Slim Chants

Just when you think things are going well … I ordered a replacement windscreen for my FZ750. The one it came with is cracked. This is the last thing I need to do before taking it in for a safety check. So I got excited when I called the bike shop and they told me it had just arrived. When I picked it up however, I found it was the wrong one. They ordered me one to fit a FZR750. Now I sure wish I had a FZR750. Those bikes are fast! With an aluminum frame they weigh almost a hundred pounds less than my FZ750. Though the race position is a less comfortable ride. Anyway, I called the dealer and he says they’ll get the new one ordered on Monday and send the old one back.

Weather like this and my mount still isn’t ready. Damn, I’m itching to ride.

It’s spring, the nice weather has arrived a tad early, and I’ve got the itch to ride. Readers will know that I’ve been having troubles with the clutch. Last fall I replaced the plates with brand new EBC plates with new Barnett springs in place of the stock units. That helped but I still had a spongy feel. I messed around with bleeding and that didn’t help. I set things aside for the winter. With spring here I ordered kits to rebuild the master and slave cylinders. The slave kit went in easy but I had trouble with the circlip in the master so I decided to try it all out before figuring out how to tackle that job. Once everything was back together I still had a spongy feel. But I’d done some research on bleeding the clutch. It seems that air can get trapped at the top of the system. Its only natural because air is lighter and rises. The trick, it seems is to bleed first at the banjo bolts (master then slave) followed by the nipple. This turned out to be valuable advice. When I pumped some pressure and cracked the bolt bubbles spurted from the joint. I couldn’t believe the amount of air I was able to bleed from the banjo bolt. After I was finished bleeding the master banjo there was next to no air at all in the slave banjo and nipple. Once I had cleaned up the mess and put the tools aside I fired up the bike and she shifted flawlessly!
I thought I was going to get away without replacing the cracked windscreen but research into the safety inspection legislation wording reveals that it must be replaced. I had a heck of a time sourcing this part. The catalog for Zero Gravity in Canada does not list anything as old as an ’87. But their website indicates that they are still available. I didn’t want to wait weeks for a shipment. I finally found a local performance shop, Cycle Improvements in Waterloo, who tracked down a light smoked screen direct from Zero Gravity and they tell me it will be here in 7 days. These folks went out of their way to help me. I can’t say enough about Cathy and crew at Cycle Improvements. If you live in the Waterloo Region and you want performance work done on your bike give them a call.

The post is brought to you by lekhonee v0.7

Spring has arrived a month early in these parts. With the melting of the last remnants of snow I put the battery of my FZ750 motorcycle on a trickle charge for a few days and on Wednesday of this week I installed it in the bike and fired it up. She started on the third try and after a few minutes on choke she ran smooth at idle. The clutch however, still needs work. I popped the shifter into first and she stalled. It seems as though there is no hydraulic pressure. I’m going to have to try a bleed and may have to install a master and perhaps also a slave kit. Still to do for the safety check are the brakes. I have a new front-right rotor and a machined, used rear rotor and also new pads all around. That should do for the safety but I may also replace the chain and sprockets and also the windscreen before putting her on the road. Hard to say. With this weather I’m anxious to ride.

I’ve built another kayak. This one is a traditional construction, Greenland style, Skin-On-Frame qajaq.

The frame is made of western red cedar and pine longtitudinals with steam-bent ash ribs, pegged and lashed together. The deck beams were sawn from a pine bed frame that I recycled from the trash. (I try to use at least one recycled material in each boat I build.) The skin is 8.9 oz ballistic nylon, stretched and sewn around the frame. The coaming is also steam-bent ash, with a lip made from 3/8″ cotton rope. The coating is three coats of Colours In Plastic by Varathane in Forest Green. The first coat was thinned 10% with Tung Oil and Varsol (50::50). Deck fittings are made of 1/4″ diameter sewing machine treadle belt made of leather, with carved bone effigies and deer antler toggles and harpoon rest. Here are some photos of the build …

Further inspection reveals brake problems. The rear rotor is badly scored. I suspect the pads are also shot because of the dragging sound I can hear when I turn the back wheel by hand. I’m hoping that is the cause, in any case. It could also be a bad bearing. The local bike salvage yard wants around $100 CDN for a rotor in good shape but I managed to find one in the Ottawa area on eBay so I bought that. Pads were also easy to come by on eBay. I’m going to replace them all. This bike will be in tip-top condition when I put it on the road.

I’ve completed the clutch rebuild. The new gasket arrived but I didn’t have time before the camping trip so reassembly had to wait.

I managed to find a spare master cylinder at a local salvage dealer and after installation, fluid replacement and bleeding the clutch worked well. I like the extra stiffness offered by the Barnett springs. And the EBC plates grab well without sticking. I’m very pleased with the results.

New EBC clutch plates arrived last week preceded by Barnett springs the week before. I drained the oil and tore down the clutch on Saturday morning. The oil was way past its prime. But the clutch was not seized. The problem must lie in the hydraulics. I’m in the process of negotiating purchase of a used master cyclinder (along with a stock seat) but in the longer term I’m considering dropping serious coin on Brembo clutch and brake master cylinders. The friction plates were quite worn, however and I’m glad I decided to rebuild it. The EBC/Barnett combo should make for a heavy duty, trouble-free clutch.
I should have ordered a clutch cover gasket. The old one came apart n pieces. Bike shops were closed on Saturday due to the long weekend so I had to wait until today to call. ’87 parts aren’t stocked so they have to order it in. My local dealer is Performance Cycle. I bought the oil filter there and it was less than any deal on eBay. I expect they’ll be seeing a lot of me. I’ll be taking the bike there for safety when she’s ready to ride.

I topped up the water level in the battery and put it on a trickle charge for a few days. Lo and behold, the engine starts. It’s running on the lean side but it runs. The clutch is seriously seized, though. I’ve tried all the tricks to engage it without success so I’ve ordered a set of Barnett clutch springs and EBS clutch plates. I’m going to rebuild it.

New front signals arrived late last week and I’ll probably put those on this weekend.

My FZ750 on Day 1

As I said, I’m having way too much fun. The cross-sections are cut. The stringers are cut too. I assembled it on the strongback and glued the pieces together. Then I drilled and pegged the joints, using polyurethane glue. (Elmer’s Ultimate) Then I cut the ends of the stringers to lay flat against the end plates before finally drawing out the plates and cutting them. When I’d glued the end plates in place the thing started to look like a real boat.

Qajaq Frame - Basically complete

I promised to keep you all up-to-date on the progress of the qajaq construction and I also promised  a posting about the cross-section measurement and cutting. I’ve been remiss and for that I apologise. You see, I’ve just been having way too much fun to spend any time writing it down. I have been documenting the process with my camera so the story isn’t lost. I’ll post a DIY how to on my wiki after I’m finished.