TOPIC:

Hoop is on!

It looks a little high, but the shocks are not on, so that will lower the bike quite a bit still.

One issue: the seat is too far forward, so I will have to redo the rear brackets..

Paul

It looks great Paul! I can start seeing where you are going with this project. It's a long way before that, but I'm wondering what handlebars will you choose. Something customised to fit the bike's new lines, or will you stick to stock (if stock is what you had)

Ok, I checked two more items this weekend. The rear brakes and the coolant tank.

The coolant tank has cracks and a hole in the back and is unusable, However, I noticed it is quite deep and intrudes quite bit into the area where I had planned the battery etc to go. My question: Is that reservoir pressurised and does to need to be that big, ie can the size of it be halved? I can cut off the rear half where the cracks are and then seal it back up with another piece of clear plastic.

The rear brake MC was stuck. I unstuck it and the bore seems to be OK, but think I need a new set of piston rubbers. These seem to be impossible to get anymore. Anyone any ideas? I can of course get myself another MC from another bike, but tbh the standard pedal, brake pedal and MC attachment set up is quite neat, so I'd like to keep it if possible. Also the reservoir diaphragm is ... iffy. Useable, but I'd rather get a new one.... again: unobtainable. Ideas welcome.

Hereunder the 'exploded' view of the pedal and MC assembly... If you are able to zoom in, you can see that the two screws holding the lid on the reservoir are totally destroyed. I had to use a heat gun to undo them. Fortunately I have found two new screws that fit,

Paul

Ok, attached a pic of the latest state of play. All the structural welding has been done. Tank and seat are right where they need to be and rear hoop and suspension is sorted.

I have bought a front wheel and brake callipers, awaiting delivery from Italy. Then I just need a front axle and then to fabricate a new top yoke, and then the front end can be put together. Only of course if I can get the KZ steering pin out and into the new bottom yoke (see other thread - no answers yet!). I have already got new headstock bearings.

Looking for 58mm dia clip-ons is a bit of an issue... very few around and mega-bucks!

Rear brake MC has cleaned up nicely and the piston rubbers have responded well to a clean and a week long bath in DOT4 fluid. So has the reservoir diaphragm. I repainted the MC and then proceeded to put the whole system together to get the pistons out... Ha! I am surprised I was expecting that to go easy! These pistons as stuck as the engine was!

I have now cleaned it all off and am soaking them in WD40 for a week to see if anything gives. Otherwise I may need to resort to more drastic measures to get them out. New seal kit has been ordered!

Lastly, I am thinking of relocating the foot pedals - more backwards. With the new seating arrangement the existing location makes me having to double up. If I can locate them somewhere on the rear exhaust hangers.... and then fabricate some extensions I'll be OK, but that needs a little more thought and measurement.

Paul

Well, for once things went easy. The WD40 loosened the pistons and with a little wiggling I got them out no problem, Inside remarkably clean, some pitting at the bottom, but the sides were clean.

Cleaned the whole lot out, new seals in, a little brake fluid and put it all together again. Bled the system and got it to work on my bench.

However, when I put the (old) pads in and pushed the pistons in further I forgot to undo the bleed screw and some of the fluid leaked out of the bottom of the MC. Not sure if that is supposed to happen, but I cleaned everything off again and left it sitting upright on the bench. I'll check next week to see if it is still leaking, and investigate whether it is leaking on its own or just because I pressed the pistons back. I may need new MC seals.... but can't find any...

Paul

Depends where it's leaking from. I suppose you didn't miss the possibility of overflow? I'd stick a piece of steel or wood of the same thickness as the rotor and then bleed and adjust the fluid level.

A good thing is to use metal polishing compound with 2000 wet paper rolled into a tube and work on the m/c sleeve for a while. In the meantime, if the old piston seals are smooth, they should work. If not, there is a kit for the rear m/c offered I think on a UK zed parts site, or was it American? I don't remember now, but I got an email months ago about availability. It was never offered before. The front m/c seals can be used for rear m/c, so you might go that route. The sleeves are of the same size.

0n a different subject.. Wondering about the rear shocks angle. It looks sharper than stock and made me wonder about how it would behave under load and high speeds cornering. Anyone having the same thoughts?