DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

Pick your next project!!


https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/the- ... ews_Weekly

I'm already thinking about it.
I fancy another Honda, bit bigger, but a custom build, where originality does not matter, lots of aftermarket stuff or if I can, homemade, but keeping the lovely proportions of these lightweight bikes but make one that is unique.
Not sure the wife will go along though...

However, this may be more in keeping with my resources...

Back to Honda re-build reality, got the chrome bck today, well pleased.

Looks great and looks blemish-free.
Cost was £330, was quoted by the people I usually use locally £1200+ extra work, so about £900 saved.

Lots suddenly can get done.

Trial fitted the home made side badges also, look far better in the flesh!

Needing a bit of relief from the 'Garage saga' and my ill Skoda Superb, and with the rain, it was the perfect day to do a bit now the chrome was here, no excuses.

Pictures hopefully say more than my clumsy words, but started with a 'mojo' lift and got the chrome on the rear first.

All went well, the indicator mounts are a bit special but with many parts now NLA had to improvise and get the same result. These Hondas vibrate so many parts are rubber insulated, so important to try and do the same.
Rear done (wheel etc on tomorrow) the front forks came next which is a bit delicate with all the paintwork and chrome, but again, all went well. Instruments on the brackets all tight and damper fork oil in. Had a leak, so fixed that and all together. The front fender was a bit tedious as it was not made for this bike, originals NLA years ago.

Made a school-boy error on the forks, wrong way round... so took it all apart and did it again...…

Hope to get all tomorrow on the bike again tomorrow, plan is to mount both wheels, run the cables and stare at the wires again that somehow fit in the headlamp, goodness knows where they all go.
Finally, fit the emblems to the side panels for good.
Looking like a bike!

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I don't know anything about bikes but it looks like you're doing a stunning job - even more so given the timescale ...

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Really does look good Graham.

Lightweight_911 wrote:.
I don't know anything about bikes but it looks like you're doing a stunning job - even more so given the timescale ...

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Agreed! I've had my cafe racer project for almost four years and done bugger all other than reduce it to a pile of parts. In that timespan, Graham would have restored eight bikes at least.

Thank you for your kind words gents. I think it is taking ages. My wife thinks I'm rushing it...

I just love doing these bikes, love the details, love doing things on the cheap and winning.
I saved £1000 on the chrome by taking a chance with a 2 bloke company that paid off.
I find that satisfying.

DIY paint equally so, all out of rattle cans and painted in the shed or garage. Love it.

Might just get this one done by end Oct but got to get it to run yet! Gulp.
The last one was a tease, might get lucky!

Thinking of the next project.
Could be a custom bike or the Lola's engine, but fancy another bike, a Honda of course.

A few years ago KS kicked off his Honda, nice big engine, tls brakes, open frame, alloy rims ans stainless spokes, sounds lovely....

Managed a few more hours in the garage over the last days adding more parts, adding stainless washers everywhere (rust free) and even shake-proof washers in hot places where I'm not sure a nyloc would survive.
This stuff takes ages, but progressing.

Installed the rear wheel and all brake links, tedious in the tight spaces, centre stand on and return springs ordered.
On the left side could finally mount the one half of the exhaust with copper plated shake proof nuts on the so delicate looking M7 studs (all new).
Stainless clamp of course and silicon to seal the joint (high temp spec, not B&Q).

Clutch cable in with small tensioner spring (typical Honda detail which make these classics so nice), chain on, new, and chain guard all on.
Keep on looking at the wires, hate electrics, so putting that off until it is unavoidable.

Hope to do the front wheel with its fancy TLS drum, cables an speedo cable too. Cables came from Taiwan and are superb quality, even have the plastic anti-rattle sleeves on the handle bar ends, so nice and 1/2 price of anything in the UK.

Superb job Sir.Please make sure that you machine hub for the TLS.It night and day..

That could be difficult, the previous owner had the wheels done professionally so came to me with new spokes etc, so cant get the 'drum' into a lathe now without stripping the whole wheel down.
hoping it will be good enough on my first test ride....

911hillclimber wrote:That could be difficult, the previous owner had the wheels done professionally so came to me with new spokes etc, so cant get the 'drum' into a lathe now without stripping the whole wheel down.
hoping it will be good enough on my first test ride....

The hub must be skimmed after its been bulit/respoked.Truing can cause the hub to distort thus ruining the skim.I found a local shop ,whos lathe could not only take the Brake plate /shoes but also the built rim.
Have drum skimmed,on fully built rim.Fit new shoes to plate.cut up an old feeler, and put 2 20thou shims under the cam of the brake.
Then have machine shop spin up the plate/shoes.Remove shims, and you have perfectly round shoes to fit in you perfectly round hub.
Or the other way glue some 80 grit, to inside of hub, then ride it around a while!

Yes, knew of the distortion risk when lacing the wheels, will see if there is a local man who has done this.
Thanks for the heads-up.