Time for a Face lift~

Well ~ Its been sixteen years since I restored my Commando 850 73 ~

While it still looks good and draws a lot of positive comment I have decided to do a renovation job!

But then I spotted a small blister on the rear of the fuel tank ~ (Yep ~ steel tank!) Worse still the paint has remained immaculate all this time ~

And the tank is Creme coated !!

And after some consultation, my thoughts were merely re-enforced ~ So it is a 'new' tank ~ I spent hours panning through links and web sites ~ and Fleabay ~

Tuesday last I scored a nice tidy unit ex UK ~ fibreglass ~ Triumph Twins Ltd ~ GBP 170.50
Approximately AU $262.95

So that's one down ~

Next the seat is decided not up to my standard ~ Well it would be easy to replace the cover , the base is a tad sad and been repair job ever since the restoration ~ SO IMO its time for a new unit ~ And what a buyer's bizarre ~

No purchase made yet but considering unit from RGM and also several USA sites ~ after all the dollar AUD is very high now against the green back ~ $1.07 AUD today and the hexperts reckon we will go $1.20 AUD even $1.30 AUD !!

Then some new zorst roses and perhaps new header pipes ~ And then we have isolastics rubber boots ~ (That will be fun !! ~ not~ )

Stuart,

That's a nice looking 850, where is the blister? Is it near or on a seam, or right in the middle of a panel?
I would be carefull going with a fibre glass tank, pump fuel is becomming less compatable with GRP, so you could be in for more problems long term there. The steel tank should be still good, geez I have just done up a mates 6T Thunderbird tank, and that is heading for 62 years old.
With your seat, if the steel base is still good, or you can restore ot better than original. We I would suggest a getting a specialist to make up a gel foam for you, for added comfort. Then put a new seat cover on, these are pretty easy to get hold of from brit bike suppliers. I rebuilt my 850 seat, it was a hi rider version, so I removed the banana seat bit off the back and welded up the spot weld holes, then I added some reinforcement braces inside the base where the foam goes, I also added extra rubber mounts, door stoppers from the hardware. So the seat is supported better on the guard and rear frame tubes.

Hope this helps, Cheers Richard

Lovely bike. You can get a nice polished cover for the rear wheel hub on eBay. Gotta have bling ..

Lovely bike looks like candy to me.
If you already got fg tank and not fueled yet nor returning it, best bet is the Novalac epoxy from Caswell or others after a acetone wash out and through dry out then thick layering turning tank for like an hour to keep it thick all around then set up over night or longer then another layer repeated, then cross fingers it got all the nooks alcohol can seep in and drain tank for more than a few days storage. I've repaired steel tanks and fiber with JBWeld.

Go for something different Stueee... Get hold of an Interstate tank ( Vietnam I think, someone here will know ), they look great on a Roadster and more fuel.
I love spending someone else's money,... I'v got none.
AC.

an Interstate tank

Click to expand...

AC

Actually thought about that too ~ but now purchased the 'new' Roadster tank ~

Recieved a few more bits and slowly putting it all together ~ Ordered even more SS bling bits from Commando Specialties ~

Spent too much time on the Trident as it had developed a deterioating condition which turned out to a be a stuffed Animal #2 ~ A replacement carb sured the problem .. Still have not worked otu what the proble was with the thing !

I managed to get the Commando header pipes polished up and they will be fine for now.. So have the new (Wassell) seat and zorst roses plus other small parts !



A slight side step but worthy of mention ~

Two weeks ago I was part of a business trip to Brisbane and a mate took the time to bring around his street legal Rob North and invited me to slide aleg over the beast!

A seriously fast bike ~ (Steve has locked in a ride on the ' same beast ' at the IOM classic this year !!)

Stuart SS tries a Rob North ~





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTD1zkSrwW0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbZhOeMe2EU