Category Archives: Wheels

Finally, a roller…

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I’m a week behind my primary goal, but at last, my chassis is together!

Yesterday I had my new Avon Speedmasters (tires) put onto my wheels. Rich, a friend of Liza’s and now a friend of ours, has a heavy duty tire changer, so I got to help put the tires on, learn how it’s done and have the advantage of not screwing anything up at the same time. Always a plus.

Some to-dos for tires:

  • Grind down  remaining sharp edges where any spokes poke through the nipples on the rim
  • Wrap the rim with a rubber seal for extra protection for the tube
  • Coat the tube in a little talcum powder before putting it inside the tire – so it doesn’t snap or grab when inflating
  • Balance the wheels (after tire installed) – find the heavy side and add necessary weights, so that the tire doesn’t spin when the (previously) heavy side doesn’t move when balanced at 90 degrees

I’ve cleaned, polished and reassembled the rear brake plate and axle, as well as the front brake plate. And now that everything’s put together, see dirty spots, dings, scratched paint and powdercoat and little things that are going to drive me nuts. Awesome. Some imperfections are great. Others are…well… completely irritating. Nonetheless, I’m freakin’ stoked! I’ll go back and fix those things later.

What a relief it is to see something actually resembling a motorcycle. The wheels will be removed and reattached a few times before I’m officially done with them, but being able to move on to the next step – for now -  is such a relief. The rear brake needs to be anchored still, cables attached, fenders installed, and a few other things, but they’re on.

The forks were the hardest part of the day’s work. I double-checked the main steering bearings, which were fine, but getting the fork tubes through the stem seemed near impossible. The right went in fine, but the left took a ton of grinding down, temper tantrums and WD-40  to get in. No matter how impossible and frustrating certain steps seem, they always end up being doable, and then I feel like an ass for getting pissed off. It’s all apart of the process, I suppose.

Now it’s time to figure out what’s next. Engine, wiring, electrical, headlamp, seat… I have tons of little projects to complete but I’m not sure what next step is right. I’ve soaked and scrubbed the crank case in degreaser, so that’s looking much better. It’s amazing what will clean up with a little elbow grease. I’ll just keep plugging away and map out next steps. On to the guts!

Scooter & the Bonneville, naked

Rear wheel lookin' sexy

And…frustration.

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Grandpa Lankford's photo from WWII - so appropriate right now.

Hit a bump today. My front wheel is almost perfect. It’s almost there. So I decided to work on my rear wheel a bit, and upon tightening all the spokes completely, before they pierce through the end of the nipple, saw that nothing was tight and still had too much play. Definitely a no go. Our only guess was that the rim needed to be turned the other way, so I removed all the spokes and started over again. It was sticky (spoke oil) and I was definitely feeling a little perturbed, but figured this had to be solution. Tightening the spokes up a bit, realized THIS try wasn’t the answer, either. The spokes weren’t fitting correctly through the rim and were starting to bend the ends of the spokes, straining to reach where they weren’t supposed to be in the first place. Seemed off to begin with but it was the only other way. My pattern’s correct – I’m sure of it. But something is not working.(!!!!!!!!)

I think I must have the wrong sized spokes, so I’m taking the wheel back down to Raber’s to see if they can’t figure out what the problem is. While I’m at it, I might even have them lace and true it for me. At least I laced ONE of my own, right? Am I going back on myself by giving in having them finish the job?

For anyone out there reading this, I’m sure you’re sick of hearing about spokes, too, right?

Anyway, here’s what else I got done today:

  • Got the bearings out of the rear wheel
  • Wire-wheeled and cleaned up the rear axle (or is it spindle?) and speedometer thingy (I’ve always been bad with names)

I spent many hours getting not much further ahead, but doing a lot. I swear, sometimes it feels like I take one step forward and two steps back. Ugh. It’s just one of those days.

Time to get the forks done. I’m thinking I’m going to powercoat them black. They’re clean, but I think it would make for some nice contrast. Do I want the whole bike black and silver though? I need to figure out some ways to add some more color/ detail. It’s tough making choices that need to be made now, not having a full visual of the end result. Maybe it’s time for some good mock-ups. I know there will be many things I wish I’d thought of before it was too late. Every choice made cancels out so many other possibilities.  Kind of scary, really, and one of the harder parts of the build, wheel frustration aside.

I’m a “Spokes” Girl!

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Whenever I tell someone I’m going to lace my own spokes, I get this look… like oooh really? That’s tough. Good luck. You’ll need it.

Apparently, it’s a right of passage for true motorcycle restoration. Even the most experienced mechanics I’ve talked to raise an eyebrow when the topic comes up. I’m not phased though. I said I’m tackling this project head on and that’s what I intend to do. Liza at Re-Cycle thinks everyone’s just afraid of the process. It is pretty confusing, after all. You tighten one spoke and it throws off the rest. Quite the puzzle.

I laced the front wheel this weekend with relative ease. Now, I’m down to “truing” the wheel.

Here’s the process I went by:Spokes/ Hub loose

  • I laid out the spokes in groups (I had four types – two different lengths, each length having either more or less of a bend in the top
  • Lucky, I have an old wheel to use as an example for the pattern. If you don’t have something to work off of, pay attention to the bend in the spoke. If it has more of a bend, it’ll go on the outer side of the hub and wrap in to reach the rim. It’s fairly self-explanatory
  • Lightly placed tape around the inside of the rim to protect the chrome from any stray spokes
  • I laced them all through the holes in the hub according to my pattern
  • Once in the hub, I pun them them around in a spiral so I could lay the rim around it
  • One layer at a time, I put the spokes through the corresponding holes in the rim, oiled each spoke nipple and loosely tightened each a thread or two
  • Make sure you’re consistent and do the right pattern – over or under, to the left or to the right. It has to be correct.
  • Keep the spokes loose so you can maneuver all the spokes in easily – pretty easy, actually
  • I put the wheel on a truing stand and tightened each spoke as evenly as possible….

Now, for the hard part. Which I haven’t gotten to yet. Spinning the wheel on the truing stand, there’s an obvious wobble on one side. Driving on this thing at high speed would NOT be good. I’ll be spending hours and ours making minor adjustments to correct the wobble. If you have any suggestions on how to simplify this process – do let me know!

Motorcycle Classics – Give the Gift of Restoration

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Motorcycle Classics Magazine invited me to contribute some content to their site, which is such a huge honor!

My first piece is now live…. check it out :-)

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Editor’s Introduction:
As many classic bike fans can tell you, when it comes to learning about wrenching on your own bike, there’s an ocean of experience out there to swim in. Our little corner of the universe is rich with people who have learned everything you could ever want to know about keeping your 1971 Honda CB750 or 1955 Harley-Davidson Hummer on the road. And while we all benefit immensely from the wisdom of practiced hands, there’s much to learn from the neophyte restorer, the person just launching their person discovery of classic bike ownership. Jenn Lankford has just started her own voyage down this path, and when she alerted us to her blog at http://www.bonneville-experiment.com/ we knew we wanted to share her experience restoring a 1972 Triumph T120V Bonneville with the rest of the old bike community. Jenn’s restoration is still very much in the early stages, and as she moves along she’s going to share her successes and travails as she takes her Triumph from a box of bits to finished, running machine. There’s much to learn following Jenn’s jump into the vintage bike hobby, so read along and enjoy. – Richard Backus, Editor-in-Chief, Motorcycle Classics.

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If you love classic bikes and want to see them on the road for years to come, do us all a favor and pass on your wisdom. Please.

I was raised on vintage British bikes as a kid, but didn’t have a bike of my own until a couple of years ago when I picked up a 1974 Honda CL360, just to have something to quell my need to ride and be able to putt around town. When I ran into some wiring trouble last year, I was at a loss. I knew it was simple but I didn’t know what to do, and certainly didn’t want to pay a mechanic labor prices knowing that the cost to fix it would be more than the worth of the bike itself. But to my surprise, I found a co-op motorcycle shop in my area called Re-Cycle, where you can learn how to fix your bike yourself. For free. It was a dream come true, and in only a few Sundays I had her running as good as new again, by my own hand. As a newbie to the wrenching world the satisfaction of riding my bike away after fixing her myself was absolutely exhilarating and kicked off the best addiction of my life so far.
Now, I’m beginning the restoration (or “custovation” as I like to call it) of a 1972 Triumph T120V, which my Triumph enthusiast father gave me as a basket case last month. I took the plunge and accepted. With no mechanical background besides Sundays at Re-Cycle (and ignoring Dad in the garage as a kid), but with the confidence I’ve gained over the last few months of wrenching, I’m committed and determined to build this bike from the ground up, to the finest condition possible.

None of this would have been possible if it weren’t for other motorcycle lovers passing the love of restoration down to me.
A powder-coated frame and probably 85 percent of a complete bike, my first restoration has a mind of her own and already has taken over my every thought. After hours upon hours of polishing the wheels and hubs, rebuilding and polishing the front brake, making makeshift tools for removing parts that no real tool has been made for, I’m ready to take on lacing my own spokes. The plan is to get the rolling chassis together first. Wheels finished, forks rebuilt, and all put on the frame. In the meantime, I’m looking for various engine parts so the engine can be rebuilt. Patience is a must. I’m learning that disassembly, cleaning and polishing can take far longer than the actual assembly of any part, but the elbow grease I put into everything now will make a major impact on the finished product…despite how anxious I am to start seeing this Bonneville resurrected.

Despite its complexity, I’ve learned that motorcycle restoration really isn’t all that complicated. It’s a lesson in taking huge problems and breaking them down to the most simple sub-problems. After all, even the most lofty goals in life can be achieved by putting one foot in front of the other, taking one step at a time, and stepping away for a moment when things get frustrating. There’s always a solution. No other hobby has ever been more obviously metaphorical for life or personal growth than building a motorcycle. I expect to break down in tears when she finally starts and I get her on the road.

If you’re a motorcycle enthusiast and you want these bikes to stay on the road for years to come, you might consider opening your garage to someone with a classic bike that won’t run, but has an interest in learning.  There are plenty of people out there (and bikes rotting in backyards and garages) that would love the opportunity to experience this process.

Wheel progress update

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Today, more polishing. And bead blasting. My front wheel hub is mostly polished aluminum, but because one side is lined with divots around the edge, it was all I could do get the years of gunk off of it. I decided to go ahead and bead blast (with the nice aluminum taped for protection), and I’m Front brakeperfectly happy with the results. It’s not a part of the bike that really stands out, but it’s certainly noticeable, so it’s GOT to look clean. I could sweat every last inch and try to make it absolutely perfect, but there are some things that you have to just be happy with. A Mona Lisa wheel that’s hot from a few feet away is still a masterpiece, especially after already working on it for the better half 10 hours. I have a long road ahead.

I also polished and rebuilt the front brake – which I managed to figure out on my own. I even had an “ah-hah” moment realizing how exactly drum brakes work. Simple. Next week I actually WILL get to the spokes. I hope.

I still need to remove the wheel spindle from an extra front wheel I’m working off of… but we used a plumbing tool to loosen the large center nut after much head scratching, as none of the sockets in the garage were both wide enough and long enough to reach. You’ve gotta get creative sometimes.

I can lace the spokes using only the hub for now, so hopefully soon I can put one wheel behind me and get started on the next. I’m really looking to having a chassis together and start to see a real motorcycle take shape. One step at a time. Or in this case, one step in a few times.

Not much of an update, I know. If you’re working on a big restoration, or plan to start one, keep in mind that patience is a must. I’m learning that disassembling and cleaning/ polishing can take WAY longer than the actual assembly of parts.

It’s an addiction. Disassembly and cleaning is my version of hitting bottom.  It’s painful, and it takes forever, but now that I’m there, I can only go up.

I’m not a fan of the idea that it’s a woman’s job to clean. Not at all. But here I am, cleaning away :-) I think it’s time for a hair appointment.

It always takes longer.

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Today my plan was to lace new spokes on my wheels and reassemble my front forks.

Whenever I have a vision of how much I can accomplish in one day, I’m usually dead wrong. Rebuild the forks and lace my new spokes onto new rims – easy? Maybe not TOO difficult, but the time it takes to do a seemingly simple task can take hours. It’s crazy how the day goes by so quickly. I start to disassemble something and realize I have to rig some special made up tool to do the job. Hours later, I’m one step closer. And then there’s the polishing.

POLISHING. You’d think a buffing wheel would do the job quickly, but it doesn’t – it takes forever. Talk about a test of patience. Yet after hours in the sun sweating over every  tiny inch of the corroded edges on my front wheel hub, it’s starting to look much more acceptable. There will be hours more of polishing and cleaning before I get the spokes laced and the wheels finished.

Hopefully I’ll get to the spokes next week – I think I should be able to get at least one done. I know the wheel balancing is going to be a whole other ball game, too. And the forks? Rethinking my timeline, I’ll plan to have the wheels and forks all together, on the frame, sometime in July.

I am not the most patient person – this is going to be a looonnggg process. I love the work though, and I know that the more elbow grease I put into everything now, the better the end result will be. And that’s worth it.

Today I:

  • Removed one fork tube (comedy)
  • Made a special tool (well, Doug did)  with scrap metal to remove the inner seal – haven’t been able to get it out yet. We will.
  • Polished and polished and polished my front wheel hub, which wasn’t that bad to start with (and I still have a lot of work to go)
  • Gained a whole new respect for polished aluminum
  • Removed the 30 year-old, rock-hard tire from my rear wheel. Luckily, with the help of someone with the right equipment. And a saw or three. You have no idea…

The first major parts purchase

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No one ever said this was going to be cheap, and I don’t expect it to be, but the fantasy of getting her on the road made dropping a whopping 600 bucks on some parts for the tires seem a little easier today. My rough estimate is that this is going to cost me a good four grand to finish. My first shopping spree has me well on my way…

The Rabers receipt:

  • Fork Tubes: $9o
  • Fork seals: $5
  • Spoke kits front & rear: $ 240
  • Front rim: $200
  • Parts Book: $16

Rim Job

So it doesn’t look like much, but this buy will make all the difference on the final product. Plus, I’ll get to learn how to lace spokes. Because I’m bad ass like that. Notice I’m missing the back wheel rim? The one I’ve got looks pretty good after a good wipe with Never-Dull. I’m thinking with new spokes and a good buff, it’ll look good as new. I’ll make a final decision once I get the nerve to unwrap the new rim and compare.

This is fun – and REALLY ADDICTING. Hell, so is blogging. I just started two new things that I’ve never done before in one week. I heard somewhere that the key to living your life to the fullest is to do something new, that you’ve never tried, as often as possible. I concur – I feel like I’m accomplishing something great and have something to really look forward to. It’s priceless. Now if I can lose 15 pounds before this is over so I look as good in my leather pants as this bike will look beneath me, I’ll be really stylin’….