Well, it happened.......I got a new project, and boy does it need love. Welcome to the 1984 GS850G

      After the dissapointment of having the Guzzi sold out from under me I put a speculative add onto FACEBOOK....which led to all kinds of replies, but one, local to me caught my eye. Ned messaged me with 2 possibilities, a very nice CB1300 that needed very little work, a very nice bike indeed and a rather interesting '84 GS850G. Thats where it started, not Craigslist as before, but a simple add on FB. The picture sent:

     You get the drift, but somehow it appealed, anyways, long story short, it is now mine. 

First thing i did was to clean it, pictures below, first i gave it a good blast witht the leaf blower and then hit it with the Demon Shine soap through the jetwasher. Removed a lot of surface rust and a shit ton of accumilated dirt. The gold powder coat was not the best, and has flaked off in places on the wheels, not an issue as it all is getting blasted and recoated in satin blackThen i just wanted to put the tank on for an initial lookie see at lines and insirations.

     The tank doesn't fit, I googled the bike, and yup, its the wrong tank..Doh! Had an initial paddy, but needed to see, and now I know. I have no idea what the tank is from, i presume a suzuki of some lineage, but no idea from what. Thats around another £150 quid or so i did not budget for. Hey ho, not over the moon.

     

So the plan......or possibilities. 

     So, the big question - To restore to originial, cafe racer or bob it?

     The chopped rear of the frame, will make life very complex to restore it to original, but the bike in its former glory is a sweet ride: 

     Option 2 is the cafe racer, where my addiction for this all started. And there are some sweet modfications outh there. Although a shaftie, they do look good, with the rider - they are done well, something I am a fan of doing, using as much of the original bike as possible:

 or 

    You get the  drift, maybe a nod to the era with JPS paint...not sure yet.

    Or Option 3....the bobber, to bob a bike is basically ripping to minimums the same as cafe racers, but with the added loss of the rear suspension. Again, they do look right if done right, and there is the rub.

As with dodgy cafe racers, they is a plethora of dodgy bobbers around too. Here is the idea:

     So, decisions decisions.....But forst to strip down,and for that i am off to Halfords. Why? i hear you question, in a quiet and unassuming way. Well the bike lift they have is around 120 quid, down to around 96 quid, and with a Blue Light discount, it is down to a very reasonable 76 of your finest British pounds. Will make things so much easier for the restoration. Oh, and a gallon of WD 40.

More to follow very soon.

 

GUZUMPPED on a new project......

 Well.

I thought i had found a new project, a very ratty and in need of TLC Moto Guzzi V65. It was local to me, although pricey, was worth a look. So off i trotted, a 30 minute drive later i was viewing the bike. It was OK, which for a project is a good state of affairs. Anyhow, i try not to buy with my heart, so I thanked the seller and left. A few days later i asked if the bike was available, he said he had a buyer coming to look at it. I asked if he would message me if it fell through.

As you can see, quite the nice project.

A day later the sale fell through, i asked his best price, he told me, i had a barter, and during the online bartering he sold it out from me. Thats life, in the words of Del Boy 'he who dares.....'. So i lost that bike.

So i went to the garage, fettled my FZR and tried to start it. Petroleum flooded from the carbs. BOLLOX, that'll be a full strip then, and a clean.

Some grazed knuckles and turning the air blue, presto -

The carbs are off, now to strip them, clean them, not lose any parts and then reassemble.

Will keep you posted.

Found some pics of my old projects/

Inspiration is building, found these pics whilst tidying out my shite, as well as the previously posted FZR600R...

Ive built an FZR400RR and a custom 600 Diviversion.

The FZR400RR was from a guy down the road, insPired by some WW2 US Army Air Corps paint schemes mash up.

The divvie was an easy build with some chrome covers for rhw clocks, dual headlights and a wicked ice fire paint scheme.

Happy days, i so need to get another bike to fettle

It's been a while......

     It's Been a while, i have, to paraphrase an old friend, been remiss in my posts and purchasing of a new project. Am back on the trail, lookimg for a bike, and i may have found one. Looking through the usual facebook market place and local ads, there is a GPX 600 R, it is, to say the least, very ropey. That said, there a are couple of nice conversions around, so am having a quandary, The engine does turn over, the bike looks like it has had a good few winters under a damp cover, all rescueable. 

     My dilema, do i spent a couple of hundred on it and risk it, it will keep me occupied, or have the money towards my upcoming holiday..... my heart says bike, head says the good resturants in Spain. Any how, here are some pics of the prospective project.....

 

As you can see, it is 'ropey' but the engine spins and the it should be salvageable. Standby for some decisions and updates soon.

New Year for a New Hope.

 The New Hope

     So, on advice from a friend, I joined the Facebook page 'North Est Auld Skool', intorduced myself and asked about any frames or projects around. With the proviso of nothing until the New Year.

     Well, the friendly welcome and banter there is great, and the people really helpful, i have an offer of a 1980's GSX 1100e rolling chassis, a ponderer. And an option on an VN500 (yes i know) but as you will see, there are some options.

     The GSX is a firm favourite, with lots of options. Here is my issue, well challenge - The engine costs, the old Suzuki lump is a firm favourite of tuners, builders and racers. So they are:

1.     Rare as hens teeth
2.     Rarity brings expense
3.     There are drawings to brace the frame and change mounts for a GSXR 1100 lump.
4.     Would be a true scratch build, either cafe racer or homage to an early eighties racer.

as the start to this 

Or do I stay true to my journey and do something like this:

     A decision to be made and see what the frame tells me if i acquire it. Options are litterally endless, budgets could be blown and the result, i am sure, will be drippingly gorgeous, like a woman in heeled boots. Am sorely tempted by this option, and i know the rolling chassis will be there in the early new year. Also i have the means and drawings to machine the mounts for the oil cooled 1100 engine and can brace the fram accordingly. But then, my mind races, so do i change out the front and reas for more modern running gear, oh the options, the cost, the desire. Although I do have a very nice carbon seat unit inspired from the 70s / 80's race scene to already start this off.

     Then there is this, the VN500, not the most enticing or sexy bikes, but, and here is the but, i could readily do this to one:

    The costs would be substantially less, the look more sino-american than club 59, but it gets me spannering and costs will be a lot less. It also has an appeal of its own, nit quite a guilty pleasure but, to be sure, out of my usual likes, maybe my time in the US has rubbed off a little.....

     So that is my dilemma, a nioce place to be. To be honest, bit bikes will be good, both will be a hoot to ride, and be unique, not a factory belched off the shelf piece, not that there is anything wrong woth thaose, indeeed 851, 916, GSXR 750, Thruxtons, any 1960's Triumph or BSA are all design greats, most these days are modified, even if that is to revert them to original.

     Whatever i decide, the bike will be a departure from my FZR600R and will be in the garage for a while, unless it is so desirable I have to sell it and fund the next one, or once I am emotionally attached to it, keep it and just buy another project.

     Happy times ahead, and as i approach retirement, some quality days in my garage with tools, beer and dreams - not to mention the odd roll up and Hendrix.

Tank Issues and my fix.....brief but a lot of learning.

     Well, as the summer wound down and winter in Scotland creeps in, the FZR has a small fuel leak. Turns out when i stripped it down and reconditioned the pump, the gasket was so old the rubber surround is so old it had turned back into the tree it came from!

It was inevitable that it was going to happen, so looked for a replacement - boy are Yamaha proud of their products, 55 quid plus taxes for it! An even on fleabay there are that price. 

     Haha i think, i can do better than that and purchased HYLOMAR Universal Blue 100G tube fuel RESISTANT JOINTING GASKET SEALANT.

 

Ii is a bugger to control, an ice blue in colour, but i went for it. Was dilligent and followed the instructions, unlike me, i admit, but this is petrol in a tank above an engine. So, took my time and behold, it worked! Then started the bike, it turned over sweetky and fired into life, briefly, i think the carbs need a clean - aaaa-gain. Also the pressure inthe tank withteh engine running pushed a trickle of fuel through the seal I have meticulously prepared.

Shite, thats that good idea scuppered, And now i will have to bite the bullet and give the YAMAHA Motor Company their money and replace the gasket, and then nail the old one to my garage wall near my bench as a reminder - fix it right and fix it once.

Oh well, least i have the winter to get it and fix it, now the only decision i have to make is WEMOTO, AMAZON, Fleabay or local dealer.

Preparing the FZR 600R for the spring and beyond.

      Well, still awaiting a project to come into sight. So while the hunt continues - I may have a lead on a Harley Iron Head 883 - depending on a lot of variables - price being the main one.  I am going to get my much loved FZR back on the road.

     So it needs a good going over, fuel system and a fresh battery are the top two jobs. So fuel system first. The tank needed draining, luckily I love the taste of petrol - trusty syphoning tube and a petrol can in hand, the tank was drained quickly enough, and the lingering taste of petrol stayed with me for the rest of the day. Once tank empty a retaining bolt and swivel bolt removal and the tank lifts off.

     This exposes the airbox, my first Doh! moment. I lifted the box off, it felt a little reluctant - so i applied a little more force to it, and off it popped. Unfortunately the carbs came with it! Forgot to undo the circlips that secure the airbox to teh carbs! Still needed to refresh them - at least I justified my rush of blood. So to put them back on...... A nice new set of shot filled hammers that had been bought for Valentines day, came onto use. Circlips loosened to facilitate a nice refit, i eased the carbs back on to the engine, gently tapping them back, then a rash hard tap and carb number 3 intake cracked! A pice popped off, luckily somewhere into the garage and not into the engine! FFS i whispered. First repair job, to fixe the crack and chipped carb intake.  As can be seen in the picture, the use of expoxy resin and time mended the chipped intake. Also had the presence opf mind to stop drillthe crack! Filled that as well. refitted as seen, here.

The repair can be seen on the 3rd intake in at the 6 o'clock position. Am quite proud of the work and  added a new skill to boot. The carbs move freely and a good dose of WD-40 down each intake just to help.

The onto my original take, clean out the tank and fuel filter inside it.

The fuel pump and filter come of the tank easily, undoing 6 retaining bolts and off it came. The took it apart, removing the rubber tubing and filter for a clean, At this point, a small circular piece fell out of the assembly. I was confucse as i could not locate where is originated from. Was t from inside the cage filter? I searched my manuals and the interweb - to no avail. In a last ditch attempt to find it's origin I googled the wording on it, from AEG. A sigh of relief later - turns out it's a micro chip from the 90's that were glued over a bike to ensure security, happy days, it's not a part! 

So the  filter, seen at the front lower part of the assembly, and the rubber tubing were remover and cleaned. The tubing shortened a little as the ends were granulating. Then the piece put back together, minus the microchip. It is now ready for attaching back on the tank.

The tank is clean inside, so no real work there, just some blistering of paint on the base, where the fuel pump / filter assebly reattaches. Looks wors in the picture than in reality. But will clean it up with a hard brush and see what lies below. I think it will be good, as stated, the inside of the tank is clean as a whistle. So here is hoping no more hiccups on this part of the clean up.

     Next up will be cleaning out the vaccum hoses and overflow tubes. Then plugs, oil filters and oil change to get things on track before battery and starting up. Then the MoT.....