Project Vixen - My Vx800 Restoration

Time away - not always a good thing.

2011-04-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

August or September was the last time my VX moved under its own power. Today, after working on the front carburetor yet again, she is still not running well. Actually, she isn't running at all. She turns over, spits and sputters and then stops.

Yes, it is time. Time to turn her over to a professional to diagnose and repair. I am not an engine mechanic. I can work on pretty much any other part of the bike, but that engine confounds me.

Times are a' changin'.

My daughter was just accepted into the University of Iowa; definitely a step up from the College of Southern Nevada where she has been attending classes for the last few years. Hey, it is a FANTASTIC thing! I am seriously one proud papa!

However, that means changes... changes in my finances. The old Chevy S-10 I have been working on will need to be sold after her move is complete. My little Honda Rebel, one of the few Rebels to have been ridden from one side of the country to the other, will be sold. Yes, even my Harley Sportster may need to be sold. Hey, my daughter wants to earn an Ph.D... So, Ya, what do I need with all these bikes? Need to do what needs to be done.

Since I own two VX 800s, guess these will be my bikes of choice. So, my Project Vixen is moving up a notch. Time to bring in the professionals at Nevada Suzuki.

A Little Hiatus

2010-07-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

This is certainly not a break of convenience, it is a break of necessity.

Over the last month I have acquired another VX800, this one an original 1990 California version. After MANY hot days spent in the garage, all that remains, hopefully, is to disassemble the rear carburetor, clean, reassemble then mount both and I should have a running bike. After that, the carburetors will need to be balanced, new front tire mounted, fender mounted, speedometer worm gear mounted, new spark plugs and I should have a running, ready to register and insure motorcycle.

As a matter of fact, I just received the clean Nevada title for it today in the mail.

However, this Las Vegas heat is not terribly conducive to working on a motorcycle. Typical daytime temperatures in my garage are 115F to 120F. Up to 115F is tolerable if well hydrated and water is regularly consumed. However, after six hours in that heat, my body requires a minimum of 24 hours to recover. Last weekend was likely too much strain and full recovery required more than two days.

So, after I finish the rear carb and mount them back on the motorcycle, I am taking a hiatus until the weather cools off.

Oh, here is a post I made on my other blog about the front carburetor and how the diaphragm was messed up.

Ride safe, all!

Got Another VX!!!

2010-07-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

Yes. My main stumbling block in this project was the engine. Either of the two engines I have need serious work to operate. BUT, another VX800 with, what the owner said, was a completely rebuilt engine, came available!

After the engine was rebuilt about 6 years ago, it started having rear carb problems and was put into storage. Over the years he sold pieces from it, so when I looked at it a few weeks ago it was missing plastic pieces, a tank, exhaust and a few other things. Well... I have those parts!

Yes, she does run (not well), but there are carburetor issues. From what people tell me, it is very usual for bikes that have been in storage to have carburetor issues.

So, before I start tearing into her, I want to memorialize what she will look like when complete. Everything is on except the front fender and yet-to-be-designed-built-or-purchased trunk.

Motorcycle Plastic Repair - Part 3 - Break Repair

2010-06-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

After becoming fairly confident this method would work on a completely broken piece, the two pieces were cleaned with soapy water and rinsed. Please note that clean plastic when doing this sort of repair is quite important. If there is dust and dirt on the plastic, it will become part of the bond and weaken the plastic.

Plenty of cement was applied to both pieces to be bound together. The broken edges were not sanded smooth. The goal was to help align the pieces properly by fitting the broken parts together the way they broke. There was some resultant deviation in the final bond so perhaps sanding the edges smooth would have been a good idea.
An oversize fiberglass patch was cut for this. I wanted plenty of support for this.

After applying not one, but two patches of fiberglass and saturating them with cement the entire thing was held together by your's truly for about 15 minutes. Any sort of more stable wire or clamp based support just seemed overly complex. After 15 minutes of curing the piece could be set down on my work bench so it could complete its curing without holding it together.

After curing was complete, the flash plastic on the finished side was trimmed with a razor, the whole thing sanded with #180 grit sandpaper, washed, rinsed, dried and sprayed with three coats of Rustoleum Flat Black Acrylic Enamel. It is the same used on my front and rear fender.

In the final outcome of this break repair, there could be improvement. I could have sanded the joint a lot more for a completely smooth surface. My goal here is not perfection but experience.

Please note... Just before taking this picture I ate a breakfast of pancakes with powered sugar. I get my camera, slightly wipe the repaired crack with my hand and take the picture. Little did I know, or realize at that moment, the powered sugar remnants on my hand would be so attracted to the plastic and show up as obviously on the crack. So, just a hint... before taking pictures of repaired cracks, wash all powered sugar from your hands. :-)

Motorcycle Plastic Repair - Part 2 - Complex Cracks and Ready for Clear Coat

2010-06-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

After what seemed like success on the smaller crack I attempted to repair the larger crack.

After applying ample cement and fiberglass, this crack required bracing to maintain the required shape while curing.
Sometimes one must be creative. After trying several brace points, this one was found to be best. This held the repaired cracks together quite well.

(Picture after the large crack repair had completely cured.)

After the cement cured I removed the VX800 label with a razor blade. Previous attempts with chemicals and sandpaper were successful but required a lot more work than a simple razor.

I then again donned a breathing filter/mask and eye protection, and sanded down the existing clear-coat with #180 grit sandpaper. Where the plastic cement squeezed through to the finish side, excess was easily removed with a razor. The cement will not adhere to the finish. Or more appropriately, didn't in my case. These points were sanded smooth. Yes, some of the welded crack repairs can be seen on my experiment, but with more work and sanding they can for the most part be made invisible on the finish side.

At this point I washed the now sanded, finished side well with soapy warm water, rinsed and let dry. Cleanliness is important if you want a good finish. Even the smallest dust particles will leave marks in the finish.

After the piece was dry I wiped it down with a dry cloth in an attempt to remove the dust. This was a mistake as that created a static charge on the plastic piece, making it attract dust particles like moths to a porch light.

After cleaning the dust off as best I could with a damp cloth, the piece was coated twice with Rustoleum Sandable primer. After drying I wet sanded the primer with #1200 grit sandpaper, rinsed and let dry.

I then applied two coats of Rustoleum Gloss Protective Enamel #7762 Sunrise Red. After three days curing time, the red was wet sanded with #1800 sandpaper and wiped down with a damp cloth. It then received a final coat of red paint.

In this experiment, the final desired result was knowledge and experience, not a perfect piece. Regardless, the resultant piece, ready for clear coat turned out quite well, if I do say so myself. With more sanding, time and a few more coats of primer and red, I have no doubt this could result in a mirror finish.

(Please note that the picture does not properly depict the true color of the paint. It is much more red with a somewhat pearl finish in the sunlight than shown here.)

Coming up - Part 3 - Repairing a complete break.

Motorcycle Plastic Repair - Part 1 - Cracks

2010-06-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks, after the failure of attempting to use a soldering iron to mend the broken plastic on my VX, I decided to try my hand at using a plastic cement, or "chemical welding." As a complete novice, the pieces came out rather well.

Before getting into the details of this, the standard disclaimer applies: I am just a beginner; this may not work in all situations; this method my not be optimal but worked for me; I am not responsible for ruined plastic, fiberglass stuck in your skin or fingers stuck together. Remember... YMMV.

First things first. There are several different types of plastic used on motorcycles. Luckily most plastics are marked. In my case, it was not. However, there is a typical rule of thumb that unidentified black plastic is ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). It is important to know what kind of plastic is being repaired. Mismatching plastic to cement can cause your plastic piece to liquefy or do other bad, bad things.

After some research it was determined my parts were indeed ABS. A quick trip to Lowes and less than $10 yielded enough fiberglass sheeting and ABS cement to fix two dozen motorcycle plastic pieces.

The type of cement used is Oatey Medium Black ABS Cement. It is intended to be used on ABS plumbing but works quite well in this application.

***WARNING***
DO NOT smoke or have open flames nearby while doing this. The cement releases flammable chemicals while curing. JUST DON'T!

***CAUTION***
The fiberglass in the sheeting splinters easily. Use gloves while handling or expect to get fiberglass splinters. Further, USE A FACE MASK or OTHER BREATHING FILTER. Fiberglass splinters in your throat or lungs is NO FUN and can cause very bad things to happen. And, as always, when doing things like this, wear eye protection.

OK, onward...

Step 1 - clean and scrub the cracks with warm soapy water (dish-soap worked well for me). Rinse well and allow to completely dry.

Step 2 - Cut a patch of fiberglass that will overlap the crack or break by at least 2/3 inch on either side. 2 inches overlap would be even better. Cut the fiberglass with a fresh razor blade, not scissors. Scissors will splinter the fiberglass badly.

Step 3 - Apply a liberal amount of ABS cement to the inner part of the plastic piece, where there is no finish or coating. If there is any finish or coating on the inner part of the plastic, it must be removed. This only works when the cement contacts raw ABS plastic. Be sure to get the cement into the crack.

Step 4 - Apply the fiberglass patch.

Step 5 - Apply enough cement to saturate the fiberglass and adhere it to the plastic.

And here is the finished product from the inside. It isn't pretty but after completely curing for more than 24 yours, this patch seems to be just as strong as the surrounding plastic.

Part 2 - coming soon. Complex Cracks and Ready for Clear Coat.

Plastic Repair with a Soldering Iron

2010-06-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

It's Monday; lunchtime. Time to try my hand at plastic repair.
This is part of the right plastic panel from VX#1. Completely failing would be painful, but I have the plastic from VX#2 and it is in much better condition.
First, I pressed aluminum foil onto the piece. The thought was that it would help keep the heat focused on the plastic and not allow the plastic to burn. See how well the crack stands out on the foil?
I then started by following the crack with the point of the iron. I didn't press too hard at all. I wanted the plastic to heat evenly and slowly. After I could feel the plastic become soft, I started rolling the tip of the iron so plastic around the crack would melt into the crack.
Here are my initial results. Yes, they look a little rough but at least the plastic didn't burn.

The results were indeterminate. The smaller crack on the left sealed well. The larger crack on the right did not completely bind through the crack. It may be due to the heat not being applied for long enough. That is my uneducated guess anyway.

Tomorrow I will attempt longer exposure to the heat.

I also found this interesting post about using a soldering iron to repair larger cracks and broken plastic pieces. Looks promising. The author recommends using aluminum screening to reinforce the plastic. Looks like it is worth a try.

PROLOG-------
The crack seal attempt did in fact, fail. I stressed the piece and even the small crack opened. But I learned that the heat needs to be applied for a longer period of time to heat the plastic more thoroughly. We shall see if my second attempt tomorrow succeeds.

Vixen Has Her Brain Stem

2010-06-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

Hopefully this is not a post to disappoint.

During the course of the past month I have spent a little time here and there working on Vixen. There seemed to be distractions or lame excuses for not spending time in the garage. Honestly I was in a motorcycle wrenching funk. It simply did not feel right.

Yesterday (Saturday) I did the same thing. I brought out the wiring harness and removed the old cracked binding tape. It was NOT in very good condition.
The wires were filthy with dirt and dust and the remainder of sticky tape muck. The old tape removed, I bound up the harness with solid hook-up wire so it would not fall apart. The plan for the weekend was to simply get the tape off and clean the wires, nothing more. It was 110F by 10AM so I called it a day and retired inside to wast the time away on the computer.

Sunday came, I drove my daughter to work, made breakfast, washed dishes, and did some rather time consuming work tasks; the latter of which caused me to miss out on a poker run.

At about 11AM work was done. I ran water in the sink and put plenty of dish soap in to make it nice and sudsy.
And I proceeded to scrub away...
The wiring and all connectors were well scrubbed with a stiff plastic brush. When done, there was a large improvement.
It was set outside on a step ladder to dry in the parching Las Vegas sun. At over 110F in the garage, drying did not take much time.

Since I had plenty of soapy water, there was no need to waste it. So, the cracked side panels from VX#1 were scrubbed and rinsed. These will experimented on a bit; I want to find the best way to mend the plastic. The panels on VX#2 are in better condition but has a piece completely broken off. Sorry, no pictures.

However, an object in motion tends to stay in motion. There was a determination to accomplish more today, temperature be damned. With a large bottle of cool water (for me) and a large jug of soapy water (for VX#1's gas tank) I proceeded to clean the tank in preparation of an electrolysis treatment to remove the rust. Here is what came out of the first rinsing...
Serious ugliness... After several rinses the water came out clean. If all goes well, the electrolysis treatment will be attempted next weekend. Then, if all goes well; no more rust.

At this point, there was no stopping. The garage thermometer read 117F. Too bad. There was plenty of water and there were things to do.

A trip to Lowes yielded the purchase of two rolls of Scotch #2242 Linerless Rubber Splicing Tape and a roll of Scotch #35 Red Vinyl electrical tape.
The red was purchased to be used as support in the harness where wire entered and exited the bundle. The black was recommended by a fellow on ADVRider.
Here is a sample of how the red tape was used. Granted, there is not much physical stress on the harness when in place, I had no desire to do this again. So...
And here is a sample with it completely wrapped. The thick rubber tape was chosen because it is thick and primarily made of rubber. Not only does it provide a decent waterproof seal, but provides a good level of protection against vibration and abrasion.

There was more...
The headlight enclosure looked lonely. So I threaded the harness into the enclosure. Yes, it is supposed to look that messy.
And attached the headlight and front turning signals. The signals are not stock VX, I picked them up somewhere over the last year. I think they go well with my black and red theme.

And then, I had a beer. Honestly I had not planned on getting this far until next weekend.

Last Few Weekends

2010-05-12T07:25:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the work I have done on Vixen for the last few weeks. There is progress, regardless of how slow it may seem to me and possibly others.
Luckily I have two VX800 radiators. One radiator was full of tar and sand from its midpoint down. Using heat and tar remover, it could be cleaned but there was some concern about the sand grating against the Aluminum and causing tiny leaks. So, I chose the one that had bent fins and was missing a bit of paint. The fins were tedious to straighten but was certainly not difficult.

Here are the results of the radiator work. Everything was scrubbed down, the radiator checked for leaks and the two temperature sensors tested. I did think about painting it a flat black but decided it was not necessary. If it is needed later on, the radiator is quite easy to remove.

And, I finished rebuilding the foot pegs and mounts. The shields and pegs were cleaned, primed and painted with engine enamel. Both pegs received fresh pins, washers and a little Lithium grease.

And so, this weekend? Who knows.

Long Time, No Blog

2010-04-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

Life has indeed been busy. My place of employment is moving offices, I am now a 'most-of-the-time' telecommuter and several unexpected expenses have all conspired against my rebuild project. The last two weeks have minimally offered time to work on my project. If all holds, this weekend will be the same; several hours of garage time.

Through my stolen moments in the garage, the swing arm has been mounted, steering bearings replaced, fork mounted, carburetors mostly cleaned and both engines torn down to where parts can be cleaned, evaluated and reassembled.

Don't worry, there will be plenty of pictures.

kodabigpup sent a comment on my previous post:
"nice bike, i have one also...
i have a question for you, i am trying to replace my ignition switch but, i cant figure it out, is it a special tool to take off the nuts off the bottom of the ignition? i dont want to strip the ones on there currently."

Unfortunately, according to the service manual, the ignition switch cannot be replaced without breaking things. That is the way they designed it, likely as a theft deterrent. In Las Vegas, locksmiths charge nearly $60 for a re-key. This may be a possible option if the ignition/key switch is in acceptable and operable condition.

Instrument Panel Done and Tested!

2010-02-13T16:17:00.000-08:00

And here are the "after" pictures of my VX's instrument panel. The metal bracket was stripped, primed with self-etching primer several times and then hit with several coats of Rust-oleum flat black.
All screws, washers and nuts were cleaned on a wire wheel. The plastic housing was carefully cleaned, roughed up with 120 grit sandpaper and hit with several coats of primer. After a good period of drying, several coats of black were applied. All bulbs were tested individually while out of the harness. Luckily only three large bulbs and one small bulb needed to be replaced. Only $10 at my local neighborhood Nevada Suzuki.

Just before putting the whole thing back together, everything was cleaned. Apparently several families of spiders had made this their home. My old toothbrush did wonders.

Everything was put in place to test fitment. After a minor adjustment or two to the home-brew gauge gaskets, everything was closed and bolted tight.

Then, after nearly going blind trying to read a rather poor copy of the electrical layout, the instrument panel wiring tested 100%!

Ah, but I didn't stop there. I also mounted the repainted brace and front fender to the forks. All mounting bolts are new and I increased the height of the brace as much as possible by adding washers. Several folks suggested I consider a more multi-purpose tire for where I want to take her. That requires a little extra clearance. Hopefully this will do. That is as high as she will go without doing some work on the fender.

And last night the battery box was mounted to the frame. What a pain in the ass! It did NOT want to go in there. After a little scraped red paint, the battery box was in place.
Until the swing arm bearings are replaced, nothing else is going on the frame. Nevada Suzuki will be removing and replacing the steering head bearings and rear swing arm bearings as soon as I get them. No way do I want to put a partially built-up frame in the back of my pickup.

So... Looks like the carburetors are next on my list.

Instruments (Before)

2010-02-01T16:59:00.000-08:00

Life has been busy, and evenings too cold to do much. That not withstanding, the instrument cluster has been disassembled and is in the process of being cleaned and repainted. The foam rubber pieces, instrumentation vibration dampener and a few bulbs need to be replaced. If all goes well, the instrument cluster parts should here by Friday and it should be back together this weekend.

This is not a picture of my VX800 instrument cluster; this was located on the internet some where. This weekend, the 'After' picture.

Picture Update - Damned Paint and Bearings!

2010-01-30T06:37:00.000-08:00

I knew the time would come when I needed to order parts. That time arrived last weekend. The front forks and steering stem was removed from V2, scrubbed, cleaned, inspected and mounted on V1.

After a bit of testing, reading, evaluation and asking about it on the VX800 e-mail list, the decision was made to replace the bearings. There was a 'notch' in the steering motion at about the one-o'clock position. Apparently this is not uncommon on these bikes and indicates that the bearings need to be replaced ASAP.

A fellow VX800 owner and wrencher suggested AllBalls for a steering bearing kit. They are fairly inexpensive and they have a good reputation. The local AutoZone had Timkens for about $30 each that would work and the local Suzuki shop had them for about $40 each. Both of them from AllBalls were about $40.

About Wednesday evening I decided to mount the swingarm. Well, the bearings need to be replaced there as well. Can't get them from AllBalls or AutoZone, so, will likely get them from Babbits.

Last weekend I also took apart the instrumentation panel to clean and repaint it. Must have really ticked off a few family of spiders!

There are a few bulbs that need to be replaced and some rubber seals but overall, the entire instrumentation unit looks solid.

Now, one thing I want to say about the paint... I picked the Duplicolor Victory Red for the frame. Under it is the recommended primer. Over it is the recommended clear-coat; Duplicolor Truck and SUV ClearCoat. This morning I spent some time trying to figure out how the battery box should go in. Well, in the course of this little three dimensional puzzle play, the battery box lightly scraped the frame. Off comes the paint.

Luckily, this is a fairly hidden spot, and the underlying frame paint held up. It was still irritating to see how fragile this paint job is. Next time, if there is a next time, red powder coat all the way. Last year I received a quote of $325 for all red. Should have done it. Maybe it is not always a good idea to scrimp and save when doing a motorcycle restoration.

Off to wrench for the weekend!

Why Red?

2010-01-22T07:03:00.001-08:00

A few people asked why I went with the color red. The answer may sound odd, but here it is.

My favorite aviary animal is the Red Winged Blackbird. Even before I started riding about two years ago, the idea of having a bike styled after this bird was tumbling around in my mind. After purchasing my first VX800 about a year ago, there was no question how it would be styled. The specifics though, where still up in the air.

Several thoughts tumbled around in my brain... All black with red side stripes? All black with a red engine? There was definitely some uncertainty.

After getting her apart and ready to paint, there was one way to go... All flat black with a red frame. Luckily my second VX, the donor bike is black so picturing it in my mind was a little easier.

There are still some styling questions in my mind, but I am certain that when the time comes, it will all come together.

Just A Few Sneak Peeks.

2010-01-18T21:55:00.000-08:00

OK, for those visually stimulated folks...

Center Stand Before Cleaning

Center Stand After Cleaning, Wire Wheel, Sanding, Priming (two coats) And Three Coats of Dupli-Color Flat Black

Frame After Cleaning (3 or four times), Wire Brush, Sanding, Primer (three coats), Dupli-Color GM Victory Red (three coats) and Dupli-Color Truck and SUV Clear Coat (three coats)

BUSY! Update soon!

2010-01-18T12:06:00.000-08:00

Yes, there are some pictures on my camera, however, this past weekend was focused more on 'doing' than 'documenting.' And doing is what I did.

Starting last Friday night, inventory was taken and plans made. Before the end of the weekend I was determined to completely paint the frame. So a supply list was made.

Early Saturday morning the motorcycle frame was scrubbed with warm soapy water, wirebrushed ad rinsed. After a few cycles of that, the frame was hung by heavy wire to the garage rafters so it could dry while I ran out to get painting supplies.

This is where a mistake was discovered. The color I wanted is called "Ford Cardinal Red" by Duplicolor. It only comes in the smaller 5 ounce touch-up paint size cans, and costs nearly $8. As a matter of fact, three cans were previously purchased and used to paint the kick stand, passenger handles and a few other pieces.

Well, after visiting Pep-Boys, Auto Zone and Checkers, the reality of my mistake was clear. It was a two fold mistake. #1) The paint color is not widely available here in Las Vegas. Apparently luck was the only reason I found the three cans. The color was order only from all three auto parts stores. #2) The touch-up size does not cover very much area. That seems obvious now, but not so much before.

Economy of a different color choice made sense. So, a color called 'GM Victory Red' was selected. It costs only $6.50 for a large can and is nearly the same shade as 'cardinal red.'

The remainder of the day was spent sanding with 400 grit wet paper, wiping down the frame and cleaning any nooks and crannies that had been missed before with a tooth brush. The center stand was also finished in a fantastic and durable matte black and hung up.

Sunday morning start was early. After plugging all of the bolt holes in the frame with wads of shop towel and masking off other parts, the whole things was sprayed with three coats of Dupli-Color Sealer Primer. Some spots where there had been rust, received a coat of self-etching primer before the sealer primer.

While waiting between coats, I cleaned up the rear swing arm and rear wheel. By the end of the day, the rear wheel was nearly ready to have the driven gear re-installed.

After the prerequisite primer dry time, the painting started; two thin coats and one 'wet' coat. Just before finishing the second thin coat, the can goes empty. After a quick run to Auto Zone, Paint was flying again.

Painting odd shapes with a rattle-can is easy. Avoiding runs and under-painted surfaces is the hard part. My little VX800 frame has some runs and is not glass smooth but is fairly tough.

After being thoroughly cleaned, sanded and masked, the rear swingarm was given a coat of self-etching primer where necessary and then two coats of sealer primer. After that, it was covered with several coats of Dupli-Color matte black.

And then, after everything is hanging in the garage, curing, something is discovered. While drinking a glass of Merlot, examining my handiwork, several underpainted spots on the frame and a few on the swingarm were found.

DAMN!

The swingarm fix was simple; just an extra coat. The repair for the frame will be a bit more complex. The low paint areas will need to be wet sanded down a bit, then more red paint and then more clear coat. Honestly not too painful.

So... Next weekend, maybe even this week, rebuilding begins!

And, not to worry. pictures coming soon.

While

Restoration Dead Ahead! Painting Has Begun!

2010-01-08T06:25:00.000-08:00

At approximately 8 PM last night, Vixen was officially moving in the direction of a restoration. After an hour and 30 minutes or so of paint stripping and polishing and washing and sanding, the left and right passenger grip bars and the rear brake caliper support rod were ready.

Before Stripping and Scrubbing and Polishing

After the Cleaning and Ready for Primer

And, after laying down two coats of Dupli-Color Self Etching Primer and a coat of Dupli-Color Cardinal Red, here are the results.

There are flaws; I am just a beginner and that's OK. There are a few spots where the coverage was quite weak and the primer is still showing. On one grip there was a small drip at the very bottom. And on the other grip, the thin wire I used to hang it as I painted, caused a small mark.

In all, not bad for a very first time.

Tonight, another coat of red. Saturday, maybe another red but definitely finishing them up with some clear coat.

Few Pragmatic Alterations

2010-01-06T20:30:00.000-08:00

Selected parts of frame and other pieces sit patiently in the garage. Whether they know it or not, they are waiting for a good solvent scrubbing, a little rough play with some sand paper, a few coats of primer, few colored undercoats and a few layers of clear coat.

Perhaps it is my cold, or maybe my cabin fever, but more and more of those desert gravel roads seem to call out. My VX800 lays in pieces, promising a few good long rides on that gravel.

So, what the hell am I thinking? Why am I thinking of cool finishes and spending time researching just the right flat black? There are innumerable stretches of asphalt and gravel and trails that the two of us could go. She doesn't NEED a brilliant, perfect red frame and wheels. She doesn't NEED a flat black engine. She doesn't NEED a flawless black finish on her tank and plastic pieces.

She NEEDS to be rideable. There may be some pragmatism going on here, a little give and take to get her moving soon. That's OK. I am more than willing to pass on the flat black engine and perfect tank in exchange for a bike that will tear up the twisties and chew on gravel for breakfast. And, she will look good doing it; promise.

A Little Cold Will Not Keep Me From Wrenching

2010-01-05T18:35:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have a cold. My head hurts, body aches, got very little sleep last night and breathing through my nose is an experience only to be attempted with tissues in the immediate vicinity.

But, that didn't keep me from a little wrenching tonight.

While a cup of tea was brewing, I ventured out into the chilly garage, made even more cold by a slight fever. The next phase of work is to prepare and paint the frame, swing arm and rear drive. If all goes well this weekend, the swing arm and smaller ancillary parts of the frame should be ready for clear coat, or perhaps ready to cure for a week before another undercoat and then clear. Who knows.

One thing on my list was to determine which rear wheel to use. After last weekend's rear wheel extraction from V2, at least one new bearing would be necessary to use that rear wheel. The question remained unanswered; are the bearings on V1's wheels OK?

So, as my tea brewed and I shivered, following the service manual, a few rough checks of V1's rear wheel bearings were made. And... We have a winner. V1's rear wheel bearings are in fine shape.

So, as I curl up in a blanket, drinking my hot tea, wishing for a nice back and shoulder rub, the gears are still moving.

A Little Wrenching on the Clutch and Rear Wheel

2010-01-03T21:28:00.000-08:00

After a tool failure while attempting to adjust the clutch on my Sporty, there was only one thing to do... Wrench on Vixen.

Two things were left on my list for today; remove and inspect V2's clutch and remove the rear wheel. The clutch came out with no problem at all.

Now, this rusty main crank drive gear may be an issue, but luckily I have a spare.

Clutch is out, so now my attention is turned to the rear wheel. The goal of the day for this part is to remove the wheel and it's driven gear.

BUT, the rusty rear axle has quite firmly attached itself to one of the rear wheel's bearings. (Poor picture, I know)

So, after soaking it with penetrating oil for about an hour and removing the brake caliper, a little nudging is used. A socket extension is placed through the wheel and placed against the end of the axle. After more than a few hits with this heavy rubber mallet (and a small ball peen hammer), something comes loose.

Yes, something came loose. Apparently the rusty rear axle had a better grip on that bearing than I thought. The bearing came out of the wheel!

But, the wheel did come off and the bearing is ruined. Not sure if it is due to my removal or whether it was bad in the first place. That was enough for the day.

Final Finishing Choices

2010-01-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

While waiting for my garage to warm up and lamenting the fact I had not brought home my space heater from work, there was time for researching. Motorcycle restoration seems to be quite varied and non-specific. There is no help site, directing the seeker to use this particular primer, or that brand of top coat, or the other method of surface prep. Most of the information on the internet dealing with this topic is subjective.

Some go all out and use high-tech chemicals and methods to clean their parts down to raw molecular metal and then slowly and carefully build up the primer level, under coat and finally clear coat, with the attention and skill of a brain surgeon. Others rough up the surface with a little 100 grit sand paper and blow on a few coats of color with a rattle can. For that matter, some do not use the sandpaper.

It seems to me that motorcycle finishing, and general motorcycle restoration has few rules and proven methods. So, here is what will happen to my little project.

Firstly, all metal surfaces will be stripped of its finish with Rustoleum Aircraft Remover. Rusted iron surfaces will be treated with an appropriate treatment or conversion chemical. Rust treatment has not been decided completely yet.

After the engine is stripped, all parts, including cylinders, heads, case and covers will be coated with one or two layers of PJ1 satin/flat black engine paint. This product receives decent reviews, is a nice satin/flat black, has been recommended to me by local dirt-bike riders and is fairly durable.

Immediately after the frame, swing arm, wheels, tank, plastic and other surfaces are stripped or otherwise prepared, One or perhaps two layers of Dupli Color Self-Etching primer will be used.

All frame parts, swing arm and wheels will be painted with several layers of Dupli Color Ford Cardinal Red.

After the red parts are completed, one of more coats of U-POL Clear #1 clear coat will be applied. It receives fairly good reviews and offers decent UV protection.

The main bike paint has been found!!! Well, technically anyway. How did I know John Deere would be involved? Here is a photo of a scooter painted in John Deere Blitz Black. It is inexpensive, tough & durable, and receives many great reviews from hot-rod auto builders. Plus, that is the exact finish I want.

OK, hopefully it is warm enough for me to do some work in the garage.

Frame Color Has Been Located!

2010-01-02T12:52:00.000-08:00

And, it was at my favorite auto parts store, AutoZone.

While poking around at a few local auto and paint stores, a certain red just popped out at me; Ford Cardinal Red. It is not a 'use sunglasses to look at me' sort of red, but quite bright and noticeable. AutoZone has the DupliColor etching primer and the color available in rattlecans. Now, all I need is a good hard clear coat.

Here is a picture that fairly well replicates the color.

So, the frame, engine support, swing arm and wheels will be painted this color.

Also located a place here that carries PJ1 High Temperature Flat Black Engine Paint. The local Cycle Gear offers a large rattle can for only $9. So, in all, research progress is moving nicely.

Parts and Project Bike Search Help

2010-01-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

Anyone working on a car or motorcycle rebuild or restoration should know about this little tool. It is the Jaxed CraigsList and E-Bay mash and search page. This nifty little tool lets you search by brand, location and a free text filter.

Now, the search works very well against the CraigsList site. If no location is entered, ALL CraigsList locations are searched. That functionality gives a person working on a motorcycle restoration a real advantage when searching for parts, pieces and bikes that are no longer available or far too expensive.

Just click here to browse to the Jaxed search page.

As good as the CraigsList search is, the E-Bay search seems just as bad. Going to E-Bay and searching for Suzuki VX800 yeilds quite a few itemes. The Jaxed page shows nothing. Maybe I am just missing something.

The Jaxed mash searches not only CraigsList and E-Bay but also kijiji.

In all, this combinatiotion search page and mash gets a 3.5 out of 5 thumbs up. If the E-Bay search worked better, it would definitely be worth 5.

For Those Visualy Stimulated Folk

2010-01-01T12:48:00.000-08:00

While performing this little rebuilding project, as time and light permit, I have been snapping some photos. Right now I am preparing to strip and paint the frame of the first VX800 and a few other key items. In general the frame and key support items from the first motorcycle is in better shape and almost completely rust-free. The other VX800 (the one from California) has some surface rust from the more humid, salty air. SO, those are the items photographed... go figure.

ENJOY!My first VX800 frame ready for final prep before stripping.

The rear brake pivot rod before cleaning.

The rear brake pivot rod after cleaning. OOOooo.... Shiney!

Rear brake support rod before cleaning. See that nasty asphalt or melted and burnt rubber.

Rear brake support rod cleaned up.

Details of a Suzuki VX800's center stand and springs.

Stripping!

2009-12-28T22:12:00.001-08:00

There is a problem when stripping at night; not enough light to take pictures.

Get your mind out of the gutter! Paint stripping!!! :-)

Tonight I stripped the paint off the removable portion of the frame. Worked like a charm for the most part, given I was doing it with light from a single 60 watt bulb with goggles on over my glasses. With only my novice attempts, it removed about 90% of the paint in about an hour.

So, this weekend will be set aside for stripping the entire frame and applying some primer.

That brings me to my second topic of the night. Yesterday, after removing the plastic, saddle and tank from V2, my mind probed the planning necessary to remove everything, clean everything, paint everything and then put things back together.

This morning it dawned on me... I have a perfectly good, stripped down frame! So, here is the plan. Step one is to completely prep V1's frame, paint and all. Then pieces will be removed from V2, cleaned, repaired and/or replaced if necessary and placed on the frame of V1.

If you don't already know, V1 is the VX800 carcass I bought in February of this year. V2 is the one I just purchased.

And, there it is. A workable plan. I should have a completely operational, rolling chassis within a couple of months!

That brings me to the second topic; finishes. Originally I had planned on wrapping the plastic and tank in carbon fiber, with a black paint base, then applying clear coat. Well, after seeing the black plastic and tank of V2, I think shiny black will not only be less expensive, but will look nice.

So, here is my updated finishing plan:

Tank and plastic (including front fender) will be finished a shiny black without stickers or labels.
Frame, supports and battery box will be painted a right red.
Wheels will be painted a matte black... Maybe. A more final evaluation will be made after she is more together.
The engine will likely be completely coated in flat black. Probably.

As you may see, now that there is a complete bike in my garage, plans are changing a bit.

Here are a few pics of my VX800 (V2) for you visually stimulated folks out there.

Yes, there is a bit of work to do before we tear up the twisties.

The Donor Bike Is Here!!!

2009-12-26T19:25:00.000-08:00

What in the hell am I getting into?!?!?!?! For me, that's a good thought.

At 6:30 this evening we pulled into the garage. She is a Black 1991 Suzuki VX 800. ALL of her is there, not just an engine and frame. AND, she seems to have been taken care of up until about six years ago when one of the pistons gave out. Condition of the engine is questionable; should know more tomorrow.

BUT! I have a rolling frame and now, about 1.75 VX800s.

Day 342 - Donor Bike On the Horizon!

2009-12-23T06:15:00.000-08:00

Evenings have been busy with the typical holiday requirements. Baking and trips to the post office and chatting with friends has been the norm. BUT, 365 Days of New has not fallen by the wayside.

Here is the issue - it is not bright enough in my garage, even with the lights, for my camera to take respectable photos. Last night I experimented with a paint and finish remover with great results. However, the lighting was so poor, there was no way my camera would work. Ah well.

Pictured on the left is what I experimented with: Rust-Oleum Aircraft Remover. Although I have no aircraft that needed to be removed, well, it was worth a little try.

After deciding on an experimental part, the rear caliper bracket, I put it on a piece of cardboard and covered the piece with the remover. It comes out as a foam and sticks fairly well.

One warning... This stuff is a very strong solvent, is very flammable and quite dangerous if inhaled. Be careful!!!

After the proscribed five minute wait, with a little steel wire brush, the dissolved paint just fell off. The caliper bracket does have a few hard to reach spots so a smaller brush is necessary to properly remove all paint.

A bit was sprayed on Vixen's tank. After five minutes the paint was quite loose, but due to how thick the paint is here, it was not completely loose.

This weekend should be fun and quite productive. Two days to work on Vixen, and one day to drive out and pick up another VX800! Don't worry. I promise some real pics.

Day 344 - Scrubbing Away

2009-12-21T06:59:00.000-08:00

Well, the last few days have been busy with all sorts of 'life' things. BUT, that did not keep me away from my little VX800 project. Using some basic brake and parts cleaner, steel, brass and plastic cleaning brushes and a Scotch Brite pad, about a dozen groups of parts were scrubbed and cleaned and inspected.

Above is a before and after photo of the rear axle. The right side was quite badly caked with old gunk. After a little spraying and scrubbing, it was nice and smooth. In the 'after' picture above, what is shown, is metal staining. Not worried about that, in the least.

Here are before and after photos of some pieces off the bottom of the engine.

The inventory list is nearly complete, but sitting on a flash drive I tossed in my desk drawer at work, several days ago. From here on out, when I show a part, the proper parts numbers and descriptions will be used. "pieces off the bottom of the engine," is honestly not very descriptive.

Day 351 - Temporary Slowdown

2009-12-14T07:04:00.000-08:00

Just a temporary slowdown to my 365 Days of New. How do I KNOW it is temporary? Well, Christmas is NOT every day of the year, and the last four days has been spent making Christmas Cookies. This year, instead of sending gifts, I decided to send cookies.

Why not. I like baking.

That does not mean Project Vixen is stagnant. The inventory list is being proofed and corrected. Pieces are being looked at and roughly evaluated. AND I am trying to figure out just when I can make it to San Diego to pick up that donor bike!

Day 356 Continued - Parts List Complete!

2009-12-09T21:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's correct. On my computer is now a complete list of every part on the American model of the Suzuki VX800. There are even fiche drawings and exploded parts diagrams!

Admittedly, there are a few items missing. They are few and far between, and as such should be easy to find and correct.

Within the next few days, a final proofed version of the list should be available. Stay tuned...

Day 356 - Paperwork!

2009-12-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

PAPERWORK! Without some kind of heater in my garage, that is likely the only kind of work Vixen will be receiving on the weekdays. Getting home at 6PM, a little snack for dinner, little conversation with my daughter and before I know it, it is 7:30 and quite chilly outside.

Vixen's inventory list is nearing completion and will be posted here for people to download and use in their own Suzuki VX800 repair or rebuild projects.

There were several 'oh crap' moments yesterday, day 356.

'Oh Crap' number one: My weekends are fairly busy until the first part of next year. Not that they will be non-stop action, but there will not be a single complete day free to drive to San Diego to buy the donor bike.

'Oh Crap' number two: Money, money, money... After spending money to repair my Harley and then take care of some other unexpected expenses, bills are behind. SO, even if I could pick up the other VX800, coming up with the cash might be tough.

'Oh Crap' number three: Reading through the VX's service manual, in the Rear Master Cylinder section, there is a strong admonishment against using solvents or cleaning solutions on the master cylinder. After previously spraying and scrubbing it down with brake cleaner, this worried me. According to some folks on the VX800 e-mail list, in the worst case, the rubber o-rings and other pieces will need to be replaced. One told me he had done the same as I with no adverse effects. Well, guess we shall see.

Now, does anyone have a space heater for my garage???

Day 359 - Not much today.

2009-12-05T23:23:00.000-08:00

No, not much. This morning after taking my daughter to work I read some of the VX800's manual detailing the carburetors and fuel supply. Looked at the heads and evaluated the cylinders for rust. Unfortunately there is a little rust on the sleeve of the front cylinder. If you recall, that was the one already mucked up.

The rest of the day was spent doing non-motorcycle riding things. This evening spent some great father - daughter time at dinner, at the dinner table! That doesn't happen very often.

Then, returned some e-mails, paid a few bills and detailed my Sporty, Athena. Tomorrow we will go on the Iron Crossmen ride. Afterwords, take my daughter to her grandparents for the afternoon.

If all goes well, there will be a little time for me to clean and catalog more parts. Hope to pick up the bike I posted about earlier but a whole day is required. Now it looks like next weekend is filling up. Well, we do what we must.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..........................

Day 360 - Sporty Versus the VX800

2009-12-04T16:39:00.000-08:00

With two operable bikes in my garage, I thought of comparing them to the specifications of a VX800. Comparing my Honda Rebel would be like apples to oranges, but comparing my Harley Davidson XL1200C Sportster might be interesting. So, here we go.

	HD XL1200C Sporty	Suzuki VX800
Cylinders	2	2
Style	V	V
Valves	4	8
Cooling	Air	Liquid
Compression Ratio	9.07:1	10:1
Carbs	1	2
Transmission	5 speed	5 speed
Weight	555	470
Length	7.5 ft	7.3 ft
Seat Height	26.3 in	31.5 in
Ground Clearance	4.4 in	5.7 in
Wheel Base	60.4 in	61.6 in
Fuel Capacity	4.5 gal	5.0 gal
Horsepower	70	61
Displacement	1200	803
HP/Weight	0.1271	0.1298
HP/cc	0.058	0.076

Day 360 - What Luck!

2009-12-04T07:01:00.000-08:00

What Luck!

Yes, this VX800 doesn't look like much but she has everything I need... A front end, exhaust pipes and parts, parts, parts!

Plus, the title is clean.

The owner is asking $250, so with $50 in gas to drive from Las Vegas to San Diego and back, I have a donor bike! Now I just need to get a free day and $300. Hmmm....

Day 361 - Headlights

2009-12-03T22:48:00.000-08:00

Almost... No time today to finish my inventory list so I stopped at a local Cycle Gear to look at possible headlights. What do I find? The Acerbis DHH Headlight.

The size looks good. I want a dual headlight setup. It is a dual 35 Watt assembly with high and low beam capability. It includes the small windscreen and is quite inexpensive.

Then I arrive home and pull up more information.

Not DOT approved for road use. Sure I could use it, but would much rather use something DOT approved. So, the search goes on.

Day 362 - More Paperwork

2009-12-02T21:16:00.000-08:00

One mistake that was made early in my disassembly of Vixen was that my parts cataloging was severely lax. Many parts were unceremoniously put in grocery bags with nothing more than "Vixen" or "VX800" scrawled on them.

So, now this mistake needs to be rectified. Before any more parts work is completed, the inventory check-off sheets need to be done. The less I handle the parts, the better.

At this point my inventory sheets are nearly 50% complete. If all goes well, they will be done tomorrow. Then, back to the parts cleaner and soapy water!

On a related note, several parts bikes are starting to show up on Craigs List. Unfortunately they are on the other side of the continent. BUT, hopefully that is a good omen of things to come on my side of the country.

Day 363 - Paperwork

2009-12-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

Day 363.

If you don't already know, I am entering a journey of 365 days. There should be a custom Suzuki VX800 motorcycle at the end of this path. Who knows... There may be some other things as well.

So, Day 363 was a paperwork day. Parts views and "fiche images" were downloaded from mrcycles.com According to Suzuki customer service, this is where the most accurate information can be found.

After downloading, each image was edited, adding large text at the top of each image, indicating what part group it is. The goal is to create printable fiche pages and parts list. Using my laptop, or any computer for that matter to research parts while my hands are greasy and filthy is likely not the most effective think to do.

Past the Turn, Onto a Straightaway.

2009-11-30T12:00:00.000-08:00

Project Vixen has now passed a vital hairpin turn. She's getting the wash of her lifetime. With parts cleaner on the right side of my bench and soapy water on the left, every single piece will receive my sharp attention.

Yes, Vixen is now on the straightaway of rebuild. She is no longer being disassembled, labeled and tossed in bags or boxes. She is now being gently scrubbed and checked down to the smallest pin.

Further, I now have TIME!

There are some major concerns that may alter plans somewhat.

Cost. Plain and simple, spending $3,000 on a rebuild by a rank amateur (yours truly), while enjoyable, may be financial stupidity. Other VX800 motorcycles, operable ones, can be purchased for as little as $1,000. Why spend $3,000 or more on a rebuild, especially when I have never done this before?
Parts Availability. The VX800 is not a common motorcycle in the USA. She was only available in 1990, '91, '92 & '93 through US dealerships. There are few opportunities to purchase 'junker' VX800s for parts. Luckily some parts can be substituted from other Suzuki bikes.

Stand by... 365 days of motorcycle rebuild and personal journeying ahead... Details later.

Good Carbon Fiber Link

2009-11-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

For those who want to build your own motorcycle plastic pieces or otherwise use carbon fiber on your project, here is a great place to start: Motorcycle Parts from Carbon Fiber on WebBikeWorld.

Slow going on Vixen recently. Update on that soon.

Not Much of an Update

2009-09-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

Other that deciding on the basic rebuild on the last post, and discovering that the paint job on the plastic side panels is exceedingly tough, not much has been done.

Yes, the plastic parts. I purchased a 320 grit wet/dry sanding sponge to experiment with the panel paint. The thought was to remove the paint, repair the plastic and start the carbon fiber wrapping process.

Not that easy. After 30 minutes of scrubbing, the sanding sponge did almost nothing to the paint. So, a fellow at work suggested I simply repair the plastic, scrub the paint with a coarse sanding medium, not removing it, just roughing it up, and then start laying down my black, clear, carbon fiber, clear, clear, etc...

The only concern I have with that, is that the plastic panels will end up being slightly larger than stock and may not fit. Well, considering the condition of Vixen right now, that may be the least of my concerns.

I did manage to get some tar off the radiator and rear fender. At the recommendation of a fellow I know at AutoZone, I tried Rust-Oleum Wax & Tar Remover. While it doesn't just turn the tar to jelly, the chemicals do loosen the tar enough to scrub it off with a brush.

Also, I will soon have a parts inventory and refurbish list completed. It is a form of spreadsheet; one for each parts fiche page. It will help me keep track of what state all the parts are in. When it is done, it will be available here for your downloading pleasure.

The Reconstruction Begins...

2009-09-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, even after searching, not only could I not find a decent picture of a VX's plastic panels on-line, but I could not locate my camera! The lack of photos on the 'net does not surprise me. Considering the fact that I just finished a move, it is no wonder I can't find my camera.

But, it is time. The plans are roughly set and I am going to get started. Here are the plans:

Color Scheme: Frame, radiator guard and swing arm will be fire engine red. Engine will remain aluminum. Exhaust will be matte black, eventually being ceramic coated. Most chrome will be black unless appropriate. Plastic parts will be cleaned, stripped, painted black and coated with carbon fiber composite; finished off with plenty of clear coat. Tank will be the same as plastic pieces; black, wrapped in carbon fiber and clear coated. Honestly, I have not decided if the wheels should be painted or not.
Basic Concept: Most of the mechanics will remain the same as necessary. The goal bike will be a sport tourer style where comfort and functionality will be paramount. This bike should ride well on asphalt and gravel.
Lighting: Incandescent turning signals will be replaced with high intensity LED. The typical single VX800 headlight will be replaced with two HID lights.
Fairing & Additional Plastics: The dual headlight mount will likely be custom. The headlight cowl and small sport-like fairing will be make similarly to the method, builders of the KR2 use. A positive mold will be made of foam and fitted to the bike. Then it will be built up with carbon fiber and epoxy. The black color scheme will remain.
Engine: If possible another VX engine can be merged with mine. If that is not possible, an Intruder 800cc engine will be used.
Saddle: Unless a saddle in great condition can be located, a Corbin will fit the bill nicely. Corbin's black saddle suits the basic color scheme. Not sure about the purple piping though...

So, first things first. Now that my move is complete, I will start cleaning and cataloging the parts I have, and cleaning and working on the plastics.

Oh, what a wonderfully strange path this is going to be!

Little Update

2009-08-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

Well, not much forward momentum on Vixen. There do seem to be some inexpensive parts bikes out there. With my recent move and my daughter starting her second year of college, money is exceedingly tight.

An interesting little thing I did learn from the VX800 e-mail list was that there are likely less than 10,000 VX800s on the globe. That may seem like a lot, but in the grander scheme, it really isn't.

According to some statistics at www.webbikeworld.com there are roughly 204,100,000 motorcycles in the world. So, on average there are 20,410 motorcycles for every VX800. Given that the VX was sold in the United States for only a few years does indeed skew the numbers.

What does this boil down to? Well, there just aren't many VX800s around anywhere.

OK, ok, ok... Getting Dirty Again

2009-07-14T16:28:00.000-07:00

After a little discussion, the final decision has been made. I keep Vixen. The end of this path is unknown. If Vixen is rebuilt and running, there will likely be no worry about the end of the path. We will simply blow past it.

OK... Links for Motorcycle Restoration, Parts, Research, Repair and other information.

Jaxed Motorcycle Craigs List/E-Bay Search Tool. This is a pretty cool little tool that allows the user to search all locales in Craigs List and e-Bay. It is pretty good, but does seem to miss a few things on the e-Bay search.

Cheap Cycle Parts.com Well, maybe not cheap, but definitely reasonable.

Suzuki VX800 Discussion Forum. Not much traffic but some good information.

VX800.net Mailing list, links, FAQs, information, manuals, pictures and other stuff.

Finish Restoration. This is a nice place to go for information about restoring the finish of a motorcycle and reviews of products.

Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Restoration. Some interesting points about motorcycle restoration. This is a Geocities site, and as such, will be coming down soon. At one point, I should copy it.

Good News - sort of...

2009-06-25T22:06:00.000-07:00

After inspecting the cylinder, getting some feedback from others and contacting a local engine repair shop, there is some good news... The cylinders and heads are likely repairable! The cylinders will need to be bored out. Pistons will need to be replaced with new ones to fit the cylinders. Valves need to be replaced. Valve seats cleaned and honed.

Good news for someone wanting to rebuild her. Alas... I think the conclusion that she may be too much for me is settling in. She could be a great bike, but alas my time is limited. Maybe it is time for Vixen and I to part company.

Wrenching the Heads and Cylinders

2009-06-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

You want to see something more gruesome than the river sludge picture? OK... Here it is...

After a particularly trying day that is far beyond the scope of this blog, I drove the cage to the local AutoZone. In exchange for two liters of old used oil and about $30 I picked up a new pair of vice grips and two pairs of snap-ring pliers. The successful removal of the heads from cylinders required the extraction of the cam chain tensioner spring. Each one has a strong spring on a shaft mounted in a sort-of ratchet mount. The spring is held on the shaft by a little snap-ring.

So, I get the pliers put together and guess what... too big. They wouldn't fit into the rather confined space where the cam chain tensioner is. So... A large blade screwdriver snapped the rings right off. Not that they are usable again, but by removing the springs, the head and cylinder could be separated.

OK, more bad pictures...

The front head may be recoverable but forget those valves.

A little scrubbing with parts cleaner and brass cleaning brush yielded marginal results, so the front cylinder goes in a bucket of parts cleaner for the night. Hopefully that hard crusty grime is not rust. If it is, I don't think that cylinder is recoverable.

Stay!

And the other cylinder and head you may ask? In pretty good condition I think, given the circumstances...

Why is there river sludge in the engine?

2009-05-02T11:54:00.000-07:00

Please tell me... Why is there river sludge in the front cylinder?

The rear piston and cylinder look pretty good for not operating within a year or more.

The cylinders and heads are free! Apparently using daily sprays of penetrating oil for a few weeks caused the piston and cylinder to release their unnatural hold on each other. It was a surprise, really. I wanted to lift the engine onto a work bench. Working on an engine setting on the ground is simply not very good on my knees. I am still taking ibuprofin for the pain caused by my afternoon of work a few weeks ago.

Anyway, I gripped the cylinders, thinking the whole engine would lift. I wish I had a camera on my face when the cylinders just slipped up and off the pistons!

Looks like I have my work cut out for me. Hopefully I will not need to split the engine case, but first things first. The pistons, heads and cylinders need to be completely disassembled and checked. Hopefully they can be restored but I have a bad feeling about that front cylinder and piston.

Back Into Project Vixen

2009-04-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, there is some shame in admitting a project like this stalled. I admit it. Project Vixen stalled. As with many human enterprises, she took a back seat to other priorities. With the recent purchase of my Sportster, the need for faster, more powerful two wheeled transportation was severely minimized.

The stall was exasperated by my ex-wife's stuff being moved into my work area. The cause was noble; She wants to sort through her stuff, separating those items she is moving to her place, and those that she is selling. Unfortunately her temperament towards such things is rather lax. Needless to say, her things are still in my work area.

On the plus side, one needs little room to work on a motorcycle engine. Saturday I moved the bags of parts and bolts and plastic pieces to a new location.

This is a nice protected area under a roof overhang. Very little rain gets into this area, and after covering the whole thing under a tarp, it should be fairly secure from the elements.

Now for the engine.

While moving it out of the backyard shed, I am greeted with the jingle jangle of loose parts in the garbage bag used to wrap the engine. Without looking at the repair manual it was fairly easy to determine they were part of the transmission shifter linkage.

Then, my mechanical nemesis and I meet for the final time. A head bolt that laughed at previous attempts to jar it loose, lodged with the remnants of a broken bolt extractor, was soon to yield.

Earlier that day, for some inexplicable reason I purchased a file set. After a few failed attempts, it occurred to me that I should try to file off the remaining rough part, leaving approximately 1/3 of the bolt head.

Then, using a hammer and punch, strike the bolt head to give it a counterclockwise rotational force. After a few strikes... Success! It rotated! A few more pings and the bolt was rotating with no more pressure than that supplied by the tips of my fingers!

The bolt head claimed four drill bits, several grinding wheels and even a diamond Dremel grinder. It was time to go.

Now, with all head bolts out, the next little roadblock presented itself. The front piston seems to be somewhat... stuck in the cylinder. It will move in and out of the cylinder by an inch or so, but that is it.

Next up - More engine disassembly.

Weekend Update.

2009-03-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend was quite productive.

Detached the right side of the frame from the main portion of the frame.
Removed the engine from the frame. (All by myself, might I add.)
After drilling out a badly stuck head bolt on the front cylinder, was able to remove the head cover and rocker arm assembly.
Cleaned more of the swing arm.
Cleaned many frame bolts and miscellaneous pieces.

And, here is the bad news... Previously I had thought, and was indeed hoping that the only major problem I would have with the engine would be a stuck valve or two. Unfortunately it seems as if there is rust in the front cylinder.

According to the manual, the only way to get into the cylinder is to remove front and back cylinders and heads at the same time! Given a few coolant hoses and head bolts strategically placed between the cylinders, there is no way, without a cutting torch or sledge hammer to effectively inspect the cylinders.

Soooo...... This week the heads and cylinders come off... all at the same time. Pictures soon.

What to do with Vixen???

2009-03-05T12:06:00.000-08:00

This has been going through my mind. Last year I did a Coast to Coast (well, almost) ride on my little Honda Rebel for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. This year there is another ride in my future. Three weeks, like last year's ride will likely not be available from work, so it will need to be a two week jaunt.

If Vixen isn't ready, I will likely take the Rebel down to Austin, over to Louisiana and then back.

But, if Vixen IS ready, I think a 50CC ride would be appropriate. What is a 50CC you may ask? It is an evil little ride across the country, literally coast to coast. That's not the hard part.

The hard part is the fact that it must be done in 50 hours. The Rebel likely can't do it. Vixen? You bet! We shall see. Right now she is little more than a skeleton of an engine and a bare frame.

She looks so... naked.

Main Drive Splines - Officially Shot

2009-02-27T14:43:00.001-08:00

Yup. The main drive's rear wheel driven spline is shot. Here is a pic of the horror.

You can see here that most of the driven spline teeth are completely gone.

That is just part of the horror. According to what I have read, the driver spline is harder and should not wear as much. Well, the picture below does confirm that it does not wear as much. Unfortunately, because the wear pattern is uneven, acquiring a new driven spline would merely cause the driver to cause uneven wear on the driven. Not my idea of a good restoration.

See the uneven wear pattern on the driver spline teeth?

These parts are available on BikeBandit.com and some other parts distributors. Total cost for the pair is nearly $350 USD. Used will work as long as the wear is minimal. A few people have contacted me with suitable replacements so the bike is at least ride-able. We shall see...

Two Breaks, Coming Up

2009-02-24T22:14:00.000-08:00

The good kind of breaks!

A few days ago I find in my e-mail in-box a note from a VX800 rider who has several parts I need, just cluttering his garage. And to add, he will be in Vegas soon!

Then, after work I rode over to one of the last independent motorcycle dealerships in Las Vegas - Nevada Suzuki. Within five minutes he was recounting the time he collected VX800s and had more that a dozen in the 90's. Then there was the time Suzuki shipped several from Europe to the states and rewarded many of their top European dealerships with a tour of the US on the VXs.

But here is the good part... He still has one in his storage unit. It may not be pristine and likely has a few engine issues after being stored for a decade, but it is a definite candidate as a donor bike!

Not holding my breath, but fingers are crossed!

Setbacks - Maybe not such a good deal...

2009-02-22T20:16:00.000-08:00

After discussing my problem on the VX800 list it was determined that the final drive spline set and the 'U-Joint' would need to be replaced. Yes, the parts are available but these three things ring up to nearly $425.

She still needs a complete front end, exhaust, carbs, tires and a host of other things. This will require some thought. Even if the engine is easily repairable, the cost may be in the area of $1500. I can buy a used, operational VX800 for that price.

Time to sleep on it...

Worn Part aqnd a Conundrum

2009-02-22T09:49:00.000-08:00

Here is what I wrote about yesterday. The rear drive, near the where the wheel is mounted, looks to be ground pretty badly.
And here is my conundrum for the day. The bottom plate is the starter cover. I would like to get the starter out of there to test and lighten the weight of the engine. If I am going to lift that big boy out myself or with minimal help, it had better be as light as I can make it.
Here, you see a bolt coming up from the starter cover. It cannot be removed because it abuts the coolant pipe attachment. Why not remove the coolant pipe attachment? If you look to the right of the bolt circled in red, there is a bolt that holds the attachment onto the cylinder. It cannot be removed without removing the starter cover!

The only solution that comes to mind here is to remove the other two attachment bolts, loosen the third (the one shown) and rotate it enough on the third so that the cover bolt will come out. Then I can get the cover off and then completely remove the third bolt.

But another little problem. That little bolt on the pipe attachment is exceedingly tight. Neither socket nor closed end wrench will fit. An open end wrench would not hold and wore two edges off the bolt.

I am certainly not done with this one yet...

Just a slight pause...

2009-02-21T17:40:00.000-08:00

The more I investigate Vixen's status, the more I think one or more of the previous riders and or owners thrashed her hard. Here are a list of a few items that seem to do some finger pointing.

Worn Kickstand Joint. The pivot point where the kickstand attaches to and swivels is severely worn as if no one ever applied lubricant.
Main Drive Universal Joint. One of the bearings is obviously worn, and not by a little.
Main Drive Rear Wheel Spline. A posting on the VX800 mailing list brought this to my attention as a possible wear location. Sure enough, 1/3 of each spline is worn off.
Wear on the Rear Wheel Spline Assembly. The rear wheel bearings are so bad that the stationary rear wheel assembly has been greatly worn by the rear wheel near the spline drive.
Dust and Dirt in the Drive Shaft Area of the Rear Forks. I removed a small access shield to discover about 1/2 inch of dirt inside.
Radiator Gunk. At least the previous folks change the coolant. It was nice and clean and free from oil. Unfortunately the external portion of the radiator is about 30% obstructed by this sand/tar mixture.
Rear Tire Abuse. While the rear tire would likely be considered a throw-away item anyway, it is an indicator of previous use. And it was indeed used. The only tread left is on the far edges. The entire center is burned flat and is devoid of anything that would resemble respectful riding.

So, my restoration plan is changing a bit. Due to the likelihood that more bearings will need to be replaced than I originally thought, powdercoating the frame may be out of the question.

Ah well... Pictures tomorrow.

Little Update, no pics.

2009-02-16T20:01:00.001-08:00

Project Vixen is moving slowly forward. Most of my long weekend was spent putting the engine of my Honda Rebel back together. And... Success! She now runs fine. Without a doubt, that was one hell of an experience. More than once I would look at the pile of envelopes and bags, all labeled with descriptions of their contents, and then look at the poor motorcycle, seemingly stripped and unable to move under her own power, and wonder, "What in the Hell am I doing??? I am not a mechanic!"

But with the successful completion of that project comes an ego boost. If I can tear a Honda Rebel engine apart, put it back together and make it run, I can do it with Vixen!

At any rate... Vixen is now torn down to frame, rear swing arm and engine. Once I get that engine out and decide if it is worth working on, then I will start cleaning and ordering parts.

Pictures of Vixen will be up here later this week.

Radiator Soup Anyone?

2009-02-13T19:45:00.001-08:00

After consulting with several people, including bike mechanics there were two possible solutions to cleaning out this radiator. This gunk seems to be a very hard mixture of asphalt and sand. It doesn't come off easily and is the consistency and hardness of concrete. The only thing that partially softens it is penetrating oil. The dark spot on the left side of the picture (bottom of the radiator) is my little test patch. Success was limited. I tried gasoline as a solvent but had no luck with that.

So, my next option is to make radiator soup. I will take the temperature sensors and rubber pieces off and boil the radiator in water for a while. It can't harm the radiator and should soften the glommy mess. We shall see.

Slow Going - Little under the weather...

2009-02-13T10:08:00.000-08:00

Wednesday I hopped out of bed at 5AM like a squirrel on crack. I felt GOOD. Did a few minor things on Vixen, showered, dropped my daughter off at the bus stop and got to the office. Over the course of the next hour I acquired a huge headache, little cough, sore throat, pressure in my ears and a heavy, achy chest. Needless to say, my boss told me to get the hell home.

So, my work on Vixen has been minimal for the past few days. The radiator is off and ready for cleaning and with the help of a torch and penetrating oil, the top engine mounts are off.

This weekend is all about my Rebel. I have finally accumulated the necessary gaskets and parts to repair her properly. All I need is some time. Once road-worthy, she will be moved out of my work area, lending more space for Vixen.

There is a big plan all laid out here somewhere...

A Little Ten Day Update

2009-02-10T06:44:00.000-08:00

I have had her in my back yard now for about ten days, and MY how she has changed! Here are a few updates:

No water in the oil. Oil was rather sludgy but no water or fuel.
No oil or fuel in the coolant. There was about 1.2 liter of coolant still in the system.
Nearly all that is remaining is the rear wheel, tire, final drive and engine. Just last night I pulled the radiator.

Thoughts on the engine persisted. Do I work on the engine while attached to the frame? Likely, no. I would like to paint the frame or perhaps powder coat it. As I understand the process, having an engine attached to a frame that is being powder coated is less than desirable.

So, it is time to start thinking how I am going to lift the engine from its cradle onto my work bench. At nearly 200 pounds of aluminum and steel, it is a bit more than I can handle alone.

VX800 Specs

2009-02-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

Model:	Suzuki VX 800
Classification:	Naked bike / Standard
Engine Type:	805 cc, liquid cooled V-Twin
Power:	61 hp
Valve Configuration:	Overhead cam, 4 valves per cylinder
Clutch:	Wet
Transmission:	Five Speed
Final Drive:	Shaft
Dry Weight:	450 lbs
Fuel Capacity:	5.1 US Gallons
Front Tire:	110/80-18
Rear Tire:	150/70-17
Brakes:	Front and rear hydraulic, disk, dual caliper.
Seat Height:	31 inches
Wheel Base:	61.6 inches
Ground Clearance:	5.7 inches

Information gleaned from several places on the internet.

The End Result?

2009-02-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

This is what Vixen will resemble when done. My goal is to make her a good touring bike that isn't afraid of a little gravel.

Welcome to Project Vixen!

2009-02-08T14:41:00.000-08:00

Here she is. My starting point. Doesn't look like much yet, but I have named her already. Gifting a name to something inanimate in the conventional sense, tends to make it difficult to chop up and sell for parts.