My XBR project

[iansoady]

I've attached the little "wings" to the front of the seat pan using pop rivets. I tried the magic epoxy resin but it wouldn't stick to the plastic. On trying it all out it looks as though the side panels will actually tuck up under the seat and tank quite nicely if I raise the front mountings by 10mm or so, which is good news. I must say things are falling into place very conveniently.

[Moto63]

. I must say things are falling into place very conveniently.

We all need just a little bit of luck from time to time Ian, just to compliment what ever skill base one has. 👍
Cheers, Michael

[iansoady]

Just came across this pic of a 1992 GB250 (Japanese only I think) which is very much the look I'm after (apart from the red frame!). That tank is very similar in profile to the CX500 one. I think my side panels will look better however.

[Itsme]

Oooo that is flippin' lovely. I love the red frame, I used to paint the frames of my trail CZs red as I'm sure it made them lighter and better handling. I think the GB250 looks so useable and simple, if your XBR turns out anything like that I might have to be guilty of a little envy.

Ian

[iansoady]

I don't expect you to be too envious but let's see what happens. Far too cold in the garage but lay awake trying to work out the best treatment for the side panels.......

[Itsme]

I don't expect you to be too envious but let's see what happens. Far too cold in the garage but lay awake trying to work out the best treatment for the side panels.......

Isn't it just!? I have been out in my garage working on a new sculpture of a Puffin for Hilary for Christmas as they are one of her favourite birds and I have had my hands in cold water. They are now the colour of the GB250!

I don't mind being a little envious, it's what spurs me on to make the Mighty Midget better. I see something I really like on a bike and then think whether I could adapt/adopt a similar principle on the MM, which is of course my favourite bike ever.

Ian

[iansoady]

Have you sorted out your oil burning problem yet?

[Itsme]

Hi Ian

No sadly I haven't, though it now seems restricted to just smoking for a minute or two when started from cold or when left for an hour or so outside the bike shop whilst I have lunch.

The overall consumption seems to have slowed down to an almost acceptable level, though I don't tend to ride above 50mph as if I do it starts to get thirsty.

I'm torn between just putting up with it, going through the motor and replacing anything that can affect oil use or simply buying something else that hasn't got this problem. I love the Mighty Midget but must admit that pulling off in a considerable cloud of blue smoke when leaving home or a lunch stop and having to constantly think of checking the oil level is getting a bit stale now. I still have use of my friend Jill's Lexmoto 125 and must admit that just being able to go out without any concerns is very seductive.

Whilst reading Alex's and your own tales of old bike mending and remembering my experiences has made me realise those antics are only fun when you are young enough not to care and have no choice. These days I'm all for convenience, though still want a bit of 'thumper magic'.

Ian

[iansoady]

Stalled a little bit due to my soft attitude to having my fingers frozen off and now my wife's computer has crashed so I'm on IT support duties for a few days. I think it's the hard drive gone west so have ordered a new (refurbished) PC and will then have to transfer across if I can, or revert to a backup if necessary. Just when it's warm enough to go back in the garage! But I may be able to fit a little bit of tinkering between IT stuff. As they always say, never trust a programmer with a screwdriver (or spanner in my case).

I have been thinking about the seat base extensions and think they should come a bit further forward. So tasks for Christmas are:

• Revise seat extensions
• Carry on filling and sanding the tank
• Finalise side panel configuration and fixing method

Hopefully getting the seat recovered and starting painting in January / February.

[iansoady]

So, while waiting for Electra's new computer to arrive so I can get on with configuring it. I know what I'll be doing over Christmas.....

Revised the seat extensions to come closer to the tank. Started to cut the RH side panel - not without some trepidation. But I think it's come out quite well so far. This is the semi circular cut made with dremel mini cutter and sanding drum:




This shows it in place and also the revised seat:



A little more work to do to make sure there's clearance then I can start work on the side panel attachments - my current tentative plan is to keep the rear bayonet / O ring, to use a neodymium magnet for the front upper. The bottom one I haven't worked out yet. The hole in the side panel is about 15-20mm away from the location tab on the frame. Maybe just something that would hook over the tab?

Nice not to be freezing my whatsits off.....

[iansoady]

Moving briskly on...

I think I've finalised the side panel arrangement. I cut the relief deeper to give clearance and tried to get it symmetrical on both sides although not perfect. The panels rotate around the rear bayont fixing and actually line up very nicely with the frame tubes. I've made a bar from 5mm aluminium alloy which uses the bolts (suitably lengthened) that hold the baffle between the reg/rec and air intake:



Drilled and tapped 6mm and with a backup nut JB welded as I only have cheap rubbish metric taps and the thread in the alloy isn't brilliant.



Then drilled the side panels appropriately and glued a reinforcing plate of 1mm alloy:



which lets the panel sit in place very nicely.



The panel is very firm without a positive location at the bottom edge so I'm just going to stick a bit of old inner tube to the back of the panel where it meets the original fixing bracket. I've filled the recesses with P38.

Speaking of which I've never liked the way the lower edge of Honda (and other Japanese) petrol tanks is finished with that flat flange so am blending it to make a smooth transition from the tank side to the bottom edge. This is attempt 1.



Now off to the shops for another tin of P38.......

[iansoady]

As a break from the interminable filling and sanding, I ordered a pair of adjustable footrests from Ali Express a couple of weeks ago and they arrived last week. The parts that fit the big footrest plates are 1mm or so too wide so removed that with a file. They seem to be reasonably well made and the alloy quality judging by filing it is reasonable. I'm a biot in advance of myself here as I haven't really tried it for size but my experience with other Hondas is that they tend to be a bit tight on the seat / footrest dimension and after having one knee and one hip replaced my joints aren't as flexible as they once were.

At £25 or so including VAT and carriage they're cheap enough and I've also ordered a liitle flyscreen from the same place. These are the footrests: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001769995799.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.11.21ef1802CJNFGm

[Itsme]

I have to say I admire your devotion to attending to detail. I suppose this is the key to the difference between a really good special that looks as though it could have come from a factory and a dodgy looking cut-and-shut. Needless to say I have produced several dodgy cut-and-shuts and not one really good special. I have no patience.

I think I rush for two reasons. First I have little confidence in my mechanical abilities so tend to want to finish a job so that I know I could do it (if that makes sense). Second I think a bike in bits is a bike crying about not being out on the open road.

I do think that when you have finished all of this painstaking detail work will show and you will have a stonker of a bike.

Ian

[iansoady]

Thanks Ian. I do enjoy getting the details right but I have several advantages. I'm retired so have time, a reasonable pension so not strapped for the odd few quid (although still very parsimonious so don't like wasting money), I have a decent workshop and tools, and it's not my only transport so not too much time pressure. I've also been working on bikes and cars for over 50 years so should be getting better at it.

It currently stands me in at around £2,500 of which £500 is since buying it. I think all that remains to be paid for is the seat remodelling although we will see. The upholsterer has been off this week but I will drop the seat off with him next week after all the festivities cease.

[Itsme]

Hi Ian

My wife retires in March and as I say to her, 'enjoy it, you've earned it'. Same for you really, isn't it great to be in a more fortunate position than maybe 30 years ago? People our age have worked long and hard to be in a position of enjoying a little more leisure time, we aren't lucky, we've worked hard to be where we are.

It is also great to use that time to do highly disreputable things like tinker with and ride motorbikes, long may the grey revolution last!

Ian