New Project for the New Year.

[Ian]

Slowly but surely now....I have now managed to move the frame into the garage where progress continues .....watch this space.

[guest7]

oooooh, shiney!

Has your missus missed the hall carpet yet?

GC

[Ian]

Not much to report this week apart from a whole lot of painting going on and forks virtually rebuilt and complete now (only dust shields to replace when they arrive) Airbox only needs a rubber curtain fixing after its coat of paint. Couple of pics as below.

[Ian]

Couple more photos for this weekend. Switch housings now painted in satin black and re lettered with Letraset...look better than new now , but need laquering to seal my hard work. Clutch lever bracket now sprayed and laquered, ready to go on when I have finished the front forks etc.

Ian 

[guest7]

Very impressive... do they still sell Letraset? blimey!

I used to live with a girl (biker) who was a graphic designer in the Letraset age. And... Mrs Onepot is venerable enough to have started her Graphics career with Letraset and bromides too. Isn't that why Macs were invented though?

GC

[Ian]

Hi GC, yes you can still buy letraset, direct from them.

http://www.letraset.com/

The sheet I bought was £3.33 including postage. Theres a bit of a knack to rubbing them down in the right place..as you can see..Im still practising.

Ian

[guest1120]

Hi Ian, on average, how long does it take you to complete a project from start to finish? How much do you "outsource"? Any recommendations for companies for chroming fork legs for example?

My kick-start lever has been welded and I know new ones are like hen's teeth, so anyone got any experience of the durability of a welded repair? 

My SRX600 project badly needs starting let alone finishing so give my aspirations a kick-start!!! lol (sorry about the pun!)

[Ian]

Hi Longdog,
                  It normally takes me around the 4 months (if I "pull my finger out") to complete a bike from start to finish, if I have a complete bike to start with and I dont need to find parts.  The "Hybrid" ( http://www.thumperclub.com/smf/index.php?topic=3807.0 ) was different as I was building from scratch...that took me about 7 months, as I had to search for bits that were specific to the monoshock and modify a lot of them. I normally strip a bike down virtually straight away and clean the frame up (degrease it etc) then send it off to Powder Coatings in Birmingham ( http://www.powder-coatings.ltd.uk/ ) I have used these for several years now and had good results from them. They dont just do black either! The paintwork I send off to a friend of mine in Wednesbury. If you have seen the job he does you will know why I keep using him. He does it as a spare time activity and it will cost a lot less than Dream Machine and I believe he does a better job. I had to have the fork legs rechromed on this one Im doing now and so I called Philpotts ( http://www.amphardchrome.co.uk/hard-chrome-plating.php ) They picked the fork legs up from my home and did the job in exactly the time they said and delivered back to me (A beautiful job too!). There is also Hard Chrome Plating in Nottinghamshire who I believe also do a good job. As for Zinc plating I use a company in Wolverhampton  called Parkfield Plating. They are situated in Parkfields in the old Ever Ready factory and they still have some of the old plating tanks that were used by Norton many years ago (not used much now though). Cash in hand is the order of the day here and a minimum of £20 will get you a biscuit tin full of bits and pieces replated in a short time (usually the same day if you catch them right) Ask for Craig 01902865654.
As for the kickstart, I try to avoid them now as my hip doesnt like me kicking them up so thats why I built the Hybrid and also the Monoshock that Im doing now. There is one on fleabay right now ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YAMAHA-SRX-TT-XT-KICK-START-/150758741336?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item2319ebd558 ).  I dont have experience of a welded repair, but Im sure someone will  be along here to give you their experiences or maybe point you in the right direction.
Hope this is of some help both to you and others who maybe need recomendations. Get in touch direct if you need further advice (not that you have to take it!)

Regards

Ian

[guest1120]

Thanks Ian, good info and good contacts too. My 600SRX has a couple of pics on here somewhere, (probably when I first had it!!), and it is pretty much complete, I reckon about 99%.

It does need a complete strip down, re-spraying and the tank will need some sealant in it too. The worst part is the engine which someone has brush painted, so I would like the cases vapour blasted I think, then probably re-painted.

One sticking point for me was deciding exactly how I want the bike to look. Initially, I thought it should go back to standard, probably the least expensive option, but then I thought of slightly customising it but so that it would be easy to return to standard. I have a picture in my head, but no decision yet!!! lol

I will definitely be in touch as soon as I start, you'll regret your kind offer yet!! lol

[Ian]

Believe it or not, I have never have a plan of what it is going to look like. The only thing I have to decide upon pretty early on is the colour of the frame..everything else seems to "fall into place" after that. I take the paintwork to my mate and tell him..." I want it blue or I want it a bright colour or I just want it a standard colour....he has never let me down yet and this is the 6th set of paintwork he has done for me. Go with your heart I think,  and (B****x)  to everyone else....do it to suit yourself

Ian

[guest1120]

Frame colour for me depends on what I decide the end product will be, if it's standard(ish), then it will be similar to standard, other than that, it will be black, (maybe pearl) or a darkish candy red to go with the pearl white paintwork with the same candy red for shelby type stripes, but as you say, it could all change!!!

OK, enough dreaming, best get my thoughts and words transferred into actions!!!

[Ian]

Paintwork....Im sure it will upset the purists.....I think!


Ian

[guest1155]

looks awesome. did something similar with my first srx only it was gunmetal grey instead of blue. i like it

[Ian]

Few more photos of paintwork and trial assembly. Engine & Wheels are optional extras.

Ian

[guest1120]

Looks really good Ian!!! Do you use tank sealer inside the tanks???