1980 CB250RSA Hawaiian Blue Project.

[AshimotoK0]

No comments from me except how do you propose checking the frame out? Just close inspection or bar through the headstock.
Keep the info coming as all is very interesting.

Going to make a jig up initially and use a high accuracy digital inclinometer to check various points. If I detect anything untoward I will cart it off to someone to check out/realign with the correct gear. Or perhaps get another frame.

[Laverda Dave]

The handlebars on my RS were gloss black Ash. I used to think how terrible they looked all scratched where the PO obviously kept other keys on the ignition key and they rattled about on the handlebars taking the paint off! When I restored the bike I had a leather key fob with the ignition key to prevent the same thing happening again.

[AshimotoK0]

Not posted on this for a while but it's pretty much still active.

I will update properly soon with pictures  but the progress has been ... I checked frame alignment which is OK. I have painted the frame in 2k semi-gloss black. The swinging arm has been stripped for paint and fitted with new plastic bushes. I had to chop out the swinging arm pivot bolt but I got a nice replacement, as it's the same as the Superdream part. The swinging arm steel was in really good nick, as the PO worked for British aerospace in Brough, near me in the paint shop  and had primed it in that yellow chromate aircraft primer back in the day. Man was that hard to strip off !

I have prepped and repaired all of the paintwork and painted it in 2k primer plus the proper shade of 1k (solvent) Hawaiian Blue metallic and obtained all of the decals from Piki (thanks for your excellent service mate !) but I just need to ascertain the exact area that is painted dark blue in the centre of the tank. I found a good car paint match for the dark blue which is KIA 'Clyde Blue' . I managed to get a good top of a fuel tank photo, taken pretty square on , off an internet sellers listing and I am in the process of working out measurements this week, then I am going to check it out on the example in the DS museum if I can when I go there next week for his 400 event.

The wheels I got 'thrown in for free' when I bought the NOS top-end stuff are really nice (fitted with 2019 dated tyres) but I want to remove the dull plated spokes and have them replated and  repaint the hubs in the correct satin black.

One of the rocking-horse poo parts on this model is the complete plastic toolbox but I manged to get two of them via my mate in Japan for £18 each.

The other part is the camshaft and I am being picky on it as the whole of the top end on my engine will be NOS.

I sent a request to Newman cams to see if they can refurbish my RSA cam. Seems they are also planning to make some new ones .... pricey though ... thick end on £400 inc. delivery....so here's hoping mine is OK to regrind ! Good to know somebody is at least making them new though.

I have seen repro XL cams available (no pin for tacho drive though) but I can't find out the difference in cam profile is on that model.  IMD Piston people were selling XL repros for around £100 but not listed now and I found these rediculously cheap one ... but would I risk it with NOS Honda top end ...probably not  . £36 for the cam and rocker set   

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006005755524.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.5.5fdbESo1ESo19F&algo_pvid=5684d804-e3f3-4774-87d6-baa5fecd23be&algo_exp_id=5684d804-e3f3-4774-87d6-baa5fecd23be-2&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21GBP%2136.39%2136.39%21%21%21330.52%21330.52%21%40211b8f9c17267412458651502eeadc%2112000041702793467%21sea%21UK%214464760891%21ABX&curPageLogUid=rAz420KuGrAs&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A


Hello Ash,

Thank you for your email.

Send the camshaft into us and we can check it for you. Cost for a regrind is £80 + VAT and delivery.

If it is beyond repair, we are manufacturing a batch of new camshafts. Cost for one of these is £300 + VAT and delivery.
Kind regards,
Ken

Ken Newman
Newman Cams
Farnborough Way
Farnborough
Kent
BR6 7DH
Tel.: 01689 857109
Fax: 01689 855498
ken@newman-cams.com
www.newman-cams.com
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[AshimotoK0]

Well Laverda Dave and myself took pictures and dimensions of the CB250RSA fuel tank in David Silvers Museum, when we went to his CB400F event recently.

However, today I checked the tank wing decals and they are wrong (I have Piki's decals and they look spot on) plus the wings are positioned too low on the tank on the DS bike, compared with other library pics of original tanks. So this got me questioning the dark blue centre section that we took dimensions from on the DS example.

Ben Powell came round and we masked it up by eye as Menno suggested and I am going with that instead.

Just need to paint the centre section, apply Piki's decals and clear coat it all now.

[Laverda Dave]

Well that's a bit odd Ash. I wonder if the bike at DSS has been restored previously? The centre section on the tank certainly looked original but I guess unless there was an original bike next to it to compare it with we wouldn't know.
In all honesty some things are better done by eye rather than measuring especially when it comes to decals and badges etc. I did this with the new mudguards I fitted to the Triton yesterday after constant measuring and still they didn't look right I just didn't by eye and they look fine.

[AshimotoK0]

Finally got my paintwork finished. Straight from the gun ...undecided if it needs flat and polish. Thanks Diego (Piki) for the decals and yea they are all lacquered over. 

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[Nurse Julie]

That's a lovely colour Ash.

[Sesman]

Nice job, Ash. Looks really good. Does Menno know where you live? 😁😁

[AshimotoK0]

Nice job, Ash. Looks really good. Does Menno know where you live? 😁😁

Cheers .... to be honest I don't know how anyone could justify a pro paint job on one of these as sadly they never go for a lot of money when finished. The pearl blue paint cost me £60 and there is still enough left to do another complete paint set and still have a little bit left.

[Laverda Dave]

Fantastic job Ash. You can't beat the blue .
It reminds me of my old bike 😭😭😭

[AshimotoK0]

Fantastic job Ash. You can't beat the blue .
It reminds me of my old bike 😭😭😭

Got these re-chromed to go with it Dave 

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[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Your project is coming along nicely Ash, how far away is the finish line?

[Laverda Dave]

How is the Chrome on the forks Ash, mine were pitted when I bought the bike in 2000. I sent them to Philpotts in 2017 when I restored the bike. The guy I used to use for chrome plating before the environment laws kicked in chrome plated my kickstart and brake levers for added bling although the Kickstarter shaft and knuckle took some filing and smoothing before the chroming but it was worth it. The original drab finish on these items is pretty rough but then the bike was originally built to a price (as is everything!).

[Johnny4428]

Lovely looking paint job there Ash! And nice colour too.

[AshimotoK0]

How is the Chrome on the forks Ash, mine were pitted when I bought the bike in 2000. I sent them to Philpotts in 2017 when I restored the bike. The guy I used to use for chrome plating before the environment laws kicked in chrome plated my kickstart and brake levers for added bling although the Kickstarter shaft and knuckle took some filing and smoothing before the chroming but it was worth it. The original drab finish on these items is pretty rough but then the bike was originally built to a price (as is everything!).

I have had all of the chroming done that was standard on the bike Dave including the fork top nuts (kickstart I am keeping standard olive drab). I found that the original stanchions, although the chrome wasn't too bad,  were slightly bent so I bought another set that needed re-chroming and guess what they were slightly bent too. Phillpots are too expensive now so I found a place in Mansfield that my trusted mate Graham Curtis uses but not dropped them off yet. I was kind of waiting to see if David Wise at Motoclassics in Hampshire was going to start doing repros but it hasn't happened.