1989 ATK 406 Restoration

Here are a few shots of me racing my 89, and 90 406's. Really liked those bikes!

Try- red frame, blue seat, white ATK tank graphic with blue outline, and the front fender sticker.

I personally think the red framed bike looks great!

Perhaps more unwanted advice:

You've already drilled the mount holes, but, hey, looks like you've plenty of plate left, and you can release the welds, so, you might consider this:

Make a sub-plate that you can bolt to the existing frame mount, with counter sunk head bolts, flush with the surface of the plate.

You then could bolt your peg mount plate to that. Of course, there will be limitations to where you can bolt the plate on / the final location of the actual pegs, with the bolt heads underneath.

ATK pegs have always seemed to be a bit further forward than other bikes, to me. A bit reminiscent of CCMs with the pegs bolted to the cases - though nowhere near as extreme as those. I grew up with CCMs, and they felt like highway pegs to a young bloke used to 70s model Japanese 125s.

So, the (probable) need for the peg to be moved a bit rearward to clear the sub plate mount bolts may not have them too far back? You're a Big Bloke, so going a bit more rearward with the pegs might suit your abnormally / mutantly long legs, and, perhaps you've got bloody big feet, too, so you may not have to change the length of the brake and gear lever.

On the other hand, you might be a weirdo , and want the pegs further forward, so sub-plates could enable you to go the 'highway peg' route........... Heck, as my knees lose more and more "bendiness", I might be going the 'highway peg' route, myself.

From your clever picturing of the difference in height between std and your 'in construction' set up, ATKs' welded in peg plate mounts have a bit of 'stand off' from the frame, giving you the potential to use a lock nut ( you can buy thinner than standard nuts) As Well As Thread in the sub-plate for mount bolts.

And, a bit of extra outwards mounting from 2 plates, will also give your big feet a bit more room.

These are just thoughts, and, you would have more ease in trying different peg heights with a sub-plate mount system.

Yes, the old 'rattle can' finish is The Go when you are experimenting. And just a 'dusting' will do.

I reach for "Ford Blaze Blue" for nearly every prototype / personal Bicycle frame I make.

I started with that in the 70s, when I was just looking to control rusting over a wet weekend on a new frame, with a can of that the only paint within cooee, and it's become a bit of an ongoing thing / joke over the decades.

I'm / I've stuck with it. It's just one of those things - if I turn up on a ride with a new frame with anything other than an amateurish FBB spray can job, my riders / mates think the World's about to end. The bloke I've got to do a whole lot of riding (as, I'm pretty much limited to DH shuttle runs with my leg / hand / back problems - and, right now, No real riding for a fair few months with ongoing operations) with a prototype Pinion Gearbox frame, is in for a shock when he gets to it, he's unaware of of the unspoken Bear Bikes rules..........

I really liked the ergonomics on my ATKs. They just fit me well. Here's my '89 406.

It's funny / frightening to compare 'old school' footpegs to current, not particularly wide, or long , footpegs, isn't it?

How we rode with those things, and others far, far worse, is a wonder.

How much lower / back / forward did you end up going?

Yes - Weld mounts on Now , before you make your final decision on painting.

I should take the down time with my next operation to pull apart my CRE and weld some mounts in, as it's such a pain in the butt to take my bash plate on and off with my 'ingenious' (as in, bloody ridiculous) clamping system I did when I made the plate. I was too clever by half when I did it, but didn't want to scorch the original paint. As it needs a frame paint refresh after all these years, I need to do it in one.

An inch is a massive difference. Heck, even the usual 5 to 10mm change with some aftermarket pegs, as little as it sounds, is quite noticeable. Just watch you toes / feet the first few rides when you get it all done. Mine are so low, to accommodate my non bendy knees, that I have to consciously get the balls of my feet on the pegs in G outs etc.

Brings back a lot off memories causing when I stalled it having to jump off to start it since it was backwards opposite side the rear disc brake setup by the frame took a little getting used two but if you rode a bunch off open bikes it feels like,a 250

The sanding off 30 years of old grime is the worst. well done, sir

Those old school Craftman screwdrivers are the shit. I have a few leftovers from my pops. Nice.

Looks great

So, did you weld on tabs to the frame for the front Plate mounting points, or, have some 'hooks' to use.

The back mounts, look to be in the cross member - were they already there or did you put them in?

While you've got it like that, it might be wise to do a 'wing' on the bash plate to protect the Brake Lever and the rod - they are pretty exposed to being hit - remember how the pipe was hammered into it all?

And, even a little 'wing' to protect the clutch cover would be good, while you've got the frame loose. It's not hard, unless you're in the back of woop woop, to find a TIG welder to do a few inches of bead, if you bring in the bits, pre - done to him or her..

All looking good!

I do bash plates for the AFs I do for mates, but only while I've got the frame, bare. It makes it far easier for me, not really having the equipment for large plate bending and forming.

Like you, I start with this:


I make a whole lot of pieces, and do a few meters of weld beads - hell, the AF conversion itself has far less centimeters of weld, even with my far more thorough way of doing the conversion:



And then, a lot of linishing, before the final finish :



That Plate, is a Rock Killer

That plate, I pictured, is somewhat ridiculous.

I think one of the main beauties of the 406, is there is so little hanging outside of the frame, and, elsewhere, that they are nigh on indestructible. Your plate, is appropriate for purpose, and, well done.

That one I put up, is for The Apocalypse.

You're probably getting sick of my posts:

Clever Tool making!

I like the screw adjuster / setter you've done with the Pin Spanner. .

You do / make what you have to.

I, inevitably, make my own suspension tools. I recently (tried) to organize my Suspension tools - I've been doing Suspension since the 70s - and it was stunning to see how many 'specials' I've done. So, Very, Many. Thankfully, nearly all I had the sense to label. Some, well, WTH were they for??????...... I guess I'll never know.

For anyone else being confronted by a tight threaded seal head, etc, one pretty effective way of preventing tool slippage is just compressing the shock,holding it down, with, perhaps an opened / cut large washer or plate, to hold the tool in the pin holes.

The old Steel bodies of WP shocks is something I quite like. Much, much less prone to wear : weight or lesser heat shedding be damned.

You may be able to remove the compression adjuster as a bleed point - I can't recall, it's quite a few years since I worked on old WPs.

Gas / Oil Separator Piston Positioning :

As std, on a lot of shocks the piston setting is very, very close to 'topping out', against the reservoir holder - with the shock extended. I have always thoroughly checked the oil / piston displacement on full compression on any shock I do, at first. As, I tend to go for a larger oil volume than std, if possible - and, it is mostly, eminently possible.Gas / Oil separator Pistons, especially on older shocks with relatively small diameter shafts, and / or, with relatively short travel in themselves, like your ATK fitment one, don't move a huge amount. And, you've got quite a large reservoir on it, so a few extra milliliters of oil, is easily accommodated. I'll take (just) a bit more oil, over a a bit more Nitrogen, nearly every time, if I can. It, the Oil, is what is doing the harder job.

It would be wise to fully undo the body from the body eye now, since it came loose. The sealing O'ring may be pinched / or, simply, after so many years in-situ, be compressed to a shape, that is now no longer matching up with what it was against. A new O ring is wise to fit, and, a (just) bit of loctite, to back up the lock rings, is a good thing, too.

I'm enjoying your work.