More '79 restoration pictures

[dogger315]

Here is another set of "progress" pictures from the '79
concentrating on the motor.



Magnesium clutch cover stripped, cracks and pits repaired, surfaced
and ready for powder.



Clutch cover finished and ready to install



Detail picture of inside case. Inside painted with color matched glyptal
paint for improved oiling. Outside coated with Tahitian Red powder.



Restored cylinder with original chrome bore ready for installation.



Loaded crankcase



Restored clutch pack



Final leak down test. This motor maintained full 6 psi for 4 1/2 minutes.



Finished and ready for installation.

[OLDMXRACER 393]

All hail Dogger, our new "ATM Master Restorer Advisor". Keep uop the good work.....

[Big Maico 393]

All I can say is that you do outstanding work!

I'm simply amazed at the detail that you go to.

[dogger315]

As promised, here are some more pictures. These chronical the
wheels and airbox restoration.

The original wheels were in pretty sad shape. The rims were bent,
spokes rusted and corroded and the brake lining was worn beyond
limits on the rear hub. The previous owner HAD mounted a brand
new set of Kenda tires (which I still have if anyone wants them).

The biggest wheel related problem was the rims. The OE DID "430"
rim is GONE. I mean nobody has them anymore. A Japanese shop
came to my rescue. The owner actually went to Daido and asked
them to make another run of the "430" rims. They did and I now
have a set of brand new 1979 DID rims! Once I had the rims, the
wheels went together without a hitch. I restored every spoke,
spoke nipple and washer, so the wheelsets are 100% OE.

The airbox was in typical condition. Plastic scratched and marred,
hardware rusted and corroded. I used a multi-step process to repair
the plastic then I added the original grained texture. I used a special
plastic dye to restore the OE satin black color. All the hardware was
removed, stripped, polished and replated. Then everything was re-
assembled using the correct pop and solid rivets.

As you can see, I like to break the restoration down into component
groups. This way I can concentrate all my efforts on a limited number
of problems, solve them, then move to the next group. This system
works best for me.

Next up will be pictures of everything going back together.


Brand new "1979" DID 430 rims. These are worth their weight in gold for
an authentic restoration


Unrestored spoke, spoke nipple and washer as removed from original wheel


Spoke assembly after stripping, polishing and replating. Spoke was clear
cad plated, spoke nipple and washer was cad plated with gold chromate.
This is the same combination Honda used in 1979


Laced and trued front wheel


Laced and trued rear wheel with restored sprocket installed


Airbox plastic after hardware was removed. Typical condition.


Airbox plastic after restoration


Hardware removed from airbox (along with some rear shock pieces) after
old plating was stripped. Parts have been polished and are ready for plating.


Finished airbox, front view


Finished airbox, right side

[Woody_393]

Wow, these are absolutely amazing!!! I love these threads and yours are some of the best.

Remind me again, what this bike is? 1979 honda 250?

[OLDMXRACER 393]

WOW.

[cycleryan]

I have one of those , and I race it...............
Great job on the resto!



link to the pic...


[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

[dogger315]

Here are the pictures of my '79 going back together, ending up
with what it looks like today. The pipe and silencer are finished
and I will be painting and installing them this week. I will post
the finished pictures of the bike next week.


Frame, swingarm, shocks, ignition and triple clamps


Detail shot of the cdi and coil


Motor finally in the frame


Detail picture of the right frame/swingarm junction


Closeup of right side motor in frame


Left side motor in frame and restored side panel


View from above




Everthing but the pipe and silencer

[Freak]

Amazing resto man. Do you plan on riding it? Don't know that I would.

[TRexRacing]

Nice work.What is the product you use on the airbox?Is it duraqble enough to use on a bike that's ridden?Thanks.

[Duran676]

wow thats really good. I have a 83 RM 125 i want to restore, someday.

[MotoMan]

WOW man!!

Thats amazing!

[Woody_393]

man, the attention to detail is simply amazing!

[dogger315]

Thanks for the kind words gents, it's really appreciated.

That's a great "action" shot cycleryan. I noticed you're running a
double leading shoe front brake and some 38mm forks from a later
model CR. Those mods should really sweeten the ride. What did
you do out back? Is there an aluminum swingarm planned for the
future? Is the motor stock? I have a source for a HRC works,
rebuildable aluminum silencer for the Red Rocket if you're
interested.

What is the product you use on the airbox?

The products used are the same that auto bodyshops use to
repair and refinish deformable car and truck bumpers. It is very
strong and very resiliant. Here is the link to the company where
I get the supplies. They are also a good information source for
all kinds of plastic repair and refinish:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
If you are interested in doing some airbox work, let me know and
I will list the products and tools I used to do the work.

Do you plan on riding it?

Only up and down the street when my neighbors are trying to sleep

I have a 83 RM 125 i want to restore, someday.

My advise, go for it. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to
complete. Many parts are virtually non-exsistent for pre 80's bikes
already, and it's only going to get worse as time goes on. I am
currently restoring a 1993 Honda CR250 and believe it or not, some
parts (ignition coil for instance) are already NLA. Most of the
manufacturers stock parts for ten years because that's the law.
Any time after that, you'll have to depend on what's left on a dealer's
shelf. Honda offers to buy back unsold parts stock from their dealers
for penneys on the dollar each year. Several entities have discovered
what a gold mine this unsold stock is and are offering dealers two or
three times more than Honda for those same parts. They then turn
around and sell the high-demand, sarce parts for what ever the market
will bare, and sometimes the market can bare a lot.

dogger

[OLDMXRACER 393]

I discovered something last week (regarding Suzuki parts anyway). Dealers have access to an online "parts locator". A mom and pop shop me found 2 sets of rear spokes left in the U.S. for my 82 PE that way.

[cycleryan]

Originally Posted by dogger315

Thanks for the kind words gents, it's really appreciated.

That's a great "action" shot cycleryan. I noticed you're running a
double leading shoe front brake and some 38mm forks from a later
model CR. Those mods should really sweeten the ride. What did
you do out back? Is there an aluminum swingarm planned for the
future? Is the motor stock? I have a source for a HRC works,
rebuildable aluminum silencer for the Red Rocket if you're
interested.

I have a front end off of a CR 480 with emulators ,and it works great.
The rear shocks are Works and they work well , Ohlins would be better , but they are $$$$.
The motor , pipe and swingarm are all stock , I have a Jemco pipe , but the stocker is fine.
The bike earned me the #1 plate in EVO II am last season and this season it is my backup bike to my 81 Maico 490.
How much do the HRC silencers run?
Thanks:Mike

[dogger315]

Sounds like some excellent mod choices and obviously they paid off,
congrats on the championship. Personally, I would recommend a pair
of Fox air shocks along with a Thor aluminum swingarm (lighter, stronger
and longer), if/when you decide to further upgrade the rear suspension.

The silencers go for $150 and can be purchased from this gentleman:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] Here are a couple of pictures.

dogger


Rough prototype

Finished product

[cycleryan]

That silencer is sweet!
I know the Fox air shocks look cool and are supposed to work ok, but I have seen them leak at a few vintage races. The Ohlins are king in Vintage these days , Works makes a good shock also.
The swing arm is a good mod and is on my list. Also I hate the pain int the a$$ stock air filter , so I run a tube type clamp on in the stock air box , it is much easier to service. The Stock filter is hard to get on unless you have tiny hands.........

[dogger315]

Ohlins were great shocks back in the day as well and are still available
new, unlike the Fox.

so I run a tube type clamp on in the stock air box

I have a couple of Twin Air filters for the 79 that come with a molded
filter base and connecting tube permanently attached. You open the air
box, slide the tube through the exsisting hole in the front and clamp it to
your carb. You know the filter problem had to be bad if an aftermarket
manufacturer came out with such a drastic fix.

dogger