Potential new project

[jetmechmarty]

Finally, here's a budding XSive...light of my life..... (The boy, not the bike)

That seat was made just for him!

From the pictures, it looks like you have a good one.

[crazy steve]

James, looking at that exhaust it may be worth your trouble to have your local 'exhaust fabricator' fit a crossover between the two sides like the OEM exhaust. Worth a bit of power and should quiet it some too... just a thought...

[James England]

James, looking at that exhaust it may be worth your trouble to have your local 'exhaust fabricator' fit a crossover between the two sides like the OEM exhaust. Worth a bit of power and should quiet it some too... just a thought...

There's actually a crossover on the exhaust, Steve... Not visible in the pix.....

[crazy steve]

All the better!

[James England]

Quick update

I've managed to get this far.....





Amazingly, the only OEM parts missing from the bike are the front cable clamp and one ignition coil which has been replaced with one from another bike, also the lift handle. Everything else, including all the little expensive things, are all there. That's quite reassuring.

The frame and swing arm will be going to the powder coaters next week.....

Onwards and upwards!

The steering head beating races were worn enough to warrant getting them out and not doing the tempting little cheat of leaving the races in the steering head. I used a small, primitive stock welder and welded an old bolt across each race. The heat from the welder helps and then a whack on the bolt from the opposite side with a metal rod popped them right out....

[Schming]

Nice tip on the races, James

First time I've seen a rear steer Go-Kart

[James England]

Nice tip on the races, James

First time I've seen a rear steer Go-Kart

yes, we got it to 130mph but the handling didn't feel right...

[crazy steve]

I've managed to get this far.....

That's pretty far...... Although the teardown is generally the easy part...

[James England]

That's pretty far...... Although the teardown is generally the easy part...

Yeah...the easy bit!

[James England]

Update

Got the frame, swing arm and other bits powder coated....



I spent the afternoon with a small zinc plating kit....heres a few bits in the tank



Results were very good with the parts bright and shiny and the zinc plating 'passivated' which keeps them nice and shiny.....here are the carb bits..



I also did a few other bits..cable holder, headstock nuts, engine mountings and a brake pipe clamps etc...


I received four carb kits...just the needle valves and seats and float bowl gaskets. A packing error in Japan meant that three of the four needle seat washers were the wrong diameter! So I could only fully assemble one carb! A pain but these things happen and they are sending me three correct replacements......

Onwards and upwards

[xs650man]

Looking good James ! I like your home zinc set-up, is it something you put together or is it a kit you can buy over there ? My last project I got all the fasteners gold zinc plated and looked very cool.

[James England]

Looking good James ! I like your home zinc set-up, is it something you put together or is it a kit you can buy over there ? My last project I got all the fasteners gold zinc plated and looked very cool.

I got it from eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2514745201...84.m1497.l2648

The kit is mainly dry ingredients which you mix with demineralised water. It comes with two passivators..one bright and the other a goldy-yellow colour. You basically de rust the components, then degrease and final acid bath before plating. As with painting, the better the preparation, the better the results. I wore one kit out doing two bikes. The electrolyte gradually gets contaminated and the zinc anodes wear away, although they can be replaced once before the elctrolyte becomes too bad.

The power supply is a normal car battery charger and the kit has a primitive variable resistor to vary the current depending on how much is being plated.

All in all, it's quite an easy process and the results are impressive considering what the kit costs and the fact that it's a home-done process. Also, it's gratifying to see a manky old component saves and turned into a shiny, non-rusting part.

[TopCatGr58]

And for some of those who might not know this, zinc plating is otherwise known as galvanization. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanization

T.C.

[James England]

Update. Refurbished airbox and no plating!

Here's a quick update on the new project. I refurbished the airbox and used the little zinc plating kit. The shiny bits make it look much better than before......

[MPittma100]

Bearing Race Removal

The steering head beating races were worn enough to warrant getting them out and not doing the tempting little cheat of leaving the races in the steering head. I used a small, primitive stock welder and welded an old bolt across each race. The heat from the welder helps and then a whack on the bolt from the opposite side with a metal rod popped them right out.... (Quote)

Hi James, Bike is looking very good. Nice touch with anodizing. Can't wait to see the final assembly.

Another method for bearing race removal is to run a bead with your welder along the inside of the race 1/4 to 1/2 way around it. As it cools off, the press fit is gone and the race(s) will usually fall out with no added persuasion.

Mike