RD125LC MK1

[looey]

Well is has some minor road rashing (not bad though), the downpipe has some patches welded onto it (not a great job) and it has been painted black upto the point it emerges from the belly pan. On the plus side it still looks pretty cool fitted and the rear mount hasn't been messed with.

Oh and I can't find the bl**dy mounting flange or spring (I have looked) but I do have them somewhere, as I removed the exhaust from a complete bike I bought fff lol

The first 2 pictures are the pipe in question just before I removed it from the bike, so it is still in exactly that same condition.

The last picture is my Mk1 with a modified detachable can type Micron fitted

[coggan40]

Lovely MK1 that mate, How much for the Micron if you can find the fitting kit

[coggan40]

YES I have Bloody got one

[looey]

Very nice , that looks like an Allspeed pipe is it ?.

I know they have been making them to order with a small can Micron style end can ?.

Be interesting to hear how it sounds ?. Possibly a cross between an Allspeed and Micron ?.

[coggan40]

Jan 18, 2015 22:00:20 GMT 1 looey said:

Very nice , that looks like an Allspeed pipe is it ?.

I know they have been making them to order with a small can Micron style end can ?.

Be interesting to hear how it sounds ?. Possibly a cross between an Allspeed and Micron ?.

It is made by Gibson Micron style not allspeed style, I am over the moon and it is brand new £277.50 inc postage.  

[coggan40]

Got my Micron fitted tonight, I need to have the bellypan trimmed at the front and underneath so it is not touching the pipe and give it 10mm space so it won't damage my new paint when I get round to restoring it,

I am also having a bespoke alloy boost bottle made, then a lightened flywheel, mild porting & polishing , jetted accordingly , Boyesen reeds, and possibly a foam filter or the standard box depending on how it runs while having it set up.

[broughton5]

now then that does look the bees knees

[looey]

Agreed, that looks the dog's danglies

What's it sound like ?, does it have the nice deep note of an original Micron ?.

Have you ridden it yet with it on ?. The bike will be a lot flatter upto 6k, but will then go off like a scalded Cat.....

[coggan40]

The pipe has a very deep crackle just like in 1985 I will be taking it for a quick thrash tomorrow but not too far as the jetting will need altering later after my mods are done.

Here are some pics of my belly pan that I very carefully marked up today and trimmed nice and neat ready for when I get round to giving my bike a paint job later in the year.

[ozzy]

yes nice work, nice bike nice pipe mate love it.who did the paint work.
Ozzy

[coggan40]

Jan 24, 2015 14:31:49 GMT 1 ozzy said:

yes nice work, nice bike nice pipe mate love it.who did the paint work.
Ozzy

Hi Ozzy, the paintwork is rubbish looks nice from 3 feet away, it will be repainted later in the year when I strip it down.

[coggan40]

Just been for a 3 mile ride with the new Micron on, it's a different bike goes like hell compared to what it used to can't wait the get the other mods done asap,
The only down side is I lost a rubber grommet off the top of the forks while out so have just been out on the pushbike but can't find it,
Doesn't really matter as I have NOS forks and will just buy some new grommets when I fit them.

[coggan40]

I'm bored so going to strip the RD down today, the bodywork is booked in for the middle of March for painting so I can get the rest done by then and have fun in the summer on it.

[coggan40]

Well no going back now

[broughton5]

the pictures then really do it justice seems a shame to strip but if it dont look right in the flesh then i fully understand cant wait for the pics of the finished job

[coggan40]

Don't you just love it when amateurs try to work on anything mechanical! , they get out there Halfords tool kit and then the bloody power tools FFS.

Some knobhead has at some point tried to cut out the swingarm pivot bolt with a disc cutter and made a mess of the swingarm & crankcase, now I have to dress them both up and then make a spacer for the rear of the crank case.

They haven't bent over the locking washer on the clutch basket retaining nut, also lost the ball bearing so taken up the adjustment on the rod to compensate, also put all the pressure plates in the same position instead of staggering them roughly 70 degrees.

No thrust washer behind the tacho drive so only half the gear teeth width is getting driven.

And as for the cylinder head, they have put too shallow domed nuts on and they have bottomed out so the head isn't torqued up correctly and the head gasket has been leaking into the cylinder.

My advice is if your not an engineer, mechanic or have some common sense LEAVE THE FUK ALONE......

[martinh]

now then, I have joined the forum and will be watching your build ian.
do the members on here know what you are capable of. as I know you are an engineer / mechanic.
better not tell them all I ride and build kawasakis lol

[coggan40]

Eh up Martin, Good to have you on the forum bud

[eddyale]

Nice looking bike keep us posted on the restoration

[ozzy]

really fooled me mate,lol I like rest will keep on peeping at it too.wish I had so much work space to play in, my garage is sooooooooooooo rammed and that's including my bmw rr that I have to gingerly push in and out.

[coggan40]

Here are some pics of the last couple of days tinkering on my tea break at work! Honest


The front mounting was just as bad in fact there was a 8mm gap between the crank casing and engine mounting due to a cutting disc used poorly.


Just a tiny bit of dressing up left to do.


New front mounting spacer welded to the frame.


I also cut out afew welds as they were very poor.


My new boost bottle obviously I will have to polish it, the cylinder head + barrel will need painting, but before that I will be having a mild polish + port on the barrel.

[martinh]

You always completely strip a bike down Ian.i bet you would strip a brand new bike down. Lol

[ozzy]

ho dear.. not good mate but from what I have picked up will be sorted and is in good hands, TEA BREAK OVER chop chop now.

[coggan40]

Ok so today I set about the swing arm, I first started by drilling holes in the box sections this was to remove all the rust rattling around, and after giving it a good bashing with my dead blow hammer It didn't rattle anymore

I then welded up the fook ups the other bloke did with the disc cutter,

Then I got out the gas axe and burnt all the paint off and wire brushed it all off, then plugged up the holes and welded them up,

A wipe down with panel wipe and a coat of primer which I will scotch off in afew minutes then tack cloth it off and finally a nice coat of silver.

[broughton5]

see what you mean bout the rough idiot with the grinder ,my swingarm bolt took two hours to remove and every thing was still useable after never once thought about setting about it with angle grinder,but then again i dont think the guy who did that damage thought much either.

[coggan40]

Slapped some paint on the swingarm, and bought afew parts to rebuild the fork and engine.

[t0m4]

Well done mate looked like a good one before you started, just shows you what can lurk beneath, this is going to be one smart looking LC when finished

[coggan40]

Feb 1, 2015 14:28:30 GMT 1 t0m4 said:

Well done mate looked like a good one before you started, just shows you what can lurk beneath, this is going to be one smart looking LC when finished

Thanks mate.

[gazsellars]

Reading this post has brought back some great memories had 2 of these back in the day.. Will be a stunner when finished!

[coggan40]

Todays progress:


I will be painting the barrel tomorrow as it will take a little more cleaning up in the nook & crannies before painting so will do that at work,
I have also polished the reed block.