Featured New Member, New Build

I was thinking whether those guys who do tyres out of their van would consider bringing a few tyres round to try on for size. I'd also like to try a few tyres without having to buy all of them. Maybe I'll give one of them a ring once I'm ready for tyres to see what he can do if I'm happy to pay for his time and the actual tyres that fit.
I've not been in Bristol that long, mostly South London. That's where the kids and grandkids are. I really got fed up with spending my working days mostly based in the car travelling from one site to another. So I emigrated to 'Gert Lush Brizzle'.

 

Today's windy and showery escapades were to sign the battery cover, weld on some zorst brackets, afix the lectrics box, move ignition switch and reassemble. Took all day. The days don't seem as long as they are a smaller % of my life so far. I must be moving slower as well but I'm drinking more tea per hour. I should have been finished last Thursday if my calculations are correct but there seems to be an error. I'm not worried though are you?

 

Today's episode of 'Anything may happen in the next half hour!':
Realised, to my horror, that I'd put the 'leccy box in the centre so it blocked the run of the chain. FFS, schoolboy error. This is why things are only tack welded in just in case they need to change. Had I just tack welded in? Nope. FFS, schoolboy error.
Dismantle, grind, grind and a bit more grind. Sorted.



Another day gone without much achieved, other than bruises from kicking oneself. Still, made up a new brake torque stay and bent the brake lever so the back brake actually, sort of, works. I also found an old tax disc that is the correct date for manufacture. 'B' Reg.



Sun actually came out for 5 minutes so quickly took some pictures, yes. Front brake (what there is of it) to sort.

 

Tricky, it's a Kenda Challenger 130/90 x 16. I can measure the actual sizes of it tomorrow if you like.

 

They look to be a fairly cheap tyre.
It may have been chucked on by the PO, but it's been put on backwards, i.e. the 'drive' (direction) arrow points the wrong way. Didn't notice on the very brief rides on the first re build of the engine but I wasn't going to risk anything.
However, back to the tyre, the actual sizes are: diameter of wheel = 435mm, height of tyre = 90mm (total diameter of wheel and tyre = 615mm) and width of tyre = 135mm. I thought the width was a bit over so blew it up a bit more. It made no difference.
If I was buying tyres I probably wouldn't go for one of these. They seem a bit too solid/hard.

 

Troy Tempest's exploits today are to try to get the miniscule front brake working. This is what's what in the morning:



So, took off front wheel, took drum apart and straightened a few bits out. I will ask Mr Google if any spares are available for these (I know Lowbrow sell the complete wheels but spares? anyone know of any?). Removed 'orrible matt black paint.
Note: any of you who are considering a matt black rattle can to try to tart things up - it doesn't.
Put it all back together again.



Got me trusty disc cutter and hammer to make up a fairly substantial torque bracket to fit over the cable stay on the drum front plate. I did consider drilling and bolting on a torque stay but there's not a lot of room inside the drum.



I had one of these obtained from good old fleabay with a half inch splined bolt up hole (see, down there for dancing, think ahead)



The bolt wasn't too effective at bolting tight as it was hitting bottom of hole, so rather than drilling through I added an extra nut so all bolts up nice and tight now. Cut bracket down to fit and added a Tiger Cub's cable adjuster and fork end.



So, all just about done other than making up a brake cable and clutch cable. Jolly japes and goody gumdrops ya'll
And as Troy would say "That's a very well lit crater for an old volcano at the bottom of the sea."

 

Never really liked Joe 90, he had a speedo complete with cable, a clutch cable but no front brake cable. So, small stainless bracket made up to bolt speedo onto top yoke. And that's bloody it! (Other than front brake cable, new shoes all round, seat upholstery, oil lines, engine rebuild, fettling etc).
I'll sit around for ages now wondering about paint colours although will obviously go for black and shiny. Then dismantle, prep and paint - it'll take ages, but I'd only be bored otherwise waiting for my second vaccine stab.

 

So, after many teas and a cylinder head, off another bike, that needed some loving care. I've become more enamored.. enamelled..enorable...enarmoured..erm...pleased with this. Never thought I was gonna like a sort of digger look. So, binned the tractor seat, binned the sissy bar.
Now have chunky (like a Yorkie) rear mudguard stays (managed to burn myself again while welding cause I forget the metal gets well hot and doesn't cool for ages) and a weenie seat. Will keep the small bates rear light and add an even smaller number plate.





Can start to dismantle now for making pretty.

 

I dunno, I've never had an Amen Savior frame before. The frame already had a bracket built in for the mudguard, and as the designers seemed to know what they were doing, I kept the distance all around the wheel. It does look a bit much I know but I don't know how much that sprung hub is gonna move. All the Amen framed chops I found on Mr Google had a fair amount of movement allowance as well. I've also got that weird Kenda back tyre that will be replaced with something wider to just miss the chain, so that'll lessen the gap. Once it's running I'll give it a whirl over some bumps and try some form of marker to get how much it springs. It'll be fairly easy to move the mudguard later.
You are right though, I can't say I'm a great fan of the design but it is starting to grow on me, and after all, it is a cool absolutely original 70s dude, psychodelic, hippy motorsickle. good grief

 

No worries, no holes picked. Yeah, I saw someone else who had made up mounts on an Amen frame for the mudguard that moved with the wheel but it was a bit complicated for me.
Ah, paint, I've painted hundreds of commissions, right from cellulose Johnny Reb flags (when I had to come out of the painting shed as I got too dizzy and needed some fresh air) right through to painting a rack of jackets in a cupboard on the side of a helmet with acrylics.
And, you know what, shiny black is always best. I may throw in some nice skinny flames on the tank though.

 

Cut the drag bars down a bit by 2" off each end and have binned that feckin useless throttle twist grip. I'll need a new set of carb cables now as the useless twist grip has almost worn through the wire by me trying to get it to work smoothly. That'll teach me to buy a cheap one, bloody hell. Save 15 and cost 50 quid. I've had the twist grip in my stash for ages and I even binned the horrible old one without thinking......

Now write out a hundred times:

Don't fall for the cheap stuff,
Don't fall for the cheap stuff,
Don't fall for the cheap stuff,
Don't fall for the cheap stuff,
Don't fall for the cheap stuff,
Don't......ffs, how awfully annoying, what what

 

So, having binned the sissy bar I needed a back light and number plate bracket. I really don't like the lights and plates mounted on the side and I really really don't like those new sorts that wrap around the back tyres on their own bracket.
Take a section of inch square to fit across the mudguard and cut two bits out to allow overlaps:



Take the weenie bits just cut off and drill for bolts:



Tack weld the bolt's heads (so there's no faffing about when bolting on the number plate) and drill and bolt the square section - tack those bolts in too (for the same reason):



Fold over the ends of the square section and tack weld them shut:



Drill appropriate holes in mudguard (making sure there's enough room so the number plate doesn't vibrate against the mudguard).



Attach square section to mudguard:



Cut out an ally plate the size of your number plate (we're going for a 6" by 4" here) I know, I don't care do I ? Drill holes and attach the weenie bits with bolts welded in. Hold at the angle wanted and tack weld them on:



Take the plate off and drill for the back light mounts:



Bolt everything up and hey Prestatyn! All done other than moving the grommeted hole for the wiring. Jolly hockey sticks:

 

So, to come apart and get all the rewelding, grinding, filling, sanding done before the pretty stuff.



Bodywork bits removed



Front off



Remember these, all new replacement headstock bearings to go back in when rebuild comes around



Back wheel out



A bit of help from the Admin Staff to get engine out and onto stand. Looking forward to climbing into it.



Then the infamous Amen Savior springs out. There seems to be a lot of opinions and methods on how these come out - citing the use of cable ties, levers, and large hammers. I'll do another thread in "technical help" on removing them without risking life and limb. Maybe it'll prove helpful to new Amen frame owners who do a search on Mr Google.



Lots of worn away fingers due to sanding next - what fun

 

Ordered new brake shoes yesterday and they arrived today. 7 inch from Feked and 4 inch from Motorcycle Products (great site for all sorts of good gear, good prices and great customer service).
These are the old ones. You can see why twin leading shoes are more effective at stopping. Just in case you were wondering I turned the shoes round during the build, they were still rubbish at stopping even just pushing the bike.
God knows what the front is going to be like. Reviews of new ones that are still available for chop builds reckon they just about hold the bike on a hill. He he, we'll see.
Still working on the welding on the frame and fettling it ready for the 2 pack primer. It's surprising how the water got under the lead work in parts causing surface rust. Not an issue on the thick webs of a bike frame but could be a problem if done on a car panel back in the day.