No updates, no updates, then BAM!... a nearly completed bike!

I completed lots of little jobs over summer, including rebuilding the engine with new piston, bearings, gaskets and 12v (rather than the original 6v) ignition. It also got a very expensive new crankshaft, since I had mistakenly beaten the crap out of the threads on the old one during disassembly. I have since invested in a rubber mallet.

The bodywork was media blasted, welded and painted in a slightly-ironic shade of 'RAF Blue-Grey' by Tony at Bodytone. I think it suits the bike's shape really well.

Jelly at the Phirm put fresh metal back into the severely rusted seat pan after my own welding efforts went severely awry. Meanwhile, I replaced the scary tetanus-arse-jab rusted and cracked shards of seat spring for good, solid blocks of composite foam, with an inch of lighter-duty foam on top. The seat pan will be powdercoated silver before it goes on the bike.

I spent three full days crouched in the snow, contemplating the new wiring loom before finally getting to to work. I still don't have a battery that will fit the tray - that comes with the next (and hopefully last) order of parts from Germany.

The tank got a coating of POR-15 tank seal. Seems like good stuff.

So with the engine and wiring loom fitted to the frame, I started work on getting it running. After some initial problems with an air-tight filler cap restricting flow to the carb, it fired and ran: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzau3TQpi5o

Dietel parts have arrived! It's amazing how little €410 buys.

Still no sign of the frame or the body...

Frame ballache

I called the powdercoating place yesterday and the owner told me the frame was finished. I was over there first thing this morning to collect it.

I don't know why he told me that - I wasted a journey because it's not finished - it's only just been blasted and there's a fucking great rust hole in the bottom. I left it with a fabrication place to repair. So whilst it's annoying to be given the run-around, I'm glad I was able to get it repaired.

On the way home I went to see how Tony the painter was getting along with the bodywork. Better news there - the body is also down to bare metal and it actually looks pretty good. He's done a great job straightening the front panel up, and has welded up a few small splits that needed attention. He plans to paint it next week.

Meanwhile, I finally got in touch with Dietel Fahrzeugteile and sent them some money, more shiny bits to arrive soon...

New stuff

A big box of bits arrived from Hasse Oldtimerteile today - handlebars, mirror, tacho, full replacement loom, rubber bits, clutch plates, carb rebuild kit, bearings etc etc. All arrived amazingly quickly.

I placed another order (€390) with another company called Dietel a few days ago but I haven't even had a response yet... Arghhh.

More cleaning

Disassembled, cleaned and reassembled the front brake drum and rear drum / drive components yesterday. They came up nicely, and the pads and bearings seem fairly new.

Help has arrived

English-speakers on a German IWL Board

Result.

Exhaust painted black

The exhaust that came with the bike was in a bit of a state. I wanted it matte black anyway, so today I sanded it down and sprayed it with VHT paint. Looks rad ass. Will probably add heatwrap to downpipe for full effect.