Topic: What did you do to your bike today ?

[bucky katt]

i got a little closer to doing a cam swap. i just got enough money to get the ape valve springs. debating now whether or not i'm going to run the stock 75 750 retainers or think about selling something else if i can find something worth enough money, to get titanium retainers. wonder how much plasma i have to sell to make 149 bux? 

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Terry,

Why do you have 2 RC blocks?! I smell a conspiracy here...........

[OldSchool_IsCool]

Not so much what I did TO my bike, but rather what I did FOR my bike.  I picked up a bike jack yesterday and set to work on a way to use the jack while my 4-4 pipes are still on.  Off to the home improvement store this morning to hit the PVC isle.  Fitted a few pieces together but couldn't really come up with a way to carry the weight of the frame straight down to the jack.  Brought the parts home and fiddled for a little while, then it hit me!  Here is what I came up with:

[Industrial Cafe]

that's a good idea!

[Industrial Rat400f Killer]

that's a good idea!

+1

[Johnie]

At has been a while here in WI that we have been able to ride. Today we were up around 40 and it was a good day to get the Wing out for a ride. Man that feels good to get on a bike. You sure appreciate it more when the weather keeps you off for a few months. You can see the guys on the ice with their trucks and fishing shantys in the distance on Lake Winnebago. We have about 17 inches of ice on there yet.

[Retro Rocket]

i'm going to head out to the shop in the morning and do a major clean up, scrub the floor down and get ready to put the epoxy coating on it. putting up several sheets of pegboard because i'm going to hang all my tools on it with outlines for each one since i have someone who has offered me 750 dollars and 3 guitars with hardcases and a multi effects box for the 3 unit tool box i have. i'm not going to be going to work in a shop again so i have no reason to keep a giant damn toolbox in the garage taking up all that floor space. i'm also going to modify the bike lift i have. the ramp part is removable unfortunately the lift bed is too short and if i were to remove the ramp there would be nothing under the rear wheel, so i'm going to weld braces on the underside of the lift and weld the ramo to them as well as run a nice thick bead of weld along the line where the ramp meets the lift bed. i also got a better wheel clamp for it and i'm bending up 4 loops out of 1/2" bar stock and welding them to the sides of the lift so i'll have a secure place to hook hold down straps. i havent done any work on the shop since before i broke my neck and it's much needed.

Hey Buck...I did the epoxy coating last fall and you will like it. Talk about a cleaner environment. 2 days ago I sprayed all the salt and winter sludge out and it hardly even sticks to that epoxy. You will like it. The secret is to be sure you really let it dry before you put anything of any weight on it. I let mine go for at least 5 days.

Hi Bucky, Epoxy floors, self leveling floors and non skid flooring is what i do for a living, you can add an accelerant to the epoxy that will make it hard as a rock after 8 hours and be able to drive trucks on it with no worries at all. We do this in large industrial complexes with heavy fork lift and vehicle traffic and have never had a problem at all. It can be a slippery surface when wet but you can get around this by using a fine layer of sand that is thrown out onto the surface while it is still wet, in a motion like dealing cards and letting it fall evenly onto the floor then, then once dry you sweep off the excess and roll a thin coat of epoxy over the top of the rough sand just to soften it a bit and there you have it, a nice non slip floor. If you want to know a more detailed approach, drop me a pm....


Mick

[bucky katt]

i was going to go for a ride this afternoon. rolled it out of the shed, turned on the fuel, set the choke, turned the kill switch to on, made sure the headlight was turned off and i kicked it. then i kicked it again, and again, and again....you get the picture, until i was sweaty and back hurting sa badly i couldnt stand up straight so i put it on the side stand and sat in the lawn chair next to the bike. and i saw that the key wasnt in the ignition  i told the wife when i went back in that there was a blown fuse and thats why it wouldnt start, other wise i'd have never heard the end of it, and since she HATES motorcycles i thought it best to tell a little white lie.

[Really?]

Ok Seaweb, I did some work today.  

Stripped her down.  Removed airbox, carb rack (a horror to get out and back in) and got to the YICS (it is out too).  Seemed ok on the vacuum test with my mouth (proud of not being good at that) but will get an adapter to do it right.  Hoses were too large.  I am at the tank to do the gauge thing.  Changed the speedo guts and polished on the clears lenses of the gauge cluster.

More tomorrow but I cannot tell you yet, per Seaweb.    A pic with it all together is in the sig.

Btw, yes, I know it is not a Honda but the thread title says your bike and that one is mine (don't change the title, lol).

[JS550]

Aaaaaa....mother nature finally stopped being a cold #$%* here in Michigan! Atleast for a few days! Today I did a carb sync check, installed a Hondaman ignition (friggin awesome!), and got my lowering blocks straightened out. Lotsa fun. I think my seasonal depression went away? Went for a nice ride, all is well in the world tonight.

[Terry in Australia]

Hey Terry
I might have some Z1000 sleeves.
There's some blocks amongst it all marked 1015, 1075 & 1089.
I can knock the sleeves out & measure 'em if that helps.
Mick

G'Day Mick, thanks for that mate, I'll measure the RC sleeves and send you a PM, if your sleeves fit, I want them!

Terry,

Why do you have 2 RC blocks?! I smell a conspiracy here...........

Ha ha, nothing like that Jerry, the first block is cracked between the sleeves, and the sleeves are shot. Mike (Michrobi) assures me that the new block isn't cracked, so that's the one I'll use with my 73mm pistons once I've replaced the damaged sleeve.

Now that I've bought a shiny new 200 amp AC/DC TIG welder I can vee out the cracks and weld them back up, but I'm thinking of taking it to a casting foundry this week to see if I can get some more "RC replica" blocks cast from it.

I've got a heap of GS1000 sleeves, so I'll "finish bore" the blocks to take them. Their stock ID is 70mm, their OD is a tad over 77mm, so they can be used with pistons from 71-73mm with no reliability issues, I'd think?  

Ok Seaweb, I did some work today.   

Stripped her down.  Removed airbox, carb rack (a horror to get out and back in) and got to the YICS (it is out too).  Seemed ok on the vacuum test with my mouth (proud of not being good at that) but will get an adapter to do it right.  Hoses were too large.  I am at the tank to do the gauge thing.  Changed the speedo guts and polished on the clears lenses of the gauge cluster.

More tomorrow but I cannot tell you yet, per Seaweb.    A pic with it all together is in the sig.

Btw, yes, I know it is not a Honda but the thread title says your bike and that one is mine (don't change the title, lol).

Hey that's a nice cruiser mate, how many cc's?

[morpheus991]

well I actually did this last weekend. I took off my flaking exhaust and repainted it, the right way. I guess it was originally chrome. I ground off all of the old paint, soaked the rusted "exhaust pipe joint collars" (that's what they call them in Clymers) in magic unrust stuff, primed everything, then painted it all flat black. After finally getting it on and getting ready to tighten it I realized that I had switched the 2nd and 3rd collars so they would have to be tightened from opposite sides of the engine...F*ck it, It wasn't worth the risk of scratching the paint off before it was cured and hassle that went into getting it all back on there tight. After attaching the muffler I also noticed that the paint on there had a different black than the headers (even though I used the same brand and color). I know I should have bought multiple cans at the same time but I really didn't think I would need more than one.
I also retrofitted a chrome front fender from a different 750 model. I drilled through the mounting bracket rivets and reattached them onto the fenderless one I have using chrome rounded allen screws, worked like a charm. 

[Nikkisixx]

"Old school is cool" that ^ thingamajig is dead sexy.  I shall be making one tomorrow.  Today I went for a ride with another member here (good times  ) and put about 100 miles for a grand total of 200 since she "became one" (piece).  Fork seals were purchased two months ago and lay dutifully on my bench.  Strangely enough, they did not seal the forks from there  
When I got home this afternoon, I put them in.  While doing so I discovered that the steering bearings are notchy, so I ordered those tonight.  Maybe those can work through osmosis unlike those lazy fork seals  

[hoodellyhoo]

Went for the first ride since November!!

First I got both bikes out and gave them a quick wash. You can hardly notice a difference on the K6. It's needs a hardcore scrubbing.

Then I checked everything on the 350 (chain, tire pressures, etc.), installed the battery, and reinstalled the speedo with new bulbs. Since I had some extra time I took it for a 30 mile ride. After fiddling with the 750 all summer it feels strange to work with the 350. The engine is noticeably smoother and the whole bike feels so small now.

[Jordan]

Sanded... bondoed.... sanded.... bondoed.... sanded..... bondoed..... adnauseum  Then finally this evening primered my tank. Tomorrow more sanding and maybe higloss black, if I don't need to bondo and sand some more, oh brother!

[Pwfyrcat1]

I put on the new fork tubes I got from Cycle-X this week.  They are -2.  And after much reading cussing and wrestling with that axle bolt at the bottom...SUCCESS

I am quite pleased with letting my patience win over frustration

[Really?]

Hey Terry, it is 1200cc's.  The VMAX was born out of that bike.  Same year too.  The Venture's were out two years before the debut of the VMAX in 85.

[OldSchool_IsCool]

"Old school is cool" that ^ thingamajig is dead sexy.  I shall be making one tomorrow.  Today I went for a ride with another member here (good times  ) and put about 100 miles for a grand total of 200 since she "became one" (piece).  Fork seals were purchased two months ago and lay dutifully on my bench.  Strangely enough, they did not seal the forks from there  
When I got home this afternoon, I put them in.  While doing so I discovered that the steering bearings are notchy, so I ordered those tonight.  Maybe those can work through osmosis unlike those lazy fork seals  

Thanks IC, Rat & Nikki!  A couple of tips:
- the thingamajig is 19 inches long with 14 inches between the center of each socket. 
- I set the bed of the drill press at 30 degrees.  
- When drilling the angled socket, use 2 hole saws, one slightly bigger then OD and the other slightly smaller then ID.  
- A screwdriver or chisel works great to clear out any chips left behind.  
- Use bungee cords to hold the thingamajig in place as you slide the jack under.  
- The rear jack pad will lift against the center stand (in stowed position) with a short piece of 4x2 and maybe some thin stock shims.

[Frostyboy]

Got the back wheel out in readiness to have a new tyre (tire for my USA friends) fitted. Just realised (z) how ordinary the spokes are looking. Have spent some hours with the Autosol & some cloth polishing. Have just about finished one side of the hub. Man, isn't it a long way around these things?

[Terry in Australia]

Well I had to drive from Melbourne to Canberra yesterday, a 1300 Km (850 mile) round trip, to collect the Henry Abe wheels I won on EBay.



I also bought some of the sellers other parts, he had a K0 wheel that cost me a whopping 20 bucks,



And a complete engine's bottom end for another 100, as I needed a basis for my RC Cobra 1060cc engine.



When I unloaded all the stuff this morning, I took a double take when I checked the serial number on the crankase, it's an early diecast K0, serial number CB750E-1010XXX! My January 1970 build K0's engine number is 1020XXX so I'm assuming that this engine is an early 1969 diecast? I also bought a K1 head for another 20 bucks, and after cleaning it up, discovered that it's been very nicely ported, so that's saved me a lot of dough too. All in all, some fine scrounging, if I do say so myself!

[bird]

Nice wheels Terry. I was watching them with interest. In fact I have a set on my Four. Painted mine powder coat black and they look ace and generate a lot of interest. Lot of old riders know them well and say they're better than the Morris and Lester brands around in the old days. Also note you know about Henry Abe. I thought the HA stamp on the rims meant Honda factory or something, but turns out they stand for Mr Abe, who went on to establish accessory company Daytona which is still around today. Don't know if there's a connection with the late and great Norick Abe GP racer. That would be cool. Anyways, enjoy your wheels. They're a tad heavier than the standard set up, but you can feel, when riding, that they're much harder and don't flex at all. Have fun. ^^

[Frostyboy]

A fine effort indeed Terry. Those Henry Abe wheels sorta kinda resemble Bathurst Globes like on the old Falcons hey? I bet they wouldn't take as long to clean up as wire wheels either.

[bird]

Frostboy's right. Just like the mags on old Bathurst Falcons. Maybe keep the finish as-is for a real period look. ^^ Nice work on all the other gear too Terry. Bloody good find ya lucky %#$%

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Guys, I think ol' Henry had his hand in lots of things, remember HA helmets? I like the idea of having them powdercoated, they've got a pretty rough surface so aren't easy to clean, and a nice coat of something might seal them nicely. I think silver or gold might be nice?

The seller, Ken, is a really interesting guy, he's a mechanical engineering lecturer at the Defence Academy and knows his way around the tools. He built his own CB750 "special" in 1993, combining a K2 frame and a mild 836cc F2 engine, with a Yamaha FZ1000 front end, FZ discs and calipers mated to CB750 hubs, laced to wide 18 inch alloy akront rims. He machined up a beautiful set of alloy triples and lots of other nice brackets etc, and mated 32mm CV carbs to the F2 engine, something that I haven't seen on an SOHC 750 before.
 
It was his pride and joy up until last year when he threw it down the road and smashed both his knees, and wrecked the bike. I'm thinking seriously about buying the remains, the wheels are still good, and the engine is fine, except for a crushed points cover. Ken wants to sell it to buy a BMW K1200S, so I'm tempted to take it off his hands. The frame is probably bent (and it's probably a K0, in fact) but his 836cc F2 engine will go well in my F2, and the wheels will be useful on one of my other bikes, I'm sure. I didn't take a pic, but if I buy it, you guys will see it soon. He wants a little more than I'm prepared to pay at the moment, but I'm sure we can eventually come to an amicable arrangement.................. 
 

[bird]

Be a nice special to do up that FZ engined Honda. Hope it works out. Well recommend the powder coating route on the wheels. Whatever your colour it's a good way to go. ^^