With the bike on a jack and the front wheel off the ground, it took all of a minute to whip the wheel off. I knew that was going to be the easiest part of the job and I was right. Trying to get a drift behind the bearings to knock them out was a right mare. But eventually one bearing was teased out, and with the centre spacer removed, the other baring was a doddle. As you can see, the old ones were rusted with little grease left. The replacement ones are the double sealed type and should hold out better than the originals. Knowing the wheels have open slots in the castings that allow water out (and in!), it's amazing that Suzuki use open sided bearings. I mean, what did they expect??

Next was the rear disc. No need to remove the rear wheel for this, just withdraw the spindle enough to allow the calliper to slip off, then an allen key can remove the 5 screws and release the disc. Piccie shows the replacement disc ready for bolting down. I picked this up from a scrappy delivered for less than half the cost of a new item. Plenty of metal (and life) left in it, in fact, according to the vernier callipers, it's nearly new. Result.

Once everything was bolted back on it was time for a quick spin around the block to make sure everything was running smoothly. That done, a quick cuppa to celebrate my hard work and good fortune. All in all, a successful day in the shed.

Abigails' shiney bits.

Finally finished the outer casings to the level I wanted them. I like to think they're clean and tidy rather that 'show bikey'. I'm not going to lacquer them, just spray with ACF50 and keep on top of things with the old Autosol.

All I need now is enough spare cash to buy the stainless bolts and gaskets to put everything back together again. That could be a problem this side of Christmas, but I'm not worried. 2010 is the big year for Abigail. That's when she must start making serious progress.

Happy day

Lucy passed her MOT today!

Chuffed to beans as I thought the rear disc would fail. Too be totally honest she didn't get a completely clean bill of health as I've been advised of slight play in the front wheel bearings. But that and a replacement rear disc will be sorted by the weekend and the pink piece of paper the nice man at the garage gave me means the wheels can keep rollin'.

Love my bike me :-)

Hippy burpday to me

45 years old and don't look a day passed 44! Looks like it's all change again as I've just got myself another job too. This is going to be yet another interesting year with the new job, a return to college probable and the extension build on the house! Fitting in bikey bits could be tough, but I'll give it a damn good go!

Lucy gets a new swingarm

Today's the day I replaced Lucy's swingarm with the replacement one I've sprayed with hammerite. Too be fair, dismantling the backend was quite straight forward with no nut or bolt being too awkward and putting up any sort of fight. Even the swingarm pivot bolt came out easily. Here's a veiw of the resulting gap.

My plan to repair the original swingarm was quickly forgotten once I gave it a poke with a screw driver. Totally rotten and not worth the effort.

Fitting the replacement was no bother either and I'm chuffed with the completed job. Very smart. The new item does have a dent in it on the RHS, but it doesn't notice too much.

The only problem throughout the job was the discovery that a previous owner had bodged the rear caliper. Looks like the bleed nipple had been sheered off and a bolt, complete with some silicone was used to effect a repair. I've tapped out the caliper to 8mm and ordered a suitable bleed nipple, but for now I've bodged it wth another bolt. I have a working rear brake so I can use the bike for now, but will have to do a proper job before the MOT. One more thing done.

Work on Lucy's swingarm continues

Not much to report, but I de-greased, rubbed down and sprayed the replacement swingarm today. Gone for black hammerite for now. Looks good too with only a few runs. It can have a week to harden off while I organise any other bits I might need. Next weekend should hopefully see things swapped over.

Everyone should travel by bus once in a while

I took the bus into town yesterday and can highly recommend it to all. Travelling by bus offers us several very important things.

Firstly, you view your route from a different prospective. Sitting high up and able to look over hedges and fences at the things that would normally pass by on the periphery tells a whole different tale of the places you travel through. What once was a grim and dismal road can become a path through meadows and fields.

Secondly, you are forced to relax. The pace is set by someone else, someone you have delegated responsibility too. There is nothing for you to do now except enjoy the journey. Any motorcyclists will tell you riding a bike, although enjoyable, is a constant task of reading conditions, evaluating risk and managing manoeuvres. On the bus all that is forgotten, all you need to do is look at the world passing by.

Finally for me at least, is the opportunity to watch and interact with other travellers. All types of people travel by bus and the bus itself forms a mini, self contained community for the duration of the trip. I always seem to get involved in conversations with other travellers on the bus. Not life and death stuff, but never the less important tiny glimpses into the lives of others. I always think these are precious moments that reinforce in me the belief that we are all bonded in our humanity. Something that can seem totally opposed by the typical scene of commuters sitting one behind the other, each in their own vehicle, avoiding any kind of contact, even eye contact, with the other commuters around them.

So I say to you all, take the bus once in a while, look at the new world outside the window, talk with the person sat next to you and enjoy the ride.

Pressy in the post

Postie brought the replacement swingarm for Lucy today.

Not a bad buy really. I'll spray it black with hammerite this weekend and order all the other parts ready to swap it over. Should stand a winter or two. I'll repair the original and get it powder coated at some point, then swap it back and sell this one on.

Oh the joy of owning older bikes.

The misery of Lucy

Just as you get things sorted to your liking, fate comes along and kicks you in the knackers! After Lucy's photo shoot I gave her a bit of a scrub. Now I've known about the rust blister on the swingarm for a while, but thought I'd sort it out another day. NOT ANY MORE!!! Bloody thing has put a hole right through the swingarm.

MOT's due in three weeks too! Found a second hand one (for £70!) which hopefully won't be too bad. Plan is to fit the replacement, fix the original, replace the original, re-sell the replacement. I'll keep the blog posted.

The joy of Lucy

After much wishing and a stroke of luck on youtube, I've managed to get my mitts on a rack and backrest for Lucy.

My apologies for the poor quality of the picture, but you can get the gist.

This latest aquisition completes the bike in my opinion. I've already sorted out the front to my liking, so until such a time as I am a wealthy man Lucy will not be fettled anymore.

That said, I do have a cunning plan for a trailer.....

Started the rotor casing

Turned my attention to the rotor side casings today. Started in the usual way with sand papers of various grades to shift the worst, then onto wet'n'dry to get the sanding marks out. Next step is over to the felt polishing mops and soaps and finally good ol' Autosol and elbow grease. Anywho this is what I started with.

Lots of interuptions today, but I did manage to finish off the starter motor drive cover.
Really don't want Abigail any shinier than that otherwise she will end up looking like a model bike. I think the pitting on the main casing is going to be a toughie. I need to clean it up but not remove it altogether. That's the job for this week.

Weekend away

Been away with Lucy for another great weekend trip, this time to Dent in Cumbria. The meet-up was losely based around the Cossack Owners Club meet with the XT Owners Club and the Thumperclub joining in.

I've been to Dent many times and never tire of the scenery. The only ball breaker is that industrial band across the country that is a nightmare to navigate through without going on motorways. This trip was no exception. The ride up through the Cotswolds and on into the Derbyshire Dales was all I could have wished for but my attempt to pass on into Yorkshire and on into Cumbria was a mess. I planned to head for Stockport to pick up the M60 and cut through, but this proved troublesome. I hit the evening commute and to add to my woes my lack of any sense of direction had me in the centre of Rochdale! A stop to check the map and it was off toward Hebdon Bridge, Haworth, Kiethley then Skipton heading for Kendal. A quick pasty at the last petrol before Dent and I was away over the moors passed the Ribble Viaduct and into the campsite.

As you can see from the picture, the afternoon was fast disappearing by the time I was clear of the towns and it was dark when I finally arrived at the site. It was gone 8pm before camp was made and I was entering the pub. "Where the hell have you been?" was the cry. "We thought you might have crashed!" Charming! I told my tales for the price of a pint and had the pub in fits of laughter.

Next morning my mate and I set off on a hill hike planned to last all day. We covered about 18 miles and every topic of conversation (mainly bikey), building up a quite considerable thirst by the time we returned to base at 6pm. The views are just breath taking and no photo can do them justice, but I've added one as some sort of attempt.

Another cracking night of booze and banter followed in the pub until closing time then continued under the shelter of the campsite marque with braziers glowing and the whiskey doing the rounds. Met some great guys who I will no doubt bump into again at similar events or at the Dragon rally in February.

Sunday morning was damp and lazy. I broke camp after several restoritive cups of tea, a bowl of porridge and a hot shower. My hill walking mate and I decided to travel back together and as I had the map (for all the good it does!) I lead the first leg. I usually take a more direct route for the home run and chose to stick to my regular exit strategy. Over the Dales to Preston, down the M6, briefly onto the M56 then south through Wales on the A49. A cracking road which allows a fast pace without hauling arse down a motorway. Steve took over the lead after lunch as we started down the A49 and set a spirited pace. Not one for hanging around is our Steve. Our route split at Hereford, so we said our goodbyes and I headed for Monmouth. From there, its Chepstow down the B roads, then Usk and Caerleon before heading to the M4 at Newport for the final 20 miles.

Got off Lucy after over 8 hours in the saddle as fresh as I started out. She is truely a great bike for this kind of stuff. She carries the wieght very well never strains even when hauling some serious A road riding speeds. Love her to bits.

Finished clutch casing

Phew! That was tough.

Many hours spent with the polishing mops and soaps and I'm reasonably chuffed with the results. I haven't got every scratch and blemish out but as I've said before, I don't want too. This is supposed to look like a 50 year old bike thats been used as well as cherished by its owner. Anywho, here's my handywork.

You can just make out my reflection. I think I'll paint in the HONDA and spray the oil filter cover (missing) to match the fuel tank and seat hump. I'm not sure what that colour will be yet, but metallic grey keeps popping in my thoughts.

Next the rotor side casing.

Clutch case clean-up

I've been busy in the shed over the past few days and made a start on Abigails' clutch side outer casing. It was pretty badly corroded as you can see from the earlier post, so first step was to attack it with the wet 'n' dry. There is quite a bit of detail and awkward shapes on this casing, so getting into all the corners was a real pain. But I've done the best I can and I reckon it'll polish up OK. Remember, I don't want a 'mint' condition bike, I want one that looks like it was made in the 60's. With that in mind I haven't sanded out every scratch or dint. Those go to make up the history of the bike, like laughter lines on an old womans face. Anywho, this is what I've got now.

I put a lot of effort into the large circular section because I want that to look really good, but the rest I just want clean and bright.

Next, it's time to get busy with this lot! Wish me luck.

Work on the motor begins

At last I've started work on Abigails motor. Whilst it was whole I de-greased it, paint stripped it and washed it off. this was followed by vigorously wire brushing the inner casings. I've decided to keep the inner casings as bare aluminium whilst polishing the outer ones. The barrel will be high gloss black and I'll figure out what to do with the head and rocker cover later.

First part of the strip down was to remove the head and barrel. Three bolts in the rocker cover sheared off with no hint of resistance as soon as a socket was applied. Too be honest I wasn't shocked and my local engineer will be called upon to extract the stumps along with the three already sheared exhaust studs. The first glance inside wasn't too depressing. The cam followers looked fine and their is only very slight pitting on the lobes. I've yet to get the callipers out, but I'm optimistic. No other bolts put up a serious fight and soon enough the head and barrel were off. Again, only slight wear is evident in the bore and it's not bad enough to catch your finger nail. Like the cam, I've yet to measure things accurately, but am reasonably pleased so far (I mean, there could have been all manner of scares in there). The inside of the head is sootier than I would have liked with a thick carbon lining and I haven't ripped the valves out yet to check them for damage either.

As you can see, I've placed masking tape over the crank mouth as a precaution against foriegn bodies falling in. I don't intend to split the crank as I know the motor and know there was nothing wrong in there. This bike will not be living a hard life once I've finished it so there is no point in costly work for the sake of it.

Next it's time to rip off the outer casings, starting with the clutch side. Easy work with no grumbles from any bolts. I'll check over the clutch basket and plates just to be sure, but like I say, I know the motor and she never displayed any clutch problems in the 60,000 miles I had her.

And finally off comes the rotor side casing. Just like the clutch side. No struggles here either.

The plan now is to put it all back together. I'm going to start with the outer casings, mainly because it's the cheapest bit. I will be putting the top end together as I can afford it and will be sorting it out one stage at a time. So here's a picture of the outer casings currently. The next entry [hopefully] will see them begin to sparkle.

Just a foot note to that last part. I want these casings to shine, but I don't want to polish out any of the character this engine gained in its faithful service so far. This bike must look like it was born in the 60's, which was a long time ago, and so you'd expect a few 'laughter lines'.

A tidy up in the Dray

Abigail has hit a bit of a wall at the moment. Everything will cost more than funds will allow and I have to square the balance sheet before I can proceed. It's really tough, but if I'm not strict with myself I'm in danger of breaking the bank.

To keep myself out of mischief, I decided to invest a little time (and money) into sprucing up the shed. I had recently had a massive tidy up and re-organise, but now it was time to get out the paint. I had some left over exterior emulsion after painting the outside of the house in August and thought £25 for a tin of floor paint wouldn't kill anyone, so the job was on!

My two sons were volunteered to help and the three of us set too with emptying the shed and sweeping it out. I went on with 'cutting in' and the boys attacked the walls with the 4" brushes. By lunch time the first coat was on and we were all very pleased with our efforts. A quick tip to any budding Dictators out there... NEVER LET THE SLAVES REST! No sooner had I fed my tiny work force than the little buggers were off! I went into the kitchen to make a brew, turned round and they were gone to the distant cry of "Off to my mates, see you later. Oh and thanks for the sandwich" Charming!

Alone, I quickly got on with coat number two. As I was going over my lads handy work for myself, I started to be rather pleased they had left me to it. Patchy wasn't the word for it! Still, I was glad for their help and coat #2 would cover all the sins. By the end of day one the walls were finished and I was knackered.

Day two was 'floor day'. Everything that had been taken out on day one (and stuffed back in anywhere that night just to get it under lock and key) was whipped out again! Some of the wall fixtures could now be put back up and the large floor unit re-fitted in its usual spot. The floor was attacked with large scrappers and swept within an inch of its life and I was ready. My would be slaves had got wise to the old mans methods and made themselves scarce with feeble excuses like playing rugby for the local team so I was going to have to do this alone.

I 'cut in' the edges and around the bench with a 4" brush then attacked the main area with a 9" roller. Too be honest it went on quicker than I thought. It looked a big area, but wasn't that bad. The only downer was the fact that one tin wasn't enough for the two coats it was going to need. Bummer! Another £25, not such a cheap job after all! Another problem was the drying time between coats. 6 hours, plus I couldn't use the floor for 24 hours after the second coat. Abigail and Lucy would have to camp out for a night.

By 7pm the job was done, and rather good it looked too.

Jobs left to do include fitting the wood burner flu pipe and running a water supply to the shed. I would like a small steel sink out there for parts cleaning and have had thoughts of heating the water via the wood burner. Always things to do.

Abi's heart and soul

I'm about to begin work on Abi's engine, but before I do there's a little bit of history to be told first. Although I've had lots and lots of bike's over the years, there was a change in my attitude toward them back in 2002. Back then I bought a little GN400 called Beryl and she was my first bike since my marriage and the arrival of my two boys. She took on more significance than the others as she was my escape from my responsibilities and soon enough, I was fettling away. This is what she became.

Fettling Beryl gave me a taste for building my own bike and from that first attempt was borne the idea that gave rise to Abi. Although Beryl was great fun, a house move meant I needed something more practical. Enter Dolly, the Honda NX650S.

Dolly and I had some great adventures. We travelled all over the Country together and even did a John 'O' Groats to Landsend solo charity ride together. I loved that bike, but after 5 years together, my travels were starting to tell on poor old Dolly and I took the plunge and bought Lucy to take over domestic duties. Yet I couldn't just abandon Dolly after all we had done together. I decided to put her engine (after some surgery) into Abi along with her switch gear and levers. That way her heart and soul would live on and when I touched the controls I would be talking to her again. (Yep, I am quite mad!).
That's the background, now here's the motor.

There is a lot to do. Problems I know about are; 1) top engine mount still stuck in the head (the mounting bracket was cut to get the engine out of the frame), 2) sump oil drain plug is rounded off, 3) three exhaust studs have sheared off. As well as that lot the original finish is badly flaked and there is aluminium corosion all over the head and barrel.

The plan is to clean and de-grease as a complete unit before a top end strip and re-paint. I don't plan to delve into the crackcases at this stage. I know that for the last 58,000 miles of her life she had a new oil filter and semi synthetic oil change every 2,000 miles. Also her future life will be light on miles. I know the motor was getting tired, but I'm hoping this will be limited to top end problems (rings, valves maybe a rebore).

Next stage is to fabricate some sort of support frame to make working on the motor easier then get cleaning. If I was wealthy I'd ship it off for vapour blasting, but I'm not, so it's me, the paraffin and a tooth brush. The next report maybe some time. heyho.

Lucys' first camp

Last weekend saw me and Lucy at the VJMC's 3rd Uttoxeter Classic Motorcycle Show. Too be honest, I'm not so fussed on the classic bike scene (too much polish and not enough riding), but friends of mine in the 'Thumperclub' were planning a rally based at the show.

I took friday off work and had a lazy start getting ready and packing Lucy. I hadn't tried out the panniers and tank bag before as it was all new kit. The bike before had a custom fitted set-up that was scrapped when she was. The biggest headache was my new Army surplus sleeping bag. I'd invested in an artic version ready for the winter rally season which meant a seriously bulky bag. In the end this was stashed in the tank bag on it's own with the rest of my kit in the panniers or the drysack on the seat. This is what Lucy looked like;

Although rainstorms were all around the country, I managed to dodge them all on the trip up. It was a lovely ride through the heart of Wales stopping at Craven Arms for lunch and fuel. Lucy didn't miss a beat and carried her load without complaint. Apart from not being able to see the clocks, I could have forgotten she was loaded at all.

Once at the showground it was time to make camp and await the lads. It wasn't long until we formed our own little village and the beers started to flow around the assorted BBQ's.

Here's a view of my home for the weekend. I pitched up a tarp shelter for either sunshade or as a rain shelter as you couldn't guess what the weather would bring.

The Show was pretty much as expected. Lots of shiney things and very expensive. To me the best bit was just to chill out with my mates and watching the cricket match played out just behind our camp. Uttoxeter lost, but invited us to the pavilion afterwards for a beer after our sterling work cheering (almost in all the right places).

Sunday saw the morning peppered with light showers, but the sun came out long enough to break camp in the dry. I decided to head for home down the Fosse Way to make a round trip of it. Fine weather stayed with me all the way to Gloucester but there my luck ran out. Home was a greatful sight and after sorting out Lucy and the kit I hit the bath before a family trip to the pub.

Lucy was a delight. Never straining under her load and never wandering from her line. She is a superb traveller and those that say the seat too narrow for touring are talking out their arses (either that or they are softy part time riders only used to weekend stuff!)

I'm already looking forward to the next trip.

This is home

My last introduction is for my shed. All true petrol heads need a creative space, a cave in which to create and this is mine.

Things to note;

1) Shelving and storage is mainly confined to the back wall. I used to have shelves all the way down the side walls but this restricted the floor area too much. The new layout is better but I have to be quite strict on what I keep.

2) Bench situated under the window for maximum natural light and a pleasing view of the garden. The window also overlooks the kitchen door giving an early warning of approaching wife or child.

3) A large chalk board for scribbling down ideas or plans. Very handy.

4) Large gas bottle cut and ready to become a wood burning stove. All it needs is the flu pipe and I will be snug as a bug on those cold winter evenings.

The bench, window and double garage doors are all of my own creation (I studied bench joinery when my wife and I bought our first house together) and I fitted all the electrics myself as well as re-roofing the structure with corregated tin. It could do with a lick of paint on the wall and floor and that is planned for this summer.

Not a bad little den though I say so myself.

Oh, and here's Lucy

Finally for tonight, let me introduce Lucy.

Lucy is my 1996 VX800 that I bought on 14th February this year (2009). She is the current work horse tasked with pulling my lardy arse to work or wherever else I want to go. I have fettled her a bit to make her more to my liking, but basically she will remain as is (for now!)

Changes made so far include a bubble flyscreen, 33" 'cowhorn' bars, new mirrors, mini indicators (the original ones were massive and flopped about) and the polishing of the rear grab rail as the paint was all chipped.

Hopefully pictures will appear from time to time of me and Lucy at exotic locations as we explore our little universe. I intend to diarise all our adventures big or small (I expect small) as and when they occur.

This blog will form a history of our lives together, man and bike. Ah bless.

Abigail ~ the story so far

Right then. I've introduced myself, now to introduce Abigail.

Abigail is a 1988 Honda XBR500H. I was given her by my mate Graham in April 2005 when I went looking for a project bike. My big idea was (and still is) to turn her into a 60's cafe racer. She was in a very rotten state when I got her and wasn't a runner with half of her missing and the other half knackered. Sadly, I didn't take too many digital photos back then so I can't post a record of what I had to start with. However, early into the project and I got this on the computer.The sharp eyed will notice the wheels are wrong. I wanted spokes for the look but disc brakes for the ride. What we have fitted is a Honda Dommie rear and a Transalp front. Later these hubs get laced to some 18" alloy rims with stainless spokes.
Leaping ahead, all is stripped and the frame gets 'cleaned' of all unnecessary clutter. The seat rails get extended and returned to form a continuous loop and bracketry is braised on to accept new tank, seat and side panels. I want the frame to be exposed and visible where possible to give that lean, basic, racer look. I also decided to dabble into moulding fibreglass parts like the tank, seat, side panels and front mudguard. This was a big mistake as you will see. Very, very time consuming as well as expensive and the results were disappointing. Here's a shot of the finished rolling chassis with the fibreglass parts mocked up.Here's another shot taken after I experimented with paint to see if I could create a silk purse from my pigs ear!

The only piece I'm going to keep is the seat hump and this is going to have to be re-painted.

I haven't talked engines yet have I. Investigation of the original motor proved that it wasn't fit for scrap! A snapped cam chain tensioner had lead to the cam chain jumping a tooth and bending every valve. Also fragments of the tensioner were to be found all around the clutch side which includes the oil pump. Up top, the cam lobes were worn out from lack of oil and the followers were no better. Inspection of the gearbox showed signs of heat damage and wear to the cogs so I reached the conclusion to trash the motor.
On the up side, before I bought Lucy (the vx800) I was the proud owner of a Honda Dominator 650S (Dolly). Tired old girl that she was, she has greatfully donated her motor to Abigail along with levers, switchgear, rear brake assembly and some much needed electrical parts. I haven't started work on the motor yet, but will keep this site informed as things progress.

So that's the background, what's next?? Well I'm off in search of an ali tank and front guard. I'll make the side panels from some sheet material to match and with a painted seathump, that'll be the bodywork done. I've a bin full of parts waiting to get cleaned, painted and fitted, so I'm working my way through those too.
I plan on updating this blog as and when bits get done. I'm hoping by doing this sort of stuff will keep me on track and plugging away at the project. Don't expect to finish any time soon, but I ain't in any rush.

Welcome

Hi there.
I'm very new to all this, so please bare with me. My plan is to set down a record for all that may be interested of the things I find important in my World. Mostly, this will consist of my motorcycles. I have two Ladies in my life, Abi ~ a project cafe racer based on a 1980's Honda XBR500, and Lucy ~ a Suzuki VX800. Hopefully I will link in all the history already created for these two beauties soon before continuing to expand the record as we grow old together.
Bike's aren't my only interest and I plan on linking in any other random things as and when they occur. There will be piccies too (once I figure out how to work it all) and I welcome any comments.
That's all for now, I'm quite exhausted! More to follow.

Cheers