G'day Well i've started the resto of the xt600 tenere with sidecar. It's going to take a little while so I wont be updating this thread every day but hopefully I will get some work done every weekend. As I progress with the resto I will show you some tips on how to restore on the cheap and some alternatives to sending stuff to the professionals. If you never done a resto before don't be put off because it can be done relatively cheaply. If you guys have any tips that I have missed please feel free to add them. A lot of the following stuff is pretty obvious I know but we all forget something sometimes especially when there is beer involved. First you need to decide whether you are going to do a "as it came out the factory" resto or "close enough is good enough" resto. I have found with my past resto's that if you intend on using the bike rather than having it as a show pony the latter resto will bring it up to about 90% of the full on resto anyway. Before you start stripping the bike try and get as many parts as you can that are missing. I have found most of my stuff on ebay. Next, these items in the photo will be your best friend later. Take as many photos as you can. Dont bother printing the photo's, just download on the computer and use it as a reference when needed. The sandwich bags will be a lifesaver especially with the amount of nuts and bolts that you will need to know where they go. With the nuts and bolts, replace them. They dont cost much and will really look good against brand new painted bits and pieces. You need to keep the old nuts and bolts so you have a reference. The writing pad is good for placing notes and drawings in the bags of where the parts go and the masking tape is good for marking wiring to show where the opposite wire plugs in. This photo is how I bought it. Motor is locked up. Not sure why yet but that will be the last thing I fix. I will get the bike to a rolling chassis stage before I work on the motor. You dont need to follow my stages of resto. Do whatever is the least expensive stages first. This photo is after I've stripped everything off down to the wheels stage. Make sure you have a space in your shed to lay all the bits together on the ground. If you dont have room get some boxes and put your parts in them but keep them all in one area. Dont spread them all over your shed because you will lose bits if you spread them eveywhere. This is how i've done it. All the bits fit onto a 6x4 blue tarp. That's it for the moment. Ive decided to go the "good enough is close enough" resto so i'm going to powder coat everthing that would normally be painted (except the tank of course) but before I send the parts off I have to get all the grease and crap off. Sandblasters and powder coaters will be really pissed off if you just give it them without being reasonably clean. I will probably send the seat off to be recovered (new cover from ebay) this week. Hopefully some more photos within a week. 3legs
This will be good Alex.Make sure you take plenty of piccies.....and give me a go on it when your finished . A2
Hi Andrew No Problems but it will mean you will have to come for a ride over to Adelaide to take it for a ride although if I get it finished in time I might take it to the 2010 OCR which means you will have to go to the OCR if you want a ride. Am I making sense? Maybe it's because I haven't had a beer today. Better go rectify that. Alex
Alez, looking good. I know what you mean about parts. I stripped my new chair and labelled EVERYTHING & boxed EVERYTHING I'm not losing one bolt off this sucker.
I am going to enjoy this. Not only an outfit, but a vintage Japanese bike too, and an all-roads outfit for three! Are we brothers? Changed my mind. I am going to hate this. Just jealousy, you understand. Where is the '10 OCR? There may be quite a large number of sidecars there next year, with lots of new ones.
Hi ray The 2010 OCR is at Milparinka, 300+ km north of Broken Hill. Yep im looking forward to having it finished by then. I should get the seat back from the trimmers tomorrow. The wheels are off to the wheel rebuilder tomorrow to get measured up for new spokes so I can cut the old spokes off and get the hubs blasted so I can paint them. More on that later. Alex
Just wanted to say thanks for the inspirational thread. Now I have urges to stick a chair on my 08 Tenere or my 85 DR600! Keep it up!
G/day 3 legs Have you seen this SA registered XT Tenere around? I saw this at the Gawler Ranges, Farina in 03.
G'day Dave, no problems. Johno, I think you have just been told Well I got the seat back today. Here's a pic. Tomorrow starts the dirty work. Cleaning all the grease and crap of the parts ready for blasting and powder coating/painting. Alex
G'day chris Cant say Ive seen that one before. Interesting sidecar suspension. Hey chris I hear you and slab might be attending the Rhynie pub run. Is this true? Alex
Your hearing is not bad for an old bastard I will definetly be there with Flooder as the chauffeur of the Tuck Truck, along with Leni on her V-Max, Ian (Postie) from NZUD, and anyone else who happens along. Spoke to Slab earlier tonight, and he hopes to get there Saturday evening, but it all hinges on work and when he can depart Bendigo. Should be an interesting run over to the Border
OLD BASTARD!!! I resemble that. Looking forward to you guys turning up. Hey I just realised im hijacking my own thread. Sorry 3legs wont happen again. I need a beer. 3legs
G'day Got some more done on the bike. All these bits are off to be powder coated tomorrow. These bits are off to be glass beaded. Im getting them glass beaded rather than sand blasted as most of the parts are aluminium and glass is much kinder to the metal than sand. I will paint them hopefully next weekend. This the before shot of the rear guard and tailight.... and this the after shot. All I did was give it good wash with degreaser and then used this...... This is brillant stuff. It's actually for tyres but I find it perfect for plastics as well. You can also use RP7 or WD40. Same finish. It looks like I have to get my rims reanodised. The rear wheel is ok but the front's pretty rough so I may as well get both done. Will get new wheel bearings during the week. New spokes have been ordered and once the rims are back and the hubs are painted, off to the the wheel builder they go. I could try to lace them myself but to be honest I couldn't be f@#ked and I really dont want to f@#k it up. Until next week........................................ 3legs
There's one of these in Nowra too, he lives about 200 metres away, I'll grab a pic and post for you. Always good to have different interpretations on things!
