what did you wrench on today??

[Normk]

Pulled and started prep on resealing the differential carrier for our 1976 MG Midget. It drips diff oil just enough to be annoying so finally had enough. Tomorrow will pick up some new sheet gasket material as don't have more 1/64th.

So far this week: tires on 600 Ninja, made progress on three 1970's Honda CT90's, re-built 15 HP Gardner Denver air compressor,adjusted MG carburetor using O2 sensor, mounted rear tip-over guards Honda ST1300, added tail light to Givi trunk, converted motor home lights to LED, mounted two stacked 200 mm computer fans into range hood.....retirement keeps me busy.

[cowboyup3371]

I purchased a new battery maintainer to recharge my battery after it sat out of the bike for a week. Seems it drained enough of a charge that the bike wouldn't start yesterday, or at least that's what I'm hoping the problem was.

Connected up the ring terminals and tried to route it so it sits under the seat.



And then connected it up. Hope I did everything correctly



And I'm really hoping it's just a low charge and not a sign I have something else wrong with the bike. I already reterminated every connection this winter. Either way, I'll go check it later.

[Toasty]

Yesterday I put in the new stator, and installed the "new" R/R and rewired. Took it out last night to my friends house and it ran great.

I've been thinking about how I want to upgrade the suspension. I think I'm gonna go Hagon 2810's for the back. In the front I was originally thinking just go with some Progressive/Sonic springs, fork brace and cartridge emulators. The price starts adding up though, and that doesn't even touch the brakes. For a hundred or two more I could get a CBR/GSXR front end, theres a guy locally who has a super clean 06 CBR1000 front end (complete) for $650 obo... It's pricey though, almost as much as I paid for my bike. There's a clean 1997 Katana front end on Ebay, which I could get for $350 shipped but if I'm gonna be spending the money why not get the USD forks?

What to do...

[koolaid_kid]

Cowboy, you have a drain on the battery even when the bike is off. Time for the multimeter and some sleuthing. Just start unplugging stuff until the drain ceases. Tiring but rewardful work.

[wally]

Repainted the rear wheel (after the polishing episode). Still need to clean it up and rebuff where the tape made some marks, then reassemble:



Also tried my first gold leaf experiment on the open face helmet:



Not great at all, but I have figured out we were using the incorrect size (which is the name for the special glue ) and not the crappy, streaky stuff the craft store supplied us with! Sourcing some correct "size".

[pete]

That wheel is looking wheely good Wally!

(Sorry can't help myself)

I got the valves out of the Cucciolo and narrowly averted disaster when the inlet valve spring sprung one of the keepers, the keeper plate, and the spring into the garage wall...

[ndaugbjerg]

Wally,
Thanks for posting the wheel pick. I was about ready to mount mine and now you've raised the bar. I'll polish mine some more and then post it.
Niels

[cowboyup3371]

Took the starter out and tested it; it spun but I'll still take it apart to look inside

[musicman]

Spent almost all day working on the 550, my dad has been driving me nuts, ever since I brought the thing home, back when it had a vetter fairing and saddle bags (and un-rideable), he's been talking about how cool vetter fairings are. I'm not an old head, still in my 20's, so the thing really doesn't appeal to me. But I've been riding the bike to work and back a lot and getting caught in the rain with a cafe racer just plain sucks. So today I said "fine, I'll put the fairing on". Well, that evolved since my superbike bars didn't fit with it, had to put the stockers back on, then I decided to put my new clutch cable on, as well as new front/rear sprockets and RK chain since I'd have the cover off. Sheesh, haha

Needless to say, the bike looks WEIRD now, WJ5 fairing in black and my homemade cafe seat on the back, it looks utterly terrible. However, I LOVE riding with the fairing on, he was right. It needs lowers to look right and a stock seat, as well as the stock tail put back and a luggage rack with some soft side bags. It really changed the bike, now I see myself restoring it this winter instead of doing a resto-mod cafe.... I wish I could find a pan to have a new seat built on, but finding a 70's 550E pan is almost impossible!

[pete]

Got the Cucciolo crankshaft out tonight and an empty crankcase at last.

I need to find some crank bearings...

[themess]

...Needless to say, the bike looks WEIRD now, WJ5 fairing in black and my homemade cafe seat on the back, it looks utterly terrible. However, I LOVE riding with the fairing on, he was right....

You don't need to look at it while you're riding it!

[musicman]

You don't need to look at it while you're riding it!

That's what I keep telling myself I'm really impressed with the Vetter fairing, who woulda thunk...

Gonna be an ugly bike this season, but when it's over, I'm stripping it to the frame and it'll look oh so much better

[steve murdoch]

Kinda funny your Dad with all his hot rods is telling you to put the barn door back on the bike.
Faired or un-faired have fun riding it.

[Steel Toed Tank]

I got a shipment of parts in, so the first thing I did was remove the old squared off rear tire and replaced it with a new Kenda Challenger 130/90 17.
Had a heck of a time getting the axle out, really didn't want to move.
Broke the bead on the old tire with a car, it really didn't want to go.
New tire with valve and beads went on like butter.
Even with 150psi we couldn't get the tire to seat, so I gave it a shot of starting fluid down inside.
A flick of the lighter and POOF it was seated, lol.
Date code on the old tire was from 2004.

The old front tire just would not come off. I got the bead broken and everything but that Carlisle tire just would not stretch. I pryed until I saw the rim flex and still never managed to get even an inch of it over the lip.
So I dug out my die grinder and a small cutting wheel and zipped the beads on both sides.
Old tire popped right off after that.
Date code 1994!!
The new matching Kenda 100/90 19 went on easy, and the bead seated itself nicely without quik-start.

Tomorrow will be valve adjustment day, as i now have all the tools and parts to do it right.
Also got a new petcock, but that is going to require some welding on my tank.
Got new spark plugs, oil filter, oil, and a Grunge Brush too.

I love getting stuff in the mail!!


Tank

[JATO]

Yesterday I replaced my 138 jets with 142s to cure the flat spot I was having above 5500 rpm. After that, I went to work and did some wrenching on my airplane, which so happens to be a B-52. No big deal.