It`s worth to pay more attention to a picture sometime. At a first glance I thought – two blonds with nice tits working on a motorcycle – what a good picture for the Bike Porn post. But looking at those … wheels with more attention I saw a smart trick who to protect those chromed nuts and bolts from getting “bruised” by the wrench. Use a Celofan or PVC bag to cover the nut or bolt then use the wrench as you would normally. Just pay more attention to the picture.
Share on FacebookWith the miraculous help of a Dremle tool I managed to get the clutch basket new and shiny again.
From this:
Step one grind it down.
Step two polish it to this:
The rest of the work is posted on Advrider.com more exactly here.
Share on FacebookWith the help of the “special tool” the clutch basket is down and ready for an inspection.
Unfortunately I have seen clutch baskets in better shape, the edges are all worn and the clutch plates can hang in the edges and perform less smooth. A new one is out of the budget so with the help of the Dremel tool I am going to grind down the edges.
The bearings on the rocker arm are also used so they are going to be changed with new ones. The bearing part number is 6003. It is a few bucks so no big effect on the budget.
The oil used in the bike was so old that it turned sticky, the clutch plates were stuck together, the ceramic plates have to be changed, the metal ones are still good to go. I have to find a reasonable priced set for the clutch plates.
Share on FacebookThe work on the XL250R reached the part where the clutch basket had to be removed. Te shape of the nut asked for a special tool or a red neck approach. No luck buying one and not being a big fan of the red neck approach I opted for the third solution – build my own special tool. Not the smartest if you use it only once but if more XL250R`s are down the waiting list then it starts to make more sense.
Step one – take a imprint of the nut with silicone.
Step two – make a mould out of gypsum
Step three – without picture, done by my father, die cast the part out of s strong alloy.
Step four – the special key fits on the nut and in a 27 socket wrench. The size fits the1/2 air wrench.
Step five – make some adjustments with paper.
Step six – the nut was open in five seconds. It is reusable, it is not the red neck method and at re-assembly I will be able to use the torque wrench to tighten the nut.
The rest of the work on the Honda XL250R in a future post. If still no clue, the red neck method is with a hammer and screw driver. Judging by the sings the engine was under this treatment at least once.
Share on FacebookThe Honda XL 250 now has a clean carburetor , new air filter and a new shinning front sprocket.
Work in progress on the Honda Xl 250 R from 1984. Unfortunately I have lost the pictures taken during work so I had to do a new photo session.
At the first glance it did not appear that the bike was rotten from the inside, dripping oil all over. Opening the air filter boz I was glad it did not start. The foam from the ail filter was rotten away.
The next steps went easy. Till I opened the oil fill plug. Oil started to flow, it was more then full. The next was to drain the old oil. Judging from the color and touch of the oil, not to mention the burnt smell it was a very old oil.
The oil screen from the engine was full of metal parts, unfortunately I have lost that picture, I only have this one – a partially cleaned oil screen.
With all this problems adding up I took the decision to make a top end rebuilding of the engine. Working late into the evening more sing of neglect started to appear. Like this picture with hammering marks on the clutch basket.
I need some help with the valve settings so a detailed journal of the work is going to be posted here on the AdvRider forum, waiting some remarks.
Share on Facebook“EVERY TOOL IS A HAMMER, EXCEPT SCREWDRIVERS, THOSE ARE CHISELS.”
Share on FacebookFilling your handlebar with spray Polyurethane Foam keeps rocks, dirt and water out of the bar. It can even help reduce vibration through the bar. Try the canned foam sealant used in construction and available from home improvement stores. Use the extension tube that comes with the can, and withdraw the tube as you spray. Trim off the excess after the foam has expanded and dried. This adds hardly any weight. Written by Rob Johnson from Bakersfield, CA.
“Sand blasting” a carburetor to become clean as in this picture:
you might think that it has to be expensive. Wrong. It is dirty cheap. It can be done with 5$: – air gun attachment (which is a must have in the garage), backing soda, duck tape and a PVC hose which is going to be used like in this picture:
It is not only cheap but also 100% ecological, backing soda can be washed with water directly in the sink.
Credit goes to AircooledTech.
This is actually two garage tips in one. First – leave the new clutch plates you intend to use on the bike overnight in a bag with fresh oil (same as the one used in the engine). In a rush sometimes I forget this. But in the garage I have a nice picture framed representing some clutch plates in a bag with oil hanging on the wall near the work bench.
A small idea can be of big help. On a long ride it is important to carry some spare jetting, idle needle and other parts for the carburetor. In a transparent pvc hose similar in size to the one conecting the fuel tank to the carburetor I pack all the small parts I need to repair or adjust the carburetor and close the ends with wooden dowels or bolts. It can be placed in the back pack. I prefer to duck tape it under the seat where the air box is.
Following Advrider.com for years, I noticed a new interesting post – Let`s see your Man Castel – it started with the words:
“Come on admit it. In many of our lives the garage may be the only room that you have complete control over. So show it off. Let’s see your Man Castle…” this was back in 2007.
Now there are more the 100 posts with garages. It is a must see, you will find from a humble cottage to a palace. But all are somebody’s castle.
picture taken by OLGV
It went through a serious top end job after it suffered a small problem. Piston, cylinder, clutch plates had to be changed. Some goodies where added. ASV brake and clutch levers still to come, together with some performance mods.
