My Cali 3 cafe racer build

[Old Jock]

Loving the attention to detail

Bits & pieces like that make a big difference to me when I'm looking at a build.

My personal bug bear is cable ties, they have their uses for sure, but I hate to see them used to lash cables etc: to the frame

 

[Rusnak_322]

Loving the attention to detail

Bits & pieces like that make a big difference to me when I'm looking at a build.

My personal bug bear is cable ties, they have their uses for sure, but I hate to see them used to lash cables etc: to the frame

 

So, cable ties are not to be used to tie cables....   

I feel the same way. I had a Ducati monster that must have had 30 rubber cable ties on each side of the frame. ugly as heck. New ones have hooks welded to the back side of the tubes to attach the wiring to. Much cleaner look.

[Chuck in Indiana]

You obviously have too much time on your hands..  Nice work. 

[Old Jock]

So, cable ties are not to be used to tie cables....   

I feel the same way. I had a Ducati monster that must have had 30 rubber cable ties on each side of the frame. ugly as heck. New ones have hooks welded to the back side of the tubes to attach the wiring to. Much cleaner look.

 

Damm it all I meant hose, but I meant mechanical cables as well

I try to only use them to hold dat electirckery hose, but not too tight or you'll stop the smoke from circulating

One slip on here & yer toast 

[Misterb]

You obviously have too much time on your hands..  Nice work. 

Indeed I do, kinda retired a few years ago in my 40's, now just mess about with bikes and other little projects, in between drinking tea of course. Got a couple of other bikes that need work once the Guzzi is finished, once they're out of the way, not sure what the next big project may be, perhaps building a supercharged Guzzi? I already own a half share in a couple of blown drag bikes, so I think its  possible.

[Triple Jim]

I may have a go at painting it, though my past efforts while being ok, I've never managed to get that glass like finish I want.

If you finish with Spraymax 2K 2-part clear, you should be able to get your glass-like finish.  I used it last year and was amazed.  It comes in a spray can with a button on the bottom that punctures a capsule of hardener.  You can get a couple good coats on a tank with one can, but if you're doing other parts, it'll take a couple cans.

[Misterb]

If you finish with Spraymax 2K 2-part clear, you should be able to get your glass-like finish.  I used it last year and was amazed.  It comes in a spray can with a button on the bottom that punctures a capsule of hardener.  You can get a couple good coats on a tank with one can, but if you're doing other parts, it'll take a couple cans.

Thanks for the info, just checked and its available in the UK, so may give it a go. I know 2 Pack is supposed to give excellent results, but its not recommended for home use, as its v carcinogenic.

Well, here's the next video showing this weeks (small) progress..

https://youtu.be/GNmcZ3WUBlg

[Misterb]

Finally made a start on the paintwork, the seat unit was pretty easy (so far anyway), while I'm still working on the prep of the tank, really want to get the colour on and get it lacquered (Went for the Spraymax 2K), but telling myself to do it right and not rush anything...

Here's progress so far today..

https://youtu.be/5Yl3r9g70a8




free

image

hosting

[Misterb]

The biggest decals in the kit I had looked too small for the tank, so I ordered a bigger set which arrived today. Tricky to get the decals in the same spot on both sides of the tank, but having applied them both, I cant see any difference so that's good enough for me.
At last its time for the 2K clear top coat, or lacquer as us amateurs call it. But not so fast ... I have to be weary of 'gassing off'...

Turns out that most paints emit gas as they dry and harden, including the acrylic paint I've used so far. No big problem, so what? Well, the 2K lacquer is urethane based and is impervious to this gas. Therefore, if the lacquer is sprayed on before the colour coat has completely hardened, there is a danger that the emitted gas could in time cause tiny air pockets to develop between the colour coat and the lacquer, which in turn causes blistering of the lacquer.

There's a lot of different advice about how long you need to wait before this 'gassing off' is no longer a problem. Some say 24hrs, some say a week, some say a month or more. I did see one comment that said the way to tell, is to use your nose, just smell the paintwork, if you cant smell the paint its safe to lacquer, if not then you need to wait.

Well, I painted the seat unit a week ago, and now I cant smell the paint anymore, while the tank was last sprayed two days ago, and sure enough it still has that fresh paint smell. So I 've brought the tank indoors where it can stay warm and dry for a few more days, then I'll lacquer everything at the same time. 
   

[Rusnak_322]

Why didn't you use a base/clear system from the same manufacturer?

Also, isn't acrylic water based and Urathane a solvent based paint? I know with solvent based paints, you want to apply the top coat before it gasses out. That way you get a chemical bond between the coats. If not, you have to sand between coats to get some teeth for a mechanical bond.


Also, it is really easy to ruin a decal when clear coating a part. Too heavy and the solvents will dissolve the glue and you will have a mess.  Best to fog a few light coats to seal the edge.

[Triple Jim]

I do not know a lot about paint, so I don't know if it makes any difference, but I believe that Spraymax 2K is acrylic urethane, not straight urethane.  Also, I've sprayed it over adhesive vinyl decals twice now, not doing anything special, and there was no tendency to do any harm to them that I could detect.  Obviously I'm just giving you my experience with the 2K, not recommending anything.

My first use of Spraymax 2K was over old acrylic enamel, and the second was over Dupli Color acrylic lacquer that was a few days old.  In both cases, the result was excellent, so shiny that I never bothered to do anything to them but apply some wax after a few weeks.

[Misterb]

I do not know a lot about paint, so I don't know if it makes any difference, but I believe that Spraymax 2K is acrylic urethane, not straight urethane.  Also, I've sprayed it over adhesive vinyl decals twice now, not doing anything special, and there was no tendency to do any harm to them that I could detect.  Obviously I'm just giving you my experience with the 2K, not recommending anything.

My first use of Spraymax 2K was over old acrylic enamel, and the second was over Dupli Color acrylic lacquer that was a few days old.  In both cases, the result was excellent, so shiny that I never bothered to do anything to them but apply some wax after a few weeks.

Thanks for the info, its reassuring.. I'm in the middle of using the Spraymax right now, I'm probably using too light a coat each time, but worried about drips and sagging paint otherwise. So far its gone over the decals ok, but I can see a few little dust specs in the lacquer, hope they'll polish out later when its had 24hrs to harden.

[Triple Jim]

It's not hard to put enough on to get rid of the orange peel without getting a sag or run.  At least it's easier than Imron, which is the only other halfway similar paint I've used.  Yes, you should be able to polish out the dust peaks if you need to.  Alternatively, you could do a fine sanding and put on another coat if you have enough paint left.  I found the paint is still usable after a week, if you keep it in the refrigerator and warm it up in warm water when you want to use it.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

I love this build! Thank you for taking the time to photo and document it!

[Misterb]

As I mentioned earlier today, I decided I couldn't wait any longer, so sprayed on the lacquer today, one can was enough to do three coats on both the seat unit and tank. I'm not exactly working in a clean room, so got a few specs of dust in the lacquer along the way.

Got to wait 24 hours for the clear coat to fully harden, then I'll use 1500 wet n dry to rub it back. Hopefully that 'll be enough to remove those annoying dust specs and smooth out the finish which is a bit orange-peely in places. If not, I've got another can of the Spraymax 2K lacquer to use. But overall I'm impressed with the lacquer, its far better than anything else I've used in the past o (out of a rattle can)

Sneak peek..






Powered

by

Image

Hosting

[Triple Jim]

Exactly.  The first time I used it, it was obvious that it's professional automotive paint, packaged in a spray can.  The results look great in the photos.  I'll be interested in how the sanding and polishing comes out, since I haven't done that, but others have told me it works well.  I believe it's actually 2-part acrylic urethane enamel, as opposed to lacquer.

[Rusnak_322]

Lots of problems can be fixed after the paint cures. Drips are easier to fix then orange peel, and dust usually can be fixed for something that is not a show bike.

A tip is to soak the sand paper for at least 12 hours before you use it to soften it up, use a pad if you can find one to make sure you don't get finger pressure points. Use lots of water when sanding, if you don't make a huge mess then you are not doing it right.

[Misterb]

I was lucky with the weather today, started off calm and frosty but soon warmed up, which gave me the chance to spray on the final coats of lacquer on the Guzzi seat and tank, having first wet sanded the first few coats of lacquer to get things as smooth as possible. Felt like I was taking one step forward and two steps back, but it had to be done. Went pretty well, cant wait to fit them to the bike and stand back to see if I like the overall look. I'm a bit worried that the paint will look a bit plain, as it has no graphics (apart from the Guzzi logo), no speed stripes or pinstripes... we'll see.

That done, I paid another visit to see the recent progress on my mate Williams Z650 café project, and brought my camera along too of course. Its an interesting project, a 1978 Z650 using modern ZX6R wheels and forks and one off alloy tank an seat, made by a chap in Leeds for a very good price. Apparently he can make just about any tank / seat you may want.

I had a problem with the video as I couldn't edit it for some reason, so here it is .. Jeff and William are discussing a couple of problems.. the standard side stand interfers with the new one off rear sets, while the headlight brackets hit the tank on full lock... eventually I left them to it and went off to drink tea..

https://youtu.be/W5ITcJTTXuA

[Misterb]

Although the paint still needs to be cut back and polished, I couldn't resist fitting the tank and seat to the bike. Later there was a brief break in the rain clouds, so I quickly pushed the Guzzi outside so I could stand back and see if I like it or not, and if it might need a speed stripe or two (to add 10mph to the top speed of course..).. Think I'll leave it as is for now, the shade of red I chose looks about right, though I do wonder how it'd look in black with gold decals?  Perhaps I'll paint my Norley that way someday.  Have to tackle the wiring now, which will be next weeks task.

Here's the second part of the DIY paint video..

https://youtu.be/BAn2pw7jFEU

And here's the Guzzi in its new cloths about to get very wet..

[Misterb]

Where does the time fly? Last update four years ago and I'm still working on the Guzzi.

I wasn't happy with the seat unit, or some of the details, so I put it away in the corner of the garage and shamefully ignored it for a couple of years, while I worked on other projects.

By chance I was offered something that got e working on the Guzzi again.. a handmade alloy seat unit made by The Tank Shop in Scotland, which was now no longer needed for its intended use. I snapped it up, and started working on the Guzzi again.

First a pair of custom shocks made for me by Hagon went on the bike, followed by a LM1 fairing and an aftermarket front fender (made for a Triumph I think). The latter took a bit of effort to fit.

Next I started again with the electrics, this time using an M unit and switches by Moto Gadget.

Finally the bodywork went off for new paint... that was in September, and finger crossed it'll be ready in late January. not helped by the current national lockdown..
















 

[Misterb]

Therefore my Guzzi should be road worthy by the spring, that's if we're allowed to leave the house by then 

But as they say project bikes are never really finished, so assuming the bike runs ok with no major problems, I want to tune the engine over the following winter. It seems the Cali 3 is mildly tuned.. 30mm carbs, small valves and so on.

Therefore I've been searching on here for threads on the best way to give the motor a bit more power, similar to a LM3 perhaps. My current idea is to fit a pair of Mikuni RS36 carbs along with a cam (not sure which yet), and perhaps replacing the cam drive with timing gears and fitting electronic ignition.

Obviously the small valve head will be the limiting factor, but LM heads are not easy to find here in the UK.

Does this sound like a good plan to build a reliable, fast, torquey road engine?  All opinions welcome    

[Petrus Rocks]

That seat/rear end is fantastic! I understand 36mm carbs are the best way to get more oomph.  Why Mikunis?  Do you have jetting specs for them?  That's an upgrade I want.
I have a Cal II cafe project I'm also working on.  One area I felt important was upgrading the front end.  I installed a set of 45 mm forks and triples from a V11-adjustable compression and rebound plus much stiffer forks.  Next up are four pot Brembos with larger discs.
 

[Turin]

Doesn't the Cal III have medium valve heads ? I put a megacycle X9 cam in my 850 T with mild porting, raised compression via thinner head and base gaskets, 36mm Dellortos, mildly lightened flywheel, and a mistral exhaust with bub mufflers. (You don't have to sink the valves with the X-9 cam) I'm pretty happy with it. doing the Ton is not an issue.

[Misterb]

That seat/rear end is fantastic! I understand 36mm carbs are the best way to get more oomph.  Why Mikunis?  Do you have jetting specs for them?  That's an upgrade I want.
I have a Cal II cafe project I'm also working on.  One area I felt important was upgrading the front end.  I installed a set of 45 mm forks and triples from a V11-adjustable compression and rebound plus much stiffer forks.  Next up are four pot Brembos with larger discs.
 

I like the Mikunis, used them on other projects. Ideally I'd go for the 34mm version as the 36mm and above models have larger bodies. As for the forks, the 40mm Biturbo forks fitted do feel very soft, I will be fitting progressive springs at the least, and also perhaps modifying the damping too. I prefer to stick with these forks and brakes rather than swap them for something newer. But I could change my mind once I've got some miles on the bike.   

[Misterb]

Doesn't the Cal III have medium valve heads ? I put a megacycle X9 cam in my 850 T with mild porting, raised compression via thinner head and base gaskets, 36mm Dellortos, mildly lightened flywheel, and a mistral exhaust with bub mufflers. (You don't have to sink the valves with the X-9 cam) I'm pretty happy with it. doing the Ton is not an issue.

I had assumed the Cali 3 had the small valve heads, as its so mildly tuned compared to the LM? Are there three different valve sizes used (mine is a 89 Cali 3)?  There are no dealers of Megacycle cams in the UK, so I hadn't really considered them, with import duties etc, importing from the US would be expensive. Agostini P3 and B1 cams are sometimes available from a UK supplier, that's all I have found to date.

[motogoro]

RE: Valve size. 

as I understand Cal III models, there were mostly small valve motors.  Some '91 big valve models.  And '93 models were medium valve 'world motors'. 

[pebra]

Looks good now, will be a real beauty when it's finished, Mr B!

[Misterb]

After a long wait, the bodywork is finally being painted. The base colour is done (Honda Victory Red), while I've made some small changes to my original design. Took a few attempts before I was happy. The paint should be ready for collection end of next week.

[Misterb]

A big day today, finally got the paintwork back. Very pleased with the end result.. just hope I don't scratch it before it goes on the bike..

[Old Jock]

I know that feeling

Nice build, looking great, be nice to see it all assembled