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Life's rich tapestry...

Work in Progress

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Bicycle Repairman
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Life's rich tapestry...

#1 PostAuthor: Bicycle Repairman » Thu Sep 22, 2016 5:55 pm

My year-long refresh of a Z900 is stumbling to an ending. I have never carried out a frame-up rebuild before, so this has been a learning event.
I cannot paint things, weld things, plate things, mill things, turn things or any of the creative skill-hungry things that seasoned restorers seem to have been instinctively doing since they were seven years old. Therefore I have had to use the dedicated suppliers and services we are blessed with and hand over shovelfuls of fivers during the entire year in return for their troubles.
I have also used the dark force that is Ebay.

What then, have I learned?

Ebay has been my friend. Ebay people have been astonishingly helpful. Parts have always arrived quickly and have not mysteriously inflated in price between quote and delivery. With the notable exception of a lovely gentleman in America who sold me a complete and quite likely record-breakingly expensive airbox assembly and then wouldn't accept paypal from England, and further, wouldn't post it to me. Golly, how I laughed at that one!
Z Power have delivered loads of parts, quickly and predictably. They nearly always have the parts in stock. They are helpful and kind to fools that ask stupid questions. Trust me on that one.
Saisei are excellent. They got the order for my Doremi exhausts. Great value and great service.
Z1 Enterprises in Florida are superb. During a job in Virginia last July they were sending stuff to my hotel without any fuss at all.
CC Aquablasting in Little Bentley did my top end to the same impeccable quality that they do for aeroengines, on time, as promised, polite helpful and diligent.

The popular and recommended powder coating house that I used took twice as long as promised and magically inflated the bill. Fortunately I was able to meditate back to calmness whilst trying for days and days to get coating off all the threads they hadn't masked.

Painting a tank, seat and tail should not take eight months from place of order and cost twice as much as your car.

A carburettor bank rebuild will cost the same as your car and take five months.

Anybody that tells you they have a rear spindle in stock is either lying or lives in Tajikistan where the mail goat passes by once every five years.
If you ask a popular recommended supplier to make you one, they will explain that they'd much rather do something else not associated with spindles and blithely mumble about backlogs as if its your fault, but take the money anyway.
Ordering a second spindle from another supplier in addition to the first because its the last key thing to get the bike on the road before the riding weather finally goes bad and you're now desperate to get something this *********** year, will come to nothing because that gallic gonk will wait a week and then tell you its out of stock.
I've now ordered a third spindle in the vain hope that something, anything, turns up before the oil runs out and we go back to living in caves.

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harri183
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#2 PostAuthor: harri183 » Thu Sep 22, 2016 6:12 pm

good read, so much so you now need to do a full resto pic rich project page. If you get stuck with the spindle let me know I have a spare or know a man that has a good one. I am about 6months behind you on my resto and know your pain so much so I am asking myself if I should have started it in the first place.
Last edited by harri183 on Thu Sep 22, 2016 6:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PAULJAC47
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#3 PostAuthor: PAULJAC47 » Thu Sep 22, 2016 6:13 pm

Ahhh the Shark infested waters that come as standard with z ownership!
PAULJAC47,,,,,"She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid."
-Han Solo

You can't polish a turd, but you can roll it in glitter

Salad is what real food eats.
Anon

PUM 673

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Pigford
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#4 PostAuthor: Pigford » Thu Sep 22, 2016 7:07 pm

Great little tale :lol:
And on the 7th day... Zeds were created!

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paul doran
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#5 PostAuthor: paul doran » Thu Sep 22, 2016 10:00 pm

I am sure most of Us can empathise with You
way too many Zeds

Is Vic There
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#6 PostAuthor: Is Vic There » Fri Sep 23, 2016 12:48 am

Good read that mate, keep at it. When you have finished and its raining outside there is always an immense feeling of satisfaction sitting in your man cave (with a beer) just looking at the bike knowing "I did that" That's what I do, obviously without the rain :D
Norton 850 Command, Harris Mag 2, Harris Mag 5, Triumph Steve McQueen, Suzuki RGV250 Barry Sheene, RG250 Walter Wolf, RD125LC, Lambretta Li150, Vespa 50N.

jphaynes669
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#7 PostAuthor: jphaynes669 » Sat Sep 24, 2016 4:51 am

All standard stuff with zed ownership mate, but hang in there, it will be worth it one day
:lol:
But you should keep the writing going, that was a brilliant little read, liked that.
Jeff.H

Chris Riv
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Amusing read

#8 PostAuthor: Chris Riv » Thu Dec 01, 2016 7:23 pm

Thats a very amusing read but sadly its too true. I have been tinkering & restoring bikes, particularly zeds since 1989 when i got hold of my first z1b. I feel like i have dealt with all the chromers, polishers, painters, engineers, welders, fabricators, machinists, retailers & general dogs bodies on the planet. They all vary immensely in the level of service & skill they deliver and the prices they charge. The trouble is, it only takes one change of person and it can all go from top notch to tits up. Ive had chroming done that makes me drool to look at followed by chroming that resembles wrinkly bacofoil from the same company, likewise with various other services. Its a very difficult situation handing over your hard earned cash when you dont really know what you will get back in return.
I sympathise with you but Im afraid youre diagnosis is spot on.
As already stated though, nothing beats the feeling of looking at your completed resto, beer in hand and thinking I did that.
I still get a buzz when I look at my own restored Z1 and I always will, it sure beats the hell out of buying one already done.
Well done for sticking with it.


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