Author Topic: Project "Hard Luck - The Red Racer" - updated 07/30/2010 w/new project!!! (Read 112676 times)

KB02 · « **Reply #50 on:** April 08, 2008, 05:20:34 AM »

The boring is done! (Both the cylinder boring and the boring tasks involved with painting the engine.)

That 850 kit sure makes for some thin cylinder walls.

As you can see, I've pretty much got all the painting done. As soon as I get a couple of bunged up locater dowels out, I'll mock the engine up to see how it is going to look. So far, I think it is going to look pretty cool.

KB02 · « **Reply #51 on:** April 09, 2008, 05:04:52 AM »

The engine mocked up. It's all empty inside, but I'm liking the color scheme, so I'm going ahead with it. The points cover will have to be black.

bgfootball67 · « **Reply #52 on:** April 09, 2008, 06:59:34 AM »

Good stuff KBO2! I did not think I was going to like the color combo too much, but from the left side I think that is going to be killer!

KB02 · « **Reply #53 on:** April 10, 2008, 04:38:38 AM »

Yeah, and once it's installed in the frame with carbs on and everything, the red will pretty much become an accent color. I'm planning silver for the frame. Should look pretty cool.

andy750 · « **Reply #54 on:** April 10, 2008, 04:56:34 AM »

Im curious to see how it turns out in the end as I have to admit Im not a big fan of the red cases.....the black is looking good though ;-)

cheers
Andy

KB02 · « **Reply #55 on:** April 10, 2008, 09:47:39 AM »

Well, there is existing evidence that it can look pretty cool.

I can't wait to get this thing together, but I know it's going to be a while. Patience is a virtue... and a pain in the a$$...

Spikeybike · « **Reply #56 on:** April 10, 2008, 08:30:43 PM »

I'm gonna paint the Honda logo red since i have to paint it again anyway. that way we'll both have taken each others ideas

"are you kids sharing"
"yeees mom"

KB02 · « **Reply #57 on:** April 11, 2008, 04:46:07 AM »

Quote from: spikeybike on April 10, 2008, 08:30:43 PM

"are you kids sharing"
"yeees mom"

KB02 · « **Reply #58 on:** June 01, 2008, 05:17:21 AM »

Well, I just bought a house. I've had a week to settle in and now it's time to go on vacation. I'll be gone for a week, but when I come back, I'll be making a big order for parts and getting this engine together. Cam, springs, gaskets, studs... various other little things here and there. I can't wait to get this bike together.

Spikeybike · « **Reply #59 on:** June 01, 2008, 02:06:05 PM »

Quote from: KB02 on June 01, 2008, 05:17:21 AM

I can't wait to get this bike together.

nether can your avatar

KB02 · « **Reply #60 on:** June 25, 2008, 03:12:56 PM »

The final engine parts are starting to arrive!!! I'm so excited!!! Now I'm just waiting on a CAM, some springs, and a package of HD studs from APE to come in and I'll be ready to go.

Then I'll have to get working on the rest of the bike...

Spikeybike · « **Reply #61 on:** June 25, 2008, 03:18:44 PM »

i love that feeling

,...... to be honest , i miss that feeling

*sigh* i need a new project

KB02 · « **Reply #62 on:** July 08, 2008, 04:40:38 AM »

My Cam is delayed...

It's holding up some of my other parts, too (since they were ordered together), which is what's holding me back.

I have to do a little touch up work on the crank case. In my move I put something on top of the case when I got things in my new garage. It looks like the components started to react to the paint. Oh well. Gives me something to do, right?

SquiglyUpright · « **Reply #63 on:** July 08, 2008, 02:31:57 PM »

Looking good. its nice to see it coming along. I need to start a cafe project. I found an ad on craigslist for a 1970 cb 350, for $395 but the guy hasnt answer my calls. it would be sweet to pick that up and get a project started.

Anyway keep up the work.

KB02 · « **Reply #64 on:** August 18, 2008, 05:02:02 AM »

Okay, so I moved back in June and have had a very busy summer. But even with that, I feel somewhat embarrassed that I am finally now getting around to starting to put the engine back together.

I finally got out in the garage yesterday and was able to check my bearings. All five crank and all four rod bearings are within spec, so I should be good to go. I would have gotten a little bit further yesterday, but realized that I never ordered a new oil seal for the crank (timing side), so I'll have to wait a little bit more for that to arrive. My Cam should be here any day now and I think I have everything else that I need.

I am currently bidding on an '87 GSX-R on ebay. I'm hoping to steal the suspension off of that for the CB. Four piston Calipers on dual disks should provide a bit better stop than the stock single pot job. Plus... I never really cared for spokes. Too hard to clean.

I'm also looking at a few Tanks on ebay as well. I'm just looking for an earlier 70's CB750 tank. I just think the look so much cleaner. I'd buy a tank from Benji, but I just can't afford one of those.

Anyway, that's my update. One question and one suggestion:

Question: For those that have used Plastigage before, how did you clean it off? Man that stuff was a pain in the butt to clean off.

Suggestion: If you are in the middle of a project and need to move, either finish your project quickly before the move, or delay the move. Getting restarted afterwards is such a pain. It will be worth it... It will be worth it... It will be worth it...

KB02 · « **Reply #65 on:** August 26, 2008, 08:20:31 PM »

I am officially changing the name of this thread to "My Mighty K8 Project Thread - Project "Parts Bike."

A donor bike has been achieved for suspension upgrades. A 1988 Suzuki Katana will be gratefully donating it's Front end, and parts of it's rear end to the K8. It will be interesting to see if I can get the Suzy rear tire to fit onto the K8 Swing arm. I paid $400 for a complete, yet not running bike (the PO is pretty sure it's part carbs and part an electrical relay - he showed me how he had just bypassed the relay... kind of scary, really).

The engine might find it's way into a future project, but for now, it's going to get mothballed. Other parts will find their way onto ebay. I'm still waiting on three parts to come in for the engine, then I am will have all the parts I need and no more excuses... so I'll have to start coming up with some more excuses...

KB02 · « **Reply #66 on:** August 27, 2008, 02:59:32 PM »

The steering stems appear to be just about the same length. My rude measurements with a carpenter's square put them within a 16th of an inch. The rear tires (again with my same, high tech measurement tool) both appear to have the same offset from center to chain. The rear brake disk is shot, though and will need to be replaced. That will come in time.

DarkRider · « **Reply #67 on:** August 27, 2008, 06:42:11 PM »

Easiest way for the rear brakes would be to take the master cyl and brake controls from an F bike and use the Katana rear caliper..unless you planned on making rear sets using the katana parts lol

KB02 · « **Reply #68 on:** August 28, 2008, 04:44:32 AM »

I already have some rear sets, actually, that I had bought for my F but never got the chance to put n before I sold it. I may use those... or I may play around with the Kat's pegs and see what I get (Right now I'm thinking they might be a little harder to use. We'll see).

The disk kind of looks like this:
__
)l(
)l(
)l(
)l(

KB02 · « **Reply #69 on:** August 29, 2008, 04:58:26 AM »

Okay, a little time spent on the donor bike (and a bit higher quality set of measurements) shows that the Kat's Steering head is about 3/8" shorter than the CB's. I'll have to modify the stem. Hopefully I will be able to just swap them out, but we'll see. The overall length of the Kat's front end, including tires, is about 1-2" shorter than the Stock CB (No engine in frame makes the CB stand a little higher at the moment), so my front end will be lowered just a touch. I'm okay with that.

My biggest questions right now are on the rear end. (too many beans last night?!?

) My original plan was simply to take the Kat's Rear tire and mount it in the CB swing arm. According to my measurements, I can do this no problem as the CB's swingarm is actually wider than the Katana's so there is plenty of room. BUT, as I was looking things over, it turns out that the Katana has a very nice, fully adjustable, monoshock suspension that looks like it could be made to fit without too much fabrication. Obviously there would be some fabrication that would need to be done, but it would be just the mounting of two brackets. Both mounting points are almost already in place... I'll have to ponder this some more. The Kat's arm would add almost three inches to the overall length of the bike. The other factor I have to think about is that the CB's rear axel bolt is 15mm while the Kat only uses a 14mm (and the Kat's is quite a bit shorter, too).

Anyway, that's the news from the front. Two engine parts yet to come in. One should be here today.

DarkRider · « **Reply #70 on:** August 29, 2008, 08:10:13 AM »

One way you could go about mounting the rear swing arm would be mounting twin shock mounts as well...just an idea to consider.

KB02 · « **Reply #71 on:** August 29, 2008, 03:14:53 PM »

That thought had crossed my mind.

KB02 · « **Reply #72 on:** September 01, 2008, 09:00:30 AM »

Well, I've got the CB Frame stripped down to the frame finally. Next step will be the Katana frame and then I can get the front end graphed onto the CB.

...Then I'll look at maybe a rear end swap...

KB02 · « **Reply #73 on:** September 03, 2008, 04:39:26 AM »

So, the rear axle bolt on the stock wheel is 20mm. The rear axle on the Katana wheel is 17 mm. This may be a bit of a challenge to make it fit... What do you all think? A 20mm OD bushing with 1.5mm walls?

Spikeybike · « **Reply #74 on:** September 03, 2008, 07:47:09 AM »

Quote from: KB02 on September 03, 2008, 04:39:26 AM

A 20mm OD bushing with 1.5mm walls?

if you can swing it (pun intended) that sounds like the best way

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Author Topic: Project "Hard Luck - The Red Racer" - updated 07/30/2010 w/new project!!! (Read 112676 times)