Working for the (top triple) Clamp Down

I really struggled for a pun there.

Anyway, top triple clamp stuff is going well. A few days ago I purchased some VHT grey primer and some gloss enamel engine paint to have a shot. Figuring that if it went badly then I'll just strip it back again.

After two light coats of primer.



I masked off the inside of the forks and stuck two scews in so i'd be able to move it around the yard when painting it, and hopefully it'd block the threads too. Same goes for the ignition mount.



It actually looks pretty good for a first attempt. As per the instructions the can I'm going to wait seven days and give it a final coat. I'm not too sure if I should clear coat it or something like that. Some people are telling me I should be sanding between coats and stick it in the oven or something like that but it seems to be going okay so far*.

As an aside I've ordered some handlebar mounts for the clamp as well as I've managed to lose my immaculate ones that are... well, I don't know where they are. They're in pretty ratty condition so i've started sanding them back with some degreaser on 800 grit wet and dry and they're going well. I gave them a rub with some 1200 grit to finish with some autosol and they've got a bit of a sheen to them.

Turns out they're coated in some kind of lacquer...



One I refinished on top, the lower one I haven't had a shot at yet.



And the good one from above.



Looks okay! I wonder if I should clear coat these? I'm going to paint some more of the fittings, but other than that, progress seems to be going pretty well.

*That usually means I'll stuff it, when I don't listen to other people.

Top Triple Clamp

Long story short - I'm probably going to be changing my bike back to a more upright position. So, first up, a triple clamp to mount standard bars to! I'm going to strip it and paint the thing gloss black so it matches the bottom clamp.



After a bit of a scrub with some 800 grit sandpaper and a bit of degreaser it started looking a lot more like something ready for paint:



The underneath of the clamp is an absolute bastard to sand. There's lots of gummed up little nooks and crannys and I know prepping this end for paint isn't the biggest priority, but hey, if a job's worth doing...



I spent plenty of time stuffing about with tiny bits of sandpaper and trying to find a dremel bit somewhere between 'polish' and 'cut triple clamp like butter'. Then I remembered! The Dishwasher!



I've also got to decide whether or not I want to keep the ring for the ignition unit and stick a clock in there or something or just grind it off. Hmmm.

Three ways to pass a gas pump...

Valve Clearences

Besides vainly watching the top of my head on the teev last night I did actually do something constructive yesterday. The valves have been sounding a little loud lately so I figured I'd check check them.

Everything off and ready for action:



With the flywheel cover off to find TDC I had a chance at how my rust prevention technique of some gear oil after a light sanding worked. Seemingly well:



There was some oil that'd gathered at the bottom of the cover.



With the feeler gauges in. 0.4 inch intake clearance and 0.7 outlet clearance with the new cam.



One more thing I've somehow misplaced, the retaining bolt for the fuel tank. There's also a bit of surface rust in there too. Any ideas on how to patch this up?



I didn't start it out after I'd done it, but I'm curious if it's stopped the valve noises. The inlet clearence was a tiiiiiiny bit lose and the exhaust needed a bit of a tighten. I've got a little bit of a routine downpat for doing valves and the whole thing takes around 20 minutes allowing for my usual faffing about, losing feeler gauges and misplacing spanners.

Shooting Rockets and Neigbours.

I'm going for a new job at the moment that has around 4 stages to go through before you get an offer. I've done the typical group interview, a typing test, had to look things up in a street directory and listen to some fascinating, yet slightly upsetting phone calls.

Anyway, yesterday I went to an Audiologist for some testing. I've got more than a bit of a passing interest in what they do as my sister is profoundly deaf and at one stage of my pathetic career I used to sell PPE. We had a talk about high risk activities that can put your hearing in danger and each time I told him about something he'd ask some very pertinent questions about it.

Q: Are you involved in any shooting or hunting activities?
A: Yep.
Q: What bore?
A: Large - military service rifle.

Anyway, we had a talk about firearms and exposure to firearms discharges and pressure waves and things like that. As it turns out, don't stand behind a Carl-Gustav anti-tank rocket launcher because when it goes off at around 180db it'll suck out your earplugs.

Anyway, going down the list of potential-for-deafness warnings was motorcycling, whereby he asked if I rode with a full face or open face helmet, and if I wore ear protection. He recommended ear plugs for all riding. As many of you guys would have noticed already during long rides a loud exhaust not only sends you deaf but really affect your levels of concentration. He told me about some studies that showed how prolonged exposure to industrial noise, comparable to those when riding, will shorten your attention span and interestingly, your temper.

You learn something new every day. Always ride with ear plugs, never stand near a bloke firing an Carl-Gustav and never expect anything interesting from one of my posts.

Oh, and last night, lookee who was on neighbours!



Nice... er... head eh?

More interestingly:



Well, I was pretty chuffed. Two Harleys being used to frame a Yamaha.