Stu's Zephyr 750 C1 Restomisation Project

[Swampy]

Looking good Stu
Keep up the good work

[Stu]

Long time, no post.

It's been a long winter, I've been uncomfortable with some dodgy muscles playing up, and I've completely lost interest! The sunshine we've had over the last few days has lit a fire underneath me and I'm feeling like doing stuff again. I'll be back in the garage over the weekend.

First jobs will be to kick the Versys back into shape so I've got something to ride. Quick service, oil, filter, plugs, new seals and pads in the brakes, new chain and sprockets to replace the rusty junk on the back, and fix a fork seal. Should be done this weekend, but more importantly will get it out the way of the Zephyr and get me kickstarted for the year.

Normal service should be resumed shortly.

[Stu]

After 18months or more of procrastination I’ve finally admitted to myself that I’m not going to finish this project. Many reasons, none of which are relevant here, but I just don’t have the time. I’m reducing lots of clutter in my life and this is part of it.

I’m either going to sell it whole as an unfinished project or (more likely) break it up and flog it as bits. It will be sad to break it, there’s a lot of good work gone into it already and not a lot involved in finishing it, so if anyone feels like taking it on, please get in touch.

Details in the For Sale section.

[Stu]

So, thought about deleting the post above, but finally left it in situ... I've pretty much been through this phase with every project I've ever done, so anyone following this might well be having similar issues. I think the Hailwood Replica I built took me 5 years to finish and get on the road properly... this one's only been 3 and a bit so far!

Point is, I finally got out in the garage again last week and did a bit of work. We're in that part of the year when it's too unpleasant to want to ride (I now have a very tidy, low mileage, 2007 BMW R1200GS in the garage - jury's still out) but not so desperately cold that I don't want to be in the garage.

What have I done? Not much, but it's movement.

The carbs are now back on... I took them off over a year ago to fit the cam chain tensioner. In the process I replaced all the fuel and vaccuum hoses with nice new silicon stuff from eBay.

The exhaust is finally fitted. The bracket that was fouling the swingarm has been ground away until it clears, treated to a coat of Hammerite, and bolted into place along with the headers, exhaust gaskets and retaining springs.

I finally got some new caliper retaining bolts (stole the last set for the Versys) and refitted the calipers which have been loose for a year or more.

And fitted all the throttle and choke cables, at least at the carb end. Also fitted the clutch cable, but it was a goner, so I've ordered a new one - if you've ridden 60 miles home with a broken clutch cable you won't risk a frayed one again! My clutch feels nasty... hoping it's just the cable. I did strip the cover off and check everything, but all looks good internally. Will check again with new cable in place and fully adjusted.

If I'm honest with myself, I could probably have it finished (well running and roadworthy) in a couple of long weekends... God knows why it's been sitting unloved for the best part of 2 years.

Next steps... find someone to make me up some new oil cooler hoses, stick some oil in, refit all the electrics... and maybe sometime in the near future fit a new battery and see if the thing will start!

[Stu]

Managed a bit more work in a spare hour last night. Got the ignition switch and clocks attached to the yokes. Quite a fiddly job as I already had the front end together and the headlight in place. Had to lift the top yoke off the forks as the ignition switch/steering lock fits over a taper on the frame and it won't go over the taper with the yoke in place. Of course the yoke centre bolt won't come out with the bars in place, so need to lift it 2 mm at a time... all a bit fiddly but not difficult.

Then find new stainless cap screws the right length to hold everything together... I seem to remember drilling out the original bolts from the ignition switch as they were odd security bolts.

Can't believe how together she's starting to look. It's amazing what a few extra bits will do! Plan is now to get it together and running and not worry too much about finishes etc. The important bits are done (engine, frame, brakes, wheels, tyres, etc.). I can fix any details up later as necessary while I'm sorting out all the running issues I will no doubt have with a newly rebuilt engine / carbs / exhaust set up. At least it'll have a standard airbox!

[Stu]

Couple of pictures... a before and after of my oil cooler and pipes. I was going to get the pipes replaced, but decided to have a go at cleaning them up first. Twenty minutes with a cleaning tank and on a wire wheel, and an hour or so with an engine paint aerosol... happy enough with this for now. All fitted back on the bike this morning.

[Stu]

[Eddie]

Great job on that, I did my oil cooler a while ago, took me ages to straighten all the fins!

Your bike is looking great, hope you decide to keep it

[Stu]

I didn't bother... just painted them black!

Bike is looking very complete all of a sudden... I'd take some pictures, but it needs a clean as a year ago I did some speaker cabinet restoration in the garage and it got covered in sanding dust. Also my garage is such a tip I'm too embarrassed to show you (and far too lazy to actually clean it up ).

If we get anything resembling a dry day over the coming weekend I may drag it outside, hose it down and take some pics (in which case the garage might actually get some attention too).

Today's buggeration: It appears the pushrod on the otherwise interchangeable ER6 rear master cylinder is 5-10mm shorter than the old Zephyr one so rear brake pedal is pointing down at 30 degrees. I'm busy stripping both masters to swap the pushrods (assuming they're interchangeable at this point ) but my circlip pliers are too big, so off to buy some small ones...

[Stu]

Fortunately, the master cylinder pushrods turned out to be fully interchangeable and swapped over easily. Brake pedal is now pointing in the right direction and all footrests present and correct. Noticed while swapping them that the ER6 has a smaller diameter piston than the Zephyr one. As I'm using the ER6 caliper, probably a good job I swapped the master too.

Started refitting the loom and electrics... why is it that when there is more than one way to do something, the obvious/easy way is never the right way? I took lots of pictures when I was disassembling everything, but changed phones a while ago and they all got dumped on a laptop, so all indoors and hard to find. I've now dug them up and put them on an old android tablet I can keep in the garage following yet another attack of getting it wrong first time!

I took one photo when removing the loom showing specifically how the loom goes between the airbox and the frame. Have you any idea how awkward it is trying to stuff it back through the little gap after the airbox is fitted?