The dark heart revealed, a strange land where the Woodruff Key roams...
More on the mission to replace the heavy old flywheel with the young pretender later....
Monday, 8 February 2010
Multi-post freakout continues - blogorrhea suspected.....
So anything else. Yep some scary real mechanical stuff for a dilettante dabbling chancer like me. Bought puller, used puller, narrowly averted disaster when spotted had missed one casing bolt. See puller still in position on removed engine casing. Puller necessary due to crankshaft locating in bearing on engine casing...
The dark heart revealed, a strange land where the Woodruff Key roams...
More on the mission to replace the heavy old flywheel with the young pretender later....
The dark heart revealed, a strange land where the Woodruff Key roams...
More on the mission to replace the heavy old flywheel with the young pretender later....
Shopping, Shopping, Shopping I Say!!
So what got bought? The legendary Keihin FCR carbs are on the way from the lovely Chris and Candice at California Cycleworks. In fact the carbs may already be languishing in a Parcelforce prison camp while various gnomes tally up the huge handling and import tithes to be visited on my poor threadbare ass. For surely it is right and just that I be punished for buying something cheaper abroad, forsooth. Enough! They will come and there will be much horsepower, cred, classic racing vibe, and boundless rejoicing.
What else? From Germany and the equally helpful and efficient bods at Kamna... a lightweight Pure-TEC flywheel!
Is there more? Oh yes, rays of divine golden light pierce the clouds, enter stage left a true petrol-head icon of motosickle royalty bling, oh lordy the Ohlins is amongst us... Got at a bargain price due to the eagle-eyed and brotherly efforts of members of UK Monster Owners Club, and the desire to spread Ducati-flavoured joy in the heart of Peter at Pro-Twins. Check the links list brethren for all of the above. Meanwhile, rear suspension and most of the engine tuning is potentially sorted and I am now skint. Here are flywheel and shock:
What else? From Germany and the equally helpful and efficient bods at Kamna... a lightweight Pure-TEC flywheel!
Is there more? Oh yes, rays of divine golden light pierce the clouds, enter stage left a true petrol-head icon of motosickle royalty bling, oh lordy the Ohlins is amongst us... Got at a bargain price due to the eagle-eyed and brotherly efforts of members of UK Monster Owners Club, and the desire to spread Ducati-flavoured joy in the heart of Peter at Pro-Twins. Check the links list brethren for all of the above. Meanwhile, rear suspension and most of the engine tuning is potentially sorted and I am now skint. Here are flywheel and shock:
So no money left for powdercoating - will have to start saving again and selling stuff. But milestones are always flexible (see earlier post) - they are there to help not dictate. I haven't decided about frame and wheel colour as I haven't decided about paint job. Better to wait and grab the big dollar items while the cash was available and the deals good. You never know when the next consumer durable is going to blow up after all....
On Choosing Motorcycles and, further, on Character.
So having sold the CB1300, and been sitting on a wodge (note for our non-UK readers: "wodge" = a sizeable chunk of cash, folding, wonga, bread, squids, etc) for a while, I finally found the right Firestorm with some help from my mate Barry who took me to look at one and is a 'storm owner himself. Pictures may follow but suffice to say it is like a cross between a banana and an A10 tankbuster. This because it is yellow, very noisy and aggressive sounding and to some, ugly. What is it with practical but sporting v-twins? It's not like the more road orientated offerings from Ducati and Aprilia are much better - the ST series and the Falco all being fairly lacking in the chiseled good looks department. In fact in this case I probably prefer the Falco and the 'storm to the ducati ST's looks.
Anyway my one has some very nice high-level Quill pipes that are incredibly loud and fruity with the baffles out and merely very loud and fruity with them in. They are legal with the baffles in and I don't know how they managed it, they still sound thunderous and luvverly.
So any doubts I had about ditching the CB have been well and truly quelled - it was extremely capable but had zero character - I see that now. Probably the least character of any bike I have owned in 30 years. The storm is not ideal for my back, and I am still a bit worried it's going to blow up any minute, and it's hard on the wrists on traffic-jam town trips of more than half an hour. However, I came back from work tonight in the dark and with the snow falling, and also desperate for a piss, and I was still loving that bike - such is the power of Character.
A V-twin is shaping up to be my favourite configuration. The effortless rushing forward at low revs is a magical sensation found on big singles too - magical because of the paradoxical feeling of a primitive powerplant's slow big bangs pushing you forward on a airy carpet of torque. But a v-twin has the top end to give you the best of both worlds, quick in the twisties and in town, confident and unstressed on the motorway. The 90 degree balanced vibes, the committed but not extreme riding position of the 'storm, even the very basic analogue clocks, the fact that apart from the budget suspension and the looks, the 'storm has similiar weight and performace to a 916, all combine to make you feel like you are on a mission but on a mission with a friend. Every good bike should make you feel like you are on a mission...basic requirement.
Anyhow, the storm cost a lot less than I got for the CB1300 as it's an older higher mileage bike which left lots of money to go shopping for big money project essentials....
Anyway my one has some very nice high-level Quill pipes that are incredibly loud and fruity with the baffles out and merely very loud and fruity with them in. They are legal with the baffles in and I don't know how they managed it, they still sound thunderous and luvverly.
So any doubts I had about ditching the CB have been well and truly quelled - it was extremely capable but had zero character - I see that now. Probably the least character of any bike I have owned in 30 years. The storm is not ideal for my back, and I am still a bit worried it's going to blow up any minute, and it's hard on the wrists on traffic-jam town trips of more than half an hour. However, I came back from work tonight in the dark and with the snow falling, and also desperate for a piss, and I was still loving that bike - such is the power of Character.
A V-twin is shaping up to be my favourite configuration. The effortless rushing forward at low revs is a magical sensation found on big singles too - magical because of the paradoxical feeling of a primitive powerplant's slow big bangs pushing you forward on a airy carpet of torque. But a v-twin has the top end to give you the best of both worlds, quick in the twisties and in town, confident and unstressed on the motorway. The 90 degree balanced vibes, the committed but not extreme riding position of the 'storm, even the very basic analogue clocks, the fact that apart from the budget suspension and the looks, the 'storm has similiar weight and performace to a 916, all combine to make you feel like you are on a mission but on a mission with a friend. Every good bike should make you feel like you are on a mission...basic requirement.
Anyhow, the storm cost a lot less than I got for the CB1300 as it's an older higher mileage bike which left lots of money to go shopping for big money project essentials....
Catching up...
A lot of developments since my last post. I did say I would post a picture of the Cyclecat yoke, and here it is above (in both senses) the piece of metal it's replacing:
Staying chronological - the last few things got taken off the frame leaving it ready for powder-coating.
However that goal, that milestone, which served well in motivating me for the stripdown, has been re-prioritised......
Staying chronological - the last few things got taken off the frame leaving it ready for powder-coating.
However that goal, that milestone, which served well in motivating me for the stripdown, has been re-prioritised......
Monday, 11 January 2010
Vulpe Rosso!!
So we are well into the New Year and unusually wintery weather (for the UK) is keeping me out of the shed. Betty and Wilma won't come out of their run even when there isn't one of these around:
Though they won't come out mainly because they can't see any ground to peck at under all the white stuff. Foxy there is the grown-up cub of Broken Tail, a vixen who was suckling five cubs in broad daylight in the next door's garden (we're in a suburb, not in the country) two summers ago. Looks like one of them didn't want to leave home.
The weather has also interfered with my hunting - that is for a nice low mileage Honda Firestorm for 2K or under. As soon as that is in the bag I can order the Keihin flatside carbs from CA Cycleworks wth the money left over from selling the CB1300. In fact pretty soon I may just order them anyway - there are lots of reasonable 2K bikes around.
I have a vice for the workbench now, I have also been using my new hex drivers to take the headlight and clocks off of the Monster, and a mate of mine is donating a drill stand.
I've also bought a very nice Cyclecat billet top yoke to replace the ugly pig iron that was revealed when I removed the bars and risers. This new yoke is a piece of billet alloy artwork and should be much lighter too - will post pics when it arrives. Buying it has comitted me to sticking with the Monster non-adjustable Showa forks. I took advice on this from UK Monster Owner's Club. I decided I would have to prioritise and not convert front-end to superbike spec. (916 et al) forks which are 53mm mount rather than 50mm. The new yoke is standard M900 fit of 50mm (these measurements refer to the top yoke apertures for fork legs). UK MOC member, Zimbo's advice was that the stock forks where better than early SS 50mm adjustable forks. The key is to have them set up by professionals like MCT or Maxton. They won't look so techie with no adjustment, but the pilot's view will be nice and clean...
Ideally I would like to get a nice aftermarket shock and get back and front suspension fettled at the same time. That's a way off though. Next steps are all about the engine and the frame. I've ordered a puller for the left hand crankcase, which means I will be able to fit a lightweight flywheel, and maybe replace the starter motor which was getting stuck everynow and then.
Plenty to do, just need the snow to clear and the weather to warm up a tiny bit.....
Thursday, 24 December 2009
Christmas Eve and in the shed nothing was stirring not even a mouse...
All the present shopping is done and I think the Cutter juniors' prezzies are going to please them. I have got a bench vice for the shed coming, and the t-handle torque drivers and may get some present money towards powdercoating or a bench grinding wheel (for polishing parts).
"Bah humbug!" you say. What about the Monster - what news? Very little directly, as the exceptionally cold weather has kept me out of the shed as I still haven't decided about putting vents in the eaves to prevent condensation when using a heater.
However, there have been bike related developments... I have just sold my daily ride, the bike that takes me to work and back (thereby preserving my sanity and extending my free time) and also takes me away on runs with the fearsome outlaw band known as The Flying Leaks (well once in a blue moon).
The latest in the line was a black '03 CB1300 with renthals and a Blue Flame race can. However it's all round competence, huge torque and brutish good looks, were finally outweighed by it's blandness. Rather than a streetfighter it was an upmarket bouncer who never took his jacket off. Riding the 900 Monster, Mrs Cutter's amazing 695 ( I can't get over what an underrated great little bike that is, spesh with termis and a sports ECU), and lusting over various cafe racers for inspiration for this project took it's toll. Even my daily ride needs some character. I agonised about selling the bike for months ands months, because it was such a capable swift comfy all-rounder.Also I had put some money into it ironing out some problems, but I finally made up my mind.
So how does this effect the project? Well it may not, if I decide to blow everything I got for the CB on the most bike I can get (think early Aprilia Tuono or Ducati S4 for instance). However if I was to go for bargain-basement capable twins like SV's or Firestorms, I might liberate enough cash to pay for one of the project's bigger costs, the Keihin carbs, or paint, or suspension upgrades etc.
Something to ponder, trying to find a bike that puts a smile on my face, suits my bad back, is reliable and cheap, and might even put a booster under the project. Lots of options, lots of potential, some gambling to be done but...CHANGE IS GOOD. And anticipation is the greater part of pleasure, so it looks like my Christmas present has already come. It's called "opportunity"
And speaking of opportunity,I must mention here that there are people out there who would be happy to have a place like the 'shack to live in in this weather. Some of them are young and just looking for a break before their life gets screwed completely. If you live in London, and you are looking to extend your giving and invest in our mutual future you could point your browser at :
http://www.centrepoint.org.uk/
Happy Christmas!!!
Sunday, 13 December 2009
Bedazzled....
You have got to have milestones. Especially if, like me, you are so lazy that even the stuff you love has to struggle to happen. And, in my defence, if you have a fairly busy life, you know, kids need new phones which then don't work, Christmas is coming and there are a lot of work drinks, family birthdays inconveniently fall at Christmas, the band is supposed to be doing writing sessions, all the guitars need new strings cos they are so knackered they won't intonate, the cats need feeding, the dishwasher blew up, the security light doesn't work, the boiler needs servicing blah blah blah.
So while people on forums cheerfully post how they took their bike to bits last night, I have been carefully removing a component every 300 years or so. And then in the name of research - and basically love - you read all these really cool blogs about people with the time, talent, material resources, and taste, to build the ultimate cafe racer, old school chopper, race bike, the best Monster special, the best airhead BMW cafe racer ( I am loving these - more of this later ), whatever it's going to be right? Inspirational.....
...and quite psychologically damaging to your cause. You don't have the time, you don't have the money, you don't have the engineering skills, whatever. Sometimes, as happened to me recently, such an icon suddenly becomes available at knockdown cost. It's covered in all that stuff you need for your bike that is way to expensive to buy individually, because it's made out of CAD/CAM turned unobtainium and can only be sourced from Doctor Grand Prix's Emporium in Osaka, or the California Speed Temple's House of Bodacious Billet. And there it all is in the classifieds on a finished special that you admire...
So what are you going to do Chief? Buy it? Go on, it's cheap, these things depreciate like used shaving foam. So you buy it and then what? You cannibalise a fantastic special to bolt the bits on to yours. Or you ride it around and think why am I building another one? Or you sell some parts for a profit and keep others....no, no, no, HOLD THE BUS! What did you start this for man? To do your own thing, and if you are going to come up a little bit aesthetically short on some components, a little sub-optimal performance wise, well sh*t, is that more important than the journey and the pride? Steer clear my friend.
So milestones help you negotiate all this dangerous ground. See, almost anything can be broken down into simpler components, the bike itself is a metaphor for this. Break the task, and our goal, into components, bite-sized chunks. "The 1000 mile journey begins with a single step", oh yeah, I been doing that stuff - that's why I haven't got anywhere yet!
So while you are working the Zen big time with the baby steps, a milestone tells you that you are getting somewhere, even if you don't know where yet. I picked mine - get the frame powder coated. Get the frame powder coated means take everything off, take everything off means drop the engine, so drop the engine becomes a milestone too. So "TA DAA" finally the engine is dropped!
In my earlier post I mentioned a few hiccups with various nuts and bolts and there were some more to come. But finally the other night I had the rear end off completely. All connectors pipes and tubes between engine and frame were unconnected. It was time to undo the two long bolts that run through the frame and the engine joining them at four points. I won't go into the gory details of how we freed a nut in a recess too small for a socket, other than to say that a tool was misused shamefully in order to wedge the nut as the hex was turned at the other end. And then the bit that broke off this tool lodged in the right place to facilitate release with no damage to any part of the bike. Sometimes the Gods are with you, and they do like a bit of drama when they help out a fool.
I had looked at the same paragrah of the Haynes manual for the 20th time, the one that advised getting the help of an assistant. I got my son down from the Eagles Nest (the attic room that used to be my studio until he got tired of me pushing mototrbikes through his bedroom), and we attempted to separate engine and frame.
A few things were then discovered that still needed taking off, a lot of dancing and wrestling took place, someone (my son) had to hold the plot together while I went to the little boys room etc etc - generally Laurel and Hardy. We finally get the engine out but my back was not too happy, even with two of us trying to get the lump on the bench. It is now midnight, and in through the out door walks a vision of loveliness. Mrs. Cutter has returned from a colleague's leaving party. She is wearing a cream coloured sweater, a velver skirt, tights and patent high heels. Get hold of this bit of the motor love...three of us can lift it easy.
A big hearted woman is a non-trivial asset my friends. She was the biggest milestone I ever achieved, and the biggest I ever will. (Yeah and for the sentimental smart-arses at the back saying "what about your kids?", well... where do you think they came from, Halfords?)
Engine's on the bench saying, clean me, paint me, feed me a light-weight flywheel.
Frame still has front-end attached. Is that easy to take off or would it have been easier before the bike looked like a grenade went off in the middle of it? We will soon find out, Christmas allowing......
So while people on forums cheerfully post how they took their bike to bits last night, I have been carefully removing a component every 300 years or so. And then in the name of research - and basically love - you read all these really cool blogs about people with the time, talent, material resources, and taste, to build the ultimate cafe racer, old school chopper, race bike, the best Monster special, the best airhead BMW cafe racer ( I am loving these - more of this later ), whatever it's going to be right? Inspirational.....
...and quite psychologically damaging to your cause. You don't have the time, you don't have the money, you don't have the engineering skills, whatever. Sometimes, as happened to me recently, such an icon suddenly becomes available at knockdown cost. It's covered in all that stuff you need for your bike that is way to expensive to buy individually, because it's made out of CAD/CAM turned unobtainium and can only be sourced from Doctor Grand Prix's Emporium in Osaka, or the California Speed Temple's House of Bodacious Billet. And there it all is in the classifieds on a finished special that you admire...
So what are you going to do Chief? Buy it? Go on, it's cheap, these things depreciate like used shaving foam. So you buy it and then what? You cannibalise a fantastic special to bolt the bits on to yours. Or you ride it around and think why am I building another one? Or you sell some parts for a profit and keep others....no, no, no, HOLD THE BUS! What did you start this for man? To do your own thing, and if you are going to come up a little bit aesthetically short on some components, a little sub-optimal performance wise, well sh*t, is that more important than the journey and the pride? Steer clear my friend.
So milestones help you negotiate all this dangerous ground. See, almost anything can be broken down into simpler components, the bike itself is a metaphor for this. Break the task, and our goal, into components, bite-sized chunks. "The 1000 mile journey begins with a single step", oh yeah, I been doing that stuff - that's why I haven't got anywhere yet!
So while you are working the Zen big time with the baby steps, a milestone tells you that you are getting somewhere, even if you don't know where yet. I picked mine - get the frame powder coated. Get the frame powder coated means take everything off, take everything off means drop the engine, so drop the engine becomes a milestone too. So "TA DAA" finally the engine is dropped!
In my earlier post I mentioned a few hiccups with various nuts and bolts and there were some more to come. But finally the other night I had the rear end off completely. All connectors pipes and tubes between engine and frame were unconnected. It was time to undo the two long bolts that run through the frame and the engine joining them at four points. I won't go into the gory details of how we freed a nut in a recess too small for a socket, other than to say that a tool was misused shamefully in order to wedge the nut as the hex was turned at the other end. And then the bit that broke off this tool lodged in the right place to facilitate release with no damage to any part of the bike. Sometimes the Gods are with you, and they do like a bit of drama when they help out a fool.
I had looked at the same paragrah of the Haynes manual for the 20th time, the one that advised getting the help of an assistant. I got my son down from the Eagles Nest (the attic room that used to be my studio until he got tired of me pushing mototrbikes through his bedroom), and we attempted to separate engine and frame.
A few things were then discovered that still needed taking off, a lot of dancing and wrestling took place, someone (my son) had to hold the plot together while I went to the little boys room etc etc - generally Laurel and Hardy. We finally get the engine out but my back was not too happy, even with two of us trying to get the lump on the bench. It is now midnight, and in through the out door walks a vision of loveliness. Mrs. Cutter has returned from a colleague's leaving party. She is wearing a cream coloured sweater, a velver skirt, tights and patent high heels. Get hold of this bit of the motor love...three of us can lift it easy.
A big hearted woman is a non-trivial asset my friends. She was the biggest milestone I ever achieved, and the biggest I ever will. (Yeah and for the sentimental smart-arses at the back saying "what about your kids?", well... where do you think they came from, Halfords?)
Engine's on the bench saying, clean me, paint me, feed me a light-weight flywheel.
Frame still has front-end attached. Is that easy to take off or would it have been easier before the bike looked like a grenade went off in the middle of it? We will soon find out, Christmas allowing......
Sunday, 29 November 2009
I Said "Vroom Vroom"
A quick post. More wiring traced and disconnected ready for engine drop. Clip-ons purchased on the 'bay for price of an Indian takeaway for two - Robbymoto alloy ones - arrived on Friday. Of course I had to see what they looked and felt like on the bike. Took the wide gold Renthals off and dropped the forks about 20mm so I could try them above the yoke. Why do people say dropped the forks? Actually they nearly always seem to mean they are dropping the rest of the bike while the forks are rising in the yokes - oh well. When I did this I rushed straight in and started undoing top and bottom yokes and luckily bike dropped just the right amount, the Chicken Gods of Stupidity must have been watching over me I guess.
The clip-on handlebars have a slight rise, and mounted above the yoke (which is a lot easier for a try-out) they felt pretty good. I have a dodgy back but if I can't try a sporty riding position on a special, what can I try it out on? I put the seat unit back on the bike and then realised what a big difference the tank makes to supporting yourself when using low bars, so I plopped that back on too. Cue a couple of minutes of going "vroom vroom" and having cafe racer fantasies. Luvverly. One of the clip-ons has a little sticker saying "competition only". This may be because the collars only fix to the forklegs with one bolt each. If I use them some Locktite "insurance" may be in order.
Back to the strip down. All went well with clutch slave and rear-sets and front sprocket all coming off again, fixings bagged and labelled. Then it was time to take out rear shock. The bottom of the shock is secured by an 8mm hex bolt with a caged nut on the other side, You reach the hex through an access hole in the swinging arm. No room for my nice hex bit sockets. My only 8mm allen keys are made of cheese, and even a good one may flex and twist a little too much. Going to sleep on it and ask Roly whether he has something that will help tomorrow. Saw a "long" 8mm hex bit socket on the 'bay for about 7 squid that may do it so that is in on my watch list. Steady wins the race....
The clip-on handlebars have a slight rise, and mounted above the yoke (which is a lot easier for a try-out) they felt pretty good. I have a dodgy back but if I can't try a sporty riding position on a special, what can I try it out on? I put the seat unit back on the bike and then realised what a big difference the tank makes to supporting yourself when using low bars, so I plopped that back on too. Cue a couple of minutes of going "vroom vroom" and having cafe racer fantasies. Luvverly. One of the clip-ons has a little sticker saying "competition only". This may be because the collars only fix to the forklegs with one bolt each. If I use them some Locktite "insurance" may be in order.
Back to the strip down. All went well with clutch slave and rear-sets and front sprocket all coming off again, fixings bagged and labelled. Then it was time to take out rear shock. The bottom of the shock is secured by an 8mm hex bolt with a caged nut on the other side, You reach the hex through an access hole in the swinging arm. No room for my nice hex bit sockets. My only 8mm allen keys are made of cheese, and even a good one may flex and twist a little too much. Going to sleep on it and ask Roly whether he has something that will help tomorrow. Saw a "long" 8mm hex bit socket on the 'bay for about 7 squid that may do it so that is in on my watch list. Steady wins the race....
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Always Know When to Re-Group.
So as storms rage above the 'shack I pull the throat, heart and lungs out of the Rooster's torso. Yep, carbs are off with all associated plumbing including carb warming pipery. This was a system that utilised hot engine oil diverted from the main engine feeds to try and ward off the carb icing that plagued pre-injection 2-valvers on winter mornings. You can learn about carb icing here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carburetor_icing
I mentioned taking off the airbox, battery and coils in an earlier post - this is what the bike looked like when they were still on:
If I go the expensive Keihin FCR route (see this very informative site: http://www.ducatitech.com/2v/fcr_faq.html ) then I will probably use separate K&N filters. This will mean that the coils and associated components, and the battery, will have no mounting. I will have to fabricate a battery box etcetera. However this may be a chance to clean up wiring and pipework and make everything simpler. The Keihins don't use a choke and they don't need carb-warming kit. Additionally a lot of the battery mounting clutter was rotting away. A previous owner had made up a support from a piece of tupperware box, a bit of alloy mesh and silicon sealing gel. It worked well but it was pretty primitive - it remains to be seen whether I can do better. It looms large in my mind that all I have done so far is take things to bits, by far the easiest part of the process.
Two nights ago I drained the oil and took off the oil filter in a frankly shameful bout of botchery. Thinking I had no filter wrench I used the ancient method of banging a screwdriver through the filter to use as a lever. All that did was make a succession of holes which released dirty oil which slicked the now jagged metal surface of the filter....nice. Various experiments with G-clamps and other unsuitable devices left me further de-moralised. The watchword in these times? It doesn't have to come off today - take your time, and definitely don't hurt yourself..
Then Captain Cro-Magnon's one brain-cell stirred fitfully. Wasn't there something in the bottom of the old toolchest? A weird socket with a bit of bike chain attached to it. Wasn't that some sort of filter wrench? Did I actually have one after all? This was pressed into service, carefully due to an intrusive bit of crankcase. That 's another watchword - don't break anything expensive (either in time, hassle or money), anything else is fair game.... Earlier I had used a T-bar socket handle with a hex-headed socket to get the sump plug out. Putting a pair (grammatically a pair although actually a single length of pipe - although they tell me the fashion world is calling a pair of tights a "tight" now) of drag bars (yes, yes the concurrent use of the words "tights" and "drag" was coincidental not Freudian) over the T-bar made for a powerful lever or "breaker-bar". You have to go careful whenever you bring extra force into play like that, but a sump plug and a crankase are a hefty combo and unlikely to see any shearing or stripping. So I thought and so it proved, this time anyway.
With the carbs, battery, airbox and coils off things look like this:
So a few other bits need to come off before the engine can be easily dropped out. Wiring to alternator, oil level sensor, and so on, vacuum fuel pump, gear change shaft connector, and exhaust system. I started taking the exhaust off with some trepidation, but the studs and nuts holding the manifold on were in good condition and pretty loose. I had taken the precaution of soaking them in WD40 a few nights before, but the fact that they weren't over tightened or corroded adds to my feeling that the owner before last was a practical and mechanically sympathetic bloke.
However, my good luck run came to a halt with the jubilee clip style connector that links the rear cylinder down-pipe to the the rest of the system. The hex bolt on this was bent and rusty, and rounded out straight away. Due to the routing of the pipes I don't think the system can come out without separating it at this point so I was temporarily scuppered. The exhaust system runs back from the front cylinder under the crankcase where it meets a four way union of pipes. Two of these are the left and right feeds to the silencers, the remaining junction rises up through a gap in the swinging arm up to the cursed rusty connector. It may be possible to play about with the order of disassembly when dropping the engine, which is fixed at four points on the frame and at the swinging-arm pivot point, but this looks like a potential nightmare. More likely I need to get working with a hack saw on the rusted bolt and get the connector off.
At this point I had been in there a while and achieved quite a bit. I was excited about dropping the engine and I had a borrowed car jack sulking in the corner ready to do this. But with several tasks between me and that goal, and one of them now a problem, it was Time To Stop.
One of the most important areas of discernment in any field I reckon, knowing when to stop. Re-group and come back in a positive frame of mind and with a sense of perspective. And be realistic about your task schedule. Bit like this blog malarky really - Top Gear is starting and I need the loo and another beer. Oh, and before I go I've had another colour scheme idea, but it breaks all my rules about reference and quoting so I am going to keep it secret and see if it's a stayer. Laters.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carburetor_icing
I mentioned taking off the airbox, battery and coils in an earlier post - this is what the bike looked like when they were still on:
If I go the expensive Keihin FCR route (see this very informative site: http://www.ducatitech.com/2v/fcr_faq.html ) then I will probably use separate K&N filters. This will mean that the coils and associated components, and the battery, will have no mounting. I will have to fabricate a battery box etcetera. However this may be a chance to clean up wiring and pipework and make everything simpler. The Keihins don't use a choke and they don't need carb-warming kit. Additionally a lot of the battery mounting clutter was rotting away. A previous owner had made up a support from a piece of tupperware box, a bit of alloy mesh and silicon sealing gel. It worked well but it was pretty primitive - it remains to be seen whether I can do better. It looms large in my mind that all I have done so far is take things to bits, by far the easiest part of the process.
Two nights ago I drained the oil and took off the oil filter in a frankly shameful bout of botchery. Thinking I had no filter wrench I used the ancient method of banging a screwdriver through the filter to use as a lever. All that did was make a succession of holes which released dirty oil which slicked the now jagged metal surface of the filter....nice. Various experiments with G-clamps and other unsuitable devices left me further de-moralised. The watchword in these times? It doesn't have to come off today - take your time, and definitely don't hurt yourself..
Then Captain Cro-Magnon's one brain-cell stirred fitfully. Wasn't there something in the bottom of the old toolchest? A weird socket with a bit of bike chain attached to it. Wasn't that some sort of filter wrench? Did I actually have one after all? This was pressed into service, carefully due to an intrusive bit of crankcase. That 's another watchword - don't break anything expensive (either in time, hassle or money), anything else is fair game.... Earlier I had used a T-bar socket handle with a hex-headed socket to get the sump plug out. Putting a pair (grammatically a pair although actually a single length of pipe - although they tell me the fashion world is calling a pair of tights a "tight" now) of drag bars (yes, yes the concurrent use of the words "tights" and "drag" was coincidental not Freudian) over the T-bar made for a powerful lever or "breaker-bar". You have to go careful whenever you bring extra force into play like that, but a sump plug and a crankase are a hefty combo and unlikely to see any shearing or stripping. So I thought and so it proved, this time anyway.
With the carbs, battery, airbox and coils off things look like this:
However, my good luck run came to a halt with the jubilee clip style connector that links the rear cylinder down-pipe to the the rest of the system. The hex bolt on this was bent and rusty, and rounded out straight away. Due to the routing of the pipes I don't think the system can come out without separating it at this point so I was temporarily scuppered. The exhaust system runs back from the front cylinder under the crankcase where it meets a four way union of pipes. Two of these are the left and right feeds to the silencers, the remaining junction rises up through a gap in the swinging arm up to the cursed rusty connector. It may be possible to play about with the order of disassembly when dropping the engine, which is fixed at four points on the frame and at the swinging-arm pivot point, but this looks like a potential nightmare. More likely I need to get working with a hack saw on the rusted bolt and get the connector off.
At this point I had been in there a while and achieved quite a bit. I was excited about dropping the engine and I had a borrowed car jack sulking in the corner ready to do this. But with several tasks between me and that goal, and one of them now a problem, it was Time To Stop.
One of the most important areas of discernment in any field I reckon, knowing when to stop. Re-group and come back in a positive frame of mind and with a sense of perspective. And be realistic about your task schedule. Bit like this blog malarky really - Top Gear is starting and I need the loo and another beer. Oh, and before I go I've had another colour scheme idea, but it breaks all my rules about reference and quoting so I am going to keep it secret and see if it's a stayer. Laters.
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
The Colour Angst Thing
So this week is panning out as a low productivity one as a load of social stuff has formed a gang and beat the crap out of my weekday evening shed time. In consequence dear readers, this is a good time to ponder on colour angst. I am the first to admit that I am more of an arty farty type than an engineering type. I'm not talking about appreciation here - I'm full of appreciation for trick engineering - just lacking capability. I need something visually great as a goal to drive me on, and in terms of making something different and tasty, a good paint scheme is a quick easy win.
So colour angst is my constant companion as I think about the bike every day. I always admire paint jobs that reference, quote, or (kill me now) "channel" other appropriate stuff. What do I mean by that? Well I am not going to paint a Ducati in Kawasaki green, it just isn't right. Now every rule exists to be broken so hypothetically I might break the rule for something obscure like Moriwaki flat blue and yellow, but that would be because those colours look retro and retro can work nicely with a Monster. I might reference something totally separate like that bluey turqouise (with black and dull gold detailing) that Bianchi use on their bicycle frames. It's Italian and it's retro.
But referencing Ducati history, what about the Mike Hailwood Replica colours? Don't see them on a Monster very often. NCR (see the links list) have built a MHR special where they made the green darker and metallic, the shapes simpler, and the borders between green and red bolder. They also have "New Blue" a tribute to Cook Neilson's 1977 Daytona victory on a Ducati 750SS, known as OLD BLUE, tuned by Phil Schilling. This mates an electric blue frame with silver metallic bodywork. Nice.
What are the other obvious applicable schemes? White with a red frame, red with a red frame or a black frame, black all over, black with gold stripes like an old school original 900ss, Red with white stripe. I like the red body work with red frame and black engine and wheels, with the modern Ducati logo in white. Very 90's Ferrari F1. However Mrs Cutter's 695 comes like that as standard so why would I do that?
I thought about all those recent choppers and cafe customs that are using old-fashioned muted colours like primer greys, creme, etc. An off-white with a muted red muscle car stripe is nice...Or I could put a spin on the dull bronze of the original frame colour and go for a rich gold. That way the red bodywork would look fine as it is, and it would be a subtle twist with a touch of early John Player Special Lotus (before they went to black and gold) if I then added white elements with gold pinstripe outlining.
I could go on for ever. Trouble is I can't go on for ever. I am going to drop the engine so I can get the frame powder-coated. That is pretty much next on the list as the frame is in a bit of a tatty state. I may or may not get the wheels done at the same time, (there is a question mark over the health of the rear wheel, The bearing is not as tight an interference fit as it should be.)
Hmmm, dark blue frame and darkish silver bodywork is winning it at the moment. Timeless, quotes from past glories, tasteful. Will I feel the same when I wake up tomorrow, shit will I feel the same in 15 minutes time....
So colour angst is my constant companion as I think about the bike every day. I always admire paint jobs that reference, quote, or (kill me now) "channel" other appropriate stuff. What do I mean by that? Well I am not going to paint a Ducati in Kawasaki green, it just isn't right. Now every rule exists to be broken so hypothetically I might break the rule for something obscure like Moriwaki flat blue and yellow, but that would be because those colours look retro and retro can work nicely with a Monster. I might reference something totally separate like that bluey turqouise (with black and dull gold detailing) that Bianchi use on their bicycle frames. It's Italian and it's retro.
But referencing Ducati history, what about the Mike Hailwood Replica colours? Don't see them on a Monster very often. NCR (see the links list) have built a MHR special where they made the green darker and metallic, the shapes simpler, and the borders between green and red bolder. They also have "New Blue" a tribute to Cook Neilson's 1977 Daytona victory on a Ducati 750SS, known as OLD BLUE, tuned by Phil Schilling. This mates an electric blue frame with silver metallic bodywork. Nice.
What are the other obvious applicable schemes? White with a red frame, red with a red frame or a black frame, black all over, black with gold stripes like an old school original 900ss, Red with white stripe. I like the red body work with red frame and black engine and wheels, with the modern Ducati logo in white. Very 90's Ferrari F1. However Mrs Cutter's 695 comes like that as standard so why would I do that?
I thought about all those recent choppers and cafe customs that are using old-fashioned muted colours like primer greys, creme, etc. An off-white with a muted red muscle car stripe is nice...Or I could put a spin on the dull bronze of the original frame colour and go for a rich gold. That way the red bodywork would look fine as it is, and it would be a subtle twist with a touch of early John Player Special Lotus (before they went to black and gold) if I then added white elements with gold pinstripe outlining.
I could go on for ever. Trouble is I can't go on for ever. I am going to drop the engine so I can get the frame powder-coated. That is pretty much next on the list as the frame is in a bit of a tatty state. I may or may not get the wheels done at the same time, (there is a question mark over the health of the rear wheel, The bearing is not as tight an interference fit as it should be.)
Hmmm, dark blue frame and darkish silver bodywork is winning it at the moment. Timeless, quotes from past glories, tasteful. Will I feel the same when I wake up tomorrow, shit will I feel the same in 15 minutes time....
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