A Little Tinkerin', A Little Drinkerin'

[Guest]

I'd forgotten about Transac... ooops! ('Specially seeing as they're a Brissie company).

I don't think I wanna ask them how much to make me a scrambler style pipe for mine though, that would be way scary... then again it would save me making it myself when I have no idea...

You might be surprised . Give them a call .

Cheers , Simon . :idea:

 

[Guest]

You might be surprised . Give them a call .

Cheers , Simon . :idea:

Hmmmm... ray:

 

[Leigh]

Aargh, what a week.
I ran out of exhaust wrap about a foot shy of what I needed.
So I had to order another 10 metre roll. Ouch!

Anyways, I took the pipes down to the exhaust shop and asked them to cut the midpipe back a bit, flare it and clean up the end of the muffler where I had belted it off the old pipes.

"Can't flare that", he says "It'll split. I can weld a piece around it to fit the can if you like?"

"Fair enough" I said.
About 25 minutes later he hands me a still smoking set of headers with a nicely mig'd expansion pipe on it and a cleaned up can.
"How much do I owe you?" I cringed.
"Nothing. You'll be right mate"
I was pleased.

So the new roll of tape came in and I set to the shed this afternoon.
Pipes are wrapped all the way now. Lovely.
Zorst is fitted and bolted up. A bit of a bugger of a job but all done now.
Forks are in, wheel is on, calipers are bolted in place.
It's looking quite sharp.

All to easy, I thought. I shouldn't have.

The you-beaut new braided stainless lines. Pah!
They are about 5 inches too long on either side and that's with the forks at full extension.

I've emailed the Goodridge supplier to request a refund as they are useless to me.

Photos to follow. I left the camera in the shed. Oops.

 

[Guest]

Mate that's sounding good!!! A free job from an exhaust shop? You got them on a retainer or something?

I'll wait (im)patiently for those pic's... sounding like it's lookin' sharp indeed, bugger on those braided lines though! Are they supposed to be correct for your model or were they custom?

 

[Leigh]

The correct "race kit" from John Stamnas.
Race Kit means two lines instead of the original 3 piece.
But they bugged out so far from the wheel I could have almost wrapped it around the other fork leg.

I'll go see my mate at Pirtek and see what he can do for me.

 

[Guest]

I get ya', and wow that's long! You would think a "race" kit would be pretty accurate; can't imagine someone like Robbie Phillis wanting 5" extra hanging off his forks...

So John Stamnas... another online store new to me... you do find some gems don't you!

There's another mob that do braided lines called HEL that are apparently manufactured here if you have no luck with Pirtek.

http://helperformance.com.au/

This place sells them also and is where I got my 'bars and rear sprocket from:

https://www.slipstreamperformance.com.au/store/index.php

 

[Leigh]

Yeah, HEL was my next option if I can't get anything out of Pirtek.

 

[Ricko19]

I recently got an upper front hose from HEL based up her in Brissy. They were very good and so was the price.

It was a custom make up as I needed a longer one than stock for my 'new' higher bars. They also use stainless fittings as standard, and are ADR compliant.

Looking forward to your pics!

 

[Leigh]

Righto, photos as promised.
The pipes are wrapped and bolted in.

The front end is bolted up with the original brake lines for now. I haven't put the bracket for the lines back on yet.

These are the Goodrige lines dummied up from the master cylinder and plumbed neatly.

If I sit them at the caliper they either bow out passed the width of the engine or cross over the guard to the other fork leg.

I spoke to my mate from Pirtek and he said they won't touch them due to ADR compliance.
But he put me onto a joint nearby that makes them up.
About $50 a line and about $40 for the anti-dive lines.
$180 sure beats $265. I should have shopped around a bit more.

I spoke to Kevin at Stamnas and he said no problems, just post them back up for the refund.

Once I get the bike on the road, I will take it up to the other brake joint and get them to make them up with the bike there.

 

[Leigh]

I meant to add that the tyres turned up today.
Metzeler Lasertec.
They look as though he has just scrubbed the wax off them.

 

[Guest]

Nice work on the exhaust wrap and good news on the lines! Glad they'll take them back coz they're ridiculously long.

New tyres too hey? Cool, you'll be on it and ridin' in no time

 

[Leigh]

I hope to have it out by next weekend.
I'm going nuts without a bike.

I am missing out on vital therapy being stuck in the car.

 

[Ricko19]

Nice work Leigh - hope she's up and about next weekend as planned

 

[Guest]

I feel your pain... will be 9 years for me early next year...

Imagine how nuts I am!! Actually don't, coz it's too scary...

I'm sure you'll have yours all ready to roll come next weekend and we won't see no more posts from you coz you'll be far too busy wheeling down the GOR or some such wondrous two wheeled paradise type tarmac'd wonderland...

 

[Leigh]

9 years?
What could have gone so horrendously wrong in one man's life to keep him off a bike for 9 years?

Of course there will be more posts, Pete.
Most likely in the ride photo section.
"Here's me on the Black Spur"
".. Reefton Spur"
".. Great Ocean Road"
".. Thorpdale Road"
".. "
Well, you get the point.
Hehehe.

I actually sat back and had a long look at it tonight.
I'm not going to rush it for the GP weekend.
There is still a lot of little detail work to do that I'd like to take some time on.

It's funny, I was propped on the Esky with the muffler on my knees and the Autosol on the rag.
I was just absent-mindedly polishing the can as I looked over the bike.
I thought "Bugger it. I'm only going to stuff something up if I rush it"
It was a relief as I was stressing a bit to get it done.
Now, there's no pressure.

Just so long as I get it done for the Classic in January.

 

[Guest]

Well, first I had to get a car coz riding for work was fine, except carrying spare PC parts in a backpack was getting a little old and the need to go further with more gear was happening more often.

So I did that, then realised the chain, sprockets, and rear tyre needed to be done and no spare cash for that, all going on paying for the car (I was paid crap at that time). Last ride was moving house in 2002.

So, it sat neglected and I decided to tear it down in 2005 for various reasons, then I changed jobs and ended up with some more cash, but no spare time.

So, this year the whole "I need to go for a ride" thing really hit home in a big way, not happy Jan! So it's now sort of a bid for desperation to get it going coz I need to ride.

I have no idea how I got this far without getting on two wheels actually, but I think it's the fact that the 450 has just always been sitting there waiting patiently for me and the fact that I didn't want a new bike or any other bike either, just this trusty old one that got me out of a really tight squeeze years ago.

Anyways, you get the idea... life always seems to intervene with what you want

So, as for your not rushing, I 100% agree. If you rush it, you probably will stuff it, or you will skip some seemingly unnecessary things that will come back and haunt you later.

Don't feel pressure from us, take your time, do it well, and keep taking those pic's for our pleasure (and yours of course!) and it'll be on the road in no time.

As for those roads... well... yeah... lucky ba*&%#d

Eventually I intend to be doing the same for Mt Glorious, Mt Nebo, Mt Mee, Dayboro area, etc... you get the idea

 

[Leigh]

I understand about life getting in the damned way of fun.

We will compare photos of the Warrigal-Korumburra Road against your shots from the Gillies Ranges.

We'll show the Yanks what roads are meant to look like.

 

[Guest]

Had to Google Gillies Ranges... think they'll be a tad too far north by the looks

But we will show off roads indeed!!!

 

[Leigh]

Too far North?
They won't be once you get the bike out on the road.
You have 9 years of catching up to do.

 

[Leigh]

Basically today turned to crap.

The paint has gone to orange peel.
It looks like a fat chick's leg after the hypothermia set in.

I can live with that until next Winter, when a mate gets home, and I will send the bits up to him to remedy my attempts.

The mirror glass fell out of one of the flash new units. I have repaired that.

The master cylinder screws were rusted and crumbled under the head of the screwdriver.
I drilled them out successfully and replaced them with stainless items.
But now the brakes don't feel as though they have bled up correctly.

I fitted up the tank and re-plumbed the hose and wiring.
I even managed to balls up the spade connectors for the fuel sender.

I thought I might fire it up to set the exhaust wrap and see how the exhaust had settled in.
It hadn't. Leaks galore around the head.
Bugger.
The original Suzuki pipes have a wider flange at the head of the pipe than the Kawasaki ones.
This allows the pipes to seal better against the crush washer.
The Kwaka pipes don't.
Looks like I'll have to go hunting for a new set after all.

But I did get flames, so not all is lost.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9MoN0oIDy4