Progress! I'm on a roll.
Frame up on the lift:
Triple-trees, new tapered bearings installed, forks installed, and brake caliper reassembled and installed:
Front wheel painted and unmasked:
And my ace-in-the-hole...
RIM STRIPES!
Front:
and rear:
Rear wheel mounted:
Other side:
I used tapered bearings from
Pyramid Parts (I bought them on eBay along with fork seals for three of my bikes). They fit perfectly and didn't require any extra spacers. I had the foresight to order a new lower washer a while back which turned out to be a good idea since the old washer was toast.
I put the outer bearing races in the freezer for a few days and when it was time they popped right into the neck without too much drama. I used a small hammer and a block of wood to drive them in.
I did realize that I left out the lower dust seal, I think it got tossed with the old bearings. Now I'm kicking myself because I see they're only $2 on BikeBandit, and I could have ordered a new one with my front bearing retainer if I'd been thinking.
The stock shocks are just there temporarily until my CB900f shocks come in.
Looking at the list:
Work left before it's rolling again:
- Finish second fork tube
- Finish polishing valve cover
- Put engine back into frame
- Paint front rim
- Install new steering bearings
- Sand spot putty on headlight ears (filled in old reflector holes) and paint black
- Reassemble front end (triple trees, brake, wheel, fender, etc.)
- Reinstall swingarm (still waiting on some CB900f shocks)
- Reinstall centerstand (sure it's ugly and heavy, but damn it's useful)
- Finish cleaning chain (it's been soaking in Simple Green) and install new master link (lucky find at the hardware store)
- Reinstall handlebars
I started on cutting apart the chain to install the new master link but then I realized it was 11:45PM and people were trying to sleep, so I turned in for the night.
Overall, I'm excited with how it's turning out - the rim stripes look even better than I'd hoped. Let's hope the rest of the bike looks as good.
