Another Kawasaki Project !
- Thread starter CAT3
- Start date
Called in today to drop off my rocker covers for anodising, (went Friday, but they were closed !! 
) & my yokes were ready. Result 
Steering stem is in the freezer now shrinking. I'll get that installed tomorrow once it's had time to shrink.
I had them vapour blast the two parts to remove all the machining "lines" & to make them look like the original cast Kawasaki parts, turned out well I think.
Once these are fitted & the forks are in I can get of with the last two jobs to complete the fork swop, getting the final brake hose cut to length & swaged & getting two front mudguard mounts made.
) & my yokes were ready. Result Steering stem is in the freezer now shrinking. I'll get that installed tomorrow once it's had time to shrink.
I had them vapour blast the two parts to remove all the machining "lines" & to make them look like the original cast Kawasaki parts, turned out well I think.
Once these are fitted & the forks are in I can get of with the last two jobs to complete the fork swop, getting the final brake hose cut to length & swaged & getting two front mudguard mounts made.
Also today (!!) the lump of steel plate that I'd ordered to get the lower yoke/steering stem correctly positioned in my press arrived this morning.
So after fitting the rocker covers to another project, I got the steering stem fitted in the new lower yoke.
With everything lined up the pressing commenced !
The stem had been in the freezer for a couple of days & the yoke was warmed up around the stem hole & a few seconds later the stem was fully home with the snap-ring stopping the stem from being pulled right through the yoke.
Bits at the ready,
With everything aligned & in position,
Pressed fully in,
Followed by the lower bearing race & seal,
So after fitting the rocker covers to another project, I got the steering stem fitted in the new lower yoke.
With everything lined up the pressing commenced !
The stem had been in the freezer for a couple of days & the yoke was warmed up around the stem hole & a few seconds later the stem was fully home with the snap-ring stopping the stem from being pulled right through the yoke.
Bits at the ready,
With everything aligned & in position,
Pressed fully in,
Followed by the lower bearing race & seal,
I have built 3 bikes in my life and the cost can be insane or minimal it depends on how far you want to go. If you have the tools etc it is a mission of love, imo it has nothing to do with being a clever Guinness that does help, it is always about the love of making something!!
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Yes Dox, I'm like a squirrel, I generally keep my bikes. Had my Z900 since '76, the 955 is twenty-six years old, the SS is even older !! My garage is too small now to get anything else in, without getting rid of anything, which I can't bring myself to do !! 
When I built the first old nail I never intended to build another, but ............ what can I say !
It may well be I enjoy the actual "building" more than the taking them out, don't get me wrong I absolutely love going out for a ride on them. I just need more room as I'd like to do a Ducati Pierbon next, or something similar !
In terms of cost, although the bikes "look" similar the parts are in the main unique to each bike so other than the big bits like the engines, primary drives, gearboxes & front wheel/disc, everything else is a one-off. So the machining costs would still be the same for those parts I've had done outside of my garage anyway.
Also, if you built two, once they were finished I'd most likely feel duty bound to sell at least one of them & you would NEVER get back what you had invested into each bike & that's without even starting to add a cost to your time building said bike. That's a huge amount of money to "give away" although have two of everything would stop the kids arguing when I die !!
Being semi-retired you need to have an interest/project to keep your mind occupied otherwise my wife would have me decorating all the time, which doesn't bear thinking about !!
When I built the first old nail I never intended to build another, but ............ what can I say !
It may well be I enjoy the actual "building" more than the taking them out, don't get me wrong I absolutely love going out for a ride on them. I just need more room as I'd like to do a Ducati Pierbon next, or something similar !
In terms of cost, although the bikes "look" similar the parts are in the main unique to each bike so other than the big bits like the engines, primary drives, gearboxes & front wheel/disc, everything else is a one-off. So the machining costs would still be the same for those parts I've had done outside of my garage anyway.
Also, if you built two, once they were finished I'd most likely feel duty bound to sell at least one of them & you would NEVER get back what you had invested into each bike & that's without even starting to add a cost to your time building said bike. That's a huge amount of money to "give away" although have two of everything would stop the kids arguing when I die !!
Being semi-retired you need to have an interest/project to keep your mind occupied otherwise my wife would have me decorating all the time, which doesn't bear thinking about !!
Very true Wayne, very true indeed, just ask Exi !!I have built 3 bikes in my life and the cost can be insane or minimal it depends on how far you want to go. If you have the tools etc it is a mission of love, imo it has nothing to do with being a clever Guinness that does help it is always about the love of making something!!
Don't tell him, it's our secret!!Very true Wayne, very true indeed, just ask Exi !!
You have an extensive toolkit Wayne.I have built 3 bikes in my life and the cost can be insane or minimal it depends on how far you want to go. If you have the tools etc it is a mission of love, imo it has nothing to do with being a clever Guinness that does help, it is always about the love of making something!!
Ahhh, so that's what I need to do a "quick" build, a mantlepiece clock !!..........
Please don't: you will never finish itAhhh, so that's what I need to do a "quick" build, a mantlepiece clock !!