Another Z650...

[Bevelhead]

Yes I usually lower the frame over the engine, as you say much easier on your back. In this case, I need to get the bike to a roller, so its easier to move around in my garage. Not sure what engine its having, either the rebuilt original or a Gpz750R motor, also no doubt in need of a rebuild. Either way its going to months until an engine goes back in the frame. At that point, I may just strip the bike down to a frame again and lower it over the engine. Wont take long, if I decide to do that.

[Bevelhead]

After a few delays, finally got new tyres on the wheels so at last the bike is a roller again. It was surprising hard work on your own, those old wheels are very heavy.

I found a weird problem with the bike that I've never seen before.. the RHS upper shock mount is 16mm in diameter, while the LHS is 14mm... I'll make a suitable spacer to make up the difference, but it is very odd.

I know the bike had been crashed at some point in the past, so maybe one top mount was damaged and another was used as a replacement.. the frame had been crudely painted before I got it, so couldn't tell if that area had been welded.

For the side panel, have ordered some PVC cement, which also works with ABS, along with some 15mm diam ABS rod.. to make a new tang from, which can hopefully be glued in place.

Cant fit the side stand as the bolt it uses is non standard, so have to make one, in the meantime its going to have to lean against the wall in the garage.


Not sure what engine the bike is going to have, probably either the original 650 motor, but rebuilt, or perhaps a GPz750 engine, which also needs rebuilding.. or maybe just fit 750 pistons to the Z650 engine. Be a while before any of that happens, so this Z650 will have to stay leaning on the garage wall for some time yet. But that's ok, got other bikes to work on this summer.

[Bevelhead]

Cant do much more on the green Z650 for now, apart from a couple of small jobs, such as fixing the broken side panel, and making a new side stand bolt. Its been rolled into the corner of the garage, where it'll stay until its engine has been rebuilt.

So now I can turn my attention to my other Z650 for the first time in 2 months. I rolled it outside today to make a start.. leaving a trail of oil.. as the engine isn't oil tight without its outrigger in place.. still a lot to do.

[Bevelhead]

One of the side panels had a broken mount, very common it seems as all the ones on Ebay I found had the exact same problem. So, bought a rod of 15mm ABS then shaped one end to match the other mounts. Next had to cut the rod down to the correct length, and shape the other end, to follow the curve of the inside of the side panel.

Finally glued it into place using Plumbers PVC cement, supposed to work well with ABS. Waited 24 hours, and seems to be a good repair.

[Bevelhead]

The engine rebuild will start soon, but in the meantime, there are still some small jobs to do. First the side stand bolt was worn, so I bought a new one, only to find it didn't fit the frame. On closer inspection, it seems the mount had been tapped out at sometime in the past. I bought a small length of stainless hex bar and a M12 x 1.25 die and we made a new bolt. It;s made longer than original so I can use a nyloc nut behind the frame mount





I had a similar problem with the engine mounts, they were rusty and battered, while one was just a threaded bar.. they had to go. Using a length of 10mm stainless bar, I cut and threaded a new set of bolts. I need to have each to have a hex nut welded to one end, then skimmed on a lathe before they are completed. No pics yet.

[Bevelhead]

I needed a new tacho/speedo unit, as can't use the original anymore, because the speedo drive can't be used, now I've fitted R6 discs.

Bought a combined speedo/tacho/idiot lights gauge made by Daytona, a Velona model, which I needed to make a simple bracket to mount to the existing bosses on the top yoke. Took a morning of cutting and filing, and with the final coat of satin black paint cured, it can go on the bike.

[Bevelhead]

Started to dismantle the engine with some help today, which has been sitting unloved in a corner for nearly two years. The cases have been damaged from a crash, where the points cover was ripped off. It can be welded, machined and retapped I think.

A cam needs to be replaced, but the pistons and bores look good. Camchain was very worn and will be replaced along with the hyvo chain. Couple of broken exhaust studs and a broken fin found so far...

[Gus]

Meanwhile, bought a rear light from an early ZX6R to replace the cheap after market one fitted when I got the bike, got to make a new mount for it next..

Can't remember how I did it now but it was a single bolt with an adaptor piece made for the top middle mount of the light and then used the lower two to make the number plate bracket

[Bevelhead]

A horrible job to do, on a cold winters' morning.. cleaning up the cases before I take them to be welded, to repair their crash damage..

[Bevelhead]

Damage has been welded and now the cases need to be machined flat, and the holes drilled and tapped.  Not sure yet whether to keep the engine black, and have it all vapour blasted to alloy..

 

[j.b]

Good progress
I’ve got a full spare gpz750 r1 engine here if you’re needing a camshaft or any other internals just let me know…..hopefully I’ll have some time to catch up with Les soon.

[Bevelhead]

Good progress
I’ve got a full spare gpz750 r1 engine here if you’re needing a camshaft or any other internals just let me know…..hopefully I’ll have some time to catch up with Les soon.

That's very generous JB, got a complete 650 head including cams etc for 40 quid, so fingers crossed should be ok for cams etc.

[Bevelhead]

The wiring on the bike was in a bit of a state, and to be fair I didn't spend a lot of time removing it, just cut it off the bike. So I knew I was going to have to start again and make my own harness. I have used the German company Moto Gadget's M-unit on several bikes, but at £350 for the M-unit and £200 for their handlebar switches, I decided to look elsewhere. Ditto for Dyna coils. I found a cheaper, simpler version of the M-unit called the D box built by the German company Axel Joost, so bought one and will use it at the heart of the wiring harness.

For the coils, I was told that the coils from a Hodna Blackbird were very high spec, similar to the Dyna coils, but second hand they were a tenth of the price. I bought a pair, and had to make a pair of simple brackets to mount them to the standard mounts on the frame. Only problem was that the tank wouldn't fit, so mounted them under the bracket rather than above, which shouldn't be an issue.

Had a part of the seat latch from another Zed, but not the bracket that mounts the latch to the underside of the seat, so made one from alloy plate.







Standard coils..


Blackbird coils..

[Bevelhead]

With many changed components.. gauges, rear lamp, rectifier/regulator, switchgear and coils from a Hodna Blackbird.. similar spec to Dyna coils. I had to make my own wiring harness. With the D-Box wired up, next needed to mount the new rectifier/regulator, in place of the original, which was two separate parts.

I made an alloy plate to mount the rectifier and a 10amp circuit breaker then used the one existing thread mount on the side of the battery box, along with drilling another to mount this plate. The circuit breaker is being used as a insulated distribution point to send 12v power to various components around the bike. Such as the gauges, speedo sensor and coils which are not powered directly from the D-Box.




Testing, testing, testing, using a small 12v battery


Things were going ok. until I hit a problem. The D-Box needs to be told a series of yes/no questions to program it. It is put into this programming mode, by turning on the ignition switch with the brake applied and the left indicator turned on. List of questions below.

However when I did this, everything was dead, no power to anything. If the the bike is turned on with just the brake or left indicator turned on, all is well, but with both then nothing. Very frustrating, as I need to tell the D-box that I'm using switches not momentary contact buttons etc. I haven't found anything online about this problem, so will have to write to the manufacturer in Germany if I cant find a solution soon.

[chrisNI]

Very frustrating, as I need to tell the D-box that I'm using switches not momentary contact buttons etc. I haven't found anything online about this problem, so will have to write to the manufacturer in Germany if I cant find a solution soon.

Gotta love electrics Good progress otherwise though.