Ventured out to the garage with a recharged electric drill and made some "commitments"...

The round, 3" DOT legal tail light.  I think I will refinish the chrome ring/bezel in black.  You can see the issue with the tail section -- I've measured it many times, and it's not so much a twist, as a flaw in the original mould -- the LHS of the tail (in this pic) is "taller" than the right.  When the subframe is all welded up, some strategic application of heat might allow me to twist things a bit to compensate.

I decided to go with the DOT approve 4.25" headlight I am using with the xt supermono cafe racer.  I broke out the big hole saw and did some cutting.  The headlight will have to stick "out" from the fairing somewhat (typical of most endurance bikes) but it will be frenched in somewhat.  The used food container gives a sense of what it will look like.

Back to the Single

While waiting on a few parts and some milder weather...  the blizzard has kept us close to home on Christmas, so I set about the winter rebuild of the xt600 engine.

The process went as follows -- new (used) cases -- the latest model year that came with a kickstart -- 1990, I think.  Cleaned up at a transmission shop, old bearings removed, new bearings installed.  New xt600 cylinder with overbored piston -- .30 over, I think.  Starting to put it all together in the nice, warm inside environment...

The workstation -- a bit crowded, but it forces me to be disciplined and not leave tools and crap strewn about the place.  Ziplock bags are the greatest invention, as all the parts as removed are being put back into their place.

Case halves came together quite nicely.  Have a shopping list of new seals on the pink sheets, and since the photo I've installed the oil pump (with new o-rings), kickstart idler gear, and and kickstart spring mechanism.  Under all that went the shift detent arm and shifter.  Once I get the seals ordered (mainly the one for the balance shaft), I can finish the right side and start on the left.  New camchain will be installed as well.  I also plan to send the head off for a rebuild.  The cam journals look OK, so a valve job will suffice.  A very satisfying experience!

 Sketched some ideas out for numberplate shapes and headlight mount location.

Fabbed a steel tube exhaust mount last weekend.

 Having the mig welder handy saved a pile of time, but I am still not happy with the "looks" of the weld bead when it passes through the mig tack.  I am confident there is enough penetration, but there is just a bit too much material present to get it to flow nicely as the weld bead passes through it.

Exhaust

The Black Widow headers have been joined to a GPR half-system.  I tweaked it somewhat to bring it in closer to the rearset (although not close enough to melt boots).  I also fabricated an aluminum bracket -- however due to it's length it's a temporary fix as it flexes too much.  A more solid muffler hanger will be made from steel tubing.

Updates -- some new clothes!

Fairings mounted (still work to do), and gixxer pegs installed (after servicing).

For quite awhile I stuck with using an oxyacetelyne welder, as that is what I learned with, and I got pretty good at welding thin to medium-sized tubes and structures together.  Anything thick or something thick welded to thinner stuff, I left for someone with a tig-welder.  It made fabricating a bit tough, however, as you really need 3 hands to hold something in place, hold the torch, and dip the rod into the puddle.  Some creative clamping and use of magnets helped, but it was a pita.  Once an assembly was tacked, however, the finish welding usually went fairly well.
I later bought a cheap mig welder, but didn't bother with any gas.  I was forced to used flux core wire which led to tons of spatter.  It was fine to burn together metal that didn't need to look nice, but I never really trusted it from a structural point of view.
This past summer I got rid of the oxy bottles, and recently bought an argon/co2 tank to go with my little mig.  The idea is to use it to tack things in place properly, and then get the assembly properly tig welded together.

The main part I need to fabricate is the rear subframe.  I had some 4130 steel tubing left over from other projects, so after reading the specs on the dimensions of the ducati tail, I set about putting something together.  The cross-brace on the frame is 1.25", the square upper rails are 7/8", and the lower (assymetric) tubes are 1".  I've also added a rear cross brace towards the back, and the plate is to mount the new tank mount tab.  I want the seat to butt up against the tank, so the tank mount has to be "hidden".  Still some fabbing to do, obviously.

Another view.  When I cut off the old subframe, there was an elongated "hole" in the side of the frame, just below where the new subframe mounts are welded.  I cut some steel to fit and welded it in place.

Another view.  The lower frame tubes are purposely assymetric, to allow for the reseviour on the shock.  The upper rails are square, of course.  Again, only tacked in place, but it's sturdy enough to hold my weight as I gingerly sat on it to try it on for size.

As well I installed new connector blocks on shortened wiring at the front of the bike.  The LHS and RHS switchgear wiring were both about a mile too long so I got rid of some excess.  Here's hoping the bike still works when I plug everything in!

A bit more work

While I wait for the first batch of parts to come in, I did a bit more work on the bandit.  I really like the look of bare metal tanks.  Aluminum would be nice, but they cost a fortune.  I've had some luck with coating steel tanks with Gibbs after they've been stripped.  I have also learned to let the stripper do the hard work!

With the three street projects I am working on, all 3 now have bare tanks.  All 3 also had small dents, which would be a PITA to repair, and would include a pile (in some cases) or a bit of bondo.  Leave the tank bare, and the dents now add "character" to the bikes...

You can see what side the bike came down on.  I've bought a new alternator cover for that side, and the cylinder fins have actually been repaired.

A better job would have required an engine and cylinder removal -- not willing to go that far.  The fins had a section that was abraded, so I cleaned it up with a file, and then did a quick spot-spray with engine paint.  Doesn't look perfect, but it really can't as then I would have a "spot" on the engine that was black... tried to mimic the weathered patina of the engine itself.

I've come to realize I'm at the point, with the subframe at least, that the next major step/purchase is bodywork.  Airtech sells some stuff, and based on my calculations I'm looking at $438.27 USD, with shipping to be added, and the need to purchase a windscreen from Gustaffson.  Gustaffson is the only North American supplier of some of these screens, and charge accordingly -- like $150 or so, plus shipping.
Another option is Motoforza Fairings out of the Czech Republic.  They have a decent reputation, and certainly look good.

This is a Ducati F1 seat.  I was thinking about a Moriwaki Seat, but they don't sell one, and this is somewhat similar to what Pepo used.  It can always be trimmed, of course.

This is the F1 upper.  It is designed for a narrower V-Twin, so perhaps part of the lower will need to be trimmed somewhat, to clear the wide cylinders of the Suzuki.

Here is the screen they sell.  You can also order it drilled with bolts, which seems like a very sensible option.  I like this design in that the fairing ears are a bit more sturdy as well.

Shipping to my door is quoted at 359 Euros.  A good price, and it saves me the cost of driving down to the states to pick up Airtech's stuff, and importing it there as well.  About $530 Cdn.  Seems like a better option, especially since the screen is included in that price.

Frame Surgery

When my folks moved out to BC, I inherited (more) of Dad's tools.  One of those items was a nice sawzall.  He had only used it on wood (maybe to trim a stubborn tree).  Either way, it came with a brand new metal saw blade for steel.  As a result, I made light work of the subframe.

It was one of those tools I always wanted to buy, but some aggro with a hand hacksaw usually had the same result, but with the bleeding knuckles, buckets of sweat, and broken blades to go with.  Not so in this case.  It is not as heavy as it looks, but it still weighs close to 20 lbs, I think.  Good riddance.








The next step was to take out the trusty angle grinder and clean up the areas that I lopped off.

While a new subframe will be fabricated, I'd like to do it with the bike still pretty much intact.  The engine will be dropped to strip the frame for powdercoating... but we're a long way off from that.  In the end, the material came off OK, and I was also able to remove some paint as well in areas that I know will be welded later.  Note the "best use of an old pair of underwear" -- covering up the carb mouths.

I had some leftover 4130 Chromoly steel left over from other projects.  Some 1.25" .058, along with some work with a "fishmouthing" tool, had this new brace slot into place nicely.  I am still not 100% sure of its location, so no tack-welds yet.  As it is, it's not possible.  I returned my O2 and Acetelyne bottles a few months ago, as I wasn't using them (d'oh).  I have the mig welder, but no gas, so tacking with that makes for a real mess with spatter.  I need to decide whether to go back to bottles, or get the mig set up for gas.  I might choose the latter, as I will likely get the rear subframe tig welded by IronCraft.  Tacking it in place helps them at their end, and saves some money at my end.
Why am I already chopping this up?  Good news is that I got the bike running.  An auxiliary tank, after cleaning the carbs and putting in new plugs had the bike fire up pretty easily.  Once I knew it ran, off came the extra stuff that would get in the way...
It's all in good shape, so if anyone wants any of it, let me know.  Prices will be minimal, but you need to pay for shipping.

Finally Got Some Pics

Frist, the ZX7R.  Like most of my bikes, it went from this:

To This...

To This...

To now, this...

So what is "this"?  Not sure.  It will be street legal, with headlight, tailight, and turn signals all embossed with the magical "dot" that makes it all kosher.  Not like our friends in the states or other countries that can have hidden licence plates, or hand signals indicating your intentions on the road.  All the fancy race bits were sold, and I wanted to create some sort of retro superbike.

This was an inspiration, but again, the headlight isn't legal, it appears to be missing some turn signals, and the front wheel costs as much as my entire bike.  Anyway, as I type the tail section is being painted (by me), and only a few details remain to have it roadworthy.  I'll have all winter to finish this off.








And next, the Bandit.  This is what I want (or something much like it):

And this is what I have:

As sad as it looks, it's a good place to start.  I still haven't got it running, but with only 12000 km, it is in pretty nice shape mechanically.  It did turn over... I was gummed carbs and poor spark plugs away from running.  These are notoriously cold-blooded, so it likely won't start too easily in this chilly fall weather.  The good news is aside from a damaged right front rotor, the hard parts are pretty much intact.  Even the tank is not too badly dented.  Forks are good, and will be kept -- this is supposed to be an XR69 inspired replica, so USD forks weren't around in the late 70s.  Fairings will be sourced, likely through Airtech (the only guys doing this work anymore with retro fairings), although the rear subframe needs some surgery... as in, it needs to be cut off.
It's a shame the exhaust is in good shape -- being OEM its extremely restrictive (double-walled, so I think 32mm inner diameter) and weighs a ton.  It's a 1996, so 12,000 km in 20 years is barely broken in.  I "borrowed" a cupcake pan to clean the carbs (Kate doesn't want it back), and being a bit of a mechanical nerd, I cleaned and rebuilt the front calipers.

I've seen calipers in worse shape, but I love using my brake piston removal kit, and there is a sense of pride and reassurance knowing that the brakes are now back up to snuff, ready for new fluid.
Based on the first pic (of a Bandit 600, by the way), I also won't bother changing out the swingarm -- the stock one is a nice light aluminum jobbie.  Clip ons and rearsets will make an appearance, as well as a CBR600 rear shock, which will no doubt be a big improvement over the stocker.  It will necessitate rebuilding the forks with gold valves and stiffer springs.  I'll also need to custom-make a shorter throttle cable as the original will be a mile too long.

In keeping with the period look, I think I will come up with a Castrol paint scheme.  This is a moden Suzuki, so while the colors are correct (green with red on white), I plan to be a bit more subtle.  White bodywork (with bare metal tank of course) and a "period" logo, such as this:

I am also thinking green number plates as well, to go with the green theme.  Not traditionally Suzuki colors, but hey, it's my bike.  The green number plate is a Euro thing, especially with particular classes at the big Euro road races.  At the Isle of Man, the green background either indicated a novice rider (how appropriate), or a specific class (like 250cc).  To give you an idea...

That's John McGuinness, and he's no novice...

So, new parts will be added when I can track them down at a decent price.  I will continue to do "service work" on the bikes as I have time and opportunity.  No idea about timelines or anything, but half the fun is in the build.

Another Blog

I've created this blog to talk about a sub-category of my motorcycling passion -- building and modifying bikes.  When you customize anything, you are likely subconsciously influenced by something you've seen... but unless you are set up as a factory, or to reverse-engineer something, the end result has some unique aspects to it.
I am currently playing with 4 bikes in the garage -- an XT600-powered cafe-racer, a superbike/streetfighter zx7r, and my new acquisition, a low-mileage Bandit 1200.  The 4th is my KTM Duke 690 -- the plan is to race that next season, so hopefully (crashes notwithstanding) aside from race maintenance, not much work is done to it!  In no particular order, I'll be updating the work on each, and progress will be determined by cash flow and time in the (unheated) garage.  I'm under no illusions that this will become a business or anything, or I will be rivaling the other professional builders on the interwebs.  Perhaps someday a bike of mine will be featured on bikeexif or something... but that's a long way off, I think.