One year ago this weekend I purchased this bike, and I thought it was important to do something significant to mark this date. I've been working on this frame off and on for months, never quite sure when it's ready for painting. After researching online for hours and then getting very helpful input from my friend in MN (thanks Tim!), I decided it was finally time to paint this stinking frame! I have to admit I've been avoiding it out of fear it wasn't ready, coming to realize that I don't think I'll ever feel it's ready. Tim's input was just what I needed, and I made the plunge. I got two solid coats of primer on but then had to stop due to unforeseen circumstances. I put all the primed parts in a box to keep them safe for the final coat of paint and clear coat, which hopefully can happen next weekend. The primer sure did cover over a lot of imperfections.
I was expecting to have problems at various points - some have just more challenging than others. I've been stumped for weeks trying to get the rear shocks disassembled so I can clean them up and service them. But nobody carried a spring compressor that fit them. I finally found something on YouTube that inspired me to build my own. It took almost the entire day to get it just right, but it worked! This is what it looks like: Here are the shocks disassembled. The grime was caked on and the rubber parts were pretty much falling apart. The bad news was that I discovered one of the shafts was bent (not sure if you can see it in this picture - it's the one on the left). I knew something didn't feel right with the rear suspension. t don't see a way I can take it apart any further - I think the remaining unit is sealed. All that work and it looks like I'm going to need to replace the shocks. Anybody need a spring compressor? Another issue I've been chewing on for some time is the handlebar. I discovered pretty early on that it's bent/twisted - significantly whopperjawed. Somebody must have taken a pretty good spill on this bike at some point impacting several things on the left side (fortunately the frame is fine). The chrome is also really bad in many spots - pitting, cracking, peeling (I guess from all that chewing). I got an estimate to have it re-chromed, which I quickly ruled out. I'm not even sure it could be bent back into shape very well. Internet to the rescue: I stumbled on an aftermarket reproduction handlebar that is a perfect match with all holes drilled, even stronger than the original, has flawless chrome and was about half the price of what it would cost just to re-chrome the original. A great find. Another critical part that bit the dust was the ignition coil. I was told that these things really don't wear out, which is probably true internally. But the spark plug wire coming out of the coil became almost completely severed off, presumably from age. I guess that helps explain why it would run intermittently at best, and pretty much not at all just before I started taking it apart. I guess I need to go hunting again for another part. One final challenge for this weekend - the seat pan (under the seat foam) is pretty rusted, bent up and has a crack or two. Hopefully I'll be able to make it useable, but not sure at this point. I'll work on that problem another weekend.
Yessss - paint parts are finally back, and they are absolutely beautiful! These pics don't do them justice, but will give some idea of the professional quality and detail. I'll try to get some pics of them in natural sunlight - they really are stunning. I originally ordered red, but after much deliberation changed it to yellow - and am glad I did. It's a really fun color. These blue Honda badges are gorgeous. Can't wait to get them adhered in place. Had to upgrade my work area for better organization, lighting and work surfaces. Much better! Maybe things won't get lost so easily now. These are the front forks disassembled and in various stages of polish. Had to figure out how to polish metal - eternally grateful for YouTube. These bolts, axles, washers, rods, etc. were really corroded and nasty. The brass wire wheel on my upgraded workbench shined them up nicely.
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AuthorJohn in North Carolina Archives
June 2015
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