Author Topic: SRX Resurrection Project Reloaded!  (Read 1737 times)

guest1670

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SRX Resurrection Project Reloaded!
« on: July 05, 2013, 08:34:42 PM »
So here's the starting point



It's a 1987 1XL that I bought off  fleabay in February. It had been taken in by a repair shop for restoration, but the owner promptly left the country leaving it to stand in the proprietor's storeroom for the next four years! When the proprietor got fed up tripping over it, he managed to track the owner down and presented him with a bill for four years' storage at ten quid a week - the owner decided to let him keep the bike instead!

So it hadn't turned a wheel in four years until I pushed it up onto the trailer.






The fairing will go - it was damaged anyway - but I actually quite liked the look of it!

Steve Lake

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Re: SRX Resurrection Project Reloaded!
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2013, 07:11:59 AM »
wanna flog the fairing??

guest1670

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Re: SRX Resurrection Project Reloaded!
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2013, 08:14:48 AM »
Hi Steve

If you fancy a trip to sunny Essex you are welcome to it. It has damage on both lower mounting points which a PO has made a pig's ear of repairing, but other than that I don't think it's too shabby. PM me if interested.

Cheers
Martin

themoudie

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Re: SRX Resurrection Project Reloaded!
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2013, 08:44:41 PM »
Aye Martin,

Similar fairing to the Powerbronze one I removed from 'Gert', my first SRX. Problem was the previous owner never cleaned behind the fairing and the metal worm was well established in all the hidden places. I never did remove the spark plug! The fairing then went to Smudge for the XBR outfit and I think it may now reside in South Wales, as these things find their gravity to that part of the world!  ;)

It looks like the wheels are the same as the SRX400 1987 type that are fitted to 'Sally' , my current SRX 600. Bit easier to clean and the single disc seems to be as good as the twin disc setup. But, I am no demon braker!

Predator pipe looks OK and you have a set of Hagons as well.  :) All the best, with the rebuild.

My regards, Bill.

Dick Scratcher

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Re: SRX Resurrection Project Reloaded!
« Reply #4 on: July 07, 2013, 03:38:27 PM »
That looks a great basis for a rebuild, hope it came at a sensible price.

guest1670

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Re: SRX Resurrection Project Reloaded!
« Reply #5 on: July 07, 2013, 09:28:53 PM »
So off with that fairing then...



Pleasant surprise finding the original headlight behind there. It's dirty, but the chrome is good and should clean up well. The bike came with the original headlight bracket and indicator ears, plus a spare tank, side panels, tail piece, pillion brackets and pegs, and a set of Marzochi (probly spelt that wrong) shocks. All that's missing I think is the front indicators. I'm not sure which way to go with it yet, back to standard or 'special'.

By the way, don't assume a fairing keeps the engine clean...



I've seen less cr*p in a cow field...



It took a week of heat, WD40, paraffin, more heat, grinding, blood, sweat and swearing to get the plug out after it sheared off in the head. Then one evening, as I was about to get the big drill out in exasperation, as if by magic it became almost finger-tight and came out cleanly. Old engines eh? Don't you love 'em!

Rocker cover off and things are looking up...



Surprisingly clean for a 54K bike. Methinks someone's been here before! The piston is good, the bore has some - very - light scoring and everything is within limits so far. The valves cleaned up well and again no excessive wear in the guides or rocker shafts. Some wear on the rockers themselves, but I've seen a lot worse.

Not that I'm suggesting this bike has been carefully maintained though - here's a peach - electrical engineering at it's finest!



Took me a while to sort that one out. There was just enough left on the wires to strip back and solder some new ones on. I'm attending to each issue as I find it, so hopefully it'll be easier putting it all back together. I've spent a lot of hours cleaning and polishing but it's all a good excuse for getting out of the way of the chaos sometimes romantically referred to as family life!

All was going well until I parted the cases. I intended to replace all the bearings as a matter of course, but the gearbox came as a bit of a surprise...





Ok, you can take a breather now. It's full stop until I can either find a decent gearbox to rob (doesn't matter if 5th is shagged, mine's actually quite good!), or buy the gears new. Steve, what final drive gearing would you suggest if I fitted a 400 gearbox, and are the sprockets readily available?

One further option that has crept into my head - the bike and all the spares that came with it stands me in at £750. If I could recoup that by selling as is, ie a rolling chassis and the engine in bits (all clean and shiny bits though!) I might well be tempted to pass it on...

themoudie

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Re: SRX Resurrection Project Reloaded!
« Reply #6 on: July 07, 2013, 10:35:30 PM »
Aye Martin,

SNAP!  :( Same state of afares behind the fairing then, worst thing to stick on bike, unless you get behind it.

Gearbox looks   :-X!

Sprokets available for gearbox and back wheel, no problem. Obtain mine from Wemoto link: Wemoto_sprocket_ratios

Use 16 teeth on the gearbox and 39 on the rear wheel , rather than the 'standard' 15 to 37. Just gives the chain an easier life on the gearbox sprocket and shortens the ratio a tad. ~70mph @4000rpm in 5th and don't use 5th until you're doing 50+mph. MPG ~60 - 65. I don't thrash the bike, but it gets a good gallop.  ;)

As for the purchase price,  ;D did all right there if you include the spares as well. Tanks can fetch silly money as they rot along the seams and kickstart levers are a bit 'hens teeth'. Nice to see it stay together rather than broken, but if dosh or your dear wife dictate otherwise, I'll  :-X

My regards, Bill.

andy230

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Re: SRX Resurrection Project Reloaded!
« Reply #7 on: July 10, 2013, 09:43:46 PM »
I'm sure I've seen that bike (long ago) round north london.  I seem to remember Holloway Rd in the mornings...  Well done, looks good. 

Kedo for gearbox parts??  Maybe prohibitive tho...

cheers

a

mini-thumper

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Re: SRX Resurrection Project Reloaded!
« Reply #8 on: July 11, 2013, 05:33:37 PM »
I'm sure I've seen that bike (long ago) round north london.  I seem to remember Holloway Rd in the mornings...  Well done, looks good. 

Kedo for gearbox parts??  Maybe prohibitive tho...

cheers

a

Yo Dr. D
When I first saw the pictures of this bike I thought, with its fairing, that it was your racing bike. And that's probably where you saw it in North London racing against it around the North Circular.

If I could transport the whole lot over here (to Qatar) it would be an excellent project to keep me occupied during the hot months althought getting spare would be a nightmare. Only seen a Royal Enfields on the single front but not been tempted - yet!

Good Luck martin99 I'd keep it but being a 'bike tart' myself it wouldn't be for long after it was back to useable anyway.

Boyd

guest1670

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Re: SRX Resurrection Project Reloaded!
« Reply #9 on: July 11, 2013, 07:33:00 PM »
Yeah, I really do want to keep it. I don't like admitting defeat with bikes.

Afraid I don't know where the PO comes from. I bought it from Dave Newitt at Motorcycle Restorations in Hinckley. I gather he's a well respected fellow in thumper circles. Unfortunately he didn't get to work any magic on it, but had to register it so he could sell it on. Nice bloke. As I was loading it up he said he wasn't bothered selling it as after thirty thousand miles they're usually knackered anyway ;D

There may be a glimmer of hope on the gearbox front. Motorrad Technik in Germany were selling one, apparently in good nick but with a shot 5th gear, for 199 euros. After an interesting phone call (I don't speak German and the lady I spoke to could only speak about three words of English - luckily they were 'Yamaha', 'gearbox' and 'Euro') I managed to negotiate a price of 150 euros. There's a lot there, it includes the selector drum, forks and shafts so I didn't think it was too bad a deal - should be with me tomorrow so I haven't got long to wait to find out! Hopefully I'll be able to make a good 'box out of the two :)

Steve H

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Re: SRX Resurrection Project Reloaded!
« Reply #10 on: July 12, 2013, 10:06:14 AM »
One of the gears is pressed onto the shaft, if you need to remove it for 5th gear then I would recommend measuring the clearance between it and the nearest gear. (I have it noted if needed)