Messages

1

Tech Talk / Re: Engineering idea (help me out)

« on: July 24, 2017, 11:58:19 am »

you can buy tapered washers that they use on heavy angle iron and c section when bolting things on can't recall the size but a good engineering supply would have them the ones I've used are steel

2

Tech Talk / Re: XT500 Ticking sound??

« on: September 03, 2016, 09:26:46 am »

back in the eighties one of our customers had a xt 250 with a ticking sound high up in the engine turned out to be a chip on the valve adjuster screw. only on the side but must have come into contact with valve stem at some point in the opening and closing. if it were me i would pull the valve adjuster screws out and check them, we used to keep a few of these screws in stock as it turned ou to be a fairly common ailment on the 250 i think one of my old 500 bikes even had this happen but was much less common on the big thumpers.

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General Discussion / Re: brake hose

« on: September 03, 2016, 09:10:22 am »

my GS850 front right caliber is locking on turns out it a buggered hose not letting the fluid back to master cylinder has collapsed internally

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General Discussion / Re: Gary Adams RN 370

« on: July 25, 2016, 11:46:48 am »

When we had Highway motorcycles in ferntree gully we got the RH from Melbourne motorcycles Peter Jones and Graham Lang in about 76 and sold it to Peter Simonds MCRCV i was going to keep it but had an RM250A so didn't see the need.Peter rode it a few times and I'm not sure what happened to it after that. the RN would have been sold to someone looking for a quick bike id say. My brother ran into Peter Jones both ex Sandringham members at the Island classic a couple of years ago and i think Peter would remember what happened to that bike, he is living in Tassy somewhere.

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Tech Talk / Re: Tyre fitting

« on: May 16, 2016, 09:01:51 am »

small amount of lube is all i use showed the young fellas how to do it at the dirt track last year they had been fighting with it for about 40 minutes, got it on in about five. showed them the basics and the rule for bike tyres is ( if your fighting with it you're not doing it the right way watched) them do one on a mini that i had a bit of trouble with and came to the conclusion that they need heaps more practice.

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General Discussion / Re: Project management software

« on: May 16, 2016, 08:48:57 am »

Access on windows is easy, well pretty much. on Mac Filemaker Pro15 the best I've used so far, costs a bit but has integration from iPhone to Mac desk top or laptop.
I've just done an app to track all my cattle births deaths sales and treatments only took a few hours and works great.

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General Discussion / Re: Bike prices.

« on: March 07, 2016, 10:28:17 am »

Some of the bikes you see advertised as collectors item make me shake my head in wonder i saw a Kawasaki 250 triple advertised and think to myself they seem to think its a Mach 3 or a H2 back in the day you couldn't have got me to ride one of those 250s even being paid they are rare cause they didn't sell and went about as fast as a c90 stepthru. i put an offer to a bloke for an XT550 i did some sums and thought if you could get it for say a couple of hundred not running it might be ok so i open with 150 and get the old you low ballers give me the sh&ts its worth at least $1600, how so when you can get a runner for around 1200-1500 in fair condition and mate this is a real collectors item! since when, they were a real good bike but in their day couldn't compete sales wise with say an XR500 for suspension and the like but it was basically a roadie if you on the other hand had a RH74 or a number of other bikes well you do have a collectors item. there are many bikes out there that are really desirable and some rare as well but for the most the prices being asked are way over the top not so mucho the restored bikes but the ones that could be a bit of a fun runner and a reliable ride. i guess i will still be shaking my head in wonder at the prices in the future.

8

Tech Talk / Re: repacking new sealed bearings

« on: February 22, 2016, 10:50:48 am »

back in the seventies when i was racing 125s and 250s both mx and road i would just change the bearings regularly before they got a bit rough never bothered repacking them as the more grease you put in the more drag that they have but used to give them a squirt of oil. when i got back from a meeting after the bikes were washed they would be pulled completely down and cleaned from stem to stern generally on the monday morning before the workshop got too busy and check every thing like all bearings and bushes not a huge job then get the first year to give it all a good wash and re assemble generally monday night frame wise that is and the engines would get checked later in the week and rings or pistons replaced as needed. in the scope of things wheel-bearings are very inexpensive items.
i would say check and oil weekly only need a little of some good oiled if the seals aren't damaged you won't have any problems. Oh and by the way std sealed ball races will function on a conveyor belt with just a tiny amount of grease added like a pump every couple of days for ages.

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Tech Talk / Re: Rust forming on powder coated frame.

« on: January 05, 2016, 12:35:46 pm »

Strip and paint.

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Bike Talk / Re: If you could only have 1 from Tom Whites top 10, which?

« on: January 05, 2016, 12:33:37 pm »

The Puch for me out of that lot..
i'd still rather an RM250A.

11

General Discussion / Re: Brand name tools

« on: January 05, 2016, 12:28:41 pm »

Bought a Stahlwille selection ie corona spanners and the like 3/4 socket set a few flat ring spanners a set of open enders and a few big ring open enders hammers chisles  still good after fourty years in the trade. i had to replace the 10/11 and 12/13 ring spanners in 2015 bought jap t bars Kabo maybe still going strong.. sockets a mix of sidchrome and stahlwille Kabo gearless ratchets 3/8 drive always knipex waterpump pliers and side cutters. my elder brother whos a mech at wackers is using Beta tools and i have to say they're pretty good and have a great range. i buy a fair amount of cheap stuff for sacrifices cause in my workshop you just never know what your going to have to bend or cut up when working on earthmoving equipment.. but no one ever gets in to my box with my motorcycle tools and i mean no one..........

12

Tech Talk / Re: VW valve fail

« on: November 30, 2015, 10:11:38 am »

had a colorada go onto three cylinders at work a few months ago. four valve heads one intake port per cylinder controlled by butterfly small screws hold them in place just like in carby screws fall out disc gets sucked into valve seat holds valve open, a little bit of a mess but no valve damage a few marks on piston where screws have passed through what was left of the screws must have passed through the turbo as well no damage there either just lucky i guess. it would be interesting to see what the valve clearance was only need a very small defect in a valve seat for a valve to burn with a tight clearance. Now if it had been an old VW 1600 or even a 1200 valve failure on them was mostly catastrophic in Qld we fitted cast iron valve guides and a big oil cooler and never had the head fall off another valve we used to do the same on the Z900 and 1000 engines we built for racing. just a thought Pokey how would anything get from the cylinder to the sump?

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Tech Talk / Re: white Lithium grease in spray can

« on: November 02, 2015, 01:23:19 pm »

never seen the WD version probably just as good. id never seen this product

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Tech Talk / Re: white Lithium grease in spray can

« on: October 25, 2015, 07:25:41 am »

No WD40 doesn't do the same thing.

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Tech Talk / white Lithium grease in spray can

« on: September 21, 2015, 10:53:02 am »

Hi Guys, had the sales rep around from Dymark paints and thing the other day he dropped of a few sample cans of some products thought this may be of interest. I have always used white lithium grease on axles and swing arm bolts  when fitting seems to stop the siezes, also used on outboard motors and the guys on the water board at work use it in sewerage pumps for the same reason.
when we had the yamaha and kawa shop in hervey bay the bikes we all took to the island (fraser island) unless this was used would always come back with axles and thing stuck fast well after they had been sitting in the shed for a month or so. must say i always cleaned mine properly when we go home. have been fiddeling with a can for a week or so and its a real good way to have it packed if you get a chance grab a can and give it a go seems to be a pretty good product.