Manky's XS650 Yamaha

[stinkey]

Well mr monkey..it's looking good..and the rebuild time fitting all those fiddly little bits back is the worse part in some ways..iv built a chop for my brother and only needs a few days work..and it's sat in my mums garden shed for years..I refuse to touch it now unless he helps..so feel your frustration 
And I too have been told iv got the EYE both in hotrods /chops and photography ..but take it from me..you don't want to go down the "I can build these for a living easy peasy " route...been there..burnt the the bloody t-shirt/burnt the book too..ain't easy..it's bloody hard work you spend more time talking to customers and paying bills/rates etc than you do building stuff..how do you justify telling a customer you've spent hours on some little bracket ? And your hourly rate is ?  You end up charging them less to try and keep their business .. ..you know what you want to do..finish the bike and bloody ride it ragged mate..il be with you in spirit that's for sure..

[Manky Monkey]

That's the plan

[Archie]

I won't be there in spirit.

I will be crashing nearby to you

[Manky Monkey]

  Looking forward to it Arch. Mind you, I haven't ridden a bike for 5 years -those first few rides are gonna be a bit wobbly.

[kapri]

You never forget Andy . On my first ride out on the trike I still found myself reaching fo ra front brake that wasn't there and that was after over 40 years since I last rode anything motorised ! On the other hand I have crashed my mobility scooter several times IN my garage! LOL

[morrag]

It's like....riding a bike11 ...Mr. M

[stinkey]

You never forget Andy . On my first ride out on the trike I still found myself reaching fo ra front brake that wasn't there and that was after over 40 years since I last rode anything motorised ! On the other hand I have crashed my mobility scooter several times IN my garage! LOL

Iv crashed my scooter too..no blooming brakes and going to fast ..bad combination oops !

[Manky Monkey]

I have crashed my mobility scooter several times IN my garage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLKR9tCiwvA      

I had a bad day today.
Spent a fortune, taking out AA membership, plus a supplement for European travel for the Dutch trip next week, plus travel health insurance & picking up a wadge of Euros for the trip. An expensive morning, but hopefully everything's sorted now.
So back to the bike-
Fitted the headlight unit into the powder-coated shell. It's a Bates style light. I've had loads over the years & never had a problem with them. Put the lens into the shell, slipped the retaining ring over it & did up the securing bolt. Walked away, came back 5 minutes later & knelt next to it to work on the engine when ..bang! the glass cracked in about 4 places. Bugger. I'd obviously over tightened the screw & put it under tension.
Fortunately, through the power of mobile phones & the internet, within 2 minutes I'd bought a replacement from Cycle Haven in Lincolnshire, but that's another 30 or 40 quid I didn't plan on spending. Mr Loon's Triumph Speed Triple's in the same lock-up & has mis-matched Bates headlights, one normal & one halogen, so I've actually pinched the normal one with the old style curved glass & will replace it with the new flat glass halogen one when it arrives -yes, I did ask him first.
Took the left hand engine casing off to replace the clutch mechanism that I removed when the casing went to the engraver & discovered the clutch pushrod that actually moves the clutch plates is missing. Good job I didn't plan to ride the bike to Holland. I bought the donor bike as a running non rider, (it had no brakes or chain -& still hasn't), so I assume it's always been missing. So this evening's job is to find another one on the 'net.
Decided the mudguards really do need respraying, so took them off again & over to Mr Loon's workshop.
Every job seems to involve at least one nut or bolt that I need to go & buy or one hole that needs filing out. I think I'm actually going backwards at the moment, taking off more parts than I'm putting on. One week till it needs to be on the ferry to Holland -what could possibly go wrong!  

[morrag]

Er, glass half full, or half........

[BikerGran]

You'll never change!


And you'll be on the ferry, WITH the bike!


 

[Manky Monkey]

Yeah, I'm like a real life version of all those lousy American shows -oh no, something's gone disastrously wrong. Will he make the deadline in time? Tune in next week to find out. 

[Olds]

Yeah, I'm like a real life version of all those lousy American shows -oh no, something's gone disastrously wrong. Will he make the deadline in time? Tune in next week to find out.  

 

This could turn into an  'international show bike' . By that I mean built at an international  show.

[stinkey]

To be honest Andy your putting to much stress upon yourself..it's just a static show for you..it don't have to be perfect, iv been there..in all honesty everybody will be looking at the guy with the latest version of a Carlos fandango bike/hotrod anyway..you'll end up chatting to one or two guys/gals who realise your bike is the real deal ..

[Olds]

Agree with you there stinky. Most show goers tend to gawk at the pretty or outrageous vehicles rather than the ones with real effort in them. Though I believe the Dutch crowd are a bit more clued up than the average American or Brit.
Just make sure it's together Andy and have fun while you are there.

[Manky Monkey]

I know, I know. It's got most of the main components already, so I'm adding as many smaller parts as I can in the next few days.
One step forward-
replacement halogen headlamp lens arrived this morning, (ordered yesterday afternoon -ain't Royal Mail brilliant). Fitted to Loon's Speed Triple & his mis-matched older style one fitted to my chop.
Fitted a few bits & pieces -brake pedal, kickstart, top engine mounts etc, then had a visit from Mr Melosman, all the way from Yorkshire to buy my spare V8 motor. Nice to meet you Marc & thanks to Big Darren for helping to lift it into his car.