Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild
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Re: Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild 5th August 2009
Had another go at it Dave - by the book, but no difference. Also gave the primary chain a bit more slack. Again, no change. The Knuckle Pin Roller isn't asymmetrical by any chance is it? That's the only thing I can think of I could have done wrong!
Absolutely Chuck, there's little enough safety margins on a bike anyway - why push your luck. Don't think I'd get the old ones through a roadworthy anyway. They're closer to bakelite now than rubber!
Yes there is Brian, you can have mine for oh, let's start the bidding at $10k Aussie say, and I'll throw in the rest of the bike for free if you win! Can't say fairer than that now can I.
But back to serious land. I just can't stop oil leaking from the main banjo where it joins the tank. I've dismantled it and cleaned it all, dressed the mating surfaces where necessary, but it's still leaking. I think it may be due to the crappy gaskets used rather than the proper Aluminium washers. Investigation will continue!
swooshdave said:
Had another go at it Dave - by the book, but no difference. Also gave the primary chain a bit more slack. Again, no change. The Knuckle Pin Roller isn't asymmetrical by any chance is it? That's the only thing I can think of I could have done wrong!
Hortons Norton said:
Absolutely Chuck, there's little enough safety margins on a bike anyway - why push your luck. Don't think I'd get the old ones through a roadworthy anyway. They're closer to bakelite now than rubber!
BrianG said:
Yes there is Brian, you can have mine for oh, let's start the bidding at $10k Aussie say, and I'll throw in the rest of the bike for free if you win! Can't say fairer than that now can I.
But back to serious land. I just can't stop oil leaking from the main banjo where it joins the tank. I've dismantled it and cleaned it all, dressed the mating surfaces where necessary, but it's still leaking. I think it may be due to the crappy gaskets used rather than the proper Aluminium washers. Investigation will continue!
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Re: Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild 5th August 2009
I had that problem with the oil banjo on the tank as well Dave and it turned out that the mating surface wasn't flat. All fixed, no leaks now. By the way, if you get over Preston way, drop in on Harrop Engineering and they will show you one of my new heads. They've just shipped some but I actually have spare stock now for the first time.
I had that problem with the oil banjo on the tank as well Dave and it turned out that the mating surface wasn't flat. All fixed, no leaks now. By the way, if you get over Preston way, drop in on Harrop Engineering and they will show you one of my new heads. They've just shipped some but I actually have spare stock now for the first time.
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Re: Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild 5th August 2009
Ha ha, very very funny. You crack me up. I nearly choked on my dinner.
I've dressed all the mating surfaces though FullAuto, just think it's the crappy fibre washers that some previous jerk has used. Aluminium or Copper would be better methinks. Would O-rings or plastic washers work?
Aargh! I'd love to, but I think I'd end up spending money I don't have. Damnit. I also want to get the Norton out of the workshop and the Pantah in before it succumbs to storage issues. It's been a year now, and I thought I'd be well into working on the little Duc by now.
Fullauto said:
Ha ha, very very funny. You crack me up. I nearly choked on my dinner.
Fullauto said:
I've dressed all the mating surfaces though FullAuto, just think it's the crappy fibre washers that some previous jerk has used. Aluminium or Copper would be better methinks. Would O-rings or plastic washers work?
Fullauto said:
Aargh! I'd love to, but I think I'd end up spending money I don't have. Damnit. I also want to get the Norton out of the workshop and the Pantah in before it succumbs to storage issues. It's been a year now, and I thought I'd be well into working on the little Duc by now.
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Re: Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild 5th August 2009
The standard washers for the banjo seem to be aluminium but I did buy a couple of copper ones of the right size from a hose mob. Either works fine. Don't think O rings would be the go and I don't know about the plastic. The flat face on the oil tank is a bugger to get at. I thought I'd got mine right but it had a curved dip in it. Takes a bit of mucking around to get it right.
The standard washers for the banjo seem to be aluminium but I did buy a couple of copper ones of the right size from a hose mob. Either works fine. Don't think O rings would be the go and I don't know about the plastic. The flat face on the oil tank is a bugger to get at. I thought I'd got mine right but it had a curved dip in it. Takes a bit of mucking around to get it right.
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Re: Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild 5th August 2009
Getting down the noise now, seems to just detail bits. She's running quite nicely, but I'm only going up and down the drive in first and second.
I made CAD models of the brackets that hold the exhaust on and had them laser cut (seems like years ago now). Finally got around to having a joggle put in the right-hand one so the kickstart clears the pipe. If anyone would like the CAD files (dxf or dwg) just let me know and I'll email them.
Spent most of the weekend sorting an oil leak where the return pipe from the engine joins the tank. Spent a lot of time calling around last week to find crush seals with little success - got the large (26mm) ones for the supply side, but no luck for the smaller return side. Had to settle for plain Copper washers which I annealed to dead soft. Still leaked! Spent hours lapping in the seat. Stil no joy. Plastic tap washer sorted it in 5 minutes. So much effort but at least it seems to be oil tight now.
So - time to buy new tyres now. A mirror and horn and then off for a RWC. Think I'll go the full rego, rather than club reg.
Y'know, I'd like to pull it all to bits again now, have the frame repainted, all the metalwork bits rechromed and get it repainted, but just don't think it'll give me the return on investment.
Am I crazy?
Getting down the noise now, seems to just detail bits. She's running quite nicely, but I'm only going up and down the drive in first and second.
I made CAD models of the brackets that hold the exhaust on and had them laser cut (seems like years ago now). Finally got around to having a joggle put in the right-hand one so the kickstart clears the pipe. If anyone would like the CAD files (dxf or dwg) just let me know and I'll email them.
Spent most of the weekend sorting an oil leak where the return pipe from the engine joins the tank. Spent a lot of time calling around last week to find crush seals with little success - got the large (26mm) ones for the supply side, but no luck for the smaller return side. Had to settle for plain Copper washers which I annealed to dead soft. Still leaked! Spent hours lapping in the seat. Stil no joy. Plastic tap washer sorted it in 5 minutes. So much effort but at least it seems to be oil tight now.
So - time to buy new tyres now. A mirror and horn and then off for a RWC. Think I'll go the full rego, rather than club reg.
Y'know, I'd like to pull it all to bits again now, have the frame repainted, all the metalwork bits rechromed and get it repainted, but just don't think it'll give me the return on investment.
Am I crazy?
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Re: Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild 5th August 2009
Welcome to the Club Crazy. :lol:
Fullauto said:
Welcome to the Club Crazy. :lol:
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Re: Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild 5th August 2009
Phew. Thanks for the reassurance guys. I thought for a moment I had begun to regain my sanity.
Think I'll skip the repaint though and put it on the market soon (it's early Spring here - ideal time to sell). My poor little Pantah's been languishing in the lean-to out the back, which is not the driest place, and I'm keen to get started on a long-overdue tidy-up of the old beast. I'm thinking of selling the TRX too and using the proceeds from that and the Norton to buy something with a bit more of an upright seating possy. An oilhead Bimmer of some description is what I have in mind.
Phew. Thanks for the reassurance guys. I thought for a moment I had begun to regain my sanity.
Think I'll skip the repaint though and put it on the market soon (it's early Spring here - ideal time to sell). My poor little Pantah's been languishing in the lean-to out the back, which is not the driest place, and I'm keen to get started on a long-overdue tidy-up of the old beast. I'm thinking of selling the TRX too and using the proceeds from that and the Norton to buy something with a bit more of an upright seating possy. An oilhead Bimmer of some description is what I have in mind.
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Re: Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild 5th August 2009
Oooh! Ihope the Commando didn't hear that!
If it did get ready for the wailing of demons and the gnashing of teeth. (and no spark, oil everywhere, knocking noises from the dark oily innards, flat tyres, etc, etc,)
Oooh! Ihope the Commando didn't hear that!
If it did get ready for the wailing of demons and the gnashing of teeth. (and no spark, oil everywhere, knocking noises from the dark oily innards, flat tyres, etc, etc,)
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Re: Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild 5th August 2009
Get rid of the fairing, clipons and harsh plank of a seat, put a set of the standard English bars on and you won't need to sell it. They do a great job around town with the standard setup and it won't go down in value like anything modern will. What can I say?
Get rid of the fairing, clipons and harsh plank of a seat, put a set of the standard English bars on and you won't need to sell it. They do a great job around town with the standard setup and it won't go down in value like anything modern will. What can I say?
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Re: Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild 5th August 2009
To be quite honest I think I should sell it before I get too fond of it. I would not really be too surprised if I do like riding it! Ms Davamb would not be real chuffed if I announced that I want to keep it - I'd probably have to ditch the other two to keep it. That's ok with the TRX, I've only had it a year, but the Duc - nooooooooo, never!
Are the twins that boring too Fullauto? When I bought the TRX, I tried a handful of K100s first, thinking they'd be a good bike, and although rather competent, I just didn't get the vibe. After 5 minutes on the TRX though I was sold. You think it's the same for the oilheads too? Are they really so uninvolving?
On that line, we recently bought Ms D a late model Mazda 3. Good competent little car. But compared to my 1990 MX5 (miata) it's like driving with boxing gloves on, there's just so little feedback. Is that what modern Bimmers have become?
To be quite honest I think I should sell it before I get too fond of it. I would not really be too surprised if I do like riding it! Ms Davamb would not be real chuffed if I announced that I want to keep it - I'd probably have to ditch the other two to keep it. That's ok with the TRX, I've only had it a year, but the Duc - nooooooooo, never!
Are the twins that boring too Fullauto? When I bought the TRX, I tried a handful of K100s first, thinking they'd be a good bike, and although rather competent, I just didn't get the vibe. After 5 minutes on the TRX though I was sold. You think it's the same for the oilheads too? Are they really so uninvolving?
On that line, we recently bought Ms D a late model Mazda 3. Good competent little car. But compared to my 1990 MX5 (miata) it's like driving with boxing gloves on, there's just so little feedback. Is that what modern Bimmers have become?
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Re: Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild 5th August 2009
No real experience with modern Beemers, but certainly the /5, /6, /7 stuff can be quite dull. A Commando will completely trounce anything up to a 900 at least. These things were meant to be wound up to your desired speed and left there. All the later ones suffer from what every other newish bike suffers from to some extent. That is complexity and lots of plastic bits. Not as crashable as they used to be I would think.
It's funny. I rode a TRX when they were contemporary and was quite unimpressed. I seem to recall that I didn't like the gearing as it had the typical Jap low first gear, which I absolutely despise. Even my mate's 1800 Suzuki Boulevarde, which has a monster bottom end, has a low first gear. Why? Buggered if I know, it's just the way the Japs do it. To everything.
That's why I run a 23 tooth gearbox sprocket on my Commando. It pulls like a train and is useful for more than just getting underway.
No real experience with modern Beemers, but certainly the /5, /6, /7 stuff can be quite dull. A Commando will completely trounce anything up to a 900 at least. These things were meant to be wound up to your desired speed and left there. All the later ones suffer from what every other newish bike suffers from to some extent. That is complexity and lots of plastic bits. Not as crashable as they used to be I would think.
It's funny. I rode a TRX when they were contemporary and was quite unimpressed. I seem to recall that I didn't like the gearing as it had the typical Jap low first gear, which I absolutely despise. Even my mate's 1800 Suzuki Boulevarde, which has a monster bottom end, has a low first gear. Why? Buggered if I know, it's just the way the Japs do it. To everything.
That's why I run a 23 tooth gearbox sprocket on my Commando. It pulls like a train and is useful for more than just getting underway.
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Re: Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild 5th August 2009
Most manufactured "modern things" have been dumbed down, toned down, quieted down, warning stickered to death and just plain had all offending sharp edges removed that the pucker factor is totally missing. ie. personality.
What would you rather strap on ... a modern F18 jet or a Mk. V Spitfire? The F18 is a faster, safer and far more effective but forgiving machine than the Spit but really ... it doesn't have the girl appeal of that V-12 Merlin and never will have. A souless but technologic wonder butt.
A Norton with high bars, factory pegs and perhaps a Bates Leather seat ? is a surprisingly docile ride around town, with a perfectly vicious kick in the crotch Hyde personality just a gear shift and/or throttle grope away.
Most manufactured "modern things" have been dumbed down, toned down, quieted down, warning stickered to death and just plain had all offending sharp edges removed that the pucker factor is totally missing. ie. personality.
What would you rather strap on ... a modern F18 jet or a Mk. V Spitfire? The F18 is a faster, safer and far more effective but forgiving machine than the Spit but really ... it doesn't have the girl appeal of that V-12 Merlin and never will have. A souless but technologic wonder butt.
A Norton with high bars, factory pegs and perhaps a Bates Leather seat ? is a surprisingly docile ride around town, with a perfectly vicious kick in the crotch Hyde personality just a gear shift and/or throttle grope away.
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