Author Topic: Honda QA50 Beast  (Read 14042 times)

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Offline Berwick Boy

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Re: Honda QA50 Beast
« Reply #15 on: August 16, 2018, 10:33:48 am »
Great post, Alex    :)

Offline alexbrown64

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Re: Honda QA50 Beast
« Reply #16 on: August 17, 2018, 01:05:27 pm »
Cheers Berwick Boy,

Drama city with the Beast rebuild.  I think i tend to rush things...

Anyway, clouds were coming over and sprinkling rain every now and then.  So i would spray a wheel hub white, and then take it back in the shed, then take it out 10 minutes later and repeat the process.  Got one all nice and glossy white and then dropped it in the dirt. Hmmmmm.....

With the tank, i rushed the 2k clear coat, got a bit close and introduced some clouding in a spot. I also introduced a small chip.  If this was a showroom restore, i would be going back to square one.  But this is a rider, so it gets a free pass.

The last of the parts showed up yesterday, so i can get her back together and started.
I got a reproduction coil with condensor and OEM cap which all fitted perfectly.
I also got a reproduction chrome kickstarter which fitted perfectly.  I am keeping all my old original parts boxed away.



I fitted a new cap/gasket and petcock to the fuel tank and fitted it all back up with new fuel hose and rubber mounts and straps.  The band on the tank was reconditioned with the HONDA badge repainted.

The metal airfilter box was refitted with a freshly oiled foam filter.

The exhaust was refitted with new gaskets and high temp paint.

The footpeg perch was refitted after i had to heat and bend it back to shape and repaint it.  Then i added new Honda genuine rubber footpegs. I also fitted new genuine Honda hand grips.



Next step is the wheels and tyres, chain and sprockets, back mudguard, lower forks and cables....

Cheers,

Offline alexbrown64

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Re: Honda QA50 Beast
« Reply #17 on: August 20, 2018, 11:46:04 am »
Everything went smoothly in the final stages.  I got up at 4am so i could finish it off while the kids were still asleep.
Rebuilt the split rims/Nitto tyre combo's and added the new chain and sprockets.
Fitted the rear mudguard and both new brake lines.
Wired up the kill switch, coil and magneto.
Cleaned and adjusted everything.
Poured in a liter of engine oil.
Added some fuel to the tank.

Kicked her in the guts and she fired right up.  A few adjustments on the carb and i took her for a spin in the park. Gearbox and motor working great. New brakes working great. 

Took 4 weeks from the day i bought her to strip down and give her a birthday and get her looking good and running perfectly again.  She should be ready for another 48 years service..

4 Weeks ago....



4 Weeks later....



All ready for the kids to ride...



















Cheers,


Offline 80-85 husky

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Re: Honda QA50 Beast
« Reply #18 on: August 20, 2018, 12:56:27 pm »
nice work, minis always look good after reco...probably by the time we saw them as kids they were 4th hand!!

Offline alexbrown64

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Re: Honda QA50 Beast
« Reply #19 on: August 20, 2018, 06:26:40 pm »
Thanks Husky,

Yep, even when me and my brother got one each in 1976, the QA's we got were 6 years old.  They had already been reconditioned once, with black painted frames and the the plastics moderately tatty. I still have the newspaper clipping of the ones we bought.. $200 each.  The bloke also was advertising some BSA Bantams at the same time.. but we liked the little mini's.

Cheers,



Offline skypig

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Re: Honda QA50 Beast
« Reply #20 on: August 21, 2018, 11:39:20 am »
Looks good.
I can give you $50 for it!!
 :P

Offline Berwick Boy

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Re: Honda QA50 Beast
« Reply #21 on: August 21, 2018, 11:50:42 am »
Be careful with that front brake.  It'll put her over the bars in a flash

Offline Hoony

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Re: Honda QA50 Beast
« Reply #22 on: August 21, 2018, 06:58:24 pm »
Be careful with that front brake.  It'll put her over the bars in a flash

sounds like that's from Experience Roger.
Long time Honda Fan, but all bike nut in general, Big Bore 2 stroke fan.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJoKP6MawYI
1985 Honda CR500RF "Big Red"
1986 Honda CR250RG
2005 KTM 300EXC "The GruntMeister" ( I love that engine)

Offline alexbrown64

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Re: Honda QA50 Beast
« Reply #23 on: August 21, 2018, 09:01:39 pm »
Put a lot of development time into those brakes.  She will certainly stop on a dime..
If your in WA Skypig, i could organize a ride day on the old girl for a quick $50  ;D

The boy now wants a YZ85 to race in the sands of WA..

Cheers,


Offline skypig

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Re: Honda QA50 Beast
« Reply #24 on: August 22, 2018, 08:30:34 am »
I’d pay $50 for a ride.

It’s a splendid job, on an interesting and historically significant model.*
Looks so good in that colour.

* I was a Kawasaki 75 child myself.
All the Nice People were on Hondas

Offline FAT-TOY

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Re: Honda QA50 Beast
« Reply #25 on: August 22, 2018, 11:21:37 am »
  You blokes are making me feel old.  My first bike was a belt drive Douglas, removed the motor, gearbox and anything else  that was heavy.   Then I would push it to the top of a big long hill near home and ride it to the bottom, then push it back up again.  I think my next was a 250cc Velocette  then followed a heap of AJS's, Matchless, BSA etc.  These were all dirt cheap back in the 50's and early 60's.
  Zane
Everyday I find one more name to add to the list of people who piss me off.

Offline 80-85 husky

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Re: Honda QA50 Beast
« Reply #26 on: August 22, 2018, 01:24:12 pm »
my brother scrounged a bsa bantam and i rode that round and round our postage stamp back paddock. then the old man bought me a Gemini Boss 80 :o I was pretty pissed off as i had him convinced to get a DAX....im am now so glad i got the Boss as it was actually a great learning bike...i learnt to fix it a lot!

Offline Tex

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Re: Honda QA50 Beast
« Reply #27 on: August 27, 2018, 10:13:20 pm »
Really enjoyed reading about your adventures on these bikes Alex.

Tex