Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild

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So the Trident's on the road? Well done mate, well done! Next winter I will head North for my leave and drop by and say g'day. (Didn't I just say I'd never take leave again?)
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Yep mate ~ got in a great test flight yesterday with a plan to get the road worthy but had some issues as per expected when new project is out for the first serious run ~ canned the inspection and returned to base .. Sorted most already ~

So another attempt at the roadworthy next week ~

Any visit ~ we could spend a weekend day just being entertained by the kamikaze brigades on the Gillies Range alone ~ but I can assure you .. you won't go home .. after all this is the land of the Gods ~
(Bloke ad his family across the street did the very same thing.. came for a visit ~ and they went home packed up home .. job.. kids and moved !! lol)
 
Petrol, petrol, petrol. Been dripping quite a lot of it lately. Filled the tank up all the way for the first time and then noticed petrol leaking down the back of the engine. Drained the tank and removed it to find a crappy braze job underneath with a pinhole leak. Cleaned it all up with wire brush, emery and file and then lead loaded the suspect area and painted over. Hope that's sorted that.

Then I notice the bottom of the carb bowls are a bit on the damp side, so I figure it's time to have a decent look at them. The old crappy nylon valves were suspect as although I'd set the float height properly, they were still leaking. Was late Saturday arvo by this time, but John Parker up in Ringwood bailed me out with new float valves and gaskets on Sunday. Thanks John! Stripped both carbs right down, cleaned everything thoroughly including pilot jet orifice with some fine Copper wire. Made up a right-angle mount to bolt the carbs on (aka woodenhead) and set up the static balance on the the workbench - so much easier! Cables were all over the place, so unsoldered the lugs and made some new outers from bicycle parts - now both are exactly the same length. Finally all back together, but too late to start her up. Will give her a kick before work in the morning.

Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild

Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild
 
Dave, looks like the Commando has you hooked ?
You are aware the more you have to do with it the less likely you are to sell it ?
I know it's happened to me.

greame
 
GRM 450 said:
Dave, looks like the Commando has you hooked ?
You are aware the more you have to do with it the less likely you are to sell it ?
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Yep, thought this might happen. I tried to sell it before I even rode it Graeme. Maybe if I stopped riding it and finding things to fix and or improve it might go easier. Still, I've not had a single bona-fide call from my ad. Plenty of scammers though.

It's also holding me up from working on the Ducati. The Commando's benefit at the Pantah's loss... not sure if that's a good or a bad thing.
 
davamb said:
Then I notice the bottom of the carb bowls are a bit on the damp side, so I figure it's time to have a decent look at them. The old crappy nylon valves were suspect as although I'd set the float height properly, they were still leaking. Was late Saturday arvo by this time, but John Parker up in Ringwood bailed me out with new float valves and gaskets on Sunday.
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You did get the viton tipped float valves and not get new plastic ones?
 
Rich_j said:
davamb said:
Then I notice the bottom of the carb bowls are a bit on the damp side, so I figure it's time to have a decent look at them. The old crappy nylon valves were suspect as although I'd set the float height properly, they were still leaking. Was late Saturday arvo by this time, but John Parker up in Ringwood bailed me out with new float valves and gaskets on Sunday.
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You did get the viton tipped float valves and not get new plastic ones?
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Can you even get the plastic ones? (I should just go look on Amal's site before Les does...)
 
Just checked , there's the viton tipped and an alcohol type listed, not sure whether alcohol=plastic or not.
 
They were brass with a rubbery tip Rich. John said the nylon ones were rubbish. Certainly have done the job properly. I even left the taps on overnight and not a single drip. Soooo much safer and it's just got to give better running with the proper bowl fuel level.
 
Rich_j said:
Just checked , there's the viton tipped and an alcohol type listed, not sure whether alcohol=plastic or not.
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Standard
Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild


Alcohol
Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild
 
They're just the standard brass ones with the Viton tips.

Anywho. Spent the day trying to get the carbs synched properly. It's this stupid 1:2 cable splitter. It really is a horrid little thing - don't think it's standard issue. If the cable's too short (sheath too long) then it's very difficult to get both slides fully shut together and if it's too long then the sheath ends pop out of the splitter. Just don't seem to end up with a happy compromise with the adjustment range provided by the adjusters on the top of the carbs. The sheath holes in the splitter need to be longer to prevent the cables slipping out (only a mm or so deep). I've adjusted sheathes and resoldered the cable ends three times now. It's a very slow cycle and my patience is wearing thin. Sure, I love to tinker, but I'd rather be out there riding. Think I might go up to the bicycle shop tomorrow morning and see what they've got in the way of cable odds and ends and see if I can't put something that's just a bit more adjustable together.
 
Oh. Forgot to mention. Did order myself a set of rearset pegs. Our Aussie dollar's pretty strong at the moment so good time to do some overseas shopping. Will get hit with import duties, but what the hell, I've got clipons!
 
davamb said:
Oh. Forgot to mention. Did order myself a set of rearset pegs. Our Aussie dollar's pretty strong at the moment so good time to do some overseas shopping. Will get hit with import duties, but what the hell, I've got clipons!
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Which ones did you get?
 
You could use a ducati splitter, or better still use twin pull throttle.
Domino has a nice black or chrome one, no switches though.
I have a black one in the cupboard if you want a pic.

graeme
 
Well I grabbed a "twin-pull" generic throttle from BikeMart on the way in this morning, but it didn't look right. Sure enough, pulled it apart and it's a push-pull type (for cv carbs I guess). Have to take it back tomorrow. Graeme, Gowy's have a Tomaselli one for $115:
http://www.ducati-gowanloch.com/catalog ... cts_id=506
No mention of bar OD, but I guess if it's for Ducatis it's 22mm which is what my clipons are. This the one you recommend?
 
I have a new black one same as Gowies have. ( Black, not chrome. )
Cost me $75 some time ago, I can express post to you if you want a black one ?
You can either keep an eye out on ebay or eslewhere and replace it at your leisure, or $75 plus post. Your call.
It's surpluss to requirements.

Worth phoning Phil at Road and Race in NSW and get 2 Pantah "rear" cables so they fit the throttle, then just re do the ends to suit your Amals.
They're cheap and he will express post. (next day delivery) 02 4388 4211

If you want it email me, and tell me where you want it posted to.

graeme
 
Thanks Graeme,

throttle recevied. Looks like a nice piece of kit and should solve all my carby cable woes.
Will be late to bed tonight!
 
Twin pull throttle installed. Another one of those "why did I bother persisting with the old setup" moments (the other being ditching the points for a Boyer). So much easier to set up. All assembled and synched off the bike on the wooden stand and then just bolted on. Idle rpm set after about 5 minutes of running and then mixture dialed in. Needs another session to get it just so, but running very nicely. Had to take a fang out to Warrandyte - just for the hell of it. Haven't been doing much of that lately, must do more of it.

Now if only those rearsets would turn up this week...
 
I got a wee bit lost in translation...what did you find that cured the cable situation? Any photos? Seems like some information that would come in handy for many.

Thanx
Russ
 
Yahaoo! Rearsets finally turned up! Gonna be busy tonight.

rvich said:
I got a wee bit lost in translation...what did you find that cured the cable situation? Any photos? Seems like some information that would come in handy for many.
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Hi Russ, I'll try and find the time to get some pics to explain what I'm on about here, but I think my throttle cable splitter is not a Norton item, so I doubt that anyone else would have the f%#king maddening issues I've had.

In a nutshell, the throttle cable recesses in the splitter were not deep enough for the amount of slack the cable requires. Sometimes the outer would slip out of the hole (when you'd given it a handful) and then not reseat, jamming on the body at the top of the hole. Net result one (or more!) pot with a partially open throttle. I'd had a couple of goes fiddling the cable length to try and get it j-u-s-t right with still a decent range from the adjusters on the top of the carbs, but it was so much bother and I still didn't have it right. Dual-pull throttle may be overkill, but it is certainly a lot easier to set up!
 
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