General Category > Bike Builds, Rebuilds And Restorations Only
1948 Airone - restoration
Canuck750:
Rear rim sent off with an Avon tire to be mounted, I just don't trust my ability to mount a tubed tire without pinching and nicking the tube, had to many frustrating failures to bother anymore.
Assembling the front hub, both of the tappered roller bearings were worn out, these are the same as used in loop frame bikes, races pressed in and bearings greased
The felt seals were worn out, I found new felt sheet at Home Hardware in the furniture pad section, one side has adhesive but that will work fine with the glue faced side facing out, cut new felt seals with an exacto blade
felt seal is sandwiched between a sprung washer and a cupped washer
After pressing the seal assembly against the tappered roller a snap ring retains the bearing / seal onto each side of the hub, a threaded retainer is spun in on each side, a lot like a bicycle axle
shorter spokes (two different lengths) on the brake hub side
and all equal length spokes on the other side, I used plastic drywall plugs to temporarly hold the spoke heads in position while I spun on the spoke nipples
I had recorded the offset dimensions way back when I disassembled the wheel and propped up the rim with plastic boxes and steel scrap to match the offset position of the rim to the hub
Once the nipples were equally snugged up the rim was actually close to being true
Minimal up/down and side/side adjustments were required using a dial gauge to get to +/- 10 thou
Another rim off to get a tire mounted on Saturday, I always feel a major milestone in the rebuild has been met when the bike is rolling on its tires
Canuck750:
It has been just over one year since I started the restoration of the Airone, progress has been intermitent, mostly due to waiting on parts from Italy and my painters schedule, it is finally resting on its own two wheels
Of the hundreds of things that have needed attention I am liklely down to the last 100 or so
I may get the tin parts painted and pin striped by late winter, fingers crossed that the stars align with my painter and his pin stripe artist.
I can get on with all the hand controls, cables, electrical, etc........ but some time this winter I have to drop the engine in my 1975 Ducati 860 GT and figure out why the rear cylinder suddenly decided to smoke this past fall, perhaps an oil ring collapsed, I had the guides, seats and oil seals replaced in the heads, we shall see.
Old bikes, a constant hobby.
Canuck750:
I had a brain fart moment yesterday, I am translating the Airone Owners Manual and going through the original Italian booklet I realized I have the front wheel on backwards, so I pulled the fork tubes out and swapped them around so I can get the front brake plate on the right hand side
While I had the wheel off I felt the brake shoes are jut too tight, I made a mandrel for the lathe and using a sanding belt turned inside out trimmed off a wee bit of the new linings.
repro battery box and retaining clamps
repro choke and manual advance levers, I had the handlebars and original levers replated, repro white handlebar grips
and a repro header and muffler
SED:
Jim, your work is so exacting - great job! You really did a nice job building those wheels (and the forks and the dampers and the...) - learned lots. I like your picture of the brakes in the lathe. I need to do that on one of the Ariels so thanks for the tip! It really is gorgeous sitting on its wheels. Thank you for the time to take all the detailed pictures and write the documentation.
Canuck750:
Thanks Shaun!
Its certainly taking longer than I had thought to get this far, my painter keeps bumping me back on the list, probably due to me telling him I am not in a rush, but he is fixing my poor metal work so I am sure the end result will be worth it. I put in one more small order to Retro for a few last bits and pieces, the throttle that slides inside the handle bar was a poor reproduction that didn't fit with a damn and I am hopping the one he can get is better.
I have my fingers crossed that the bike will start.
I am getting close to finishing a translation of the 1948 Airone owners manual, it has plenty of good information for tuning etc, once done I will ask Greg Bender to put it on his This Old Tractor Moto Guzzi web page.
I also got a new cast iron cylinder and new piston for my GTV motor from Retro, once I get the crank ground I should have a fully rebuilt motor .... now to find a rolling chassis to put it into. I am thinking of heading to Italy for the big swap meet in a year to look for a roller.
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