'R'estoration

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 4:12 pm

Motocanada wrote:

Hey nick why did you not use captain's cam guide
Daviud

I managed to acquire NOS guide and tensioner. As I doubt I will ever go racing and most likely only put 500 to 1000 miles a year on this I wanted to stay with OE anywhere can. Yeah I know it does have a headless starter clutch now but I got really fed up with listening to clutch spinning freely Laughing

Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 12:43 pm

Finished mounting the motor, that took a while. Originally I fitted the swing arm pivot into the frame with a shim on the right side. The frame opening was wider so instead of crushing it down as I tightened the bolt I made up a shim. Now did the same thing with the motor. I pulled it too the left side of the frame and then shimmed all the gaps on the right side with fitted washers for a perfect fit. Don't know if it makes any difference but it appeals to my mechanical sensibilities.

All the covers are now back on, clutch, sump and oil filter etc. installed and filled with oil. Cranked her over till the battery got low to move oil around. Working on valve clearances now which are currently tight even for me!

Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 1:38 pm

Nick, your R is looking ridiculously sweet. I think your wife will have to let you store it in the living room since it's too nice for the garage.

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 7:03 pm

tomk1960 wrote:

Nick, your R is looking ridiculously sweet. I think your wife will have to let you store it in the living room since it's too nice for the garage.

Thanks Tom. Actually my plan is to build a new garage just for my toys. Best of both worlds.

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 8:09 pm

swiftnick wrote:

Finished mounting the motor, that took a while. Originally I fitted the swing arm pivot into the frame with a shim on the right side. The frame opening was wider so instead of crushing it down as I tightened the bolt I made up a shim. Now did the same thing with the motor. I pulled it too the left side of the frame and then shimmed all the gaps on the right side with fitted washers for a perfect fit. Don't know if it makes any difference but it appeals to my mechanical sensibilities.

All the covers are now back on, clutch, sump and oil filter etc. installed and filled with oil. Cranked her over till the battery got low to move oil around. Working on valve clearances now which are currently tight even for me!

Interestingly, I was looking at the R parts book and they show a shim / thrust washer on the right hand side of the swingarm ...

Regards,

Max

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 4:50 pm

Hondamax wrote:

Interestingly, I was looking at the R parts book and they show a shim / thrust washer on the right hand side of the swingarm ...

Regards,

Max

And there was me thinking I was being all clever by myself. Oh well I guess the original engineers did know a thing or two.

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 5:04 pm

swiftnick wrote:

Hondamax wrote:

Interestingly, I was looking at the R parts book and they show a shim / thrust washer on the right hand side of the swingarm ...

Regards,

Max

And there was me thinking I was being all clever by myself. Oh well I guess the original engineers did know a thing or two.

No, no, no, you were being clever by yourself, its just that unbeknownst to you, so had Honda ... Smile

What size shims / washers did you end up using?

Regards,

Max

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 5:40 pm

I actually did it in two steps. Firstly I shortened the swing arm pivot tube to take out any side to side play. Then I just kept trying washers of different thicknesses in the gap between the frame and end cap till I found one that was a tight fit. I did not measure it.

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 5:52 pm

swiftnick wrote:

I actually did it in two steps. Firstly I shortened the swing arm pivot tube to take out any side to side play. Then I just kept trying washers of different thicknesses in the gap between the frame and end cap till I found one that was a tight fit. I did not measure it.

OK, thanks, sounds like a plan ...

Regards,

Max

Posted: Mon May 05, 2014 12:50 am

Been waiting on getting hold of some thin shims which arrived Friday so I was able to set the valve clearances and finish getting the motor ready to run this weekend. Before putting the exhaust back on I blasted the aluminum flanges and shot them with high temp clear lacquer, also blasted the collars and painted them with high temp silver and got new M6 nuts to bolt them home. The mix of colors is a little work of art all on its own.

So here she is just prior to me pressing the start button for the first time since rebuilding the motor. She came up first try.

So now I need to set the ignition timing, balance the carbs and adjust the pilot air screws.

Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 1:59 am

And done. Dragged out into the sunlight for final pics before putting the bodywork back on.

Then tank and seat back on gas and took her for a gentle 20 mile ride. Kept the revs down and the throttle light for now. All seems well and I am looking forward to giving her a good whipping once the new pistons etc. have run in.

Red CB1100F Joined: Jul 19, 2010 Posts: 6420 Location: Ct

WOW!!

Great work sir. Enjoy it this summer!! Cool

Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 5:03 am

VERY nice work ! Art in motion !

Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 11:40 am

Top notch work Nick!
Beautiful Bike!

Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 4:37 pm

Thanks guys, my lust was always to own a new CB1100R. I couldn't afford one back in the early 80's so this is the second best thing.

Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 5:35 pm

Nice one Nick… looks a peach! Very Happy

Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 7:22 pm

You can be proud Nick!
It was a long way but the result is awesome.

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 10:31 pm

I'm just wondering - Why the locking aftermarket plastic gas cap on a fully restored 'R bike? Is it 'cause of limited availability of NOS caps?

'Cause I found MY cap in stocks of NOS parts for the XL500 - different part #, but the same part itself.

Just in case anybody didn't know.

-S.

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 11:13 pm

Some people just prefer a gas cap that can be locked. They were available as an accessory when the R was new, so they are "contemporary" and don't take away from the "original" status

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2016 4:31 pm

SoyBoySigh wrote:

I'm just wondering - Why the locking aftermarket plastic gas cap on a fully restored 'R bike? Is it 'cause of limited availability of NOS caps?

'Cause I found MY cap in stocks of NOS parts for the XL500 - different part #, but the same part itself.

Just in case anybody didn't know.

-S.

I for one did not know that. I thought the gas cap was original. Care to share the part number for the XL500 cap as to be honest the lock is a bit of a nuisance.

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2016 4:50 pm

swiftnick wrote:

SoyBoySigh wrote:

I'm just wondering - Why the locking aftermarket plastic gas cap on a fully restored 'R bike? Is it 'cause of limited availability of NOS caps?

'Cause I found MY cap in stocks of NOS parts for the XL500 - different part #, but the same part itself.

Just in case anybody didn't know.

-S.

I for one did not know that. I thought the gas cap was original. Care to share the part number for the XL500 cap as to be honest the lock is a bit of a nuisance.

Number appears to be 17620-435-730

https://www.davidsilverspares.com/parts/by-part-number/part_17620435730/

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2016 5:42 pm

The cap was originally released on the XL500S, 1979-81. It is the same part. Not a coincidental find.

Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2016 3:32 pm

petrat wrote:

Number appears to be 17620-435-730

https://www.davidsilverspares.com/parts/by-part-number/part_17620435730/

Thanks, found one cheap on E bay. I can check the fit and see if it is restorable before spending more cash.

Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 1:16 am

Fuel cap arrived a few weeks ago and only just now found some time to work on my bikes. The cap was not perfect but in good enough shape to use and confirmed its the right part. So that is technically correct now.

Also did some work on the rear wheel. Here is the before pic

And here is the after

Other than cleaner as I took the opportunity to get some grunge off the wheel while it was out, it now has a proper R rotor instead of the F one I had on it. When I got the bike it had a custom drilled F rotor on it and I put on a 900F item as that was the closest thing I could find to original. Now bitter sweet Larry had an R rotor in his parts that Matt was selling and I picked it up. It needed to be resurfaced but is still above min thickness after I did that. Just a few more little details to get right and then she will be perfect.

Hawk Joined: Jan 15, 2009 Posts: 406 Location: Plymouth

The details are great Love it

Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 11:57 am

swiftnick wrote:

and then she will be perfect.

...except for the exhaust, Nick. Very Happy

Wonder why nobody has come up with a nice enough repro for these bikes.

Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 1:01 pm

You forget the Dutch replica R exhaust Rob.

CB1100F Joined: Jun 18, 2006 Posts: 2526 Location: UK

lunterenholland wrote:

You forget the Dutch replica R exhaust Rob.

I received my system from Holland this morning for my RC resto I am doing

Keith

Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 1:41 pm

I did not forget, I never heard of it. How do you get it? From what I see, it is a RB/RC repro. Not really for the RD?
I remember someone in the U.K. made a RD gloss repro once, but like the membership requests in the R club, all inquiries remained unanswered. Rolling Eyes

Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 1:55 pm

DOHCRob wrote:

swiftnick wrote:

and then she will be perfect.

...except for the exhaust, Nick. Very Happy

Wonder why nobody has come up with a nice enough repro for these bikes.

Yes I am still looking for that as well.

Wout, please do share. What we see there treated to this gloss black plasma coating being talked about may be just the ticket.