It started simply, as these things do, a fractured rear mount on Arfur the XBR's Micron. Whip it off, get the mount re-welded, Robert is yer muvver's bruvver.
Can't whip it off as the studs & nuts in the head are a solid mass of rust, no amount of Plusgas, heat, prayer, anything will shift them - out comes the Dremel.
OK, that's the 'zorst off - buggrit the rust is worse than first expected, bit like a lace hanky round the back. Bit of humming & hawing, decide to go for a Predator system. Kerching!
Now for the studs - one comes out fairly easily, one has got good thread so it's left alone, the other two ...... Plusgas, blowtorch, Mole grips, sacrificing a chicken, nowt works. Fair enough, let's get the head off so we can drill the buggers out.
Shall I mention the solidly rusted head mounting plate bolts? Or the totally oxidised front head stud (the little one in front of the spark plug)? More work for Mr Dremel, methinks.....
Tonight I get the head free (hurrah!) and start drilling out the studs - easy work, just need to take a bit of care. In between changing drill bits I give the cam & rockers a once over - big mistake! Found the cause of the ticking that's been with the bike since I got it. Cam worn down on all lobes to just over 31mm (specs say 33.something), worst on left exhaust. Rockers OK, except for Rocker B - left exhaust surprisingly - worn completely concave!
I was going to pop the valves while I've got the head off, but I don't think I'll bother - they look OK under the carbon so I'll leave them. Piston & bore are nigh on perfect though, so there is a silver lining - speaking of silver:
Dear Mr Silvers - here's my wallet, just don't tell the wife, she's a redhead and you know what they're like. Kerching, kerching!
So there you have the tale so far - from a cracked 'zorst to a full top end strip down & rebuild, good these thumpers, aren't they?
I need a stiff drink .......
