The CBR600 is stripped and in boxes, the Aprilia has it’s MoT, the ZX6R has gone to it’s new home so I have some space in the workshop. Or rather did have some space in the workshop for about 20 minutes. Those various holes have now been filled with the skanky post apocalyptic TDM850, a hideous Chinese “thing” and my CBR1000F with the rattly cam chain. I keep putting that job off but I really must get to it, I haven’t touched the bike for months. I know the carbs need going through and the cam chain needs doing but apart from that it could be made ready for sale quite easily.
Last time I had tried to start the TDM but hadn’t been able to, a quick carb clean and a new pair of plugs soon had the old girl stirring in to life. I only ran it for few minutes to check the engine, despite it’s high recorded mileage it ran really well. There was no exhaust smoke or anything from the engine so that can go on sale when I get it stripped.
The silly little Chinese Chopper type thing is just a bit of fun. I had got it running but it wasn’t right so I put a new carb on it. These things run a Walbro strimmer type thing with a primer bulb, you can buy a complete carb for 8 quid, so that’s what I did.
It was missing it’s ignition switch so I hot wired it to try it out, It went round the garden a couple of times, the speedo told me I hit 20MPH!! I’m sure there should be a decimal point in there somewhere. What the hey, some kid will love it. I have a new switch for it , I just need to wire it up now.
I made a new end for the exhaust pipe of the SV and welded it in place. I used my trusty old Chinese arc welder for the job, which it did pretty well. I’m not really used to welding stuff that thin and blew a hole in it, which I had to fill but I am pleased with the result. I have had that welder for about 15 years now and it has never let me down. I have built 3 cars with it and done numerous other jobs so it has had a pretty hard life. I think I only paid about £130 for it back then so it doesn’t owe me anything.
I have decided that the worst job in the world is replacing the exhaust on an SV650. My advice would have to be – remove the shock. Without doing that it is nigh on impossible to get your hands / tools in to do the job. Designed by Satan, the thing is truly nasty and best avoided, getting the little stub pipe back on the rear cylinder caused me no small amount of inconvenience and resulted in yet more high volume swearing. If you live within a ten mile radius, you probably heard me. Sorry.
Anyway, enough of all that, I got it all done, it sounds much nicer now and it’s all gone back together splendidly so it’s off to the MoT we go. I had it booked in with Julian at J and B Motorcycles in Boston as per usual. He has an SV as his daily run around so he knows them well. I am rather embarrassed to have to admit that it failed. I thought the back brake was ok but on the test machine it was way below the efficiency required by “the man”. There was clearly an air bubble making itself known although it had felt fine in the workshop. I think it may have been in the braided pipe that has a wee upward curve to it where it leaves the master cylinder. Julian being the fine upstanding gentleman that he is cracked the union nut, let the bubble free and retested it. It’s all good now. It will be a great bike for somebody, I will bash it out cheap as it has a few cosmetic challenges but is a good solid bike with cheap insurance as it has a datatool Thatcham approved alarm in it.
I have to say that alarm drove me sodding mental, to comply with the Thatcham regs it has to automatically arm – something it did every 15 seconds after switching it off. When it goes off it is incredibly loud and I have to say a large number of pairs of underpants were ruined as a result. Mind you if more bikes had them fitted a lot less would get pinched and then maybe all our insurances would go down so musn’t grumble too loudly.
The Aprilia passed it’s MoT I now have to decide what to do with it. I haven’t really finished looking at it yet but if somebody came along with a large pile of folding I would probably let it go. I’m just not emotionally ready yet 🙂 Anyways, see you next time – Dave.
Article provided by David Powell of Boston Bike Bits.
