LED indicators are here!

Finally the much needed new indicators have arrived, direct from eBay... China specifically. Any way I picked them up from the post office on my way to work saturday and will be installing them sometimes this week. At the same time I will also be making up some front fairing side covers using some grill mesh I picked up from Repco. No pictures this entry but don't worry the next post will have heaps as well as a another video episode.

VT250F model kits: UPDATE

Well the first of the two models is completed and I have to say it turned out pretty good. I was rather surprised by the detail involved since this is the first 1/12 scale model I have done in a long time. I decided to paint it red as thats the colour my real life VT250FII will be painted. The decals however were not applied, as i have cunning plan to sue them as a reference for a graphic artist to scale them up and tweak them ever so slightly (when I eventually get around to working on Red that is.. honest).


"i rather like it without graphics :s"

One model kit down, one more to go.

VT250F model kits

eBay strike again. This time i managed to find a couple of model kits. One is a full option version for the VT250F and the other is a VT250F Integra version. I'm pretty sure though it was only called Integra outside of Australia, but the Integra looks exactly the same as the VT250FII because of the full fairing, so im pretty sure no one really cares.

Once I've bought some model paint and put them together ill be sure to post some pics.


"i usually build robot model kits but this should be fun"


"this is called a Choro-Bike and they're made in Taiwan... I have seen an integra version on eBay so maybe ill grab one of these as well... maybe"

National Motorcycle Museum

I was in Taree NSW this weekend for my sisters wedding and stumbled across something rather interesting during the down time. About 30 km down the road was the National Motorcycle Museum... Sweetness.


"i'm not angry this is how I usually look..."

So Dad myself and my brother piled into the car then off we went and what a great place it is. I have never seen so many bikes in my life, any shape and size they had it and usually with a bit of information as well. not only that but the walls are covered in motorcycle memorabilia and in some places motorcycles. If you get the chance go down and have a look.


"so many things to spend money on"

So what's next? why a heap of photos of course. Enjoy.






"i love the paint job on this old bike, simple yet striking"


"only 50cc and made out what appears to be bicycle parts but its a record breaker"


"stylish"




"Honda MX250 1983, any of the parts used on this motorcycle look familiar to you?


"Honda VFR750R"





"apparently dad bought the frame for one of this and used a victor lawn mower engine... he never could get the timing right though"

Their is so much crammed in to this place I havent even shown you half the pictures I took. To be honest the only way I could absorb what was on show was to focus on Hondas but trust me they have everything else. Definatly check it out of you get the chance. For more info have a look at there website which I shall provide a link for below.

National Motorcycle Museum

Looking Good

The only thing I really need to do before Silver is pulled down is test fit the indicators and cover the sides of the front fairing. Taking this into consideration I thought it might be fun to post a bunch of shameless beauty shots. And since this is my blog thats what I've decided to do. Enjoy the pictures, and bask the in awesome that is slowly emerging.









These photos aren't the best quality since the were taken using my Blackberry. But when the bike is completely finished, mark my words I'm breaking out the Canon DSLR. Oh Yeah!

VT250F "Silver" part 04: Mounting the front fairing!

Its time! Time to do something I have never done before! Time to mount the new front fairing... This is going to be fun "gulps".


"this motorcycle needs a face ASAP"

So as you know I have decided to replace the stock front fairing with a new aftermarket one that I saw on eBay. I decided to do this for a couple of reasons, but the main being I don't like square headlamps and I was looking for something a little bit more modern, or at least interesting.


"old"

"new"

Holding the new fairing up against the forks I was pretty sure it would work with very minimal modification to the gauge housing, though I was prepared to fork out cash for new gauges if needed. Luckily this didn't need to happen. New brackets however would have to be made, as the ones that came pre packaged were not suited for my bike and how I wanted the finished product to look.


"someone, somewhere would have a use for this... not me"

I have never made brackets before, in fact I have no metalwork experience except for that one term of metal shop class in Year 10 about 6 or more years ago. So I was given an incredibly quick crash course on how to use the tools by my father and left to my own devices. The results I think are rather excellent, considering its my first time doing this. So what I'm going to do is outline the steps I took to make the brackets, post the steps as pictures and then you can feel free to laugh at my craftsmanship. Sound good? well it does to me so lets go.

1. Firstly I marked out the length of steel I was going to need. Luckily the shed had just the right thing laying around in the corner.

2. The pieces were then ground down a little so that they're rounded and don't have any sharp edges. Then a center punch was used for the pilot hole.

3. I stacked both pieces of steel on top of each other and placed them in a vice. Then drilled a pilot hole through both pieces at the same time to guarantee the holes will be an equal distance apart when finished.

4. Next step was to drill through the pilot hole and make the opening big enough for the bolt I was going to use.

5. After that I tidied up the pieces on a grinder and sander to remove it of any barbs.

6. They were then put back into the vice and I used a hammer to bend them to the required angle. My perfectly calibrated eye was the first tool used but this was then double checked with a tape measure to make sure it was going to work.

7. The completed brackets where then put on the motorcycle and I admired my work... while at the same time completely surprised I managed to pull it off.

I had to create four brackets in total. The ones I showed steps for were for the bottom of the fairing, The top brackets are essentially a giant "L" shape but I followed the same steps.

Im really pleased with how it turned out. The gauge dust cover blends into the new fairing in an interseting way. Probably not to everyones taste but when its all painted no one will care. Their is a gap on the sides though, but this will be filled in with the new indicators and some Silver automotive mesh.


"not bad, not bad at all'

Aftermarket Front Fairing.

Another package has arrived today, huzzah! The second package today contained an aftermarket front fairing that took my fancy while browsing on eBay. as it was only around $80 all up including postage, I grabbed it. Admittedly it isn't to everyones taste, but since its my motorcycle thats sort of irrelevant.

The plan is to do a test fit tomorrow. The gauge housing may cause some issues, or it may not. If it does there are a few options to consider but we can cross that road when we come to it. For now feast your eyes on the new front fairing.


"almost looks like the face of a robotic drone"

New hand grips are here!

Another day another parcel from the good old eBay. This time its a set of cafe racer style hand grips that have found a new home. Now before I purchased these I did ask the seller if the end caps could be removed so I could fit my bar end mirrors. I have had a look and it doesn't seem as though you actually can... which is annoying.

It could however be that the end caps are screwed on really tight and I cant see the seam. But a vice and some elbow grease will reveal the truth.

They are rather nice though so will definitely be used either on Red or Silver, hopefully silver. Made of aluminum with rubber strips down the sides, they have a bit of weight which is a good thing,  for me at least. If things are too light i get the feeling that they're low quality or going to break... but thats probably just me.


"what's this? a parcel for me? excellent"


"looking very nice even through the packing plastic"


"very nice indeed"

VT250F "Silver" part 03: replacing the clutch and brake master cylinders

Today's mission was to remove the old clutch and brake master cylinders and connect up the new ones, then fill them with fluid as well as attach the nice new levers.


"all the lovely weird build up on the old cylinder"

Both cylinders came off the bars easily, however I was struggling to remove the cable lines for a good 20 or more minutes. Dad walks over and immediately spots the problem, turns out I was turning the bolt the wrong way. I recommend you all learn the mantra "lefty loosey tighty righty". This of course is only good if your holding the part the right way up, which I wasn't.

Once that little problem was resolved we could then have a quick look inside the old cylinders. They were both full of crap. The brake cylinder is much worse though. I have been told however then it can be reconditioned and left on the shelf as a spare, which to me sounds like a good idea. The plastic window on the side can also be replaced through an online seller.


"dirty"

The new cylinders then had their levers attached and were mounted on the bars. Bolts from the old parts where used when attaching the levers as thats all I had available to me at the time. The clutch went on with no problems what so ever as it was off of a VT250F. The brake cylinder though was off a CB250, which meant the fluid line comes off the side and not off the front. Luckily its a small part and fit without issues. To be honest I prefer the CB250 part since I can see the levels window while sitting on the bike, unlike the previous part which had the window located on the opposite side.


"new clutch master cylinder with its new lever looking very good indeed"


"you can see the gap which the old part would have used, works though'

Bleeding the brakes was the next step, so as its a two man job I fiddled with the lever and dad was on the bleed valve. After 15 minutes of not getting anywhere it was discovered that the lines where full of crap... oh joy. Dad being the genius that he is feed some Mig welding wire down the line which cleared it up enough for fluid to pass through a little easier. With that done we started bleeding the brakes again only this time it was successful. The brake pads are worn though and will have to be replaced.

As a quick note I should mention when the bike is stripped down the plan is to replaced the original lines with braided steel lines. This mean they will be more efficient and also look a hell of a lot better.

Happy that everything works and progress had been made I then trial fitted the bar end mirrors that arrived the other day. They fit no problems which is a relief, but we might need to use an extra sleeve so it stays in nice and tight. regardless they look good and will look even better when the bike is finished.

We then turned the bike over and let it idle for a while just to hear that sweet, sweet sound. While it was idling Dad discovered a hole in the exhaust which wasnt too big a surprise. When the bike is stripped down I will most likely get a completly new set made up.

Thats all for now. You should have a look at the video though by clicking here.

VT250F project: episode 02

The second episode of the VT250F project. In this installment the brake and clutch master cylinders are replaced and you get to see how crappy the parts originally on the bike were.

Tips and Tricks #1

Hey all just thought I might list a few things that you may or may not find useful.

• Put a small amount of oil around the edge of your hoses if your having trouble getting them to fit.
• Hose clamps sometimes interfere while lining things up, if this happens reposition them slightly, it can help a lot.
• Drain your fluids before taking parts off, unless you like having liquid all over your floor.
• Wash your hands immediately after you finish up with brake fluid... and wash your clothes as soon as possible. That stuff is not friendly to you, clothes or even paint for that matter.
• If your getting frustrated over something walk away for 10 minutes.
• Never ride a llama on a sunday especially if your wearing a straw hat.
• WD40 is a great way to help those stubborn bolts turn.
• Sitting on the motorcycle and going VROOM VROOM is an excellent way to re motivate yourself if things aren't going well.
• Use a wire brush and some rust stopper on any metal work that is in the early stages of rusting out. But make sure you wipe away the rust stopper with a damp cloth after 3 minutes.
• If you can re use bolts DO IT. they may not be all shiny and new, but they add a certain character to your bike... plus your not spending a small fortune on replacing every single nut and bolt.
• Tidy up when your finished. 

Thats it for now... These little nuggets of wisdom are brought you by trial and error. Mostly error though.

Bar end mirrors have arrived!

I love eBay, I really do, you order something and forget about it soon after. Then BAM! a parcel arrives in the post and it feels like your unwrapping a birthday present.

As you may have guessed I received one such package today containing the bar end mirrors I ordered a couple of weeks back. Have to say they look rather nice and for under $40 all up including postage I am one happy camper. They look like their shouldn't be any issues fitting them either which is a plus. But like the master cylinders I picked up yesterday, this will be put to the test when I'm up at Muchea. So in all likelihood I'll know how successful they will be in about 2-3 days.

Thats all for now why not re live the moment I had of opening the parcel, you might not get as excited about it as I did but hey, its still good fun isn't it?


"here it is I wonder what could possibly be inside?"


"wait this looks like it may be the mirrors, oh please let it be the mirrors"



"it is! its the mirrors, oh yay they look absolutely awesome, I hope they fit ok"

The costs so far!

I don't know about most of you, but money is a little tight and I like to keep track of where most of it is going. Anyway below is a table of the costs so far. Im putting this here for a couple of reasons, first being reference for anyone else out there who is thinking of doing a similar project and second being incase my computer gets wiped I'll have some form of back up.... Ok thats a lie, I back up my computer religiously its more a reference point for all you internet people.

• VT250F: $225.00
• Ace Clubman Motorcycle Grips: $37
• Bar End Mirrors: $34.99
• New Lever: $12.90
• Brake and CLutch Lever: $35
• Tank: $150
• Integra Single Seat rear cowl: $50
• SuperMoto Universal LED Front Fairing Head Light: $89.79
• LED Universal Motorcycle Turn Signal light Amber: $33.98
• Clutch Master Cylinder: $95.00
• Brake Master Cylinder: $95.00
• Grand Total: $858.66

That's not bad going in my books, considering I have yet to reach the 1 grand mark and the bike is almost ready to ride around the backyard.

Some of the more observant may have noticed I've listed parts which I haven't talked about yet. To be honest I'm waiting for them to arrive before I do that. Needless to say plans for customization have begun.


*I should probably mention that the costs listed include postage.

New Clutch and Brake Master Cylinders

Greetings once again.

As the title suggests I have recently returned form the wreckers and obtained replacement master brake and clutch cylinders. The ones that came with the bike when purchased (pictured below) are not in great shape. The level windows are broken, the screw heads are stripped and they generally suck at doing what they're supposed too do.




I managed to get replacements for both of them, however they look about the same as the ones I originally had, LOOK being the key word here. I was assured that they are fully functional, but that will be put to the test next time I'm up in Muchea working on the bike. With some scrubbing though they will look like new. They're also a much better place to start then what I originally had.

The only thing that concerns me is that the brake cylinder is off of a CB250. After discussion with the guys there, we felt this was the right choice as they did not have one straight off a VT250F, the clutch cylinder however is off a VT250F. Luckily if it doesn't fit I can bring it straight back to them and get a refund. Really love the service at Two Wheel Wreckers and I'm actually going to make a permanent link on this blog for anyone who's interested.


"the new parts... which are old"


Final thoughts, as Luke was looking for the parts I glanced upward and what did I see? Well that would be a VT250FII front upper fairing just hanging from the ceiling. When work begins on Red I'm pretty sure I know where I'll go if I need another one.


"this one even has the strips on top that mine lacks"