Winter Projects & New Year Biking Resolutions

Anyone got any Winter projects they would like to share with us?
Any New Year Biking Resolutions?

My winter project wish list is:

Rebuild the engine on my trail bike and make it run, then get it MoTed, then actually ride it offroad somewhere.
Run a damp rag over the Cat - I had a plan to install an LED running light on the front but I doubt I'll get around to it.

NY resolution? Ride my bike(s) more. Would really like to get to the German meet in 2011 - have opened negotiations already.

Winter projects, yes many but not sure if i will get round to them all. Not done anything yet as the weather has been too cold to do anything in the garage. Had to replace the cylinder head gasket on the wifes corsa but luckily was able to do it at work in the nice warm/dry workshop. Back to the cat need to check & regrease swingarm bearings, Remove & repaint the exhaust manifold. Want to strip the bike completely & powder coat the frame/swingarm but the weather will have to warm up a lot to spend that much time in the garage.

I've got a flat re tyre which needs sorted and might try out the cheapy HID conversion (somewhere on eBay)

A bloody good wash might be worth doing too.

Good luck with all your winter projects peeps.

Cheers
Rosco

Same here Ross - I've got a flat rear tyre too, that's the reason I've not tried out my new boots yet! Must get it sorted before the weather improves! Other than that I shall remove the blanket and give him a wash whether he needs one or not


Can't see me venturing out on 2 wheels for a little while yet tho...

Me too, I've got a spare tyre that needs sorting before I can get in my leathers again

Damn winter has shrunk 'em yet again!!!!

Rosco wrote:I might try out the cheapy HID conversion (somewhere on eBay)

Cheers
Rosco

Rosco,

Yoda got a wash then was ridden for just under an hour yesterday (Needs another wash now!) but it was late afternoon when I was driving back so did realise that the headlight was pants. (The tinted visor didn't help either ) So please keep us informed re the HID conversion.

As to projects I've a pair of wheels to do up, polish and spray. Plus some heated grips to fit, so I can occaisionally do the trips out, if its not raining, icy, snowy, etc etc..

Cheers Rich.

Hello again

Firstly the resolution

"I will pull my finger out and do more some spannering"

The projects


A little background first, there are several projects between me and a good friend. Basically we have been really lazy, and taken on more stuff than we could chew and not really done anything with any of them. We do more work on other peoples bike than on our own, but that is our own fault for offering to help, it's mainly just helping mates service bikes and strip and clean brakes and forks.

He has 4 bikes, none of which work, I have 4 bikes, 2 of which work, the Fireblade and the Blackbird. His working bike broke in Aug 2009 and he has been on my Blackbird ever since. Also got a v reg ZX6r and G reg CBR400rr belonging to my boss the missus.

However I also own two Land Rovers, bought one as a project, £4.5K car which I got for £1k but needs a new engine, I have sourced one that is in a trials vehicle but just waiting to take it out of that one and put it in mine and the other just needs the odd thing doing now and then like changing the suspension to lift the vehicle up for off road and removing seats to make room for the four dogs in the back and storage that I build in to the back of it.

Picture it, New years eve 2010/2011 you are slowly getting nissed as a pewt at someones house and you start talking bikes and cars, we were giving each other grief about all the bikes in the garage (all in my garage) and decided to do something about it.

Because we've got his and my bikes in the same garage (long story, he is in the middle of buying a house so we're storing lots of his stuff) we have no room to move stuff about, so can only do one bike project at a time so planning has to be done.

Project 1 - SV650

We started the rebuild on 1 Jan 2011 and are currently in the middle of rebuilding his SV650 from the crankshaft up. We took it apart in June last year, split the engine and put it all in nice little boxes and that's where it stayed, until now. It's documented on here with pics:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

My mate is Squirrell_Hunter

The first three pages are the strip down, the build commenced in the last post on page three, we've had a couple of delays waiting for parts but it's coming along nicely, the engine is together and we put it in the frame last night, it needs plumbing in now.

Project 2 - CBR929

Had electrical problems with the Fireblade in September. Riding down the road and the digital dash kept cutting out and coming back in when I revved the engine, then the sat nav turned off as no external power to it.. But all the while the engine was still firing. So I pulled in and the bike cut out as I came to a stop. Got the missus to come pick me up with the trailer.

I think either A: duff battery B: Faulty reg rec C: Faulty stator as the possible MAIN culprits, so need to check all these and fix.

Highly possible I'll then sell this to fund:

A: A big compressor and some better air tools to replace my 2.5hp 25l one
B: A MIG welder
C: Possibly a 20tonne press

Project 3 - 1996 ZX6R Project bike - Identify which year parts are for

Me, my mate and the missus went 3's in on a track bike. We bought a 1996 ZX6r, full set of road fairings just needs nose cone attaching, Fibreglass race fairings (1x nose cone and upper fairing, 2x lower fairings, 5x seat cowl), and lots of other spares including a set of wheels, two sets of track tyres spare exhaust system another frame from a 1998 ZX6r and some other bits for £750

Need to pull this to the front of the garage and try to fit all the spare parts to it to be sure which year/frame the bits are for, once that has been noted then the bike will go back to the back of the garage, the bits all cleaned and e-bayed, I really don't want to be saying the wrong thing when I sell anything on ebay..

Need a dented tank for this as it's going to be a track bike so not bothered about how it looks, then will be selling the complete road fairing set including tank and the rest of the spares that we don't need on e-bay

Project 4 - V reg ZX6r tidy up and sell

The missus did her test last year (2010) so I bought her a CBR400rr which she loved but outgrew VERY quickly, so we got her a ZX6R, she was on our annual ride out last year on the SV650 forum as a marker and now she seems to have lost all interest, I think it's a case of something she just wanted to prove to her self that she could do. The sale of this will pay for the Land Rover engine.

Cracking bike, engine, bodywork the lot, very similar to the Thundercat but not as comfy (I don't think, and it has caused me to worry, am I now used to the bigger bike feel, the Fireblade and a BlackBird? What if I sit on the cat and think it fells like the Ninja?? SCARED).

It has been sat for a while so new battery, clean the carbs, full service and get it sold.

Project 5 - CBR400rr tidy up and sell

Exactly the same as above except the fairings are very tatty, cracked and generally showing their G reg age (the damp garage did not help this one either), however engine is spot on, changed the rear shock for a low mileage one from Graeme France and got him to clean the carbs too and changed the fork springs and put in some 10w oil and the bike handles alot better now but now well enough for nearly 14 stone (me not the missus ).

Also been sat for a while so again new battery, re-clean the carbs, full service and get it sold.



Project 6 - Thundercat - Strip, assess and make decisions on what I want to do

By this time I will deffo have more room in the garage, if my mates stuff has gone then lots of room in the garage and hopefully a large compressor.

In 2007 I had some one else fix the second gear problem I had, they cocked it up, after having the engine for well over 6 months, I then had to get a garage to rectify his mistakes so was proper upset when 1500 miles later I lost second gear again. So being young and stupid I rode though it until second gear didn't work at all, and then carried on shifting from 1st to 3rd quick for another couple thousand miles, when third gear stopped working I though I'd call it a day.

So I decided to rebuild the engine in 2008 (no crap wheelies attributed to it this time OldCat).

Anyway I rushed the rebuild it as I REALLY wanted it ready for the 2008 annual rideout. It was all put back together it started and ran and went through the gears and a test ride from Bristol over the Bridge to Wales and back was carried out only to find that I had bent a piston ring putting the cylinder back on. I got a replacement barrel and pistons from ebay, put them on, put the engine in the frame and as I was about the plumb it together I had a conversation with the bank and they gave me a loan, so I bought a Fireblade and the cat never got finished.

SO... I could probably just plumb her in and start her up but I don't want to, she's tatty and rusty now. So drop the engine back out, strip it completely and separate the frame and swing arm. Will PROBABLY get the frame, swing arm and fork lowers powder coated (do I do it as original finish or dark grey or black?? Anyway, it's long way off). Hopefully will have the big compressor and a blast cabinet by then I need so need to decide what to do with everything else.

Blast all the little stuff and brackets to get rid of the rust and then spray them?

The engine is deffo getting stripped as I want to rebuild it again for piece of mind and practise if nothing else, new crankshaft bearings and see if I can find any performance mods (apart from jets, can and air filter), bored out cylinders? Different pistons?

weasley wrote:My winter project wish list is:

Rebuild the engine on my trail bike and make it run, then get it MoTed, then actually ride it offroad somewhere.

Well, after months sitting in my garage with the top end missing, I finally got the engine back together last week and with a lot of kicking (and some swearing) it finally started! Once started it ran as sweet as anything. I still need to get the panels and seat back on it and give it a once over before getting an exploratory MoT, but at least it lives again! There are fewer great rewards in life than taking a box of bits and turning them into a running engine. The worst part - after several months in bits it only took around 3 hours to put it together - wish I'd done it ages ago!

You got a bit to keep you busy there Dan.

stretchie_ wrote:
Had electrical problems with the Fireblade in September. Riding down the road and the digital dash kept cutting out and coming back in when I revved the engine, then the sat nav turned off as no external power to it.. But all the while the engine was still firing. So I pulled in and the bike cut out as I came to a stop.

This sounds like what happened to Boika's Fireblade. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] - Might help

Cheers mate, will have a butchers. Had a problem with the BlackBird last year which turned out to be the Reg/rec and the starter solenoid. Fixed them and the owld barge jumped in to life once again, just in time for my mate to nick it ...

My mate's M-reg Blade had the same problem yesterday when we were out for a run. Died without warning, and starter would barely turn the motor. That was the regulator/rectifier - seems to be a Honda issue.

bobh wrote:That was the regulator/rectifier - seems to be a Honda issue.

Yep, problem is how they go. They could just die and not put any juice to your battery, or they can actually overcharge the battery and boil it.

Smells like rotten eggs.. ICK