The MacDonald's Racer Project/Rebuild

[Ninexz]

The MacDonald's racer
Project/Rebuild


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Well I'm suspended for 3 months, and I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind. Project or not, I have decided the bike is gonna be rebuilt, completely cleaned, de-rusted and parts that need replacing will be replaced.
I started to take my bike fully apart for the first time today, and I gotta say, I was enjoying exploring through the parts so much, I kinda got addicted and went out and bought a flood light so I could keep deconstructing it through the night. I dunno why, but I was having so much fun with it, and have so far learnt a stack about my bike. About 10 months ago, I was pretty much mechanically retarded, and im very keen to learn more.
You would never believe the things that I found tucked away in this bike, i lol'd when I came across what appeared to be an empty condom packet under where the suspension sits (Axell has some explaining to do). I also found some matchsticks in the undertray, and lots of long female hair...
This is as far as I could get without an engine stand, and it was getting pretty late so I decided to pack up.


My room is covered in fairings!!!!!


So what do I plan to do?
- Subframe, Frame, Swingarm will get powdercoated gloss black
- Forks will be painted gloss black
- Air passages in fairings will be covered with a mesh metal. Something that's thin and will not hinder air flow too much.
- Red LED's installed
- Thinking of integrating my new smoked black LED indicators into fairings
- Calipers painted Red
- Brake system flushed and serviced
- New bt45 tyres front & rear
- I'l do something to my speedo to get it adjusted with the 14/53 sprocket mod
- Major cleaning of all components
- Full service - spark plugs, oils, coolants, brake fluids, all brake pads replaced etc.
- I don't know anything about engines, but I hope to learn, and do something with the engine, I'v got an oil leak atm.
- Will post anything else that I can think of later.

I'v gotten quite addicted to my new camera, so expect many pics as I go along

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I already rebuilt the front forks, changed dust and fork seals. it was the first thing I did. No 20c for me, im not that heavy
Rear shock I'v never touched, so it will definately be adjusted in some way or another. I bottom it out when I sit on it, so thats another story. Dunno if im willing to buy a new shock when I have a perfectly good one here.
But no race glass! I like my double bubble screen!
Calipers are on the agenda today!
Sadly I only had time to strip one caliper as I got a design job due, and then im off to work tonight. So it's gonna be painted red and rebuilt at a later stage next week when the paints fully cured, and been cooked in the oven just like-a-mama does.
Gotta buy some new brake pads aswell.
Heres a few pics. The piston was absolutely filthy! It will need a good sand.





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Calipers

Got some free time today to give the calipers a good sand and clean up to be ready for painting. Sanded with 600 grit sandpaper all round dry followed by wet. Then hit it with some brake cleaner to remove anything that might have been left.
Gonna give it a full week to fully cure, then bung it in the oven for an hour at 200 degree's for a chemically resistant cure.
Paint used: VHT Caliper Paint.

Before and after


I also gave the pistons a light sand to get rid of the rust. I started to sand with 1200g being very cautious not to sand away too much, but moved to 800g after it was doing jack all. Started dry sanding, then moved to wet. I was happy with the result.

Before and after


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Finally got some more free time to finish off the rest of my calipers last night

So now that they're all painted, im giving them a week in which to cure, then into the oven they go for a chemically resistant cure.
They all turned out very nicely, and the pistons are looking almost brand new.
A new set of front break pads are coming in the mail shortly and I'm still contemplating whether to go for braided brake lines or not. Anyone got some links on places that sell them reasonably cheap? stick em up!

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Decals

This has been running through my head for quite some time now, and just recently I'v come up with something which is not only hands on, but will give me a great idea of how my decals will look on my bike if I decide to go ahead with it.
I have been working on these digitally over the past few weeks in photoshop and illustrator, but its proven to be annoying as hell working with all the contuer's of the fairings. I sorta just gave up after designing a few shapes and having trouble getting them onto a picture of the bike in succession.

Last night, I was feeling abit creative and after some pondering, I came up with what I think is an ingenious idea. I had some black tape lying around the house. Not electrical tape, but normal plastic tape which was black in color. I tested to see if it would leave any residue on the fairings when peeling it off. It did not. It seemed the perfect candidate for what I was planning to do.

I started laying out shapes on my nose cone with whiteboard marker, and then filling them in with lines of tape to make a temporary decal. I was having so much fun that I got carried away and worked with different designs until 3:30am last night. I'm bummed that I didn't document all of the designs before I peeled them off, but the last one I did, I left on there, so I was able to photograph it.
Here is what I came up with:


I kinda like that last one. The black will line up with the air intakes which would look pretty cool, but I still have plenty more ideas to experiment with.. JUST for the nose cone.
I still need to do my research on what materials to buy to make my own decals (vinyl?) but I have all the cutting equiptment. I'l just be doing it by hand.
If you guys have any feedback, or ideas/designs to throw at me, im all ears.. or should I say eyes.



I think I might have gone a little overboard with the black in the 2nd picture up there ^^
But I started on the side fairings and came up with this. I quite like it. I might even leave this part with the tape and nothing else.



I would love to do it with the CBR text just below, but sadly I don't think I have the time or patience to do both sides. It would take hours just to cut the tape to fit one side perfectly.

well fuck me dead I must be bored because I went ahead and did it. I like it.

[roobars]

I'll have a grand angus to go please :-)

[Ninexz]

Well, and so the project continues...

I had left it untouched for about a month whilst the end of my uni semester dragged closer, however now the holidays have come, so FULL STEAM AHEAD!!

The next step in the project required more dismantling of the bike which included:
-wheels
-airbox
-carbies
-etc...

I had reached the point where I had to make the decision of whether to take the engine off, and do the shims and valve clearances. This was the point that was gonna determine whether the macdonalds racer would be a half assed rebuild, or complete from ground up with a full service.
It didn't take much thinking to convince me to jump in balls first and remove the engine, something which I had never done before, however I love to learn and this had been a part of the bike I had never explored.
I sat the sump down on the ground, with the frame still around it and worked from there.. dismantling, removing hoses, undoing screws until the engine and frame became two.
From here it was a matter of co-ordination lifting the frame off the top of the engine, and placing it down somewhere else.
Luckily, everything went smoothly and the bike was starting to look like more of one of those killer cbr robots.
Tomorrow morning, my engine will make the journey down to Wollongong to receive a makeover from none other then the cbr whisperer, Studricho.

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(26/06/2010 13:24)roobars Wrote:  I'll have a grand angus to go please :-)

If you win the race, I owe you a grand angus.
If I win the race, you owe me a rhubarb.

[DoGz]

..fkn. awesome..
the fairings look sweet dude!
now thats unique man.. keep it up!
cheers!

[roobars]

(26/06/2010 13:39)Ninexz Wrote:  

[Chrissybenn]

milk crates.. is there anything they cant do for a uni student

tv stand, couches, engine stands, i think ive now seen it all lol

[psidey]

Ninexz:

Just befoe I log onto this forum, I will take a short drive to
the golden arches, order a Big Mac, some large fries
and a shake, drive home and click on to the Ninexz
McDonalds racer project and watch for your latest update.
Yes I will "relish" the thought of seeing those red and white
fairings, and I will salivate at the sight of those mustard
yellow wheels, and when you find yourself stuck in
dense traffic and you twist the throttle of your recently
refreshed motor to accellerate briskly away from the confusion,
I am sure it will bring a big smile to your face knowing you
have just gotten yourself out of yet another "pickle".

I am now looking at the photo of you sitting on your bike
with the motor removed and the forks perched on the
plastic carton, and although your face and body are cast
in dark shadow, I get the feeling you are wearing a very large
Mc Happy face, something similar to the one
Ronald McDonald himself wears.
Looking forward to your next post, psidey

[Cap'n Commando]

Quote:I tested to see if it would leave any residue on the fairings when peeling it off. It did not.

oooooo. yes, fresh tape probably won't leave a residue cause the adhesive is still, well, fresh. but once it's subjected to the elements, especially heat / UV from riding in the sun you may find that it'll get really gummy and the adhesive will actually peel away from the tape if you were to ever try to remove them. food for thought.

[Hessian]

That photo of your "riding" the frame looks a wee bit sus

[Ninexz]

So I woke up this morning at LOL o'clock. Quite literally... or maybe it was 7:07, I don't know.


And loaded the engine into the back of my mates commonwhore station wagon ready to be taken off to Studricho's in Wollongong.
Stud was kind enough to run us through how everything worked. Valve clearances were done and a few shims were replaced.
I can now say that, from knowing pretty much nothing about engines... I still no nothing about engines.
Well, not completely, in actual fact I got a pretty good idea of what was being done, and took onboard some good information and learnt abit more of the workings of an engine.. but im pretty sure I still haven't even hit the tip of the iceberg.



Compression readings were at about 120, from memory, however cylinder 3 was abit below. Not to worry.
We also changed the spark plugs while we were there.

The engine is now back at home and ready to receive a very good clean, sand and eventually a coat of black paint.

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(26/06/2010 17:43)psidey Wrote:  Ninexz:

Just befoe I log onto this forum, I will take a short drive to
the golden arches, order a Big Mac, some large fries
and a shake, drive home and click on to the Ninexz
McDonalds racer project and watch for your latest update.
Yes I will "relish" the thought of seeing those red and white
fairings, and I will salivate at the sight of those mustard
yellow wheels, and when you find yourself stuck in
dense traffic and you twist the throttle of your recently
refreshed motor to accellerate briskly away from the confusion,
I am sure it will bring a big smile to your face knowing you
have just gotten yourself out of yet another "pickle".

I am now looking at the photo of you sitting on your bike
with the motor removed and the forks perched on the
plastic carton, and although your face and body are cast
in dark shadow, I get the feeling you are wearing a very large
Mc Happy face, something similar to the one
Ronald McDonald himself wears.
Looking forward to your next post, psidey

Psidey, your posts never cease to amuse me.
I love the way you write.
Thanks for the positive comments ... and the connotations to macdonalds.