07 April 2008 (2)

Spot the difference! Today’s work on the project consisted of the start of the dismantling work on the 125. I don’t think very much of this bike is going to end up getting used in the 2x250 rebuild, but I’m building in as many good habits as I can re. tagging everything that comes off the bike with what it is and which bike it came from. There are a lot of items already removed from various bikes that aren’t tagged, but I’ll work them out when I come to putting things back together I think. So far all the components are getting bagged up in groups by item (so, for instance, the brake caliper is with all its bolts, hydraulic fittings etc.). I’ll find out how good a system it is when I get to rebuilding… I’ve noted all the different wires on the blocks in the headlight surround, what colour they are and where they go to, on little diagrams that are in with the cowl, and noted the “headlight end” of all the separate bits of loom that have come away from the front end of the bike so far… I might even be able to rebuild this loom!! I don’t think it’s possible to have too much information of this type, so I’m taking it slowly and getting down what I can. I would’ve taken photos of the wiring but it was such a tangled mess in there, I don’t think it’d have been any use anyway. I’ve been quite impressed with how easily this bike is coming apart. It had been abandoned in a sorry state (partially dismantled) but would seem to have been a pretty well-cared-for bike before then. Apart from one item, the throttle cable housing on the handlebar, everything has come off/apart very easily with only a light, pre-emptive, squirt of WD40. I’ve basically gotten the front end apart now, back to the fuel tank (which was full of water…). I’m leaving the wheels in until the end of dismantling so the bike can be moved if necessary. Next job is to get the engine out. I’ve squirted all the relevant bolts with WD40 so it’s got time to work its way in over the next week, and drained the oil (UKK!! I’ve rarely seen nastier looking “oil” come out of an engine, and there wasn’t much of it either! But it’s not siezed up, so I can hope that there’s some life left in the gearbox yet. Engine stripping is much later, but we’ll find out what the damage to that is then. I’ve made a note that I need to strip the brake caliper down & at least oil all the bits, as the hydraulic line was open to the sky when it was standing, and all the bits I took off squirted water everywhere. As water is heavier than brake fluid (I presume – it’s heavier than oil anyway!), I fully expect the caliper to be full of water, so it’ll be a mercy to it if I get rid of that & sort it out sooner rather than later. Today (or tomorrow) I will have another shopping trip & get some more stuff from the buying/scrounging list. It would be really useful to have one of those magnetic notice boards they’re selling in WHSmith (I think) for ongoing notes and “to do” lists. I’m also going to see who sells barrier cream as I don’t really get on with working in gloves, a couple of proper old-fashioned oil cans (always wanted one!), a couple of notebooks, some more food bags – re-sealable this time, the tie-tag ones are OK, but resealable is better I think. And I’m going to cheat and get a cheap toothbrush from Wilkinsons. We use an electric toothbrush and the heads from that aren’t really what you need for cleaning motorcycle parts. If I can find one for under a fiver I’ll get a kettle too, and a supply of teabags, sugar and maybe some of those longlife milk cartons like you get in cafés. So, Halfords, Tescos, WHSmith and Wilkinsons. Quite a walkabout for a lunch hour…