Someone asked for it!
Background: I wrecked my 2012 Triumph Bonneville SE in August on a suburban highway and it was not insured, so I am fixing it up myself. The Bonnie was very close to mint condition before the wreck, and had been modified and dialed in just for me. Among the modifications were: some performance mods like exhaust, intake modifications, ECU remap and tuning, shocks and front suspension; reliability mods like MOSFET regulator rectifier & relocation, wiring mod to change the ECU starter cutout; emissions removal (complete); comfort and fit mods like a custom seat, Renthal bars, levers, LED lights, brake light flasher, etc. I considered replacing the whole bike rather than fixing it, but in the end figured that I'd spend nearly the same amount to do the same mods on the replacement bike as I would to repair my wrecked bike, and some of these mods were actually pretty difficult mental challenges, hard to put a price on that.
So now I embark on the repair process.
Major problem areas:
1. Front end: the forks are bent and broken. Front wheel is bent badly. Front axle and fork brace are bent. Handlebars bent. Levers are ruined. Bar riser bolts bent. Tach gauge cup is pretty much gone and the gauge bracket is bent. One turn signal is ruined, bar end mirrors are ruined, headlight bezel is ruined, headlight bracket bent.
2. Road side scraping: stator cover is shot, brake pedal is ground off and probably bent, exhaust system is competely ruined, rear foot peg is silghtly ground down.
3. Finish and other: on the high side, painted side cover was somehow screwed up a lot, the shift lever is bent, top of the tank has door-ding size dents all over the top of it, and the wrecker driver ruined the finish on the front fender tying the bike down.
The plan:
1. complete front end rebuilt with used/good front wheel, front axle, replace fork legs, new controls parts (bars, levers, mirrors, etc.), transfer tire to new wheel, new headlight bezel, turn signals, headlight mounts, fab new gauge cups for both gauges, new gauge bracket, straighten/modify(more later) fork brace.
2. replace scraped and gouged parts: stator cover, exhaust system
3. bodywork: send the tank, side cover and front mudguard too the painter to have them fixed.
Let's look at some "before" pictures!
Gauges, headlight, bars, turn signal...
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3ex5cdA80QN4szdVWCwya_SJCVi3JlGYEaa_-HO63KtiB-u2NER18WyaEKcRRAY4OOu2_uQ3iPinPGby5ZnhtFbOK_RWTDscyTxgxij5VmS0Ss75RcwlDdiEscxpwvKH7BZ2TC55G2zl0wu7TjCNd2AFQ=w816-h612-no?authuser=0)
Fork leg, this one is very broken, other one stanction is bent.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3d3AMNAAEpO1CuYAdJcM01GX7dNaWbf92wTNhl9IBS3eJ-j5zNCOyaaJ6H0Z1fuY20mE1urbYGKLRJcXKtStdOragFCgeeZsEBxWbihEpb6oqjSsLl89y92ENn234rhzGDiH4aEgV8wYKl_pJEMjAwSwQ=w575-h1028-no?authuser=0)
Axle bent, looks like wheel bearings probably ripped out of their hole.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3fKlzS_qAJaU8ZNqQ6o9SnAFy7zAOITqx4n6e8KuOjNsKZOka877ZlTEWphzzBuEvJffpwQLqqUFKt4dKz_PurHDQWd9h9FKCIagPsB_NLh7Gp4wHWCKTdk-zdCY56Ubx9djFPPrZy3OMfrly02fNuHWA=w772-h1028-no?authuser=0)
Fork brace, that's not the original shape!
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3eloF5Us-i5r_ZWayFP6VFBGITVa208ECYsS4pYrmdTgOy5Ur6B8iTaWf5oHOyPNhf-32gzTGfzjbIcx7pcS7kFja88wz9E7Aa-RalKCm6SGDEfPERl03xZtblIXLOzFvjpKughZDG7zUfTleL09A1aWQ=w1371-h1028-no?authuser=0)
Tire holds air, maybe I get lucky and can save it? Wheel is a goner...
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3dTQy3FGX9J99qfkHicD20-DnD_Qk_-pJxlPrAXypgb5Uu5rwZxLT1w6fHtWLf9nwQEZrWnXQqZBex1bA8BSqxhJQ4tzsmeoTNrtT655L0GKW8ZRt90UozyphyBVgVBwhuXE0QfHzCb3b7a46wANrodHg=w1371-h1028-no?authuser=0)
This took a good hard kiss from the road..
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3d5_RDbWPG1y02nDHzKZ28PTABNc44O5h0w7KKGjQVBhzCJOZmLgV34Ae0LikjtYh2hXNhOm_TC2niyr4iMMISfGKHGl6EBBblG5AV_tcgIYBiYJmpI9-rYnknxEHy9CO0aj02VAnYbMESDzHsJPfspZg=w1371-h1028-no?authuser=0)
That brake pedal used to be wider. I tried to order a new one and Triumph says NLA! which is bull because they use the same part on current Street Twin and T100!... and I'll sell that stator cover! Someone could polish it and make it work.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3fFU-AVoeBYfZymoSJPzZozb8MgH5OHF8Bf8T_PiUIRz4hJfgcyx2FD2oeUDPMwPjR-LypSlyuf7lIYawCb83YOurjw8zVYseUj-lv37kDDGu2CDInBbZJs2dclJGfBltGKxmCyfvO_lGdPrXGZQPTLwQ=w816-h612-no?authuser=0)
Just a preview of damage to the exhaust
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3cWFaqyYUwPB_cshd163QWo2f4JPisr6AZ6YIgkFsgkYdq78kCzETlE2QFuW80uvHhtFrEkWrCC-0z48tbkOzimfyUtkONjCzOGCiTG74ORTIV-yM-wJbX6KCcw3fZDaNNiOI8V_XMi5E_OlNqT86zLuQ=w1224-h918-no?authuser=0)
No idea how this happened to the tank, but my painter says he can fix it good as new!
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3dRgkXM8CCQ9ulGyENXnheiDeUHzfWrauUkwPeaDmpu39vsmy5nJupF4A1KKhTAUahjXBn5C56OWjc3vSKt5YK8eCDpx5IyN5q80JwmkxtINfSb9D03GUVDksBSZ5USWrJuGDLPB6-b6__TDlEkMKLB1w=w1371-h1028-no?authuser=0)
Dunno how this happened, but yeah that's bent. I will try to bend it back before replacing, even though this Buell lever is actually pretty affordable.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3dbGwUyF8_7p4icXlpDDB9b4CCBAI7nf_r3lECGtU_8096rFUui8lxAKlYGHws0b519vrDVMpWZhCtVg_eT9rttLB0dCm_PtPLe8eERSMeBroCrBmN1_lVIe3vxTtT-pHNvuFNBXHZofBERjKHqv4gqRQ=w1224-h918-no?authuser=0)
Next post will include pictures of the replacement parts and and progress towards fixing. Since I can't walk on two feet for at least another month, doing the repairs are going to be very difficult. But I can operate a website so I am collecting parts and getting them ready!
Josh, it's awful to see your Triumph in that condition. I'm glad that you're OK. Good wishes for a speedy recovery. I hope it's not going to cost too much to fix the Bonnie.
That's rough, but if the frame is straight and engine cases aren't cracked, you'll have no trouble saving it. At least you have plenty of time to hunt down parts.
With you saying "old Bonneville" and the user name Mr. 72. I was expecting one of these ...
(https://iili.io/2FGPbR.md.jpg) (https://freeimage.host/i/2FGPbR)
I wouldn't mind one of those one day. I was born in 72. I like to collect stuff from 1972. I had a '72 240z.
Quote from: Sporty on September 10, 2020, 08:16:16 AM
With you saying "old Bonneville" and the user name Mr. 72. I was expecting one of these ...
(https://iili.io/2FGPbR.md.jpg) (https://freeimage.host/i/2FGPbR)
I had one just like that. A '69 model. Brings back sweet memories.
(https://media1.tenor.com/images/69426194ce367e934a750f2fb7489a9d/tenor.gif?itemid=5057526)
ahh the carnage!!
Ok this is going to be an awesome thread seeing you fix it! :woohoo:
I'll try to remember to take pictures. I usually just dive in and don't stop for that kind of thing.
Quote from: SK Racing on September 10, 2020, 07:25:56 AM
Josh, it's awful to see your Triumph in that condition. I'm glad that you're OK. Good wishes for a speedy recovery.
Thanks much. My recovery is going fine, worst of it is behind me, other than another month of crutches and cast, which just prevents me from getting back to normal life.
Quote
I hope it's not going to cost too much to fix the Bonnie.
Me too. I don't know how to check the frame for straightness so I am planning to just hope for the best. Engine seems fine but we haven't tried to start it, but all of the oil is still in it. I really think almost all of the damage is to the front end. The day of the wreck I guessed the repair to likely cost $2K in parts, then I started to make a spreadsheet just to make sure I ordered and accounted for everything, which made me think it might be under $1500. It'll most likely come in somewhere between, which is OK but if I am honest, I would rather have not had this happen in the first place.
Today's job is to finish up the reworking of the "new" stator cover, over the weekend I'll paint a new coat of epoxy paint on the sightly chipped up fork lowers, and probably try to figure out how to turn my poker cup holders into new gauge cups. There's a challenge or two in here. Oh yeah and I'll see about a rough straightening of that fork brace. Gotta love cold rolled steel. I'll take some pictures.
Job 1 is restoring this stator cover:
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3eHsrv436BK5w0r0N7AGA-aCYOTzRj5qCFVVe7gzSqXz9f0O84HIyso7puNXyblzlWlPQ8-BVQxLZClWRN_BwPqUeee8R8o0MySrxwUW89yR3ZobnZI9h5LeDi6qppJVuijzf_Z3IG9bWEDF94bxmU__w=w1352-h1014-no?authuser=0)
Those little chips/dings in the bottom right need to be sanded out and then I can "brush up" the brushed finish with a scotchbrite pad. FWIW I have already tried sanding on this by hand with 400 grit wet and dry, it's not really getting the job done, or if so it's very slow. Those little dings are deeper than I had actually hoped. But I'll see if I can get them at least a little better before putting this part on the bike. Probably work it with some 220 grit on a hard block. If that doesn't yield the results I want quickly I may consider the "aluminum brazing" technique to fill these chinks.
Quote from: mr72 on September 11, 2020, 03:52:01 AM
Me too. I don't know how to check the frame for straightness so I am planning to just hope for the best.
If it were me, I'd look over the frame very carefully around the Steering neck and joining tubing. Looking for cracks and flakes in the paint... as well as obvious bends kinks or other abnormalities.
The very first part of the repair would be putting straight fork tubes on and visually checking alignment with the rear wheel of the bike... looking from front to rear and vice-versa (like sighting a gun) Also check rake at the point with a protector and level.
Yes I looked over that part of the frame carefully and there are no signs of it being bent. Also as it turns out Triumph really over-builds this part of the frame with a big box section as you can see in this picture:
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/LtMAAOSwUd9aexax/s-l400.jpg)
So once the tank is off it should be really obvious if it is bent at all. It would likely crack those welds or at least show cracks in the frame in that area. But considering the impact obvious to the fork/wheel it will be prudent to check this as well as I can.
I have straight forks to go on it of course. First order of actual repair business besides my finish work on the engine case will be to transfer the front tire to the new front wheel and then I can mount up the fork. I don't want it to sit for weeks with no front wheel. But again I am really limited by my crutches and cast here, since changing the tire requires the bead break, which requires my big lever tool I made and a receiver hitch, and the ability to move around with a wheel and tire in my hands. I imagine my dad and my brother will be happy to help with it when the time comes, but I will wait until I get the forks repainted so we can do the wheel, tire, forks, headlight ears, all at once. I figure that's going to be a Saturday right there. Last Saturday in September probably to do all of that. With that and a new handlebar plus new riser bolts, the bike should at least be rideable.
Gonna call this good enough... once it's on the bike I'll match the brush pattern with the sprocket cover.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3e4E9nT_53wXMtJViNQKL3H2O-sv2NQp09j-e0EjQZN9BHv95nsVk0eZLuejeMm3SpMrM6jIfnl1lN9ZtwKn8kd3cUOJJuvMqhcAd797OSvhRz3NoyqJE3ZuXVwApSNBWnXCpHUPKAG-ZixM5shhZqbvg=w1252-h1028-no?authuser=0)
That looks fine. Must have been a lot of sanding. :thumb:
Looks great to me :thumb:
Quote from: mr72 on September 11, 2020, 06:28:33 AM
Yes I looked over that part of the frame carefully and there are no signs of it being bent. Also as it turns out Triumph really over-builds this part of the frame with a big box section as you can see in this picture:
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/LtMAAOSwUd9aexax/s-l400.jpg)
So once the tank is off it should be really obvious if it is bent at all. It would likely crack those welds or at least show cracks in the frame in that area. But considering the impact obvious to the fork/wheel it will be prudent to check this as well as I can.
I have straight forks to go on it of course. First order of actual repair business besides my finish work on the engine case will be to transfer the front tire to the new front wheel and then I can mount up the fork. I don't want it to sit for weeks with no front wheel. But again I am really limited by my crutches and cast here, since changing the tire requires the bead break, which requires my big lever tool I made and a receiver hitch, and the ability to move around with a wheel and tire in my hands. I imagine my dad and my brother will be happy to help with it when the time comes, but I will wait until I get the forks repainted so we can do the wheel, tire, forks, headlight ears, all at once. I figure that's going to be a Saturday right there. Last Saturday in September probably to do all of that. With that and a new handlebar plus new riser bolts, the bike should at least be rideable.
Those frames that use "engine as a stressed member" all seem to have a beefy top tube and steering neck.
You said you didn't know (r.e checking for bent frame)... but I think you do ;)
Dr. says I'll be in a walking boot in a week and a half, so the assembly can get going in force.
Meantime, while on crutches, I can still paint. So today and tomorrow I will repaint the fork lowers and headlight mounting ears with VHT epoxy satin black.
The complicated part of this project is the front fork/wheel/brake/fender situation. See, Bonnies of this vintage come in four varieties, three of which have different size front wheels. As it turns out, the 17" mag wheel bikes are the least common and difficult to find replacement forks. So I bought a set of Thruxton forks that have the fender bracket mounts 3/4" too high. The fender mount on a Bonneville serves as the fork brace just like on a GS, it's made from 11ga steel plate bent into an arc with M8 tapped holes that the fender bolts come through. My stock brace is bent from the wreck but could be straightened. Choices:
- Repair and modify the stock brace so it sits 3/4" lower. Easier said than done, but not that hard. Would probably require cutting the mounting surfaces off and either welding on some 1/2" angle steel brackets to the sides or bolting it together. Would probably be stiffer than stock since it would be less curved overall. But it's a lot of work and might ruin the brace in the process, which wouldn't be a huge loss.
- Fab an entirely new fork brace of bespoke design, which may be challenging if making from the same 11ga steel. Likely harder than reshaping the original but would require no welding and could be made into a one-piece part. This would be a lot more work than modifying the stocker...
- Use an aftermarket fork brace that mounts above the fender bracing the top of the fork lowers together, and then I can fab up a fender bracket from easier to work material like 1/8" alloy since it wouldn't have to take any load. This is probably the best idea but costs an extra $200 which is hard to slip under the radar right now. If I'm still stuck with the wrong solution come February, I'll do this.
This weekend I plan to try to get the stock fork brace back to the stock shape. Then I can assess the difficulty of modifying it to lower the fender. I really wish I had a good friend who was good with metal fab and needed guitar repairs in exchange for welding and bending.
The other problem with the Thruxton forks is that the brake caliper mounts position the caliper 5mm further from the wheel center than it should be due to the fact that Thruxton has a 10mm larger rotor than Bonnevilles. This is easy enough to rectify by making a new brake mounting bracket, the little piece that fits between the caliper and the tabs on the fork, from some 1/4" alloy plate I have around from my GS footpeg project.
I could also just punt, sell these forks and go back on the hunt for the "right" forks and make my life easier but there are some advantages to the Thruxton forks that I'd like to keep, and eventually I really would like to mount a Thruxton rotor. I have one here and designed a hub adapter that my friend can make for me on his milling machine but it's out of budget right now. But it would be mega cool.
Pics coming soon.
The Fender support / brace interested me.
One style that is easy to make, is the type that's on the old 1972 in the photo. It's just some round bar stock and a bit of flat stock. Those are easy to make though a little welding and drilling is required.
I went and looked to see what the factory brace/ support looks like for the newer bike..
A brand new one is only $32 from Triumph.
Yeah but a new one won't help because it still locates the fender 3/4" too high. It would work with an 18" front wheel along with a 100/90 tire but with a 110/70-17 the fender is way too high.
So I have to fab something any I look at it. Either make from the old brace plus extra bending, cutting, drilling and welding, or make a whole new one, perhaps by also adding a structural brace.
I think the old style ones won't work because they're just not strong enough. Or I should say, they will work, but the handling will be impacted negatively.
Bending 1/8" thick steel is not exactly easy, but it's doable. I don't weld so that's the big problem.
Quote from: mr72 on September 17, 2020, 09:42:49 AM
Yeah but a new one won't help because it still locates the fender 3/4" too high. It would work with an 18" front wheel along with a 100/90 tire but with a 110/70-17 the fender is way too high.
So I have to fab something any I look at it. Either make from the old brace plus extra bending, cutting, drilling and welding, or make a whole new one, perhaps by also adding a structural brace.
I think the old style ones won't work because they're just not strong enough. Or I should say, they will work, but the handling will be impacted negatively.
Bending 1/8" thick steel is not exactly easy, but it's doable. I don't weld so that's the big problem.
So if I understand, it's not the brace itself, but the location of the lugs on the fork sliders?
That's right.
But the brace is much easier to modify than the cast alloy fork sliders!
It seems odd the Thruxton has a 100/90 tire... I thought Thruxton was always the performance model. Otherwise the obvious solution is a Thruxton front wheel.
I'd think working with the existing brace is easiest because the contour shape and fender bolt pattern is done. Is it made of steel?
Just some thoughts...
3/4 inch isn't too bad. You might space the fender below the brace and see if that looks O.k.
Looking at the brace, you might be able to shorten the "legs" 3/4 inch..
Or make two side plates, cut off the legs and weld to that.
Quote from: Sporty on September 17, 2020, 02:28:57 PM
It seems odd the Thruxton has a 100/90 tire... I thought Thruxton was always the performance model. Otherwise the obvious solution is a Thruxton front wheel.
Yeah Thruxtons predate the mag-wheel Bonnevilles by about 8 years, they had 18" front wheel compared with the T100's 19" with slightly steeper rake and a lot less trail to make them a bit more nimble. There are a lot of reasons to keep the SE "Lester" style mags. I did search far and wide for a replacement front wheel and paid dearly for it.
Quote
I'd think working with the existing brace is easiest because the contour shape and fender bolt pattern is done. Is it made of steel?
yeah, it's about 11 ga steel. Problem is that mine is bent so the contour is not really perfect but I might be able to straighten it. Otherwise I can always get a replacement part and like you say, it already fits the fender. But frankly drilling and tapping some M6 holes in a new steel part is pretty minimal, and it might be easier to form a new part than to straighten the old one. I could take a piace of 3" wide steel plate and bend it around a 6" diameter or so round object to form the center arc and then bend the ends straight to make the center part of my brace. Kinda making it look like this:
__.---.__My current plan A is to reshape the existing brace to a shape like this, and cut the mounting tabs off.
Then the flat sections on the end could be bolted or welded to a piece of steel L-angle that is cut to fit on the fender mounts on the fork, so the whole assy looks like this:
[_.---._]If I can get the stock bracket into this shape, then I'll fab up some little L brackets to attach it to the fork and drill/tap it. This will make it much easier to make it perfectly straight and exactly the right dimensions. Later on I can have my dad's neighbor weld it up for me if I decide it's too flexible with the bolts.
Quote3/4 inch isn't too bad. You might space the fender below the brace and see if that looks O.k.
That was my first thought, but once you see the brace in your hand along with the fender it will become clear that this won't work, and would look horrible even if it could.
Quote
Looking at the brace, you might be able to shorten the "legs" 3/4 inch..
Or make two side plates, cut off the legs and weld to that.
Yeah the "legs" can't be shortened that much, they are only about 3/4" long total. You can slot the hole in the legs and get about 1/4" before you run out of room for a bolt head. The only way to get the brace to mount 3/4" lower is to make the "tab" that mounts to the fork be situated above the center part of the brace rather than below.
The other thing making this complicated is that this has to be a pretty specific width, so my plan is to make it too narrow by a couple of mm and use washers/shims to get it exactly right so it doesn't create stress or stiction.
I'll be hammering on my bent part this weekend to see if I can get it symmetric and then look to reshaping it according to my current plan. I really should learn to weld. My life would be a lot easier.
Yesterday:
Painted the fork lowers.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3dpQ3P6nLcUtcQJAuymw2htISNdnWnnTizZht9H0usR_7cwte2Fm1WYhyAe9I4gvPKwl0V9pk--Yu9YRdIimWUGwWGMGNiVudveMe1R334FSIP70qaGU_cWZbP0lmZbVu5lbmwjZOa1Yo-4mZgrD1Q3Ig=w772-h1028-no?authuser=0)
And the headlight mounting brackets.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3e8yl9O9zVwDGmC2yvG8KDQ5dXpmKNZ_3RVAYYW0LKf-vvioeld9hU2yJ9D6q8UwfHSPAJo8Q3J7TV7hwNFWdvXmpVaXuwQlbt4J5oYd4B3NCqRqxC2McDJz_wyCQS9YKNkIQAeJOhNasSHMPjKKkg6dQ=w772-h1028-no?authuser=0)
Also measured and marked up one of the poker table cup holders that is to be the new gauge cup for the speedometer. Did the speedo one first even though I have a good stock speedo gauge because there's the trip odo reset button on it so it's slightly more complicated. Will make this a template for the tach gauge cup which is almost completely gone.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3cs42ir-tV2N85ozHIQVWHyouAA1m4cUyBoCzVU-ablT6aQZLqb6CApTTWiLTiCYGxlmyBQoXtDZJu2PQ1_Nbtuh93aOocmPkVWMAgPIgFa6PPKLZOlvZz_XSNs6lN9mIl8DlK_YOCdwC0pOeONJA0ZyQ=w772-h1028-no?authuser=0)
To mark that up I taped it to the original gauge cup and used digital calipers and a combination square to measure and mark up locations for holes and cuts. Aside from the trip odo reset, the tach one will be identical only mirror image to the speedo. This might make for a subtle upgrade. These stainless steel cupholders are slightly smaller than the stock gauge cups but fit perfectly in the stock location and are of course stainless steel in appearance which may look a lot better than the black ABS plastic stock parts that are also prone to fade. BTW I think these same parts might be usable on a GS500! Look to be just about the same size.
I don't have a picture but I also found an almost new front fender (black gloss) and mint condition fender bracket / fork brace on craigslist for $20 so I picked that up. That makes plan A for my fender mount repair to be making adapter tabs that will enable me to just shift the stock fender brace down 3/4" and I can take my time in fabricating a bespoke brace from the original bent part plus steel bits that will be welded on. And I got a spare black fender in the deal. Considering a new fender brace was like $40 and these fenders go for about $100 on ebay I think I made out ok, might sell the black fender and get back some of my cost.
And I ordered the new exhaust system this week along with a new Renthal Street Fighter handlebar. A week from tomorrow I get a new cast that I am cleared to walk in so I should be ready to go put it all together and bring the bike home. I still have the tank and fender and side cover paint repairs to be done and a handful of other little fiddly things to get it back to perfect. Truly the biggest job to be done besides just installing the forks and putting it all together is going to be transferring that tire to the new front wheel. But after doing this about 10x lately and perfecting the zip tie method, I am hoping it will go quickly and easily. With any luck the frame is straight and I will be on the home stretch to getting the bike back together just as my body finishes its own repairs.
Your new plan A is basically what I visualized with "side plates". I'd make two plates, rather than four tabs... stronger and more rigid, especially if you are bolting things together.
I just started with the zip tie method and had good results (the two Michelins on the GS rims] Tires can be removed with zip tie too. (Found out after managing to install a tire the wrong direction)
I have a manual tire mounter, but while tools can damage painted rims, the zip tie is gentle.
A friend says it "doesn't work, not even close" . It seems the key is lots of lube and make sure the beads are completely into the drop center of the rim, before pushing the rest of the tire on.
Yeah I definitely use the zip ties to remove the tire. Works great. And I found these triumph wheels easier to change tires on than the gs wheels even though they are the same size.
My last weekend with a cast begins in just 24 hours. I'm not sad about that. Already planning ahead.
The new exhaust for the Bonneville is on the truck, should arrive today. Probably will go over to the folks place as early as Monday afternoon to start the rebuilding, but in reality the whole project won't be finished until after next weekend.
Side job will be fixing the oil leak in the GS500. I will definitely get that done during next week. It's the cam cover leaking so I'll just crack it open and reapply some RTV. Hopefully this will keep it from dumping oil on my right leg while I ride. My current plan is to get back to riding on the GS because the Triumph will probably not be ready until at least November. In fact I am planning one ride to my family's country house about two hours away to practice some gravel road riding, and we are planning a ride to see an amazing old wooden bridge at the end of a few dozen miles of dirt road which will require the GS to make it on a 400 mile round trip and me to keep it upright over probably 50 miles of gravel and dirt. So I'll be getting reacquainted with the little Renegade while the Bonnie's tank is being painted and other finishing touches are in progress.
"two hours away ,..." Which way is that? Just curious,..you know being Texans n all :laugh:
It's near Castell. Sort of by enchanted rock. Between llano and fredericksburg.
No updates yet on the wreck resto, except that I am out of a cast and on two feet again, which is very good news, but not as able as I thought I would be to move around easily due to unexpected issues with my foot unrelated to the broken bones. Result is that it will be the weekend before I get started on any of the Triumph repairs, but there's a good chance I will get the GS500 oil leak sorted before then.
In the meantime, having reviewed the outcome of this wreck, I find myself considering adding another bike to the garage that I can use for routine daily riding, one that can rack up the miles and specifically one with ABS. Idea would be to kind of save the Bonnie and the GS both for their own special purpose rides. The GS obviously is intended to be my "gravel and rough roads" bike and at present it is dialed in for that. But the Bonneville, while capable of everything else, is really best suited for back road recreational riding. Sometimes I wonder if I can take a ride all the way to South Padre, 6 hours of up to 75mph freeways, and while either the GS or the Bonneville would do it, neither excel at it. And commuting or other transportation rides in traffic, I really would like something with ABS, 80 lb lighter than the Bonneville, and that attracts less attention when parked.
Anyway, while thinking about this I recall some of my other interests. I would really like to own a Ducati Monster, but what I want is a 1st gen air cooled Monster but with fuel injection. I want the original trellis frame bike, so a 2000-2007 maybe a 695 but probably an M900. But this wouldn't solve my problem of a sort of everyday do all bike. And finding the one I want is not going to be easy. I've been looking for a couple of years and the right one has not popped up: <10k miles, all original including seat and mudguards, no dents in the tank, unwrecked, not black (red or yellow would be fine). And I fear my legs and arms are too long to fit right on a Duc anyway.
So that leaves me with some other bikes I have been considering. Thing is, I really don't like the looks of most modern street motorcycles. The top of my list is a Yamaha XSR900 or a Kawasaki Z900RS. Even a Honda CB650R. Then I saw this:
https://www.cycleworld.com/story/motorcycle-news/triumph-trident-in-final-testing/
That's pretty close to perfect, if it turns out to fit and feel right. It'll take a few years for these to come out and for me to find one on the used market a year or two old, but that's great because it takes me a couple of years to decide to buy anything like this. Plus it'll take me a couple of years to sock away the money for another motorcycle.
Alright. Now I will make plans to hit the garage today and try to fix the GS's oil leak. This will be the last of fixing what was done wrong by the shop that did the top end rebuild right after I bought it. Then back to the Triumph on the weekend.
Interesting stuff! That trident looks great to me.
Hope you can get healed up more n more as the days pass. Hard to be injured wanting to do stuff but can't. :dunno_white:
Good that you're getting more mobility, even if slower than hoped for.
As far bikes to acquire , I'm on the lookout for the right GSF1200 bandit and would mildly customize it
(https://iili.io/2EYUFV.md.jpg) (https://freeimage.host/i/2EYUFV)
For new bikes there are a few different brands and styles that are interesting. The z900rs Has my attention.
(https://iili.io/2EY86Q.md.jpg) (https://freeimage.host/i/2EY86Q)
(https://iili.io/2EYvMx.md.jpg) (https://freeimage.host/i/2EYvMx)
Quote from: mr72 on September 30, 2020, 06:00:13 AMThen I saw this:
https://www.cycleworld.com/story/motorcycle-news/triumph-trident-in-final-testing/
OMG, that tail section is perfect. :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
Hope your recovery goes quick. Hang in there. And don't overdo it... That's what I've learned with my own recovery after back surgery in Feb.
Quote from: SK Racing on October 01, 2020, 12:44:19 AM
OMG, that tail section is perfect. :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
Funny, that's the only part I don't like. Give me a traditional rear mudguard. Looks like you didn't finish putting it together. I am not into this no-fenders look that seems to be popular today.
Quote
Hope your recovery goes quick. Hang in there. And don't overdo it...
That's going to be extremely difficult advice to follow. End of next week we are leaving for a road trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton... it's three days of driving to get there, then 5 days across the two parks, and two days home. Something tells me this will qualify for overdoing it, especially since I do plan to attempt to hike.
But today, so far, I can't walk on my left foot. I can limp on it with a lot of pain, and limp around with the walking boot with a little bit of pain. But once the swelling goes down this should be a lot better. If I can get my foot into a hiking boot then I should be able to hike. It's the joints and the swelling that's the problem, the broken bones are healing fine and don't hurt at all.
disassembly underway.
Here's how it started.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3c1I0jmUDnegnYXEYEdOZbFoBrY4MOsxXexUYqqBk_Z1BoYRCMcJ6B4RdCqylos4CVKcxCUrSu5gQO9bRcDCbHsn-vUJL2YJn_QFy9GznHh80zwNHL9IGlyGL1gDXfYeXBp06NtmYKobr3Njn2OHmmtQw=w1201-h1601-no?authuser=0)
scrapey.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3c0oMZ6NAuKjxxYv0LTmCGHGCFoboNL9livAU3SvdfTD-4uepR1fc-oY3YaaXqKYUJ9_EauY6dSaWDPjku1Sps-Aa3J5ASYqk69njIjNRGjATicQSXMt0wwO-F1iKzXvOObkF1uYSj-HsQUgBUlppEnnw=w1201-h902-no?authuser=0)
that was bent.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3eQ8FX-xndS4UL1F8U7H4u2N_0cyaV9RDaA3MMCfj-t5rxWUwWV7qxP16G7P8fO1ESDSnDDgbA_2fih8CSkecdaVfj5xZZq9QVf5Iy46M0mvSnUw0diE-leqpXL92j6vkYb__yMXG4siKK4Cb__gXjI9g=w1201-h902-no?authuser=0)
so is all of this.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3eplDWHoXlNOgGJX1xSyqwfX3N4kDe6mOS16rM04698_LbD0EB1AFo0rYAQ0DboMoWc2pwXMtkZE_CTmuDpizYg6FIuTZV1qJv0g19ECAxmYRqLCnSSYRIwIqqO58cSTgP00P1Q9VePXvO4HHn9FTNmvw=w1201-h902-no?authuser=0)
and I discovered a dent in the headlight bucket. Maybe it won't show when it's ok together. But it really bummed me out.
bent
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3cTcpeeiKFD_6sxO555WfZc66sIGbJu7bfMtcLdXYEO_BGo7OMBvh3xxth_f2jLNMZcpzklWaztd7NLglgPXy3UjTtiIvdiVHUtp5-d39c17xZVnfHqfID2ayAfC_qMe1YkcY1dNU8MQOMbKpMjynp1rA=w1201-h1601-no?authuser=0)
axle was really bent.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3ftBgi7ugl3kWFrcEgEVY2VGBNdyENTTSUTeeykxaWL6AUt82TW7MUvry62MbYaXGnEHCpAoVUPfDxUOK4OR4b2YGvjKR2KIjQrMJYxCX77A7cdv0GpL7H2C4qTNwIBh25QN2xK25fP7yXHCBh5iBAFFQ=w1201-h1601-no?authuser=0)
to get the wheel off, we first pounded the axle in until it wedged itself in the middle of the wheel. Then I used a sledgehammer to break the left fork lower the rest of the way so it could be removed from the axle which was stuck in the wheel. Then we had to cut the axle with a sawzall to get it out of the wheel using a sledgehammer and a big punch. Then half an hour coaxing the aluminum spacer off the axle.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3d2yLXfghnr6gTkoH62SfH6B3rUU12Be34IIHGbja0Dd6PURwktUQcOHCceNxd8pqm_bRutJpOdBsxcJ26-JaZVedBojHgJU0MP-A-QEXuq74CFGgCixumAx3X3cpsCPNtSJZYu2PpNVadtDTkbmh-f3w=w1201-h902-no?authuser=0)
can you see this stanction bent?
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3eNU9whZIOjr4iGoQ-WKrKT92s1xuVzn845VOWVFZVeVyImQbu5B8S3A1oUqWMZRPZSGAJzt-mRSn6TguXJhrAi3bG_qr1xccD0g2vLCjFVDtlpHHzY188Pqd4wTTAYK-JwDRVF_XQQlNzEXK2I_N4qsQ=w1201-h1601-no?authuser=0)
we finally got the front end completely apart and the bent exhaust off. Tomorrow will changthe tire to the new wheel and put the new parts on the front. Turns out I m short one exhaust crush washer, so we might not the new one on.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3dAlX7zdpm3bBM-P_CpXejE2MY4aIWQAikWbeb_qoJKYIVy2Ieq44vjrwAp5yBl7BPnll3Qd8nQhCadsLLzltpVWeAo4_zhR9lPZ2CrCMUtUdV0nLza9UlqZZoOFHoLXEDuNi5PBrnupVeMN8A7sJ__Pg=w1201-h1601-no?authuser=0)
Some serious impact force to bend all of those parts!
no kidding! But there literally wasn't anything for me to have hit. This had to be force from the turned front wheel trying to fold under the bike.
While it is apart I inspected the front end of the frame, no signs of bending. Fork was the sacrificial part. And speaking of fork, the fender mounting bosses are a full 1.25" higher on the new fork, which is kind of good and bad news. Good that it gives more room to make some kind of adapter fit, bad that it means there's no way to use the stock bracket without it looking rubbish.
More later today when we start getting it back together.
Alright. Worked on it about three hours or so yesterday, which was all of the standing and walking around my foot could take. That walking boot is basically the least comfortable shoe on the planet, not to mention the fact that my foot is very sore to begin with.
Anyway, enough complaining.
First, remember I said there was a dent in the headlight? Well fortunately it doesn't show at all once assembled, but it still makes me sad knowing it's there.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3c-S6JbfPlK__pHmCP0zU76uCnvq-smBMSOqZwX91DcxxMltcB9KDyVJ0657skm6pNFRTkmt6TaylS4Pjq0QyPdE7Yw-fVSHlx1aFqpZKG5HMT5RXSa93o7tHiVMA_3AlIvsI8txYfljL7zRhZrkGDsQA=w1201-h1601-no?authuser=0)
The tire change went gorgeously. Took me all of 10 minutes to get the tire swapped to the new wheel and ready to mount up. I actually haven't balanced it yet but I can do that next time I'm there. I also cleaned all of the fork oil off of the rotor, filed smooth a couple of dings along the edges of it, and mounted it to the new wheel.
Then I got the whole front end rebuilt with the new forks, headlight guts and bezel, headlight mounting ears, turn signals, new handlebar mounted, replaced and rebuilt all of the controls which included having to drill out/extract stuck screws on the starter/kill switch. No grips or mirrors mounted yet, but the rest is basically together. I felt quite accomplished.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3cCj6LWlxtP00C7yfnkYT2VJED2rDP8TzJUBozJKRmyyhsZblGLM7NZmMKZREbnrABdOsC6FmqMms6xWXTWJaRqdfzeYrrA01pLgKpr8dqY5nuZBBL_qwtYbtCp_iLNdTv9yK2qu-GHnE3k9LAzmhrWXw=w745-h993-no?authuser=0)
The goal was to get the front wheel on and get the bike off of the jack. My plans were screwed up by yet more unforeseen Bonneville vs. Thruxton fork problems.
Firstly, there is a little cast in nub on the left fork that's intended to engage the speedometer drive on a Thruxton. There's no speedo drive on a mag wheel Bonneville. And as it turns out, this little nub is very, very close to the rotor. I am not sure that it wouldn't drag or touch it when rolling under corner load, so I am going to grind that nub off, or at least shorten it a bit.
But the big problem was this (stealing pictures from the Triumphrat forum). Here's the bottom of a Thruxton fork leg:
(http://www.triumphrat.net/members/albums/24985-beemerrich/beemerrich-1664-picture6354-003.jpg)
And here's a mag Bonnie fork leg:
(http://www.triumphrat.net/members/albums/24985-beemerrich/beemerrich-1664-picture6355-004.jpg)
See the problem? The Thruxton fork has a cast-in gap that is not there on the Bonnie fork, which means a spacer is required to make up that space. And of course, I don't have that spacer. We thought about whether we could cobble something up but I decided to call it a day without getting the wheel on.
Today I will go over there with my micrometer and measure the difference in that space and then I'm going to order a spacer, or at least order one of these kits with an assortment of axle spacers so one will fit. That, of course, will take a week to get here, and we are going on vacation next Friday for a week and a half so the parts won't likely get here before we leave. So my plans to get the bike together before heading out of town are shot. I was really hoping to get it put mostly together and back here at my house so I can pull the tank and plastic parts and have them at the painter's shop getting fixed while we were gone. But that plan is not going to work.
So, there she sits, lacking one little alloy part. I also need to mount the new exhaust and swap the stator cover, but both of these jobs are best done with the bike on the ground and on the side stand. And they are easy. Half an hour tops. I'll have it back rolling with an hour's work once I have the spacer in hand.
I'm still waiting on some very slow parts from Triumph by way of BikeBandit: a new gauge gasket and a pair of handlebar riser bolts. I put some used, less bent handlebar riser bolts on for now, and I have a new gauge bracket to mount when the new rubber gasket gets here. I also have to make up my gauge cups. So I have some more work to do before I'll be ready to ride it anyway. The bike will probably be ready just about when my foot is ready to ride again.
Even though you didn't meet your goal this is still major progress!(https://www.motohouston.com/forums/images/smilies/icon_thumleft.gif) I say well done so far sir!
You couldn't make a spacer? I realize that can be a huge pita and time eater, just wondering.
well I don't have a lathe. And I don't have a piece of raw material aluminum that's the right thickness even if I were to try to whip up something on a drill press. So I ordered a 8.3mm spacer.
It will go together easily with a bespoke spacer. Not going to have time to work on it before we leave Friday morning anyway.
I understand that. Sometimes the annoyance factor trying to make something just isn't worth it. Can't wait to see more.(https://images.wikia.com/templates/images/9/95/Icon_clap.gif)
No pics, but I did hit a milestone over the weekend.
First thing though, since I will be riding my GS a bit before the Triumph is totally finished, I needed to get the pesky oil leak sorted out once and for all. For those late to the story, quick recap. Right after I bought this bike, it wouldn't run right and turns out it had bent exhaust valves so I had a local shop do a top end rebuild. They seemed to do the hard work right, but the easy stuff we all do was all screwed up, such as I didn't even get it home from the shop before it died because they forgot to connect the vacuum line to the petcock, then it was leaking a ton of oil and I discovered they hadn't tightened the bolts on the cam breather cover more than finger tight. Then I developed a right side crankshaft seal leak that was leaking oil onto my right foot, I wound up changing that seal twice before it finally quit leaking, and then I was left with one final oil leak, the cam cover gasket, which the shop doing the top end rebuild had not put together properly. So Saturday morning I pulled this all apart and redid that cam cover seal with RTV as God and Suzuki intended. My dad and I went for a 60+ mile ride yesterday and it didn't leak a drop. Finally, my Japanese motorcycle doesn't leak more oil than my British bike.
Anyway, I finished doing all of what I could on my Triumph at my parents house over the weekend and we brought it home. This meant putting the new brake and clutch levers, fitting the new exhaust, and putting the replacement stator cover on. Turns out I wasn't able to salvage the stator cover gasket so I'll have to redo that job again once a new gasket comes in, but it's easy and quick. Once it was all together the bike wouldn't turn over even though my battery tender had said it was charged, but we put it on a trailer and brought it home anyway with the plan to use my jump pack to start it. Well the jump pack was also dead, so we tried jumping it from my Jeep. It would turn over fine but didn't start after repeated attempts. Remember I have a very steep driveway so the only way to get a motorcycle up into it is by riding it in. No way to push it up the hill. We scratched our heads (my brother rode along to help loading and unloading), checked literally every single connector and fuse, retried, retried, and after sitting there connected to my Jeep's battery for 20 minutes, it started. So I rode it up into the garage and then we wrestled with the fuel line quick connector for an hour getting the tank off. Now it's parked and the tank is off and ready for me to run it over to the body shop for paint today.
My machinist is working on my rotor adapter so I can get the Thruxton rotor mounted up, and I'm still waiting on a handful of parts from BikeBandit which may never come. But it's really close to complete. Nice to have it home, that's for sure.
NIce update! 60+ mile ride sounds great too!
Seems as everything is on the mend!
I went for a ride on the GS today, short one, mostly to get gas and I also put in 6 or so of Seafoam in it.
So it doesn't leak oil anymore, but you know what? it also doesn't want to idle. No matter where I set the idle speed, it basically stalls at idle. It tries to idle at like 500 rpm. Either the idle mixture is extremely lean (unlikely), or the pilot jets are clogged (more likely IMHO). I was hoping the Seafoam would help unclog pilot jets without having to pull the carbs but that doesn't look very likely now. Runs great once off idle. Frustrating since it's my only usable motorcycle now.
Also it is very hard to start when it has been sitting. It takes throttle to start it if it's been parked just a few minutes, or like at every stop sign when it dies and you have to restart it.
Annoying. I really prefer fuel injection.
My hopes of getting the Triumph fully put together and rideable this week are basically shot. No word on the tank and body parts progress, but I guess it'll be at least another week. The rotor adapter has been delayed at least a few days, probably also next week. But I did get the gauge cups made and just need to polish them up and put them back on. Still waiting forever for parts from Bikebandit, like the gasket required under one of the gauge cups. I need to spend some time with an angle grinder, #1 making adapters to mount the fender 1.25" lower, and #2 to grind the edge on the rear brake lever where the road scraped 1/8" off, since that rear brake pedal is no longer available from Triumph. And seriously, Triumph? They made these bikes up until 4 years ago. It's a sticky out part that breaks in every wreck. I've decided to try to straighten the gear lever and buy a new one only later after the holidays. And the new hand grips I got are both throttle side (!!) and I missed the return window so I'll just keep the LH grip that's on there, it's only a little bit scraped up, and put one of the new throttle side grips on. That plus I have a new stator cover gasket so I'll probably spend Saturday getting ALL of this little stuff done so when the tank and rotor adapter show up next week I can put them on and just go ride.
Because, I'd much rather do that than pull the carbs off the GS. Which I hate doing. But maybe I'll do that too.
Quote from: mr72 on November 03, 2020, 10:30:54 AM
I went for a ride on the GS today, short one, mostly to get gas and I also put in 6 or so of Seafoam in it.
So it doesn't leak oil anymore, but you know what? it also doesn't want to idle. No matter where I set the idle speed, it basically stalls at idle. It tries to idle at like 500 rpm. Either the idle mixture is extremely lean (unlikely), or the pilot jets are clogged (more likely IMHO). I was hoping the Seafoam would help unclog pilot jets without having to pull the carbs but that doesn't look very likely now. Runs great once off idle. Frustrating since it's my only usable motorcycle now.
Also it is very hard to start when it has been sitting. It takes throttle to start it if it's been parked just a few minutes, or like at every stop sign when it dies and you have to restart it.
Annoying. I really prefer fuel injection.
My hopes of getting the Triumph fully put together and rideable this week are basically shot. No word on the tank and body parts progress, but I guess it'll be at least another week. The rotor adapter has been delayed at least a few days, probably also next week. But I did get the gauge cups made and just need to polish them up and put them back on. Still waiting forever for parts from Bikebandit, like the gasket required under one of the gauge cups. I need to spend some time with an angle grinder, #1 making adapters to mount the fender 1.25" lower, and #2 to grind the edge on the rear brake lever where the road scraped 1/8" off, since that rear brake pedal is no longer available from Triumph. And seriously, Triumph? They made these bikes up until 4 years ago. It's a sticky out part that breaks in every wreck. I've decided to try to straighten the gear lever and buy a new one only later after the holidays. And the new hand grips I got are both throttle side (!!) and I missed the return window so I'll just keep the LH grip that's on there, it's only a little bit scraped up, and put one of the new throttle side grips on. That plus I have a new stator cover gasket so I'll probably spend Saturday getting ALL of this little stuff done so when the tank and rotor adapter show up next week I can put them on and just go ride.
Because, I'd much rather do that than pull the carbs off the GS. Which I hate doing. But maybe I'll do that too.
The only thing seafoam ever did for me was to lighten my wallet.
You'll have those carbs off, cleaned out and back on in a few hours! :thumb:
Quote from: Sporty on November 03, 2020, 03:34:09 PM
The only thing seafoam ever did for me was to lighten my wallet.
You'll have those carbs off, cleaned out and back on in a few hours! :thumb:
Well I only rode it about 7 or 8 miles after putting the seafoam in, so maybe by sitting in the float bowls all night it'll do something. I'll give it another ride. Could also be the idle air orifices clogged, which Seafoam couldn't help even if it was a magical elixir. But I figured it couldn't hurt. I had run the tank down to reserve anyway so I thought maybe I got some gunk through.
The good news, I got the Bonnie's rear brake pedal fixed up yesterday afternoon, and I also got the stator cover gasket installed. As usual it was a real pain to get the old gasket off, and this time it was stuck to the engine case and not the cover like it usually is on a GS, making it double difficult to fix. I'm sure some bits of gasket made it into the oil. Oh well, let's hope that overbuilt Triumph engine has massive oil passages enough to carry whatever flecks of gasket are there can safely flow to the filter without clogging something.
Also, my machinist dropped off the 3D printed prototype of the brake rotor adapter last night, so today I'll test fit it on my old bent wheel and with the new Thruxton rotor, and note any adjustments that need to be made, sign off on the design and he says he will have the aluminum part made by the end of the weekend. So that's awesome news.
It's glorious weather this week, best of the entire year here in Central TX. But I just don't love riding my GS with the dodgy carb so it's not begging me to go get on it like my Triumph would. So I took the doors and top off of the Jeep last weekend and I've been enjoying my giant 4 wheel adventure bike. It's only slightly bigger and heavier than a GS1250 after all...
Quote from: mr72 on November 04, 2020, 05:00:21 AM
Quote from: Sporty on November 03, 2020, 03:34:09 PM
The only thing seafoam ever did for me was to lighten my wallet.
You'll have those carbs off, cleaned out and back on in a few hours! :thumb:
Well I only rode it about 7 or 8 miles after putting the seafoam in, so maybe by sitting in the float bowls all night it'll do something. I'll give it another ride. Could also be the idle air orifices clogged, which Seafoam couldn't help even if it was a magical elixir. But I figured it couldn't hurt. I had run the tank down to reserve anyway so I thought maybe I got some gunk through.
The way I've read (and tried) to use the sea foam is run or drain the carbs dry, then fill the bowls with sea foam through the fuel line. (I used a spout bottle into the fuel line and filled them up). Then let the carbs sit over night before draining. I was really hoping it would work on my ST1100... that thing is brutal to work on and remove the carbs. You could do a fleet of GS500E in the time it takes to do one ST1100.
I guess there's a chance this weekend I will pull the carbs off the GS and clean them .. AGAIN.. But what I really need to do after is ride it until it's warmed up properly and do a correct idle mixture adjustment, since I haven't done that since fiddling with needle shims and jets to sort my last carb issue.
Meanwhile, the light is starting to show at the end of the tunnel for the Triumph.
I worked over the brake pedal with an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel, then a flat file, then some 400 grit on a hard sanding block, then a Dremel polishing wheel.
Before:
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3fF8WAvTr7we9XMRAgob7Htl7RGvv1sVhlltU5eCzkXGaZDIcktsr9qVLNW178dIM7156b-keO5Oxax-htHEJiLmcNNu9WPEfECnjASIWn1cAL7ZfJBqcRXWACn7liJJAa4EY-QHTCaL5YsAYH365oxAA=w745-h993-no?authuser=0)
After:
[img witdh=600]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3dak5Gpu1JTHZgFgQ9zfD-5oaw7WgWsaoOt75VNITS8wnTaT4MVpmpom9igr3n7Cxjo2JXs9abnf3vMirobcumvmCUwh7Lp7yNvZ1ZMWFKLKX1l-eQzrO8SZ20GDsZ_AKLJhzpX0mraydpTr3KF_oOYBg=w745-h993-no?authuser=0[/img]
I would have preferred to just replace it with a new part but Triumph no longer makes it. So I'll be on the hunt for a good used part. Should still be totally usable until then.
I did replace the stator cover gasket. Getting the old gasket off was not easy. I am pretty sure I got many little flecks of the old gasket dropped into the crankcase oil. Not much else I could do to prevent it. The old paper gasket was stuck on the engine side. But it's all together now. Here's hoping it doesn't leak, and those little gasket bits find their way to the oil filter promptly.
Also got the gauge cups made up. I still have to do some more work on them, basically I am going to put some of that door-edge guard around the top edges of the gauge cup and I am leaning towards finishing them in a brushed finish rather than the polished look, since right next to the chrome headlight the polished SS doesn't match and they would better match things like the brushed engine cases.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3cQ-Dk9SsRCLM06ivLcsuizXFF4Tx1N-mfClL55AgnRN8VoBD10SCPHgQCB-VGAi_dvddfYvcW1-226WmBaNP1s71sw0H2Ksm46yLP47693ZPbVJIjrNdFqVrsVtr364TyjlSVrfECNEGnop1Cz1YZbKw=w1323-h993-no?authuser=0)
BTW the interesting thing is I think these same $7 SS cups could be made into GS500 gauge cups too, and I need different ones on my GS. I may one day fab up a whole new gauge bracket for the GS.
I got the prototype 3D printed disc rotor adapter and test fit it, all is good there so the machinist says it'll likely get built from T-6061 over the weekend. So I might be able to fit it late this weekend.
And, the tank and other paint work is done, going to pick them up this morning.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3cmunLIDv_wKBGMkJy3hU4YJsrsTIjZu7FgJjv5KOnNE8ekDJvjG_4DEm6INa8DRMo_j-S7a7F9sMaHUJ7-3uiJFlsz3Sj6uvZ1lseNCzbiC40H2edEI9sE5dy1cckCwdezRq5uSJz9T5_PQlkHRk8ofw=w828-h513-no?authuser=0)
OK. So the work that remains to be done on the Triumph:
- pull the front wheel and mount the new rotor with bespoke adapter.
- repair one of the saddle bag mounting straps
- finish the finish on the gauge cups
- reinstall the tank
- fab up the little steel tabs to relocate the fender... this will be this weekend's garage project, cutting, drilling and shaping 3/16" steel plate is no picnic.
- lots of little fiddly things to get ready to ride...
- aim the headlight, adjust controls
- trim the damaged edge of the throttle tube, put on a new throttle side grip
- re-adjust the exhaust header alignment
- bend the gear lever back
- brush up (haha!) the slightly marred brushed finish on the stator cover
And of course I still have one or two parts coming one day from BikeBandit, so I will eventually swap those gauge rubber gaskets and the handlebar riser bolts when that gets here. And I will eventually get a new gear lever, but it's perfectly rideable with the one that's on there. Also, once I have a weekend to myself I'll drive out to a friend's place in Kerrville and get some good rear footpegs, since one of mine is damaged but this really is just a part of making the bike perfect. I do intend for it to be perfect, or at least as good as it was before the wreck. The front end is getting a subtle upgrade, with the Thruxton forks with preload adjusters and a fresh rebuild, plus the Thruxton brake rotor which is 10mm bigger and a floating rotor which should be a subtle brake upgrade. The headlight had a scuff on the trim ring before the wreck, now it has a new trim ring and is restored to better than before. Likewise my gauge bracket had a little bent spot before, I think the bike had taken a low speed tip over before I had it, and I now have a new bracket. So in all the bike has some subtle improvements.
Now if my foot could get back to pre-wreck condition I'd be golden.
Anyway, looks like the mint weather is going to continue in CenTX for another couple of weeks. Gotta love November in Texas! and I'll be riding my Triumph again in a few days one way or another.
Great update! :woohoo: Weather been fantastic over here in Houston too! Glad to see your progress!
Hey Josh. Is your Bonnie running again?
Today I happened across a Bonneville article and it so well written, it made me think of you... being a Bonnie owner as well as a good writer. I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy reading it as much as I did.
www.fortheride.com/bikes-and-customs/the-bonneville-of-59 (http://www.fortheride.com/bikes-and-customs/the-bonneville-of-59)
(https://i.imgur.com/DXv3exM.jpg)
Thanks for posting that. There are so many great articles and stories about Bonneviles, I could compile an entire book as an anthology. Probably should. Even what little we have today in pop culture icons who are into motorcycling often favor Bonnevilles.
As for me, well I took the painted parts back to get them redone Friday and hope to get them this week. The machinist had my rotor adapter on the mill yesterday, so I expect it today or tomorrow. And I got a new shift lever in the mail yesterday. I finished making my fender bracket adapter plates last weekend. There's an hour of assembly then tuning of things like control position, clutch adjustment, tire pressure, then I'll be done. There's a chance I'll be riding it before my target date of Thanksgiving day.
aaaaah the bonny,
1st bike I ever did a ton on :D
T120v (5speed gearbox)
Blissssss
:D
Couple of cool things.
First, the adapter for the rotor... Again for review, I wound up switching to Thruxton forks, which are made to work with a 320mm brake rotor. There is no 320mm rotor available to fit the Bonneville mag wheels, and my stock rotor was bent anyway so I needed to replace it. So I got a Thruxton rotor, which has a 66mm larger PCD mounting with six bolts rather than the smaller 5-bolt flange on the mag wheel hub. So I designed an adapter to mount the Thruxton rotor onto my Bonneville wheel and had a friend with a CNC milling machine make it for me:
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3f-6gMaUAaKqxE5izDa-d3311TFVqXh-ZM5bO4B_m9tDfwHRr0Zg0WVPMOkx2G6n_b1ThsmaxRw5obo7_l7gX0oHAv1ey_tJWT9p_JZfyLWO8Q9v_rvffLWY751i6W8LOaXGx2bceSZpYVtvNJGsAeYiw=w1368-h1824-no?authuser=0)
With the rotor, this is going to be brilliant:
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3fMwDs8a_whRibTKLXxxgAbdQ_aXPLrWfT8riy2esv2mS1k7qNZkvgRfMcGmiIzOQNpEeJsNqLwKIk0KNmXo5tfAGRACHKVCBjkgMGhHIeuWxfiSLEp0U9pnfcSgprGU2jzIFzxT2_TCnViGuKsxwFluA=w1368-h1824-no?authuser=0)
Also I made up the little extension tabs to mount the fender bracket 1.25" lower (again, due to Thruxton forks).
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3fFeshi7Wj_YibQDwHx8Hyd-Sx6uHUS34_AC0DOIuJgCj-WWSxYgbG0rFKCcsX1j32ArAyaZlMudAuNXcukVCOTzfO2X4trecNzinxg52ldjPyjrwyfbYksVLv4GxTIluAF9bQFrc_dSTiJeZCKSOTY6Q=w1368-h1824-no?authuser=0)
Also replaced the bent shift lever, turns out I found a good used stock one and snapped it up. Tank is back at the painters getting redone due to some flaws, so I don't have it back yet. I got the throttle tube tuned up and new grip installed. The bar end mirrors are installed and ready to go. Side covers are installed. What can I say, this thing is nearly ready to go.
If I can sneak the time, tomorrow or maybe even this evening I hope to pull the front wheel, finish mounting the fender mount, and mount the Thruxton rotor, put it back. Then I will just literally be waiting on the tank. I can't properly adjust the handlebar, controls, and headlight until the tank is here since it holds the seat at front and I need that to get the positioning right. But that's like 20 minutes of work. Maybe I'll get lucky and get the parts back from the painter tomorrow and then I can put the whole bike together.
looking sweet
Well, my target date arrived, and the bike is not ready. The tank is being redone for the third time. Handful of other little niggly issues to sort out but if they tank was done I'd be able to get the bike on the road in an hour and I'd be riding.
Today is Thanksgiving so I can't work on motorcycles, but tomorrow I plan to fix the GS carbs and also do all the little things I can finish on the Bonnie. There's a little bit of Thruxton-forks headaches that require creative home machining with the wheel off and I need to balance the front tire. Frankly I will be more likely to get this stuff done and close to perfect rather than being tempted to rush and shortcut if I don't have any chance of riding it. And since I have a whole day off I can do a proper carb adjustment on the GS.
Another week and change gone by, tank is still not done. It will likely be another week yet.
But I have other work to do on the bike and I will try to sort that this weekend.
And I'll probably humble myself and take the carbs off the GS and fix it up. I need at least one bike to ride.
(https://media0.giphy.com/media/xT4ApmfvO9u0fg0aA0/source.gif)
I finally pep talked myself into spending the hour it took to sort out the GS.
And there were three things wrong with it, none of them what I thought. Three things contributing to the problem anyway.
Again the symptom was that it was hard to start, often required putting it on PRI to start at all, then lots of throttle to get it started, and then it refused to idle, would die at idle. Basically the idle "speed" could not be set to any condition that was fast enough to keep the bike running until you cranked it all the way up to like 3K rpm.
My [wrong] assumption was that this was dirty carbs from old fuel maybe clogging the pilot jets and maybe causing float needles to stick.
Well, as soon as I started working on it, it became clear I was quite wrong about the issues. First of all, when I went to remove the tank, I noticed that both fuel hoses on the tank had less than tight hose clamps. I could see fuel leaking down these hoses. Also means air was leaking in when I was riding. So there's that.
Then once I pulled the frame petcock off, the vacuum hose literally fell off of it. The petcock end was hardened and would not seal or stay. Funny thing is the whole rest of the hose was perfectly fine, just the last like 1 inch was hardened. Odd. Anyway, that had to cause the fuel flow issue making me have to start it on PRI and likely added a huge vacuum leak just to make things as bad as possible.
Then when I started to take the airbox off, turns out the aluminum plate on the bottom of my UNI filter had fallen smooth off and was rattling around inside the airbox. So there you go. Running basically with no air filter, since without this bottom plate air comes in through the middle of the filter and does not have to go through the filter at all. Totally ruins jetting to say the least.
But I went ahead and pulled the carbs off anyway, checked and cleaned the bowls and the pilot jets, which were clean and not clogged at all. Put it all back together and it started right up once I got fuel in the carbs, on choke it idled up to 5K right off the bat. I didn't ride it yet but I'm reasonably certain this is not going to be a problem now, as long as the air filter holds together (I reattached the bottom plate with Gorilla glue).
So my time of whining and not riding may be coming to an end. It's good because it's a gorgeous day.
Well, never mind. That all went to crap.
I'm about ready to shove the GS off a cliff. Anyone want it?
First I forgot to take it off PRI when I parked it after fixing it. It flooded of course. Then my dad came over and we were to go for a ride. After we got the fuel out of the cylinders the bike started fine and ran ok for about one mile then died at a stop light because it refused to idle, and then wouldn't turn over. I parked it on a sidewalk and took my dad's bike to my house, came back with my Jeep and a jump pack, the GS fired up with the jump pack, refused to idle below 3K rpm, but at least I got it home. Then it wouldn't start again after it died parked in front of my house. An hour later it started fine, still won't idle.
I've just had it with carburetors. So sick of this crap. As much as I like the GS when it's working for all its character and charm, the carbs just make it not worth messing with anymore.
FWIW anyone who is interested, I rode my dad's little TU250X home to get my jump pack when the GS was dead. Don't let anyone tell you a GS500 is "slow like a 250". I thought that thing was going to get me killed trying to ride it in traffic. I swear my GS must have 3x as much power at least. Total night and day. And the little TUX just feels like a toy compared with the GS. But you know? the TUX has FI and starts every frikin time and never has any running issues.
I've just had it with 30 year old carburetors. I want to ride motorcycles, not work on them.
Quote from: mr72 on December 07, 2020, 03:28:49 PM
Well, never mind. That all went to crap.
I'm about ready to shove the GS off a cliff. Anyone want it?
First I forgot to take it off PRI when I parked it after fixing it. It flooded of course. Then my dad came over and we were to go for a ride. After we got the fuel out of the cylinders the bike started fine and ran ok for about one mile then died at a stop light because it refused to idle, and then wouldn't turn over. I parked it on a sidewalk and took my dad's bike to my house, came back with my Jeep and a jump pack, the GS fired up with the jump pack, refused to idle below 3K rpm, but at least I got it home. Then it wouldn't start again after it died parked in front of my house. An hour later it started fine, still won't idle.
I've just had it with carburetors. So sick of this crap. As much as I like the GS when it's working for all its character and charm, the carbs just make it not worth messing with anymore.
FWIW anyone who is interested, I rode my dad's little TU250X home to get my jump pack when the GS was dead. Don't let anyone tell you a GS500 is "slow like a 250". I thought that thing was going to get me killed trying to ride it in traffic. I swear my GS must have 3x as much power at least. Total night and day. And the little TUX just feels like a toy compared with the GS. But you know? the TUX has FI and starts every frikin time and never has any running issues.
I've just had it with 30 year old carburetors. I want to ride motorcycles, not work on them.
I can tell you about our "day and half to repair" motorcycle fuel injection breakdown story. 900 miles from home, 100 miles away from parts.
Oh, I know an FI bike can break down. But in this case it's not like I'm a noob with these carbs. I have carefully nursed this thing for a long time and had just checked and serviced it and it still wouldn't run. Not being now to get it to run to begin with is my frustration.
In the past couple of years riding with my dad 100% of our breakdowns have been the supposedly reliable Japanese bikes. Not a single issue ever with my British bike.
I need to find someone parting out a ninja 400 and swipe the FI.
Chance of me trying to ride the GS again before I get there Triumph fixed is about zero.
To add to the story, I had to move my GS off of the street up to my garage yesterday so I was prepared for the worst going down to start it up. But I can't get a motorcycle up my steep driveway unless it's running under its own power. I steeled myself for the fight to start and keep it running, put the choke on full, turned the key, and pressed the start button. In less than one full crank of the engine, I mean in like 1/10 of a second, it fired up and immediately revved to 7k rpm. I turned down the choke to try to get it to rev down and eventually adjusted the idle speed down so the choke rpm was 5K, and after it had been running only about 30 seconds I turned the choke all the way off and it idled at 1500 rpm. I ran right up the driveway like a scalded cat.
:dunno_black:
Plan today is to find a little time to go out and start it up, ride around the neighborhood a little bit just to see if it will work. Maybe I can get it to warm up so I can set the idle mixture and speed.
Never a dull moment with old motorcycles.
Boy how I miss my Triumph!
Started the GS and tried to let it warm up in the driveway and see if it would ever idle. It won't. It idles with the choke on partway as long as I don't let the idle speed fall below about 2500 rpm. Once it goes below 2500 rpm, it dies. To keep it running I have to set the idle speed way too high, which results in extreme "hanging idle" but once the idle falls it dies. Won't restart without the choke on partway.
I give. Gonna rain tomorrow. Not going to risk riding it today. I'll wait for the Triumph to be done, then I'll mothball the GS until I find the motivation to spend a whole freaking weekend working on it and have my trailer waiting to go pick it up when it dies on the side of the road.
Fun with carbs! yeaaaaa I feel your anguish. You'll get it though. "spend a whole freaking weekend working on it" :hithead: :tongue2: I picked up a 883 sportster with carb issues. Talk about simple! Got it rolling and it runs great. Been a blast riding it around. Where pics right,... :laugh:
(https://i.ibb.co/XSgCBWK/PART-1606760576017-IMG-20201127-152400.jpg)clicky for bigger, don't want to clog your thread
hey hey! Looky here!
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3ciw1-DjQsQQNfnh6x3RgLcbBQnda46e-AOKUrMcPfG8MIhZ5kyLZMepeW0mtC5JNI52drXBzw1OeoQ95bI_K6MKhBxupTiw8sTQFPGGLtAQ69jJH-gcb93cB0qS9U0NpeO4YIkwiAI9DQUyT7rg8vxQw=w1145-h993-no?authuser=0)
It's still not totally finished. But it's got fuel in the tank and air in the tires, battery is charged, it's ready to ride!
I have to work out fitting the correct front fender and replace the rear right footpeg, put one backordered part on when they come in from bikebandit. But nothing is keeping me from riding it except for time and weather.
That looks absolutely gorgeous. Glad that you got the front wheel and fork sorted out. :cheers:
I actually did ride it a little bit today. It works great, everything is basically perfect. Front brake is kind of soft but I don't know if it's just the pads need to re-bed with this rotor.
But I think the battery is shot. Took monumental efforts to get it started. Battery charger says it's charged and it won't turn the bike over. It's always something.
Quote from: mr72 on December 17, 2020, 03:25:46 PM
I actually did ride it a little bit today. It works great, everything is basically perfect. Front brake is kind of soft but I don't know if it's just the pads need to re-bed with this rotor.
Most likely just needs some miles to re-bed like you said. I have had the same experience with new calipers/pads/rotors on cars and motorcycles. Seems soft, like you didn't bleed the brakes enough. 100 miles later all is well and you never think about it again.
Lookin Sweeeet! :woohoo:
Brakes didn't improve with mileage so I thought maybe they got fork oil on them. They did. So I cleaned the rotor and caliper and the pads, but still brakes were no good. Put in a new set of pads and WOW. That was the ticket.
So I went on a 1.5 hr ride today and the bike was perfect. I had actually ridden this same route just a day or two before my wreck and it felt like it had only been a week. It was a really nice time and everything worked out brilliantly. Can't believe the bike is back better than ever.
(https://cdn.dribbble.com/users/285762/screenshots/5481055/awesome-sauce.gif)
:woohoo:
That's a funny looking gs :icon_lol: :icon_razz: bit of a triumph'ant... rebuild and a very bonnie'... bike okay I'll stop now, I don't have... all day'tona and triumph puns don't come easy :icon_mrgreen:good stuff man :cheers:
got the original fender mounted correctly and here's the finished product:
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3cuUmU8q6KkiX-AGfCoCltWH0F901R4k-ctk8X01LnTehU-CvVxXmJSMeWbRQTI0m4ja9tK882WBlkXJm-KbFS86VVaE0HauVnB3Wx6cOY5d__Yq6rCGNwEZ7iLyQyxJPPj7hKSxPxFuYMJdt2Nct8xOA=w1201-h902-no?authuser=0)
Like all decade old motorcycles, there is always one or two things to fix or make perfect. This isn't a show quality repair. But it is better than it was before the wreck.