Topic: Support group: the most difficult thing you've ever done on a bike

[zabzob]

I'll start: I'm trying to bend the crimp rings back onto my CB750 gauges right now. Doing something with a pair of pliers that was clearly done with jig and hydraulic press the first time. I've done some frustrating stuff on this bike, had some badly stuck bolts, some difficult to reach bolts, but nothing like this. My hands ache and I have taken massive amounts of psychic damage. Thought I was getting somewhere with it bending the right way, then the bottom popped out again! About to go out and try again.

How about you?

[M 750K6]

Replacing the chain and front sprocket on a Norton Commando:
Required, drain primary oil, remove footpeg and gear shift. Remove primary cover, remove stator/ alternator. Remove starter drive gear / sprag clutch, remove hydraulic primary chain tensioner. Undo clutch, remove plates, undo and remove clutch hub. Remove primary chain and drive gear. Remove inner primary cover. Then you can get to the sprocket.

I was lucky. My horn works. Apparently the bike is built around its horn!

[Flyin900]

I'll start: I'm trying to bend the crimp rings back onto my CB750 gauges right now. Doing something with a pair of pliers that was clearly done with jig and hydraulic press the first time. I've done some frustrating stuff on this bike, had some badly stuck bolts, some difficult to reach bolts, but nothing like this. My hands ache and I have taken massive amounts of psychic damage. Thought I was getting somewhere with it bending the right way, then the bottom popped out again! About to go out and try again.

How about you?

About your question?  After restoring over 40+ Honda bikes in a variety of models; I have found everyone has serious challenges on one level or another. If you specialize in a specific model you get very proficient and the issues are much easier to overcome. "Been there done that" is the motto.

Others will chime in on your present issue. After restoring/refacing many gauges over the years some tricks do help the reassembly situation. I just cut the ring now and use a outer worm clamp to hold it back in place for installation and some Tech Steel epoxy to seal flat the underside of the trim ring to the back of the case. Quick and effective and the Tech Steel is rock hard in 15 mins.

Either build a wooden jig with a piece of plastic sewer pipe honed to size to push it together in one go, or work as your doing now! The trim rings are available from Marcel at CB750 gauges as replacements too. Marcel had some videos to assist in that chore on YouTube I recall.

[Lucien Harpress]

Gonna take a couple tacks with this one.

-Physically hardest?  All of the parts swapping I've done on my CB750.  You name it, I've had it apart, several times.  Put it this way- I'm on my third frame, and the fourth is currently in the barn awaiting cleanup.  The upside?  I've done this so many times I can frame swap this entire bike in my sleep.

-Mentally hardest?  The first time I pulled apart my GL1000 carbs.  Long story short, they are standard 70's automotive carbs, which means they are MASSIVELY overcomplicated compared to regular motorcycle carbs.  Two main jets, everything is press-fit (with o-rings on everything), the jets are held in place with a clip that only compresses once the bowls are screwed in, and a plenum that has all the air and fuel passages drilled internally.  Now that I know how it goes together they aren't too bad, but the first time was ROUGH.

-Annoyingly hardest?  Doing anything on my Velosolex.  Mostly because everything is a pain despite being a dirt-simple design.  Essentially?  There is a single order that bike comes apart.  You have to do something on step 3?  You do step 1 and 2 first.  Need to do something on step 30?  You start at step 1 and do all 29 steps first.  There's no shortcuts, everything is inconvenient, and the resulting bike is the most gutless thing I've ever ridden.

[Ozzybud]

I'll start: I'm trying to bend the crimp rings back onto my CB750 gauges right now. Doing something with a pair of pliers that was clearly done with jig and hydraulic press the first time. I've done some frustrating stuff on this bike, had some badly stuck bolts, some difficult to reach bolts, but nothing like this. My hands ache and I have taken massive amounts of psychic damage. Thought I was getting somewhere with it bending the right way, then the bottom popped out again! About to go out and try again.

How about you?

Do you have the same clamp that you used to disassemble it tight around the perimeter? Also having pressure on the front is a must.
start with a small screwdriver working your way around about 20x until its all flat. You should not have to use pliers  . gloves to protect the palm of your hand for sure.
The back does not need to be pretty,the side and the front do!
I am in agreement about gauge restoration, it is very technical and tedius.
My Jig

[newday777]

I'll start: I'm trying to bend the crimp rings back onto my CB750 gauges right now. Doing something with a pair of pliers that was clearly done with jig and hydraulic press the first time. I've done some frustrating stuff on this bike, had some badly stuck bolts, some difficult to reach bolts, but nothing like this. My hands ache and I have taken massive amounts of psychic damage. Thought I was getting somewhere with it bending the right way, then the bottom popped out again! About to go out and try again.

How about you?

Have you made a fixture to hold the gauge upside down?
I use a drift punch and go in 90° steps to get it started so it sets properly.
Like this post showed by Rookster did.

[BomberMann650]

Most difficult thing i've done on a bike?  Or to a bike?

On a bike - became homeless. 
Learned to survive a personal crisis in the Arizona desert.
Found a way to exist peacefully inside my own head.  Ignoring the bullsh!t anyone else had to say.
Realized how much i appreciate indoor plumbing and cold water.  Kept of list of every juke joint that had $3 tater tots.  Which parking spots were shaded enough to stay comfy, far enough from the entrance to not be a public nuisance, and still close enough to access wi-fi.  Learned how to get on a bartenders good side; in spite of being a lousy tipper.

That was the hardest thing i ever did on a bike.

Fixing the machines is the easy part.

[Don R]

 Dealing with rusty gas tanks, that's the hardest and most nearly impossible project, especially on a GL1000. Next to that is multiple carburetor cleanings that preceeded that tank cleaning. You can't get good enough filters to keep rust out of carbs.

[HondaMan]

Hardest?
Recalling 8 CB750s that I had rebuilt for others, all which received those too-thin Head Puck Seals that came out in 2004. Had to re-pull all those engines from their frames, tear down all those cams/rockers, replace all those seals, put them all back together, reinstall engines to frames.

For no charge...

[grcamna2]

Dealing with rusty gas tanks, that's the hardest and most nearly impossible project, especially on a GL1000. Next to that is multiple carburetor cleanings that preceeded that tank cleaning. You can't get good enough filters to keep rust out of carbs.

Don,did you finally need to remove that large fuel tank from the frame ?

[Don R]

Dealing with rusty gas tanks, that's the hardest and most nearly impossible project, especially on a GL1000. Next to that is multiple carburetor cleanings that preceeded that tank cleaning. You can't get good enough filters to keep rust out of carbs.

Don,did you finally need to remove that large fuel tank from the frame ?

  I did need to remove it. I removed the rear wheel and fender and it came out the back. A guy in Pa. sold me a rust-free tank that was, but only on the outside. Inside it was worse than the one I already had.
  I bought a plastic tote and plugged the tank and filled it with muriatic acid for a few days. Then I coated it with a blue Northern brand tank coating which is lasting so far. I was pleased how the reserve tube and brass screen inside cleaned up. I expected the acid to remove it or the sealer to plug it but it came out OK. I still carry a spare Honda fuel filter with me.

[CB750R]

Physically Getting back on my yz250 and kickstarting it with a broken foot after being stopped dead and crashed by having my foot crushed between the footpeg and a large rock.

Mentally, sorting out an intermittent electrical issue on my zrx1100 that had me going down many false trails before finding the fault, replacing batteries, cdi, plugs, etc… all for a loose connection in the harness. I hated the bike by the time i was done.

[Sw1ssdude]

Realizing that a 20-minute-job will most likely take 3 hours or more is always hard.

I have a small tin can with drilled out bolts and broken off studs, hackjobs from previous owners, plus some broken EZ-outs. i keep it prominently in my shop, and use it as a shrine to appease the gods of the Universal Japanese Motorcycle. Sometimes, when things go too well on a project, i pick out a random item and reminisc about the PITA i had to get it out.

Latest offering to go into my tin can: a welded-on sprocket that had me rebuilding the entire engine to get the stump of the drive shaft out and replace it with a new one...

[philze]

Letting the bank take my 6 month old 1978 Suzuki GS1000EC after I lost my job

[bryanj]

Most difficult thing i ever had to do was collect my 500(no36) after it was stolen and torched

[MauiK3]

Well, I have to say my Z1 project with oil problems to the cams. I may have solved it but it sits about 75% together while I am taking care of a bunch of stuff that piled up.
Hopefully I will be rewarded when I get back to it.

[MRieck]

Making a cylinder from a 75 lb block of aluminum.

[PeWe]

Making a cylinder from a 75 lb block of aluminum.

The result of milling off some alu  lucky guys could lay their hands on can also be described in The Happy-ish Thread!

Lots of alu removed from the right places!
Only 14.55 lbs left, 6.6kg!
What a horrible shipping cost with 75lbs!!

[CycleRanger]

Most difficult thing i've done on a bike?  Or to a bike?

On a bike - became homeless. 
Learned to survive a personal crisis in the Arizona desert.
Found a way to exist peacefully inside my own head.  Ignoring the bullsh!t anyone else had to say.
Realized how much i appreciate indoor plumbing and cold water.  Kept of list of every juke joint that had $3 tater tots.  Which parking spots were shaded enough to stay comfy, far enough from the entrance to not be a public nuisance, and still close enough to access wi-fi.  Learned how to get on a bartenders good side; in spite of being a lousy tipper.

That was the hardest thing i ever did on a bike.

Fixing the machines is the easy part.

You win.