Thanks Phillipe.
There's a number of wires that have gone hard and a lot of the multi connectors are corroded, so the loom & electrics will need closer inspection.
I've put the electrics to one side for now, as the rolling chassis is back from Maidstone Motoliner
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
As expected, it needed straightening with the frame, yoke and swingarm all out of line
They also found the top frame tube to be "dished" and straigthened that out too
So, I'm happy all is now as it should be and I can move on the the next phase.
As I mentioned at the start of this thread, this is not going to be a concours rebuild to factory specification. I have a few ideas on some changes I'd like to make to the bike and one of those is the running gear. I don't want to fit USD forks & huge wheels/tyres, but to try and do a few upgrades I may have done to the bike had I continued to ride it and not left it languishing in a shed !
The starting point is this beauty that i picked up off ebay some years ago (you need to look through the dirt & grime)................
I have no idea who the manufacturer is as there's no name on it. There were a number of companies around that time (Metmachex/JMC/Davida Moto) ? First one they made (550 - 1)?
It was in a job lot of GPZ 550 parts listed for the later "A" series 550, but the swingarm pivots are different between the "H" & "A" series 550, so it got no bids (apart from mine). I also scored a period Micron fork brace in the lot, so a good deal all round
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Standard & aftermarket swingarm
Being a bit impatient, I took out the old swingarm and slotted in the aftermarket one, to see how it looked and if there were any potential problems and of course, there are
Firstly, I'll need to remove the centre stand as it fouls the swingarm. No big issue there, I was probably going to do away with it anyway. The bigger issue is that the swing arm is just fouling on the inside edge of the mounting plate for the front footrests.
It looks like if I grind away the inside lip of the mounting plate, then I will get enough clearance for the arm. It makes me wonder if this aftermarket arm was fabricated on a bike or just from some measurements and never trial fitted !?!
My whole thought process on this build it that whatever modifications I do to the bike, I did not want to do anything that is not reversible, so I could return it to standard parts if I wanted. So, I'm going to step away and think about it for a bit and take more measurements before taking an angle grinder to the frame...................................
"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" - Steve McQueen