Project Status Update Winter 2024

It's been a while, but in my defense a lot got done and I promise in the coming weeks, I plan to do quite a bit of catching up on the blog as the Suzuki is getting close to the finish line. So here's a bit of an overview, what's planned for the Winter season/the coming weeks. 

Everyday TR1:

Only a bit of maintenance is due really.

• Oil- and filter change at (1)35,000km
• clean and grease the starter motor
  
• a good cleaning and greasing
  
• throttle cable incl. splitter needs to be changed, because this will create problems rather sooner than later
  
• the sub-frame mount of the rear mudguard needs to be addressed as the bolt touches the tire ever so slightly when the rear shock bottoms out (and I already have a solution with a P-clamp that basically only needs to be installed and then that'll solve the issue)
  

 XT600 - Dre-XT-Stück:

I got a lot more use out of the old girl this year than several of the last few years combined, still to call the old girl "trouble free" is a bit of a stretch.

• Headbolt threads in the cylinder need to be upgraded with M12-to-M8 adapters like I did it on the pretty one as the left front one is starting to fail and thus leaking oil
• a road-legal pannier rack is due
• I still have this KTM Adventure 790 rearshock, which needs an adapter to get it to the right length
• oil the throttle and clutch cables
  
• other than that, a good clean and a bit of TLC should do the trick

SR500 sidecar:

As this one will be used the most, the main thing will be to get it ready for Winter-use.

• Spray it down with wax to protect the metal parts from the omni-present salt
• install hand muffs
• Check which bolts have come loose lately
• modify the summer wheel to work with the modified sprocket carrier and get a bigger rear sprocket
  

Suzuki SJ410 - the Pickle:

Not sure, if I'll have this ready at the start of Winter, but we're getting there as the little cube is already painted and mostly there to get inspected. The big things still missing to get it on the road are:

• fix up the front and rear bumpers
• repair the wiring and remove most of the rather dodgy fixes
• make the heater work
• replace the rear brake drums for the later model ones I have already overhauled (they are self-adjusting and more common, so e.g. the drums are still available as aftermarket parts)
• get the handbrake working
• change the various oils and check for leaks and fix those
• fit the winter tyres (which can mean either fit the tyres with the Winter tyres on them or fit the second set of NEW Winter tyres to the wheels which are currently on there - might in the end by a matter of the available time)

Other vehicles that need fixing:

VX800:

This was probably the let down of the season, because it got new tyres and the started to not run right, which resulted in pulling the fuel petcock (because we assumed it was blocked by rust and also leaking slightly) and that was perfectly alright...

• convert to electric fuel pump out of a VS750 (chopper version of the same bike) as the diaphragm pump is as dead as nails
• Repair the petcock threads in the tank because one of the metal-look-a-like bolts stripped part of its threads

Goldwing GL1200 - Volkskrad:

This really "just" needs finishing. We got stuck at the point, when I had to get a repair-kit for the rear brakepump. This has to be installed and then the rest needs to be assembled etc. The future on this one might be rather open really. 

Aprilia Moto 6.5:

Somewhat as predicted the broken regulator/rectifier fried another battery, so this has to be addressed and in an ideal world, I am not going to do that with a stock Ducati-elettronica unit, but something out of Japan. I just have to dig out the necessary specs to find a suitable replacement.

Bandit 1200:

Unless I am mistaken, this one might want (again) a replacement of the clutch slave seal and a good cleanup of the rear brake caliper.

As the avid reader might have noticed, there's quite a few vehicles missing from this list - that's intentional, because this is the stuff that HAS to be done. Everything beyond that is probably a case of how cold (or not) it will be during the Winter and the amount of extra time available for tinkering.

 

Update & Outlook - a project overview

If the lack of posts on the blog indicates to you that I have stopped working on bikes and/or cars, I can assure you, quite the contrary is the case. As a matter of fact a metric sh*t ton of stuff is happening at the moment.

1) Comrade Car

Well Comrade car is very close to being ready for registration. The main show-stoppers are that the workshop that has to do the inspection is currently enjoying their Summer break and the exhaust has to be wrangled in place a bit better. Other than that, he still needs a basic alignment, some electrical work and a new hose from the radiator to the expansion vessel. Oh yes and I'd better bolt that front bumper down and a testride that is more than a couple hundred meters in one direction might be a mighty smart move, before tackling the enormous distance of around 5 or 6 kilometres to the garage that will do the inspection.

2) Everyday TR1

About a month ago, I had to attend a business meeting in Salzburg and due to the heat the old girl's TCI (ignition box) decided to call it a day and most of the time only ran on one cylinder, so I limped it back home from all the way from Salzburg a couple hours later. I am now running a copy of the later twin-pickup plastic ignition box. Unfortunately this now sports a very different ignition curve and means I should dial in my carbs as it's running way too rich and that makes starting a real pain. 

3) Dre-XT-Stück

Guess what, the old girl killed another engine. The cylinder I bored must have been a) a bit too tight (well it was planned to be on the tight side for longevity), b) it was a cheap piston, which expanded rather and unevenly and c) I found the reason, why the previous engine overheated and which certainly didn't help during the last iteration. Words escape me to describe the level of butchering that the previous owner commenced in order to "repack it". Perforated tube in multiple sizes has arrived already and a few other "bodges" will be remedied shortly.

As the engine has died and I only had some good luck with exactly one type of piston so far, I decided to go with a forged 96.50mm Wössner with a moderate increase in compression (10.8:1) and had it bored at a local shop, which not only asked all the right questions, but also wasn't upset (after hearing the pre-text) that I wanted to check all the measurements myself. 

4) Little Miss Rat-a-Tat (SR500 Sidecar)

Yup, I have a smaller pilot and a slightly bigger main jet kicking about, which should help with fuel consumption and hot starting. Other than that I should really modify that sprocket carrier to work XT600 style as I am running on the only good rear wheel I have at the moment.

The XS Triple Sidecar - it's been a bit quiet...

 ... and that''s not a bad thing. With the old Dre-XT-Stück in bits and the TR1 running flawlessly (*knocking on wood*) had a very simple job as being a reliable parts and all-sorts-of-stuff-hauler for me. Obviously this does not make for very exciting blog posts. 

So the biggest tasks of all of Summer, where to pass the annual roadworthyness inspection and for that get a "new" i.e. vintage Pirelli Gordon for the front, which I will probably only have to take off at some point, because the rubber cracks as it is about as hard as well seasoned wood.

If anything at all, it was smaller jobs, like swapping the bolts on the tail-light for decent allen-key hardware and fixing up the connection inside the Guzzi V7 taillight as they were a bit erratic at best.

One of the things I tried out this Summer, was to turn down brake disks on my lathe. With an RCX-insert, I had to face some vibration issues, but in hindsight, these might have been the ticket for the pads biting into those disks, like it's going out of fashion now. 

And for the upcoming Winter, I will simply assume it'll be as mild as the last one, I've put on a set of used Michelin Anakees for the mostly wet (and sometimes slushy) weather. 

Remember the hole on the top of my throttle housing? Well originally on a DR600 it would have been a drain hole. Now that it's facing up, it's a brilliant point for oiling the cables.

Lastly, here's a little treat to myself: I always wanted to try a proper Avon Sidecar tyre and find out myself, whether it would actually be worth it to buy one new. Well this is a "well seasoned" one from 2013, which I plan to put on next year.

At this point, I have to make a confession and admit that earlier this week, I nearly bought a Guzzi as a new tug for the sidecar. 😱 Due to some worries with the paperwork, I decided against it and made a list of stuff I want to fix either before Winter comes or in Spring:

• sidecar wheel axle - now that I don't run a sidecar brake anymore it's unnecessarily long and as my swingarm is a bit bent, a completely new unit is the smart move in my book
  
• replace the sidecar shock - have to find one from a Suzuki GS750/1000/GSX1100E
  
• work out some sort of airbox for the carbs, at WOT the engine's induction noise is deafening (the exhaust really isn't too bad)
• take care of the tinwork on the sidecar - at the moment it's just some edge/surface rust, but it will turn into A LOT more work quickly, if not taken care of
• fit the shorter final drive off a XS1100 - by now I have enough horsepower to use the 5th gear on level ground (and get the old girl to go a lot faster than the legal speed-limit on the Autobahn), but it would be nice to be able to use it all the time. Same goes for a shorter first, the engine has got some grunt down low, but in a sidecar more is more better. 

And then there's a second engine sitting in the workshop, which will get done some time in 2021 as the current one is an impressive fighter, but should have been done ages ago. 

Project outlook 2020

I don't do New Year's resolutions, but I did a bit of planning and maybe this will give you a bit of an idea of what to expect.

XS-Triple-Sidecar
I'll postpone the engine-build towards Summer as the engine is running fine and not consuming as much oil as I dreaded. What I will tackle though is the swap to go to some Mk.1 GSXR750 flatslides. Mainly because they have an accelerator pump and this will allow me to run them a bit leaner overall and thus get better mileage. Even though, when used sensibly the sidecar is doing quite well with under 9L/100km considering it's size and frontal cross-section. Also I am still looking into the option of building a battery tray for a car battery as I hope to attend a certain winter motorcycle meeting in the Alps and a bit more starting power won't do harm. (And I already have all the parts necessary, I just have to find time to do it.)

Everyday TR1
Expect a post on how to overhaul the stock TCI (ignition box) rather soon, including lots of info you never wanted to know about how it works and which other cheap options you have for TCIs and other TCIs that will actually fit with rather minimal hassle.
Addendum: If you have a broke XV500, 700, 750, 920, 1000 or 1100 TCI and want to get rid of it, please let me know. I can't promise a repair, but it will definitely help with research.


Turbo
The turbo will move over to the other side of the engine, where it is less intrusive and the oil-drain is easier and I really want to road-register it. I haven't fully worked out the how, but I have a few ideas. This will obviously also involve some work to get it road-worthy in a more traditional sense (indicators, horn, etc.), but if that's what it takes...


Dre-XT-Stück XT600
This old girl is actually mostly done. It will get a sprocket support bracket rather soon, a bit of tweaking on the carb and the rear-shock and I will adapt a pannier rack to increase the everyday-usability-factor.


Other projects
The Stinkerle shall be brought into a running state rather sooner than later and then its future fate will be decided. And then there's a special project I am doing with my dad, which currently ranks highest on the priorities' list, but as it is top secret I can obviously not give away any infos. All I can tell you, that its fairing and accessories almost way the same as the complete Stinkerle.

So there you have it -  what's to be expected in 2020. (At least the stuff I know already.)

Project outlook (or why there will be a bit of a lack thereof)

Ok, so a couple of things have come up and will need tackling.

First and foremost: I have to move out of my current workshop, which is bit of a bummer, because by now I have quite well settled in. I've got a new place lined up, but its further away, so quick jaunts to fiddle with stuff will be more of a challenge. On the plus side, it's in the country side, which means there's quite a few roads, where I can do some testrides and not bother anyone. (Except maybe for some deer and the occasional rabbit or hare.)

Second: The TR1 engine needs rebuilding (again). The cylinders were rather worn to start and I thought I would be able to get away with it. Spoiler-alert: nope I don't. When ridden normally it's all nice and dandy in terms of oil-consumption (0.2 to 0.3L/1000km), but when flogged like the engine wants to on the Autobahn, she easily exceeds the 1L/1000km mark, actually more like double that figure.

Yes you saw right, I've got another BT1100 engine lined up and those internals will go into my own Everyday TR1 engine. Making me benefit from those Nikasil plated cylinders and lighter rotating assembly. Other than that, the basic recipe with XV700 heads and decreased squish gap will stay pretty much the same. It should be an interesting build nonetheless, even though probably more for me, as it's all about those little differences. In the course of this, I will also have a look at the gearbox, because even though it works just fine, when I had the clutch out, it showed a lot of sideplay on the input shaft, so I might find some drama there as well. Also I plan to fit some springs to hold the muffler-elbows in place.

Third: The Dre-XT-Stück will receive a super-rare* Austrian XT600 43F frame and I will build a 600 engine for it. I have, somewhat by accident, acquired a XT600 Tenere 1VJ (the one from the engine build) and after testriding it back to back with the Dre-XT-Stück building a 600 engine has become imperative. (No, I can't just fit the 1VJ engine into the new Dre-XT-Stück frame as the 1VJ is a an electric-start engine and they are wider...) Now in Austria back in the day, there were only two tax and insurance classes: up to 500cc and from 500cc to infinity. This basically meant, if you bought a 600cc bike, you paid the same amount of taxes as you would on a 1000cc or 1500cc bike, which meant if you weren't a complete nutter and absolutely wanted such a bike, you would have bought a tax-saving version like the Dre-XT-Stück currently is. (This is meant to illustrate, why Austria has had some quirky small-bore versions of various dirtbikes, e.g. XT600s, DR600 and also why the KTM LC4 started out as a 500 overhere.)

Fourth: Quite simply put, I owe my dad some help on his CX500 and his other bikes to get them up to a decent standard so he can enjoy them a lot more next year than he did this season. Ironically tackling the CX500 will be one of the first of the Winter projects to tackle as really it is mostly about getting the carbs done and then work out, why it is draining the battery when parked and fitting some rear indicators and a couple of other small jobs all around the bike. All in all, maybe two days of work on the bike and she should be ready to go on the road.