Posts
742
Joined
1/28/2013
Location
AU
Fantasy
2544th
Hey guys,
I'm just getting started on an xr75 project. I'm building it up for a Christmas present for my wife. It's an old bike that's been sitting underneath my Dad's back verandah for around 15 years. The plan here isn't to restore it but to mod it up a little for fun. I have a full machine shop and a tig etc so any work can really be undertaken. At the moment I'm planning on early CR80 forks, the turtle suspension mod and a pipe, as well as giving the motor a complete rebuild. Is there anything that really need addressing on these bikes? As far as I'm aware they're pretty bulletproof.
I'll get some pictures up later.
Cheers.
I'm just getting started on an xr75 project. I'm building it up for a Christmas present for my wife. It's an old bike that's been sitting underneath my Dad's back verandah for around 15 years. The plan here isn't to restore it but to mod it up a little for fun. I have a full machine shop and a tig etc so any work can really be undertaken. At the moment I'm planning on early CR80 forks, the turtle suspension mod and a pipe, as well as giving the motor a complete rebuild. Is there anything that really need addressing on these bikes? As far as I'm aware they're pretty bulletproof.
I'll get some pictures up later.
Cheers.
The 77-78 bikes have the cam run in journals ground into the aluminum head. If the bike was run low on oil the journals wipe out pretty quickly and ruin the head. Early models have the cam run in a steel housing and don't normally have any issues.
Check the cam chain tensioner as those wear over time. Many bikes were run with loose cam chains because they weren't being manually adjusted for wear. I always replace the chain and top gear when I rebuild them.
Web makes a performance cam for them if you are going big bore and perf pipe.
Today I decided to clean through some grime in preparation for stripping the motor tomorrow. I degreased the motor, removed the old paint with paint stripper and then got to work with some ilmenite and a blasting cabinet. Here's where everything stands at the moment.
The frame is straightish and not really rust damaged. I'll clean it up, weld in the new suspension mounts, new bearing all round and it should be good to go.
The pictures are horrible because I only had my work phone on me and it's some god awful alcatel thing. I'll grab my iphone next time I head out to the shed.
The Shop
A bit of work with the blasting cabinet got me to here. I rubbed on some phosphoric acid instead of priming it so it'll be easier to prep for the frame mods to come. The good news is that there are no cracks in the frame or swingarm. There are a couple of butchered brackets that cutting off and remaking but it shouldn't be a big deal. I'll bore out the swingarm pivot and press in a bush to get rid of the bit of play that was in it.
New suspension mounts bronze welded into place:
Straightening the frame:
Some fuel tank repairs. Before and after:
New sidecovers:
By the way sweet resto your got going there looks so good
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