Featured Tiger 90 Rebuild

Two new bearings were ordered last week for the back wheel. When the package arrived this week they forgot to put the bearings in it! Finally got the new bearings and put them in the back wheel. They are a snug fit, so with a bit of loctite it should be alright on the side that was spinning. Finally I could get the wheel up on the stand and check it for lateral and radial true. It’s good enough. The new bearings are sealed, so no messing about with the LMP.

 

Too true.

 

Here is the brake plate, the trim around the edge looks like a pringles crisp edge on. The main part of the plate is a lot thicker and is all right. The inspection was followed by cleaning, hammering the edge straight, sanding and painting.

 

Minor disruption in the workshop - two wheels buckled and fell off the tool trolley. Up and running again in a few hours. This trolley always had one wobbly wheel even from new, just like supermarket trolleys. The build quality is awful, so why are they so expensive?

 

Anyway, cracking on with the restoration work on the back wheel. On with the tyre. I hate doing tyres.

 

Here is the cam for the rear brake after all the old grease had been cleaned out. The old grease had set hard. Once cleaned, the grease gun pushed the new grease out the side exactly as it should do.

 

Then the cam and the relined brake shoes went on the newly painted brake plate. This looks like progress.

 

New sealed bearing in the hub on the sprocket side. This is a proper fit and won’t turn in the hub like the old one did.

 

Sealed bearing on the offside of hub, with the spacer between the two bearings. Axle is a tight fit and hasn’t been centred yet in this pic. The slotted collar for the speedo drive has been put on. Don’t forget it has a reverse thread!

 

Spacer, speedo drive (which was cleaned and greased) goes on, then the washer and slim lock nut. I haven’t tightened the lock nut, as that will be done when the wheel is on the bike and the speedo drive correctly oriented.

 

Tightening the bearing lock ring on the drive side of the hub. When I dismantled the hub this was loose and could be undone by hand.

 

Putting the lock bolt into the lock ring.

 

Putting the brake drum on with its eight bolts and lock nuts.

 

Putting the sprocket on the brake drum.

 

Busy busy all this work will pay off in how it rides.

 

Then the brake plate on. I know the brake arm is not at the correct angle but that will be sorted when the torque arm and brake rod go on.

 

And that’s it for today, the finished back wheel in the frame. Progress!

 

Was the tyre safety bolt and fixing plate ok or rusted solid?

 

Completely rusted, not usable.