What did you do in the shop or garage today

[Silver Goose]

With the winter in full bloom, and for a little while motorcycle riding has stopped or at least curtailed, I thought  a thread like this could highlight some of the talents of the members.

With the broad base of talents I am sure many great projects, albeit not only motorcycles, could be posted and ideas shared.

As long as the projects, are in keeping with the forum rules, no project is out of bounds.

AS soon as I figure out the phot posting I will attach a few project pics. In the meantime post pics and/or written descriptions of your projects.

Good  Luck

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I'm building yet another Loop based Guzzi out of parts I have accumulated. Today I worked on the dual disc front end some more. The fork tubes I needed were still on the chassis I'll be using, so the first order of business was to remove and disassemble the forks. All went well until it was time to remove the "nut" that holds the lower bushing onto the tube. On Saturday I made a crude tool to do the job:

and it worked great on a few bent tubes I had in the junk bin. But, it wouldn't budge the ones on the good tubes. Instead the notches rounded out:

I wasn't going to let it defeat me and since I needed to machine out the threads at the bottom of the tubes anyway, decided to drill the nut out. Chucked it up in the "big" lathe:

which took care of the problem quickly. I drilled through the nut, taking out the threads and boring the tube deep enough to clear the spring "cup" at full compression.


Combined with Convert fork lowers, dampers and springs

along with modified Loop top plugs,

I now had a pair of complete disc brake fork legs.


After lunch I thought I'd better get back to the paying work... 

Last week I made a pair of 10 mm thick aluminum disc spacers. Two chunks of 5" diameter x 1" thick aluminum and several hours of work on the small Logan lathe and I was done.

[Silver Goose]

You see, Talent.

Great job.

[Arizona Wayne]

Well, I can't compete with the lathe man, but today I made some progress on my Piaggio 250 MP3 scooter rear end, changing it's tranny oil and figuring out what caused the verticle slop in the rear tire since I switched from a scooter tire to a car radial tire.   After I button this side up it's time to replace the drive belt on the other side.   After that comes my other bike/scooter maintenance projects. Then there's the rebuild of the damaged toy hauler from a roof leak, so I better get busy.

[Guzzistajohn]

Nothing, got a new job and went to happy hour to celebrate!!

[CalVin2007]

  It was in a friends garage,not mine, but...helped him set a nice beam down the center of the office/lounge space he's building at one end of a newly constructed 40 X 60 insulated shop. You know, a nice place to relax and have refreshments after a rough day goofing off!  Then I went home and stoked up the wood stove in my own shop so our cars will be nice and warm for the drive to work in the morning. 

  Terry

[lucydad]

L'Argento,

I went out and measured my current work bench/cabinets.  Then I compared result parameters to the blank concrete pad foundation in my new motorcycle garage at the new Villa.  Plan on calling a local contractor and getting an estimate to install a system, and storage for both garages.  Gazed longingly at both bikes meanwhile recovering from a cold.  I think, just maybe, I can take the V7R out for a spin Tuesday if the sneezing reduces.  Low fever appears to have broken. 

Wow on lathe and you serious creative types.  I am a clod by comparison.  Not my talent. 

[cruzziguzzi]

Found out that the Luger I bought a year ago this weekend is in fact an all numbers matching 1918 including the grips. The magazines, alas, are not matching.

That, and set up my Tormek tool sharpening rig. Yee-hay.

Todd.

[LowRyter]

Nothing, got a new job and went to happy hour to celebrate!!

congrats John!

[Guzzistajohn]

congrats John!

Thanks John!  You're a good friend!

[oldbike54]

congrats John!

 Yeah , John is back to helping people 

  Dusty

[Vasco DG]

Submitted yet another warranty tappet claim...... (sigh...)

[oldbike54]

Submitted yet another warranty tappet claim...... (sigh...)

 Thank you Pete .

 Dusty

[Shorty]

Switched the trickle charger from the Honda to the Triumph. It was exhausting. 

[Guzzistajohn]

Yeah , John is back to helping people 

  Dusty

Yes, back to crescent cutting at the outhouse factory in Ozark, Mo.    <my dream job>

[Vasco DG]

This one is a full monty freebie! Bike only had its warranty activated last year  . 6750 or so Km and the wear is evident....



Pete

[oldbike54]

Yes, back to crescent cutting at the outhouse factory in Ozark, Mo.    <my dream job>

 Hey , do what you love 

  Dusty

[ChuckH]

First, I turned the heat up a bit so it was warm enough in the garage to work.  Then I worked to locate and tighten the LED running lights firmly before I pinned them in place. 

The bike (an '07 R1200R w/ 60K miles on the clock) is about ready to go.  It has new tires, brake pads, a reorganization of the wiring under the seat, the Rostra CC installed, my ancient Givi top case mounted and the tank panniers and tank bag in place.  It needs to go to the KY dealer when the weather warms for a new fuel strip in the tank (warranty work) and I need a few more inches on the top of the-Tech windshield (maybe a Laminar Lip).  Last is figuring out how to mount, stack and carry the normal gear I take on the road.

Ride safe.  We're half way through January.  Another month and the riding season will begin again.     

[cookiemech]

I'm about three-quarters of the way through my annual flush-and-bleed routine of the brakes on my eight bikes. Without a lift it would have been almost impossible (for an old guy) to properly work on the rear caliper of my Aluminium. Until a couple of days ago, I didn't realize that it had a floating caliper; I had never seen that on a bike before (then, the next day, found TWO floating calipers on my KLR 650 . . . how about that?)

Regardless of the considerable research I've done on the linked brakes on the MG, I have not found a way to vacuum-bleed the left front and rear brakes successfully. What I wound up doing was vacuum-bleeding the rear, then bleeding the left front by pumping the foot brake. That did a perfectly satisfactory job, with a nice hard pedal, but it's not clear to me if there's anything I can do to temporarily make the proportioning valve allow fluid flow to the front caliper while vacuum bleeding. Minor issue . . .

Today I'll tackle the rear brake on the Ducati Monster 1200. Front brakes and clutch, which I did yesterday, were very easy. That rear caliper is pretty deeply placed on the right side, but accessible only from the left (through the wheel). But since I'm retired, and the garage is well-lighted and warm, I'll just have to bear up under the burden . . . 

[old head]

answered a few calls from sales reps in the morning.  Finalized construction documents for a sold job, designed a 32x18 multiroof pavilion for a customer.
then when it warmed up, I changed the oil and filter in the old Dodge, and drained and refilled the antifreeze now that the new pump isn't leaking like the first two I put on.
new wipers on the truck, and took some recycling to the recycle center.

Old head

[azguzzirep]

"I ain't even got a garage. You can call home and ask my wife."
However, whenever I pass by my bike, parked down below in a parking garage, I always touch it, talk nicely to it and promise it fun filled days to come.
Tom

[Two Checks]

What is this shop/garage you speak of?

[Silver Goose]

Well after posting this thread, I went to shop to finish my cam/tappet check. Time for a new setup, bike has 18,000+ miles and now I will wait for a new setup. I will call Reno's Power sports and get in line for the upgrade kit. The wear on the tappets does not show metal flakes, yet, no need to push the last mile before failure.

Thanks to Wayne and Pete for the information and photos.



Keep posting

[kingoffleece]

Finishing up a NORGE seat rebuild for a customer.

[Farmer Dan]

only 3 degrees out side today and the propane tank in my shop is empty.  I sat in my den and reloaded some .38 Special +P ammo.

[drlapo]

I rebuilt the rocker box and cleaned the sludge traps on a BSA B25

[Triple Jim]

I continued work on my Ninja 250 to convert it to a "standard" motorcycle, currently working on remounting the instruments that were originally mounted in the fairing.  Relevant to another thread, the bike will probably end up 25 pounds lighter.  This isn't mine, it's a web photo I found that inspired me:

[cruzziguzzi]

This really caught my eye and made me wonder why. Then it occurred to me that it reminds me of possibly my favorite "naked" bike ever - the first gen of Triumph Speed Triples:




Have fun with the conversion


Todd.

[Yukonica]

Tested a newly purchased (used) Meade 2045 telescope on a Manfrotto 410 junior gear head on my carbon Giotto tripod.
Telescope is about a pound over spec for the head and it shows. Once I have the device collimated and the guide scope aligned I'll dig out an old/heavy/metal tripod for the base. Then I look at stars and planets and wait for sun and snowmelt.... for the next three months.

[nick949]

Quota



Nick