Almost all done with Orange R100

[steve hawkins]

Some little while ago I made a shortlist of things I needed to do to get the R100 up to scratch, before I was unceremoniously bumped off it last October.

The insurance money was very useful as it has allowed me to cover most things, as well as fix up the obvious damage - new exhaust silencers, new rear fender, set cowl, lights and welding up the right footrest hanger, etc.

Here is the list I made "for the next 6 months - one job at a time without taking the bike off the road for any length of time" - yeh right!:

1.  Repaint mirrors - done
2.  Remove wiring extensions from handlebar switch gear - done
3.  Clean up and paint headlight/ears - satin black - done
4.  Buy and fit small rear carrier/grab rail - done
5.  Touch in frame where required - done
6.  Buy new switch blanks for crash pad - done
7.  Clean up and paint rear subframe minor surface rust - done
8.  Remove and repaint Koni springs- springs were actually replaced - done.
9.  Repaint seat base and put in a little bit more foam - done
10.  Replace fork stantions - inc new fork seals - done.
11.  Tune up - in progress although there is nothing much amiss.
12.  Blow over both alloy wheels with black satin paint. Front/back - done
13.  Sort out sticking/stiff throttle - cables/new throttle handle -done
14.  Tyres - a pair of touring deep tread conti's....done
15.  Rebuild front brakes - done
16.  Paint the tank, front mudguard, sid panels and new seat surround - done cheaply in Orange as you all know!
17.  Change swing arm bearings.
18.  Treat myself to a new flip front Caberg helmet with built in dark visor (£100) to go with my Davida Jet.

I have ridden the bike and all the post rebuild teething troubles have been ironed out - leaking drive boot, r/h exhaust touching rear brake pedal and a new set of stantions (ouch!).  So we are good to go!  And she sounds glorious!

With 83,000 miles on her, it might seem a good idea for a top end overhaul.  But I will monitor the valves settings for the time being as I curently have not got the money to do anything about it anyway!

So the insurance money is all spent and the bike rides much better now, than it did before, with new tyres, bearings, springs, non-leaking forks, etc.  Just goes to show that every cloud has a silver lining.  But the handling still cannot be compared to the R65 Cafe Racer.  The extra urge is nice though.

However in the future I am still going to look at using different fork yokes - standard top yoke is a joke.  I have a spare set of fork yokes and spindle from an R65, but as they are wider and have a different offset that the R100 yokes I will be changing the geometry - i.e. reducing the trail, which will quicken the steering... Something for the future though.

Now I must look to my R65.  The push rod seals are leaking.  I have to replace the rear hub (which I have) which means rebuild the rear spoked wheel (I have never laced a wheel) and I need to replace the front disc.  This will have to be done slow time, and I need to have a rest first.  

A few months 'holiday' hooning around on the R100 will be good for me and will appease the wife (Elaine - bless her) as I will have stopped spending money and will be out of the garage!  She also had her eyes on the insurance money for some household items - But that was never the deal.

The kids all want a go as well, but we'll have to wait till the summer for that.  Elaine's memory of our little accident is far too fresh!

Cheers all.

Steve H

[aussie]

Well Steve - things seem to be going very well. It is indeed a credit to your perseverence that you have managed all this.

Take a bow.
Cheers

[drewboid]

There is a fork brace made for the airheads that should help stabilize the front end. I scored one off ebay for less than $100 but haven't gotten to ride it because the temps are still below freezing.  Perhaps someone else can chime in with their experiences.

[steve hawkins]

Drewboid,

Yes I am beginning to feel that it is more trouble than it is worth.  Every time I thing I have solved an issue another one rears its ugly head.  My current issue, having theoretically solved the wheel/brake alignment issues, is with the headlight and ignition.  If the fork legs are further apart on the R65 yokes, then the headlight ears will be further apart on the R100 that they currently are.  No great shakes until you realise that the ignition barrel comes out of the head light where it mounts on the left hand ear and the headlight contains all the wiring for the R100.

As the the great philosopher Homer said........

Doh!

Cheers

Steve H

[drewboid]

Steve,
One other difference in the front ends R65 vs. other airheads - the carrier for the brake disk is taller on the R65.  I guess I don't push my R75 very hard but I had not noticed looseness in hte front end. I suppose others have because the fork brace is available. Easy to put on also - just had to fiddle with the rubber boots.

One thing to be aware of with the modular (flip up) helmets - they are noisier than full face. I bought a HJC flip up and returned it after 4 miles - I could not stand the wind noise. The cheaper Shoei is noted to be very quiet. My fiance noticed the difference when she changed from a flip to the Shoei. YMMV  Just my 2 cents.

[steve hawkins]

Yeah, I had a couple of spare carriers from my R65 to bolts my cast iron rotors to.  I will look out for a forkbrace and top yoke.  Its just one of those things, trying to change one thing, leads onto another and then another and then another, etc

As far as helmets are concerned, I always wear ear defenders - the squishy ones you push into your "ear-ole".  Barely hear my valves.....but I do hear my exhaust and seem to hear emergency vehicles a long time before the cage drivers do!

I have also had issues with flip-up helmets in the past, mainly with they way the press onto my check bones, forhead and not having enough room for my jaw....sounds like I am mal-formed!

However, this helmet seems to fit nicely, its light, fairly quiet and has a retractable dark visor inside the normal face shield, which is nice this time of year with the low sun.  Its a cheapo polycarbonate helmet rather than a fibre-glass item, but I normally change my lids after a few years anyway and was good value at the price.

http://www.sounddistribution.co.uk/products.asp?recnumber=3527

Cheers