Time vs Money, the age old conundrum, and a few updates.

      Well, that's Christmas in Prague and the New Year here in Scotland done. A few changes have occured in the personal life. I have taken temporary leave of absence from my retirement, for an offer and work collegues too good to refuse. So I have joined the regular work force again. A contractor (sounds menacing doesn't it....). This has enhanced my spending power, but has handicapped my time. I will cope with this first world issue.

     Anyhoop, a quick progress report, as I have been chipping away at little jobs. Firstly, the headlight refurb is completed, remember the cost of chrome would predicate a selling of a kidney, hence the decision to satin finish all over was decided upon, keeping the bike kinda true to the cafe racer / street fighter look I am looking for, pictures of the headlight below, resonably pleasing to comlete. The rbbing NOS pirates on fleabay and the like wanted 14 quids for 2 M8 domed bolts becaust they were in a Suzuki bag (for mounting the headlights)! So, with heavy heart, as I often berate the DiY store addicts for bike resotration, went to a local supply shop and purchased fitting repacements for the NOS, for a bairgain 0.50p, a bargain.

     From this:

     To this:

     As you can seee, I have made some brass inserts for the sides of the light, and refurbished all the bolts in the lamp, apart from the binnicle, which are new M5 counter-sunk head screws, stainless of course. All in all, am happy with the result. 

     Secondly, remember the seat unit I aquired from selling models from the local charity shop to fund, well, the shape was good, the finish - well ropey to say the least. To the point where I got a glass splinter or 2 from handling it, and it was a little flimsy. Now, cast your minds back, who do I know that does exceptional glass work......Oh yes,, the bodywork god that is my father-in-law, albeit retired. My eureka moment, i asked him to finesse the seat. Using some average resin from Halfords (it was shitty) and hardener (also shitty - in hindsight I should have gone to eBay for a decent supply at half the cost, my usual mantra). So, presented with the seat and said goods he, and I have to say with unmatched quality, has enhanced the unit integrity massively. Pictures below. The outer finish is untouched, but, boy, the underside has been revolutionised, and the strength has been massively enhanced. Not to mention the finsh is now splinter free and smoooooooth. Barry is a genious, his skills have not faded with the years, indeed anyone who delt with BB Plastics back in the day, will know how good his work is. The lighter white finish is the work he has done with the 500ml of crappy resin I supplied, he is a master of his trade:

     As you can see, the finish is night and day, and the seat is now ready to support my not inconsiderable frame. He has strengthened the rear to take a light, and the whole of the front too. The unit doesn't flex anymore and has that weight to it that says quality. I am impressed all the way!

     Next up, will test fit the headlight to the forks and get the engine out of the frame, get the tank and seat aligned and fittted, then frame to powder and the engine for a good clean and covers polished.

     <with the Dr Who theme in background> Stay tuned for the next installment.....

Thats a wrapp, New Year - the build continues....

      So, after a small hiatus, mailny involving lots of travel, beer and food I got back to the garage for some therapy. First off, my parents got me a set of wrenches (I know spanners, but I have spent too long in the US of A). Lets face it, at our age, Christmas is a difficult time for presents as we have most anything we want, which leaves Whisky or tools, so tools it was - a lovely set of metric ratchet wrenches - now thats a mouthful for most every one (Nina Hartley an exception). So I got to organise my metric drawer in th eVidmar - remember the Vidmar, a restoration from my time in Florida, from my best friend Robert Meadows. The result is quite pleasing:

     This gave me the nudge i required to get back to my bike build, so to the garage on 01 Jan 25, new year, same build. So my first job was to strip down the the forks, the first one went lovely, cleaned up the lower and a quick service. Oil replacement tbd. The second was a nightmare, Captain Bodge had been at it, the first bolt was a B&Q special, the lower stud being totally absent, and the other stud had been stripped, epoxy resined and nyloc bolt bodged, almost certain death if I had not checked it and riddent the bike - another lesson learnt:

     Some new ones were made up from some high tensile steel, and fitted, happy days, and all cleaned up, studs fitted with red thread locker.

     The urge to have a milestone was great, so i test assembled the fromnt end, having cleaned the ignition switch and the key, it now functions perfectly, a happy event. So below is progress to date, the front ens is almost complete, the headlight needing a service and restoration, all else is complete for the front, the powder coating still needing done, but hopefully by months end it should be done.

     As you can see, a rather pleasing outcome.

     Next upm the headlight and engine removal for frame prep, on which note, I havbe purchased the seat unit, effectively it was free as i funded it with eBay sales from stuff acquired in thrift / charity  shops, so happy days:

Stay tuned for more entrawling installments of this blog. TTFN

Am Happy with That.........

     So, the clocks turned out alright, I hope they work, once connected and the bike working, the pudding will be proofed.

     In a quirk of fate, i was on the GS Owners Forum (fannybook) and noticed one of the gurus not only lives down the road by 3 miles, but i used to work with him. Happy days, i dropped him a line, and his absolute forte is bike electrics and GS motorcycles! Not only that, he had a fuel tank tha i could have for a very reasonable, best price, one time only, never to be repeated, so said tank was snapped up!

     Hear is a picture, it is from an earlier model but that is a smoother look, something i like, so the bike is evolving, the FrankenGS is being born.

     Not only that, the lock set that had siezed due to the amount of detritus ingressed and general shite it was stored in, was freed up - with a little WD40 and careful cleaning it now functions luverly! Even better than that - the fuel cap, that resembled a block of sandstone with rust was cleaned. A copious amount of elbow grease and a light addition of NASA's water displacement product cleaned that as well, and made me a very smiley person when the key from the ignition also worked the fuel cap, that fitted the tank! I was very very content.

     The mounting lugs on the frame need relocating, to fully secure the tank, a small job and will be done post Christmas when the frame gets tackled. All in All a good purchase and, with some degree of luck, the ancilliaries for the tank fit, a forst on this build.

    Now to the final installation of the clocks, yokes, bars and headstock etc.

     More to follow after Christmas