'Diamond in the rough'

Hey, what projects are you planning or preparing for? CBX, other motos, workshop, WHATEVAH!
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bikeymikey748
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Re: 'Diamond in the rough'

Post by bikeymikey748 »

Today went sort of like;Cut/grind/ fit/grind/fit/grind/fit......tack/clean up mess/pour a Scotch :-)
Oh, and then my wife walks in, and comedian that she is , says," You know, I think I liked it better stock". :hand:

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I am trying to follow a self-imposed schedule, and so far, so good.Shortly, I should have the lower section of the top shock mount and some slight additions to the lower, done. Then it's on to the rearsets and their mounts. With them in place it'll be muffler mount time. I'm still uncertain if I'll be keeping the DG silencer or grafting on a newer can. I like the taper of the DG well enough, but anticipate mounting problems with the GSXR rearsets.
I don't plan on keeping the, LARGE, stock battery. I'm looking at a smaller gel-cell, that can be mounted anyway you want. I have limited space to use ( but its all about CCA's no?), and will fab the seat mounts at the same time. I want to get all this done in the very near future, so I can haul the frame over to Rollie's place for him to do the final, critical, TIG welds to all that I've tacked into place.
Then its motor time.I'm looking at a few auctions to get myself the inner alternator clutch, so I can fab a (no longer available) tool to lock the primary shaft in place ('82, with a locking collar on the primary gear).
Yesterday's quizz? Rick was pretty close, it came from a car alright only it was the 'foot' from a car jack. Hey, any port in a storm. I won't mention where I got the support members for the upper shock mount :lol:
Last edited by bikeymikey748 on Thu Jan 23, 2020 6:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: 'Diamond in the rough'

Post by bikeymikey748 »

More stuff got done ! Most of the rear subframe is in place. Here's a shot of the seat placement being scrutinized ( just a bit of air back there...turns out that's how it goes when trying to claw back any available ground clearance by dropping the rear arm as much as possible to compensate for the shorter USD front end). It only looks really extreme BTW. I also hope to quicken the steering slightly....'Eyeball Engineering' at its finest :laughing-rolling:

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More frame members ( not yet triangulated, I'm debating muffler placement, and may have to tie into the seat support at some place). Oh, and act like you know nothing if my wife asks have you seen her lawn chair :shock: ;

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Rearsets got tacked into position too. I used existing mounts for the lower bolt & fabbed these adaptors for the uppers;

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Frame modded & adaptors tacked into place;

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Quick fit of rh rearset, suprisingly, they feel pretty comfy when I tried a short seating session !

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Posting here is almost like I imagine being a radio host must be like...I mean, you put stuff out there, and you're never certain if anyone is listening....
Any thoughts, comments ? Give me something to go on lads.
Last edited by bikeymikey748 on Thu Jan 23, 2020 6:57 pm, edited 5 times in total.

steve murdoch icoa #5322
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Re: 'Diamond in the rough'

Post by steve murdoch icoa #5322 »

Mike, having seen the pic of your shop it makes your fab skills even more impressive.
I wish i could comment on the design aspects of your build but it is way out of my league.
Scavenging from lawn furniture? At least you will have 6 months til she finds out.

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Re: 'Diamond in the rough'

Post by NobleHops »

What Steve said. I can mostly bolt stuff together (if Dave says it fits), and rebuild and refinish some of it it, but out and out creation and fabrication like you're doing is pure FM to me, and M stands for "Magic".

I would like metal fabrication skills, may take a welding course at my VoTech next and then possibly autobody, as I'd like to learn to paint too. So I'll do better about egging you on, but as I said previously, your posts are the ones I look forward to as much as anyone's.

I have a gnarly project waiting and I am sort-of stalling, finishing odds and ends on the CBX and the BMW and getting my shop in order before I do. It was originally supposed to be this winter's project but I doubt I'll get to it before I take off for South Africa in January. So keep em coming please Mike. I am screwing up my courage.

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Tucson, Arizona, USA '80 CBX, sort-of restored :-)

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Re: 'Diamond in the rough'

Post by daves79x »

Mike:

As I told someone recently, most of us are happy to get these old things running close to what Honda intended. I fall into that category, mostly. But what you are doing takes skills way beyond that. Most of us read your posts in awe of your abilities. Jim Z. from Cincinnati, OH. and J. R. L. from Michigan do similar amazing custom CBX work. Makes me feel like a real duffer when I visit Jim's shop. Anyway, that's why many of us haven't commented much - we're all mesmorized by what you are doing and couldn't imagine doing anything like that ourselves.

Certainly keep the reports coming and tell your wife I'll buy her a new chair - well worth it to follow your amazing project!

Dave

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Re: 'Diamond in the rough'

Post by deadbanana0717 »

bikeymikey748 wrote:
I hate you bikeymikey748!!
Ya....I get that a lot :laughing-rolling:
Seriously, DB0717, get a move on. I can't do this on my own. I'm going to need all the help I can get. Who better to guide me than someone else in the same (sinking) boat?

O M G. . .

Mikey! your progress in this short period of time is awe inspiring. I am in a totally different league. (Newbie bike builder here with no knowledge or experience.)

I truely wish you were my neighbour then we could work on it together but even in that case i would probably be more of a hindrance than any help.

I haven't even gotten to the big strip down yet. (lacking space in the garage. recently cleaned it out and built some organizers in oct/nov.) now i have enough space to park my bikes/vehicle.

and a few set backs in terms of work prevented me from even getting the carbs done.

I will definitly read all these posts again and get working as soon as possible. keep up the good work. come to toronto for a visit =)

*Cough* bring your welding tools too!

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Re: 'Diamond in the rough'

Post by bikeymikey748 »

Um, thanks a bunch, very kind words from you all. Man is it just me , or is it getting hot in here? I mean, I was hoping, maybe for a "really swell job", or "not bad so far"...Skill? Awe inspiring ? The pressure's definitely on me now....what if (when ) I screw up ( again), step on someone's toes ????
I can't stand it.....Wow, this is gonna keep me up nights !
Let's just see how this is all going to play out...who knows huh? Seems there are a few of us anxious to see how this finally ends up...no one more than me :D I mean, I usually start in one direction, and after many twits and turns....end up in another.Toyota mechanic by trade, no one's more suprised than me when I turn the key after a motor rebuild....and it just purrs along. Life's funny that way, I take nothing for granted anymore and never describe a job as being an easy one until after its done with no issues!
Good to know I've got some (Knowledgable) folks in my corner though, you'll never know how that feels to have that to rely on....
I hope I don't let you down.....

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Re: 'Diamond in the rough'

Post by EMS »

bikeymikey748 wrote: ....what if (when ) I screw up ( again), step on someone's toes ????
.....
Mike! You shouldn't worry about this. As far as I am concerned, people who come to a forum like ours should be tolerant enough and have skin thick enough to take it... or wear steel toe boots 8) 8) You are not only doing an outstanding job for yourself but also for the community by documenting it the way you do. Hats off! :text-thankyouyellow:

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Re: 'Diamond in the rough'

Post by deadbanana0717 »

EMS wrote:
bikeymikey748 wrote: ....what if (when ) I screw up ( again), step on someone's toes ????
.....
Mike! You shouldn't worry about this. As far as I am concerned, people who come to a forum like ours should be tolerant enough and have skin thick enough to take it... or wear steel toe boots 8) 8) You are not only doing an outstanding job for yourself but also for the community by documenting it the way you do. Hats off! :text-thankyouyellow:
:clap:

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Re: 'Diamond in the rough'

Post by bikeymikey748 »

Well, managed to complete another big(ish) issue...my DG is in :D
First off, trust me when I tell you that I've mounted a bunch of exhaust systems in my day. Hands down, this DG 6-1 was the worst to wrestle into place :evil: I mean, I hand to shorten pipes to fit into the collector, re-bend others, and finish every opening in the collector so the head pipes would go in !. Tools were flung (although in my tiny garage, they don't go all that far), cusses shouted!
Other issues with this system: I didn't like that the collector and muffler were one unit, made life hard mounting them up. Also, the muffler was too low, for my taste;

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Help was as near as my local auto parts store. They have a whole selection of pipe adaptors and sundry.Off I went with my, now severed, muffler section in hand and, for the price of a cheap chicken dinner, I picked up these items:

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A grind here, a MIG tack there and this is what I ended up with ( I'm diggin' the old-school tapered silencer, though the resonator will be opened up to release that killer sound) :D

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Now, my muffler is a seperate unit (I fabbed a pinch-mount for it on its underside):

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Here's my, new and improved, collector mount. Its a two-part bracket, to ease installation.

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Incidentaly, the muffler stay arm is an old rear brake stay from a dirt bike that was gathering dust in my, cramped, workshop.
For those of you have have ,not yet, dosed off out of boredom, this completes all of the major structural mods I have to do to the 'X'. Still to come are 'incidentals' like battery, horn, and ign. switch mounts, etc. Easy-peasy. Then the motor etc. But...the major grinding/fabricating is coming to an end ( thank the mechanical Gods!).
Last edited by bikeymikey748 on Thu Jan 23, 2020 7:08 pm, edited 7 times in total.

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Re: 'Diamond in the rough'

Post by steve murdoch icoa #5322 »

Had the same fit problems with a DG pipe. I like the look of the serpentine head pipes, not so much the muffler.
Four months til spring in Montreal, you are going to have to slow down.

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Re: 'Diamond in the rough'

Post by NobleHops »

Awesome. :text-goodpost: :text-coolphotos:

What's the 'finishing' concept for this bike? Streetfighter? Polished custom? One-off?

Have you seen Bike EXIF perchance? Awesome site, lots of inspiration to be had there.

:text-bravo: :text-bravo:

N.
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Tucson, Arizona, USA '80 CBX, sort-of restored :-)

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Re: 'Diamond in the rough'

Post by bikeymikey748 »

Four months until spring? I have a funny feeling the time is going to fly past! Can't imagine why....
What's the 'finishing' concept for this bike? Streetfighter? Polished custom? One-off?
Have you seen Bike EXIF perchance? Awesome site, lots of inspiration to be had there.
Well, I really only have two body parts to come up with painting/graphic ideas for, the tank and the front fender. Makes things easier. I have a 'suprise' in the way of a gas tank mod. In fact, I just recieved my $10.00 e-Bay find for it last week. Stay tuned 8) .
Nils, if I go telling you all of my painting plans I'll kill any chance of building suspense. Besides, I'm still a ways off from that just now.
I will admit that I was toying with the, loopy, idea of mounting Honda Mini Trail tank badges to it.But , in the end, decided that it was a bit too much over the top, even for me :o Still......
Bike Exif? Yup, one of my regular haunts. That and :
http://motorcyclephotooftheday.com/
Are among two of my daily(ish) stops. You're right, great ideas to be had.
I got a call out to my buddy,Rollie, regarding the TIG work he's lined up for. I hope he can find time to start in on it in the next little while :pray:

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Re: 'Diamond in the rough'

Post by bikeymikey748 »

Short post:
My new battery got here today :D I was looking at ,smaller, gel-cells. My buddy, Mike G's CBR954 battery caught my eye, but was only rated at 190CCA. Scouting about I found this bad boy, rated at 230CCA and only slightly larger than Mike's, but appreciably smaller than the stock 'X' bit ( at right in the photo). Gives me lots more latitude in placement. Being a gel cell, I can put it upside down, sideways, whatever....another big +:

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I also figured out how to lock my primary shaft in place for engine work ( the Honda SST is no longer available) I started with an alternator coupling ( I found for cheap on e-Bay) and modded it to accept a large nut I'll be welding in place. Added plus ? When fitting it up, I noticed that if a 'flat' was machined on one edge, it would lock in place while resting on the engine case (photo #2). I'm anal, and will weld the nut on anyway, but still, its cool how things work out sometimes :-)

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Last edited by bikeymikey748 on Thu Jan 23, 2020 7:10 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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Re: 'Diamond in the rough'

Post by EMS »

Mike, I like the little touch of taking photos of parts on top of the service manual! Very classy! 8) 8)

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