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Orient Express drag bike resurrection.Updated with fixed links.

Work in Progress

Moderators: chrisu, paul doran, Taffus, KeithZ1R

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zed1015
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#46 PostAuthor: zed1015 » Sat May 18, 2013 8:55 am

Pigford wrote:Glad its been finished in the proper colour too :twisted:


Before it came to the uk it was painted in Orient express's own colours which were black and red or summat.
It was then re- done by Steve Tong in the colours he used for his business which are the colours it is most recognisable in .
It was a no brainer to keep the same colours, it just wouldn't be the same bike in anything else.

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#47 PostAuthor: chrisu » Sat May 18, 2013 10:12 am

zed1015 wrote:The difference is negligible and nothing the rider couldn't easily offset by having a good shit before riding it.


:hys

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#48 PostAuthor: buzzard » Sat May 18, 2013 10:54 am

Bike is looking good, look forward to seeing it run. Are you running a separate oil scavenge system for the turbo? Buzzard.
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Re: drag bike

#49 PostAuthor: zed1015 » Sat May 18, 2013 11:15 am

buzzard wrote:Bike is looking good, look forward to seeing it run. Are you running a separate oil scavenge system for the turbo? Buzzard.


Yes! it's got a seperate electrical oil pump and tank for the turbo.
It always had these .
The oil tank window was originally on the right but you couldn't check the level as the rear brake master cyl was in the way.
I've moved it over to the left panel along with all the power switches etc so all pre flight checkable systems can be seen in one place at a glance by the starter operator.

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#50 PostAuthor: Rich » Sat May 18, 2013 7:39 pm

the rider couldn't easily offset by having a good shit before riding it.

I bet he did that too.

The point I'm making is that you are sanitizing something that was built to do a job, not improving it. It's a classic race bike and that's how they did things then. They wouldn't have spent the money to have brackets welded on the frame if a P clip would have done the same job. Components cable tied to fibreglass and alloy sheet was (and still is) commonplace. Ask yourself if the parts you are altering were fit for purpose and an effective way to mount the components, if the answer is yes and you are are adding weight for no benefit then you are not improving on the original. Your doing a very good job on it, but then so did the original builders, don't denigrate their work because your priorities are not the same as theirs. By sanitizing it it loses its' character.
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#51 PostAuthor: zed1015 » Sat May 18, 2013 10:34 pm

Rich wrote:. Ask yourself if the parts you are altering were fit for purpose and an effective way to mount the components, if the answer is yes and you are are adding weight for no benefit then you are not improving on the original.


The answer is no.
The few parts that have been replaced were truly bodged and unsafe. steel spacers ,self tappers and straps to barely hold the front scoop on now replaced by lighter and safer Dzus fittings which it should have had from day one.
The same with the rear guard, pumps and battery etc.


The owner, Steve, is also the rider who campaigned the bike to success with Steve Tong in the 70's and 80's and was the rider when it last ran in 82.
It is he who asked for the mod's and repairs to improve a few areas that they were never happy with all those years ago and he is certainly in a position to know what he's talking about.

No way will the bike be a sanitised, characterless shadow of it's former self, just a bit safer and better sorted.

The whole machine will be lighter and probably faster than it ever was if the owner wants to risk winding up the boost to it's previous engine blowing 30 psi.
Last edited by zed1015 on Sun May 14, 2023 9:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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#52 PostAuthor: ade woollams » Sun May 19, 2013 6:30 am

was it running a back cut 5speed back in the 80's. i may have a shot of that bike from avon park
dragracing, because it takes more than one ball !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNoktjNP ... ture=share

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#53 PostAuthor: zed1015 » Sun May 19, 2013 8:21 am

ade woollams wrote:was it running a back cut 5speed back in the 80's. i may have a shot of that bike from avon park


The latest cluster that i took out had been hand cut with a grinder with inconsistant angles and only contacting the dogs on a fraction of their surface hence the reason for replacement.
Previous to that the cluster that had blown was stock un cut.

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#54 PostAuthor: ade woollams » Sun May 19, 2013 10:54 am

....
dragracing, because it takes more than one ball !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNoktjNP ... ture=share

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#55 PostAuthor: zed1015 » Fri Jun 28, 2013 6:25 pm

Been a while so bit of an update.

Krober tach mount made for top yoke.

PICT0489_zps30565811.jpg


And fitted
PICT0544_zpsdd01f2b1.jpg



Front end in
PICT0543-1_zpsd7f4c1b8.jpg


And rear guard
PICT0548-1_zps680f0332.jpg
Last edited by zed1015 on Tue Feb 20, 2018 6:49 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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#56 PostAuthor: Al » Fri Jun 28, 2013 9:58 pm

Quality all the way.
Is the frame symmetrical? ie is it longer one side than the other. Is the front wheel, engine rear wheel centreline the same line? Or is it off set.

Is there a bracket or outrigger between the drive sprocket and the 'swingarm' (such as it is) on the drive side?

Fatty's Z1R pulls so hard on the chain that it shortened the distance by oval-ling the front crosstube of the swingarm and needed replacing with a thicker walled tube.
Barry's turbo / nitrous J1 ripped the swingarm mounting bracket off the frame and neither have the output of 30PSI even if they are carrying a little more weight!!! Barry's solution was an outrigger from the drive sprocket bearing (outer) to the swingarm mount which also stops the frame changing shape.

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#57 PostAuthor: zed1015 » Fri Jun 28, 2013 11:42 pm

zorded wrote:Quality all the way.
Is the frame symmetrical? ie is it longer one side than the other. Is the front wheel, engine rear wheel centreline the same line? Or is it off set.

Is there a bracket or outrigger between the drive sprocket and the 'swingarm' (such as it is) on the drive side?

Fatty's Z1R pulls so hard on the chain that it shortened the distance by oval-ling the front crosstube of the swingarm and needed replacing with a thicker walled tube.
Barry's turbo / nitrous J1 ripped the swingarm mounting bracket off the frame and neither have the output of 30PSI even if they are carrying a little more weight!!! Barry's solution was an outrigger from the drive sprocket bearing (outer) to the swingarm mount which also stops the frame changing shape.
AL


Frame is symetrical but engine is offset to the left and rear wheel is offset to the right ( originally (way back when) the wheel was central until a wider wheel was fitted.
Outrigger plate is tied to the frame to reduce distortion under power.

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#58 PostAuthor: zed1015 » Sat Jun 29, 2013 1:05 am

Original front disc was rusty/warped and knackered so as the bike will be sprinted a real working brake is needed.
An alloy adaptor was made to allow the fitment of an AR disk which was the same diameter and is still kawasaki part of course
.

PICT0579_zps59c5ad7e.jpg


PICT0425_zps20091f4d.jpg




Next job was to fit the pumps and turbo

PICT0574_zpse1a4182d.jpg


I stripped and cleaned the turbo but it needed nothing except gaskets as it was virtually new when the motor blew all those years ago so just need the spiders evicting
Exhaust has been blasted and painted, carb refurbed and plumbing completed along with makeshift wiring ready for the first firing.

PICT0587_zps3bb60109.jpg


New exhaust outlet on and test fit the newly painted bodywork
PICT0589_zps0b2eb191.jpg


PICT0588_zpsf0df2d95.jpg


OrientExpress047_zpsd426e40c.jpg


Bare kosman rear wheel fitted with old tyre for dyno runs will be replaced with freshly painted spare and new tyre when it's time for some real action
OrientExpress043_zps37751ef3.jpg


OrientExpress042_zps0720b5d7 (1).jpg


OrientExpress041_zpsc12742e3.jpg
Last edited by zed1015 on Wed Feb 21, 2018 8:44 am, edited 5 times in total.

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#59 PostAuthor: Jay1969 » Sat Jun 29, 2013 1:27 am

Awesome, please get a video done of it on the dyno run :D

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#60 PostAuthor: ade woollams » Sat Jun 29, 2013 5:52 am

are those steves old leathers hanging up as well
dragracing, because it takes more than one ball !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNoktjNP ... ture=share


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