Cheney Yamaha almost finished.

[firko]

I should have learned my lesson by now but I still seem to end up putting in a last minute thrash to get my new projects finished by Classic Dirt. Two years ago I ran out of time getting my Hindall Ducati finished, last year the Boyd and Stelling TM400 missed out by a couple of small things and this year, wrong cables, a footpeg/kickstarter clearance glitch and a couple of bibs and bobs prevented the Cheney RT1360 being a runner for CD7. Evren though I'd owned the bike for 3 years and had built the engine a couple of years ago, it wasn't until five weeks before the event that I decided to prep it for CD7.
Another week and I would have made it.
                                 
The engine has been fitted with a DT250 MX close ratio trans, YZa clutch basket, Barnett kevlar plates, DT400 CDI ignition, YZ80J black box, GYT piston port cylinder, RT2MX head, Pro-form YZ360A  pipe, Firko made muffler, 34mm flange mount Mikuni, Skunk Works Vortex inlet manifold and much more to come
                                 
The bike features Ceriani forks,Arces triple clamps  Royal Enfield handlebars, Yamaha GYT front fender, Magura throttle, surgical latex grips and levers, Rickman front hub, Borrani rim, SS spokes, Bridgestone tyre. Arnaco shocks, Yamaha MX250A rear hub, Akront rim, Bridgestone tyre, AJS Stormer rear fender, Firko made side panels, Chinese pitbike stainless steel footpegs.
                                                                             

[ola_martin]

Beautiful bike!
Great job on the Firko made sidecovers.

[firko]

Thanks Martin....I actually bought sidecovers from Simon Cheney but upon delivery I discovered two blank sheets of aluminium with only the number ovals beaded, a felt tip outline of what he thought the panel should look like and a message telling me that it'd be better for me to cut them to shape as he wasn't sure of the shape of the 2 stroke Yamaha Cheney. No louvres, no rolled edges, no cut to size, no polishing but he still charged me for the finished item despite my demands for a discount.

In a way I'm glad I got to do them myself because it gave me an opportunity to revive my old trade skills. As well as the panels being unfinished, dear Simon also supplied the wrong tank holding bolt thingy despite him asking me three times if my measurement was correct. I had to extend it 50mm to fit through the fatter enduro tank on the bike. Unless I'm absolutely desperate, I won't be dealing with Simon Cheney again. He certainly learned his business skills from his old Dad.

[mx250]

Maybe a slimmer more stylish tank - but then it wouldn't be a Cheney I guess .

[firko]

Maybe a slimmer more stylish tank - but then it wouldn't be a Cheney I guess

That's what's so interesting about these specials, the option is always there to change the bikes appearance without losing its originality or integrity, something that's hard to achieve on a plastic Japanese bike. While I was building the Cheney I tended to agree with you that the tank looked a tad bulbous but after it emerged from the mancave I saw it from different angles and now reckon the tank is what makes the bike. Nearly all of the comments at CD7 seemed to back that view. The bike started life as an ISDT enduro, hence the larger 2.5 gallon tank but in my opinion it's more flowing than the MX version. Because the tank is in such good nick after Geoff Morris repaired it I couldn't bare to damage it so It won't be used for racing, I have a fibreglass BSA B44 replica tank that I'm about to start prepping earmarked for that. It'll get a Candy Apple Red spray job to hopefully replicate the original red anodizing.
Below is the 'glass tank I'll be using for racing instead of the shiny alloy version

[Marc.com]

Maybe a slimmer more stylish tank - but then it wouldn't be a Cheney I guess

That's what's so interesting about these specials, the option is always there to change the bikes appearance without losing its originality or integrity,

what was old Eric on when he decided to mount the tank and the seat by drilling a hole straight through them. Guess it worked and saved on mounting brackets.

But like Firko says you have options, Lyta, Wassel and other after market tanks, B50MX is what I went for on my JBR based on price and looks..

[Marc.com]

Sorry Firko, of course your Yamaha Cheney looks awesome. Despite Simons do it yourself side covers it really is a great build, hats off. Simon one time told me that every frame is different which is why the panels come in the ready to trim format.

Can't wait for my JBRs red body work to arrive back from the anodisers.

[firko]

hat was old Eric on when he decided to mount the tank and the seat by drilling a hole straight through them. Guess it worked and saved on mounting brackets.

I agree Marc, it's a dumb and dangerous way to mount the tank. It's something only the Poms would get away with but it adds to the quirkiness of the bike sort of like how the tank straps are part of the YZ A/B's individuality.

Simon one time told me that every frame is different which is why the panels come in the ready to trim format.

Cheney told me the same yarn, what a crock of shit. If that's the case, why advertise and charge for them as complete units . Using his "every frame is different" criteria might, just might cover the outer dimensions but it doesn't prevent him from punching the louvres or supplying the mounting hardware. The "all different" scenario doesn't cut it with me when the panels on my mates Cheney Ducati fit straight up to mine, as do the basket case panels I got from an American mate off his Cheney Triumph. Nope.........Simon Cheney is full of shit and just plain screwed me over.

Thanks for the good words re: the bike.

[Freakshow]

Old nut to crack , but i'll ask anyway, did you replate the frame or was it like that still ? reason the old trackmaster is looking a little shabby and has some spots that are taking rusty colour, i keep cleaning and piainting with chrome but it looks nothing like it, im afraid to caustic clean it and Replate for the same reason im not sure it wont effect the inside ?
are there nay new options out there ? i see the guys in the state renickle all the time and at the start of it life it must have been in an acid bath to get the original plating so what gives

[firko]

Freaky the frame has the original Nickel but to get it as nice as I did took a solid week of buffing with an electric drill mounted 6'' buffing wheel I got from Bunnings. The kits cost just under or around 40 bucks and include a 6" buffer, a 2" one for tight corners and two cakes of buffing compound. The key is to go over the really rusty or corroded bits with a stainless wire wheel mounted in the drill chuck to get the nickel reasonably clean of corrosion. Then starts the tedious task of using the 6'' buffer and the dark coloured buffing compound that comes with the kit. After you've got the frame to a shine you're happy with, apply Auto Sol to the entire frame and let it dry, then either polish it with a rag buffer in your drill or polish it by hand with terry cloth. Then as a final touch, give it a good hand polish with Brite Shine cotton wool polish. I did the tank,side panels and rims the same way.

As an experiment, I polished a couple of tubes of my old basket case Hindall using the same method and it looks as if it'll come up nearly as well. This frame is really, really corroded but it looks like it may turn out pretty good. If I get a chance I may do a Ji Gantor style 'Polishing for Dummies' thread over the weekend.

[mainline]

so if you'd started a week earlier I could have ridden that as well??

Bike looks good in the flesh too, especially all the cooll doodads you notice as you look closely.

[Freakshow]

But5 what about the esection where the plating has came away and your looking at Chromo bare and starting to take colour ( rust sheen )

[mx250]

Freaky the frame has the original Nickel but to get it as nice as I did took a solid week of buffing with an electric drill mounted 6'' buffing wheel I got from Bunnings.

  has your hand stopped tingling yet  .

Big effort. I've used a wire wheel on an angle grinder against paint and that's something I'm not looking forward to a second time  .

I bet this was you when you finished

I better give another round.......

[firko]

But5 what about the esection where the plating has came away and your looking at Chromo bare and starting to take colour ( rust sheen )

Are you talking about peeling nickel plating or just worn away? If it's peeling you're up shit creek, not much you can do to fix it. If it's just worn away you may get by polishing the chromo to blend in with the remaining nickel and give it a light hit of clear paint.

[Marc.com]

thanks for the down low on the Nickel restoration Firko. My Ricky and JBR are good, but the cantilever Cheney looks like it will need some love.

I prefer to keep the dull old nickel look a bit, especially for original nickel race bikes keeps the correct patina.