Kaff's XBR (now sold to.... "don't worry, I've got this covered!" - ylisuuta

[guest1130]

So, today I had a chance to prepare the frame ready for powder coating. The lock stop is now fixed, I used the old bent one, straightened it and added some more material by welding to get the correct shape. Then covered all the sensitive places and sandblasted the frame.


After the sandblasting I noticed that the frame was cracked! The left bottom tube was cracked almost all the way around just next to the seam. Patched that up and then the final blast.




Freshly sandblasted XBR frame - A new start for this bike:


My best friend TJV, who's in my opinion the best mechanic around, and has helped me a LOT with various projects, including this one.


A nice little detail, got the model plate off pretty intact and it will be a nice touch on the finished bike.

[el vencejo]

I´m enjoying this one... completely blank canvas to start on

Have you decided on colours yet?

[guest1130]

Have you decided on colours yet?

This bike is going to be black. The frame will be powdercoated to semi-gloss black, and I'm not sure wether the rest of the parts that will be painted will be matt or glossy black (I'm tipping towards matt).

[mini-thumper]

You gotta go matt! Remember what I said previously about a suitable name - 'Matt Finnish'

Boyd

[guest1130]

While waiting for my frame to come back from the powdercoaters, I took some time to clean the VERY oxidised and dirty engine. A brass brush, some steel wool and and a lot of elbowgrease later, the valve cover and head are a bit tidier:



I also took the electric start off, to see a bit how the engine would look without it. Initially removing it was in the plan to save weight and also to get a tiny battery. The real dilemma with removing the starter lies in wether to chop the crankcase cover, since there's no need for the starter overhang. However, if the cover is chopped, it also needs to be welded because of the hole for the sprocket to witch the starter takes on. Also it excludes the option to fit the starter back on... I really can't decide right now.

[el vencejo]

Go on, chop it, you know you really want to

[guest1130]

The frame came back from the powdercoater, the colour is semi-gloss black and I love it. A few really hard-to-get-to places were a bit unpainted, I'll haveto get some paint to them using a fine brush later. Overall, I'm really happy with the result. Tomorrow I'll move most of the bike to my place for re-assembly.



Oh, and did I mention that I'm going to do the reassembly in my tiny third floor studio apartment ? I don't know if I'll take it apart again and do the final reassembly somewhere else or if I'll do it all the way in my apartment and get some friends to help me carry this 150kg bike three stories down ...

[turkeyuk]

While waiting for my frame to come back from the powdercoaters, I took some time to clean the VERY oxidised and dirty engine. A brass brush, some steel wool and and a lot of elbowgrease later, the valve cover and head are a bit tidier:



I also took the electric start off, to see a bit how the engine would look without it. Initially removing it was in the plan to save weight and also to get a tiny battery. The real dilemma with removing the starter lies in wether to chop the crankcase cover, since there's no need for the starter overhang. However, if the cover is chopped, it also needs to be welded because of the hole for the sprocket to witch the starter takes on. Also it excludes the option to fit the starter back on... I really can't decide right now.

You could try using the XL600 generator cover and clutch cable assembly as the crank cases are the same.
http://docs.google.com/viewer?
a=v&q=cache:OBp1VBlCt70J:www.hondaxl.it/download/Manuali/XL600R_honda/part_05.pdf+honda+xl600+generator+cover&hl=en&gl=uk&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESj_c5NJRpSeh5X9kltPiWY7dEz9HblIW75RcCxTY4F87QdGwpDrBYJ7EOscAcpVz3rXEzW_EKeBD_6A4D0YxpNGNRsLaaXk9cLtsPMKQ4w_zzeoT0WEAmGANEU8M-cLLwu7lPCI&sig=AHIEtbR4-EKE7gRusNvUpxadiy7KgBvF0w



or make up a blanking plate like mine:

inner cover has blanks turned and glued into place:

[el vencejo]

turkeyuk :
Do you know if the XR series kickstart only covers will fit: they look the same 

[guest1130]

Thanks for the info on the XL600 covers, turkeyuk, would be cool to fit one, if I could find one.. Fleabay offered one, but posted here it would be around 70-80€ so I think I'll make some blanking plates instead.

The project is now moved to my place, but I haven't been able to do much, because of schoolwork. I've painted the pale spots from the frame and cleaned some of the rear fork parts:


The chain slider was a real pain to get clean, and it's also pretty worn, but will haveto do. BTW, do you guys know any good ways to "revive" rubber parts?

[turkeyuk]

Im not sure about the XR cover but it looks the same.

Ive vapour blasted all my rubber parts to get them clean, when you mean revive do you mean flexible again or just looking new?

[guest1130]

when you mean revive do you mean flexible again or just looking new?

Well, both I guess.

I just did a f**k up worth mentioning, I was installing the in-good-shape-had-a-REALLY-hard-time-taking-them-out-in-one-piece rear fork bushings back into their places. As I was HAMMERING (!!!) the first one in, and whaddyaknow, the hammer slipped and took a really nice chunk off the bushing.

Just kill me, please.

I'm gonna go and try to drown myself in a drinking glass.

If that fails, I may need to fabricate one new bushing, since these are not found in Finland, and I hardly see myself ordering one stupid bushing overseas.

[turkeyuk]

ooooh bu**er, turn some out of nylon on a lathe

[guest564]

Thanks for the info on the XL600 covers, turkeyuk, would be cool to fit one, if I could find one.. Fleabay offered one, but posted here it would be around 70-80€ so I think I'll make some blanking plates instead.

The XL600 covers are also magnesium so they are a little bit lighter as well as having 'magnesium' cast into them them for added bling.

[Ian]

Hi Kaff, if you can find out the dimensions for the "offending" bush, I may be able to make one out of some nylon I have lying around. PM me

HTH

Ian