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Mr72's Wreck Restoration

Started by mr72, September 10, 2020, 05:25:26 AM

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Sporty

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.
Used Suzuki GS500 = motorcycle adventure without leaving the shop.

Current motorcycles: 1993 GS500E, 1996 XL1200, 1999 ST1100

mr72

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.

mr72

Yesterday:

Painted the fork lowers.


And the headlight mounting brackets.


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.


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.

Sporty

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.
Used Suzuki GS500 = motorcycle adventure without leaving the shop.

Current motorcycles: 1993 GS500E, 1996 XL1200, 1999 ST1100

mr72

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.

mr72

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.


cbrfxr67

"two hours away ,..."  Which way is that?  Just curious,..you know being Texans n all :laugh:
"Its something you take apart in 2-3 days and takes 10 years to go back together."
-buddha

mr72

It's near Castell. Sort of by enchanted rock. Between llano and fredericksburg.

mr72

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.


cbrfxr67

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:
"Its something you take apart in 2-3 days and takes 10 years to go back together."
-buddha

Sporty

#30
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



For new bikes there are a few different brands and styles that are interesting. The z900rs Has my attention.






Used Suzuki GS500 = motorcycle adventure without leaving the shop.

Current motorcycles: 1993 GS500E, 1996 XL1200, 1999 ST1100

SK Racing

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.
You don't stop riding when you get old, you get old when you stop riding!
1939 Panther 600cc Single - Stolen, 1970 Suzuki 50cc - Sold
1969 Triumph Bonneville 650 T120R - Sold, 1981 Honda CB750F - Sold
1989 Suzuki GS500E - Sold, 2004 Suzuki GS500F - Current ride

mr72

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.

mr72

disassembly underway.

Here's how it started.


scrapey.


that was bent.


so is all of this.


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


axle was really bent.


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.



can you see this stanction bent?


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.


Sporty

Some serious impact force to bend all of those parts!

Used Suzuki GS500 = motorcycle adventure without leaving the shop.

Current motorcycles: 1993 GS500E, 1996 XL1200, 1999 ST1100

mr72

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.

mr72

#36
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.



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.



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:



And here's a mag Bonnie fork leg:


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.

cbrfxr67

Even though you didn't meet your goal this is still major progress!  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.
"Its something you take apart in 2-3 days and takes 10 years to go back together."
-buddha

mr72

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.

cbrfxr67

I understand that.  Sometimes the annoyance factor trying to make something just isn't worth it.  Can't wait to see more.
"Its something you take apart in 2-3 days and takes 10 years to go back together."
-buddha

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