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Messages - Laverda Dave

Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 ... 165
16
CB350/400 / Re: My New Project arrives after a 44 year wait!
« on: March 22, 2024, 10:17:51 PM »
Some good progress over the past week.  Tank and side panels are now with the painter and just deciding on the paint colour to use (waiting for Honda Japan to confirm the correct code). The forks are now rebuilt with new seals, re-chromed stanctions and fresh oil.
Today I finally commenced with the engine rebuild starting with another deep clean of the crankcase halves that were blasted and painted. I have fitted new shells on the conrods and mains (thanks Ash). I've also fitted the complete layshaft and countershaft I purchased from Ted after giving everything a good check and all was found to be serviceable including the bearings. All new seals have been fitted. Tomorrow will be closing the cases and fitting the barrels rebored by Trigger with +50 NOS Honda pistons I purchased from Ted.
I have also fitted a taper bearing headrace set from Pyramid Parts and..............they don't fit properly despite being advertised as the correct kit! The top bearing (15mm depth) protrudes 6.5mm from the top of the steering head with the result I could only obtain one turn on the castellated nut and nothing at all on the top yoke centre nut!  I removed the 3mm washer from below the lower race on the yoke which itself was really difficult to do without causing damage and refitted the dust seal with the lower bearing sitting directly on it with no spacer at all. This allowed three turns on the castellated nut but still only one and half turns on the top yoke centre nut. I have been in contact with Pyramid Parts and asked them to comment becuase I don't think having only 1.5 turns on the top nut feels particually safe.

17
Out & About / Re: OUT AND ABOUT 2024
« on: March 21, 2024, 02:13:40 PM »
As perfect day for a ride out Julie, very warm in London at the moment as well.
Did you have to keep stopping to allow Graham to catch up on the 250?

18
Misc / Open / Re: Barn find!
« on: March 21, 2024, 10:44:17 AM »
Henry Cole would be proud to have found that during one of his shed and buried's.
Good luck with the rebuild, post some progress reports please Johnny as it will make for an interesting read. I've seen these running but never anything about how they were made.

19
CB750 / Re: David Silver supplied ignition coils
« on: March 20, 2024, 04:01:59 PM »
The coils I bought from ebay a few years ago for my varnish blue 400/4 were too short to fit between the two original coil mounts. Rather than butcher the originals I made up two mounting blocks to fit between the original front coil mounting and the new coils. I bolted the rear of the new coils to the original coil mounts at the back and used the new spacer blocks at the front locating the fixing screw into the origianl coil mount. The extension piece of the new block allowed me to fit the front of the new coil into this. This ensured the tank would still fit over the new coils and all the original cables were still the correct length including the HT leads.

20
Misc / Open / Re: Fingers crossed....
« on: March 20, 2024, 09:47:30 AM »
I hope the bike is ok and you can enjoy it as you used to as it obviously means a lot to you. It’s a shame the people who worked on it have so little knowledge of the engine and the person in charge failed to undertake basic workmanship checks prior to handing it back to you.

In view of how they have refitted the filter housing and the copper washers as pointed out by Nigel if it were my bike I would be taking the filter housing off to fit it correctly (the cast lug is there for a reason) and at the same time I would be checking the filter itself has been replaced with a new item and the flat washer has been refitted in the correct position between the spring and the filter. It will also give you an opportunity to check the condition of the oil. I would be taking pictures and I’d be going back to the mechanic and demanding some kind of refund for such shoddy workmanship.

21
Other Bikes / Re: A new bike joins the stable - Triumph Speed 400
« on: March 20, 2024, 09:33:45 AM »
This is the first one I have seen in the wild Matt. It's had great reviews in the press and the fit and finish are supposed to be up there with the best. Given it's price think it will give the RE 350's a very close run especially when the power of the two bikes is taken into account with the RE being a bit of a wheezer. It's not that far behind the RE 650's either in terms of power. 
India certainly has come a long, long way in terms of motorcycle production with BMW, Triumph and KTM having motorcycles manufactured over there and far better quality than bikes made in China.
Have fun with it  8)

22
Misc / Open / Re: Insurance - speaking to a real person!
« on: March 20, 2024, 09:16:45 AM »
I was with CM for over 20 years. Carole was fantastic but when it was sold to one of the big boys prices doubled within a couple of years.

Going back to Ian's original point, I had to contact Nectar yesterday due to a problem with my card. I had to use the 'live chat' function. After 45 minutes of endless texts to an overseas call centre I gave up and closed the chat down with no result. Had I been able to speak to a real person on the telephone it would have been resolved in 5 minutes!
My local council has now removed the reception and telephone operators desk from the civic centre to 'save money'. You now have to call a main telephone number where it is all automated and use the keypad to navigate to the department you wish to speak to. When you finally get there nobody answers the phone because nobody works in the council building anymore as all staff now undertake 'hybrid' working, in other words they work from home.
Is it any wonder the country is broken and it is impossible to get anything done anymore. Meanwhile the goverment (no matter who they are) are in the pockets of the major corporations and allow massive profits to be made and paid to mainly overseas shareholders at the expense of service to customers.

23
Misc / Open / Re: Front mudguard flap
« on: March 20, 2024, 08:58:24 AM »
That looks very in period Dave and suits the bike very well and no more cruddy engine. Time to break out the flares and Paddy Hopkirk Agordo helmet  :)

24
Misc / Open / Re: Fingers crossed....
« on: March 20, 2024, 08:47:59 AM »
They did well to keep the filter housing horizontal when the top  lug was no where near.

I have always held onto the housing with one hand as I tighten it, obviously when located correctly.  It can be rocked as it's tightened until you can only just feel it touching the crankcase as the o-ring seal gets compressed, then tighten no more. Perfect seal, with not too much stress to allow them to be undone without recourse to rounding the 12mm head off  :)

I always use the Honda specified torque setting on this bolt Nigel but is your method more suitable to avoid the dreaded 12mm original bolt head rounding off? I would normally fit the aftermarket 17mm bolt but on ratty I'm going standard = more risk to rounding off at some point in the future.

25
Misc / Open / Re: Fingers crossed....
« on: March 19, 2024, 05:24:37 PM »
Oh dear, that is one place I will not use.
From what you have said I can't understand how these people can call themselves motorcycle mechanics having missed vital clues of the engine condition and after you had asked them to check the primary chain! How many times have they opened the engine, three times? I bet they haven't cleaned up the casing joints between each opening and did they use Hondabond to reseal the joint? And why is the head mechanic not checking the work before they put the engine back together instead of telling them of the fault when it was running?
Cowboys, I would be asking for my money back and threaten them with Trading Standards.

26
Project Board / Re: 1967 CB450K0 Black Bomber Rebuild - By Royhall
« on: March 18, 2024, 09:09:23 AM »
Wow, that is a stash! I bet you have enough parts there to build a complete 250 Honda six! How do you keep tabs on what you've got Ash and how long has it taken you to accumulate all those spares. Amazing dedication.

27
Project Board / Re: Project CB350F
« on: March 18, 2024, 09:01:58 AM »
Making good progress there. The sprocket studs were pretty well stuck in my hub but they did come out in the end with the application of some WD40 and I left it for a week but kept giving it another spray whenever I was in the garage (daily!).
The 400/4 at the show looks great, there's an owner with class, its a yellow one  8)

28
CB350/400 / Re: Parakeet Yellow Paint Code
« on: March 17, 2024, 10:57:58 AM »
Was that the CBX resto with blasting media inside the engine Dave?
[/quote]

That was the one Ash. The magazine ran a series about the restoration. When he finally got it back it lasted about 50 miles before the carnage began. He continued to run updates about it for a while with the ensuing repairs before it just ended with no reason given (I guess money must have changed hands or something similar?). I don't know what happened to the bike in the end.

Bob Berry also started another magazine called 'The Biker' which didn't last long either. I remember issue No.1 featured the Kawasaki Z400J and it was asked if it was the Honda CB400/4 replacement, it wasn't being a bit lardy and slow but still a lovely looking bike and why I restored the BIL's.
I still have my original copy of Japanesse Classic magazine dated May 1992 (£1.80, those were the days!). Features included the CX500 Turbo (or the Orbit if it was in your rear view mirror!), A feature on Tippets Motors in Surbiton, Dave Jupp's RE5, Mike Wilson's Honda CB77, the new Kawasaki GPZ900 and Graham Crosby. Before it was launched I was sent an issue of the pilot copy (a few people in the VJMC were sent a copy at random). It only had about 10 pages and the editor asked the reader if they had a recently completed restoration to feature in the first edition so I answerd and a few weeks later Brain Crighton paid me a visit and my 400/4 featured in issue number 1. The magazine also employed John Mossey to restore a 400/4 as a prize as a feature series. I dont recall it ever being finished before the magazine folded after about 6 issues.

29
CB350/400 / Re: Parakeet Yellow Paint Code
« on: March 16, 2024, 11:15:54 AM »
Why don't lowlife's like that ever get nicked, especially after boasting about it on Faceache, some people are just so thick!

30
At least you have got them back Ted and can now continue the build.  I had my hubs painted with Ford Silver Fox. The wheel builder took less than 24 hours to lace them up. Just waiting for my tyres now from Demon Tweaks, I bought a pair of Pirelli City Demons, they are on special offer at the moment with a 45% discount. If I could get into my bank app I would tell you how much I paid but the app is on my waterlogged phone! I know the two tyres, two pirelli inner tubes and two rim tapes cost less than £200 so maybe worth a look if you haven't bought the tyres yet.

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