Motorcycle Training Forum

[retro]

Here we go again.picked her up today.I must be mad

[rjh_786Bn]

Looking at this one Paul, is it fair to say that a bit more work will be required? Do you think it will be easier given your skills gained from the 400? Can you get parts easy enough?

Brave man and talented

[Lady P]

Keep posting the pictures ... its fascinating watching them being returned to full glory!

Will this one have a kick-start too? (sorry, have got a real thing about kick-starting bikes - wish mine had one!).

What do you do with them all - is there a Retro showroom somewhere?????? (that 400 looks fab in the background).

[retro]

A lot of work to do Rob , just like the 400,every nut and bolt ,total strip down,going to have the frame
powder coated this time ,having the wheels respoked and new rims.The forks are shot on this one,they're going
on the scrap pile,as i bought a mint pair on ebay last month
The electrics are a lot better on this one . Engine has only done 14000,turns over freely,but won't really know
till the top end is off.

[retro]

Keep posting the pictures ... its fascinating watching them being returned to full glory!

Will this one have a kick-start too? (sorry, have got a real thing about kick-starting bikes - wish mine had one!).

What do you do with them all - is there a Retro showroom somewhere?????? (that 400 looks fab in the background).

Hi Lady P
This ones going to take a lot longer.Its my excuse to get in the garage for an hour or two.
It does have a kickstart
looking forward to summer to do a bit of poseing on the 400 ,and some nice rides out on the Bandit

[Lady P]

Why, is it your Great Escape?

Wish I had a garage, I'd be in it too. Am quite a practical person (do all the DIY) but only know about the bits on bike's I've had to work on. Had to take the gear change lever of hubby's Thruxton and bend it back into shape after the bike was accidentally dropped. Managed to do it and the garage gave the work the thumbs up (was very intrigued to know how I'd done it - this could be our next guessing game ... !). Shame I'd never had the need to mess with a rear brake-light adjuster before that AA man got his hands on my bike ..... suffice to say am reading loads of bike manuals now!

Here's a question for you. If you were looking at an older bike (not applicable to newer ones / re: emmissions etc), is there an obvious way of identifying whether its 2 or 4-stroke? (assuming you did not know about the bike/model already).

[retro]

look at an old four stroke! me how very dare you
cylinder heads are a big give away ,
but theres nothing like the smell and the sight of the haze coming from them exhausts Mmm! Castrol R
Plus you'll proberly find an old man having a midlife crisis,doing his crazy frog impression ring ding ding ding

[Lady P]

You guys are really touchy this week - must be the weather . Wasn't implying you would sully your hands with anything insalubrious Retro, rather bowing to your superior knowledge (no comments Rob!). Sorry, forgot to say, how do you tell without the motor running (I remember the smell ... mmmmm ... from when I used to pass my dad the necessary tools whilst he was fixing his mates bikes). So how do the cylinder heads look? (perhaps you could post some head pics of a 2 (and dare I say ) 4-stroke to demonstrate the difference).

[retro]

Was only joking not being touchy
The 2stroke is a simple engine which doesn't use camshafts and valves.
instead the piston does all the work through special porting in the cylinders.
2stroke engines fire on every revelution of the crank
it has a combustion stroke when the plug sparks sending the piston down past the exhaust port which sends that lovely
smell out
then comes the compression stroke which compresses the fuel/oil mixture,which has been sucked into the crankcase
on the other side of the piston through another port leading to the carbs(via reed valves)

i think thats how it works
i'd post some some pics but i don't know how

[Helen_86]

Looks like you're going to have lots of fun doing that one up

Next step: teaching bike restoration courses!

[retro]

Looks like you're going to have lots of fun doing that one up

I'm going to enjoy this one, going to do it at my leisure,proberly spend more time looking at it and drinking tea

[Helen_86]

I'm going to enjoy this one, going to do it at my leisure,proberly spend more time looking at it and drinking tea

I'm very familiar with that approach! At least you have other bikes to ride while that one's still a work in progress

[Lady P]

Next step: teaching bike restoration courses!

I agree with Helen_86 - you can put my name down for a start (thanks for the above).

(Oh, and I know you're pulling my leg about pictures ).

[retro]

just for you Lady P

[Lady P]

I'm honoured . Is it 'one you made earlier' ??? Bit worried about the smoke, shouldn't it be a fine blue-ish haze?
Yours must have very dirty carbs or something