1981 650H "Restoration"

You could always send your tank to me for a good price!

 

Not to hijack this thread, but I think I will be doing the work myself. This project for me is as much about having an awesome old school bike as it is about being able to say I did the work - ALL the work myself. I may contact you for pointers and tips if that is alright. PM me!

 

As soon as I can get these parts finished, I can begin to reassemble... The aluminum stripping/polishing is labor intensive... I am not even sure these are in final shape... More elbow grease!

Also, Zach shipped the tank/covers... So, if I finish the aluminum, I can reassemble and snap a few pics. (May not occur until first week of Feb., I am out of town next week).

Before

After

 

Reassembling... Pistons back on - all new rings, but original pistons --- then jugs, heads dropped on (this was a heck of a work out -- I did it alone -- suggest a friend to guide parts -- probably took me an hour of wiggling and sliding around on my butt -- having a bike bench or elevated rack would help a lot) -- then all torqued down -- new shims are "in the mail" - cams next, front end etc.

Oh, and Raven sent the tank back -- looks GREAT! Thanks Zach

 

Test fit of the newly painted tank and side covers --


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No progress on my bike this week -- BUT -- we are having a great week

Next week end I should start front end reassembly and get engine covers back on...

OFF Topic: We spent the week at Squaw valley -- arrived Saturday night Jan 21 and drove up here from Sacramento airport IN THE SEASON's FIRST SNOW STORM -- drove all the way up RT50 then RT89 along the remote side of the lake ---- HECK of a drive in the blowing snow -- Glad I rented a Ford Expedition -- Had 4 kids and the wife, skis and 11 pieces of luggage -- white knuckle grip all the way...

Shot Sunday night -- night after the storm -- moon, and a few planets over the Tram


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This is my daughter and she is letting me know how uncool I am...
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This is a shot of Emerald Bay on the way back down RT 89 -- we went back to Sacramento via RT 50 -- Beautiful drive when NOT SNOWING -- Heavenly Valley off to the right
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Finished a few items this week end:

1. New shims and new Megacycle cams in, and TDC set, and double checked new shim clearances
2. Valve cover on and sealed up
3. Forks installed and centered - and front wheel installed
4. Handlebars reinstalled and new MC installed
5. New front brake rotor-disk installed by the way - the new rotor is 2LBS!! LIGHTER than the stock rotor -- this plus the new progressive shocks should brighten up the feel)
6. new SS lines and refurbished caliper installed (no fill and bleed yet)
7. Headlamp bucket and bracket and ignition and gauges installed and all electrical connected (except front turn signals - tbd) - all electrical tested OK
8. Engine covers installed - clutch, shifter, generator, and side covers, etc.
9. Polished foot peg bars but not yet installed

Next week end:
1. Install petcock (original is rebuilt)
2. New Fuse box install
3. Install carbs (rebuilt bench synched and floats set)
4. Install foot pegs
5. start on rear end - brakes - polish grab bar
6. new rear shock
7. Pipes back on

Then -- FIRE HER UP!!!

Here's a bunch of eye candy... (these are cel phone pics -- I need to get a better camera sorry)




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HAVEN'T final buffed yet
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Shims are in ... I installed the following:
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A few more... I removed the rust in the bucket and painted it inside black...

p.s. By the way - Tip -- That can of 3M Parts Cleaner and Gasket Prep (lower left can tipped over)-- is the bomb when it comes to degreasing/cleaning -- I used like 12 cans of that stuff -- carb cleaning, degreasing, paint removal, etc. NASTY contents however (like most of this stuff including carb cleaner) -- IMHO, always! use a gask mask !! -- AND safety glasses --

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Next week end:
1. Install petcock (original is rebuilt)
2. New Fuse box install
3. Install carbs (rebuilt bench synched and floats set)
4. Install foot pegs
5. start on rear end - brakes - polish grab bar
6. new rear shock
7. Pipes back on

Then -- FIRE HER UP!!!

 

nice work!! cant wait to see the finished product!

 

Hey man, you are ending up with one of the finest finished jobs I have seen in a long time. Nice work to say the least. Hope it runs as fine as it looks-much to be proud of for sure! grunt007, 81 XJ Seca 750 ))))) Love it!

 

Lookin' juicy!

 

Thanks Chacal, you're awesome service has been key for this project!

 

It's probably too late to mention that you could have painted the hub on the EBC rotor, isn't it? I painted mine with black caliper paint.

 

Thanks Big -- I've seen your bike -- that is a real nice job...

you know I "stared at it" for a while and thought about it -- and grabbed the masking tape -- and started -- then decided I might not do a good job at taping the various and intricate curves -- then pictured overspray -- and then thought about more cleaning... And yesterday was one of those "GET "ER DONE!" days (on top of working till 3:00am Sunday morning on the bike)... so maybe I'll regret it, but I stood back and decided I like (on this bike) the unfinished look.

Thank you

 

Cripes, if it looks that good with "just" cell phone photos, I think photos from a camera are going to blow us away! Nice work! I'll admit, I'm pretty jealous!

 

I'll admit, masking was the "tricky" part but I also build model airplanes so I just broke out the 3MM "Tamiya tape" and had at it.

But it does look very good in natural as well; your bike is coming along quite nicely. Good work.

 

Thank you my friend -- very kind... I am digging both the process and the outcome.

Oh, and you all will get a kick out of this story:

It is late Saturday night (tok the family out, kids, all had dinner at Grumpy's BBQ - best smoked pork in the valley) -- anyway, get home about 10.30 and told the wife I was going to work on the bike -- she gives me that look like "you're a mad man, have fun..."

So it is about midnight and I am putting the shoulder bolts into the sprocket for the cams and I make the dumb mistake of holding one bolt in my palm (sort of cupping it) while I finger tighten the other (with the same hand) -

Of course - click!! the shoulder bolt drops into the timing chain cavity and I have sudden screaming thoughts of it not dropping to the pan -- What if it is jamed? What if it won't drop all the way -- I won't be able to turn the crank even by hand I could JAM it up -- Then OMG -- head and jugs have to come BACK OFF!!!

Don't panic - DONT'T panic I tell myself --

I decide to try a magnet and grab my telescoping magnet - I have to bend the crap out of it to get it to go 'round the frame-bar and down the tunnel - it now no longer "telescopes" -- I try 5 ot 6 times each time it "finds" the chain - click! and it is stuck -- retrieve - repeat - finally I get it real deep into the tunnel - I can't see down there (tried a dentist mirror) and am picturing it in my mind approaching the cam-chain-gear -- suddenly there is a different sounding "click" -- slowly now, careful, slow, straight - I raise it out -- AND THERE ON THE END IS THE SHOULDER BOLT!!!!!!


Phew!! That was my one and only MULLIGAN on this bike

- now back to work and try to remain smart and METHODICAL (I tell myself)

LOL

 

More Porn

Got the foot pegs and front fender on...

this is it, for a while, I promise... More progress next week end


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BIG -- Is that the tape you might use for aileron or elevator hinges on the foamy's? It's the mylar stuff with paper-covered adhesive on one side?

If so, I think I know what you mean - and that is INGENIOUS -- you are a wizzard -- I gotta remember that next time -- masking tape was 'al over the place" for a job like that.

Thanks!

 

Actually, I was referring to the extremely flexible, super-thin yellow masking tape that comes in a 3mm width. Works GREAT for the raised part of wheel spokes too.

(Most of my airplanes are 1/72 scale, not big flyers. Space considerations.)