justin_o_guy2 wrote on 02/14/11 at 02:18:41:


When I got the bike, it had been sitting a few years and the crankcase had filled with gasoline. So when I drained it it didn't leave much in the way of oily residue behind.  Guess I could spritz some oil around in the crankcase.

However, it seemed so wrong hitting a screw driver with a framing hammer in order to bend back the locking tabs on the cam shaft sprocket bolts.


Well, thats because it IS wrong. But, ya gotta make do with what ya got & that works. As your tool collection grows, you'll want some chisels of different thicknesses & punches & a ball pein or 2.

I  didnt know not to hit hammer on hammer when I was 18. Was changing  Ujoint, had no punches, no vise, just wrenches, a driveway & 2 hammers.  I wound up with a piece  of hammerface in my right hand, up by my thumb main knuckle. Air Force  Doc said, we gotta leave it in there, its too deep & too close to major nerves to go get it. Over the years, it migrated down between th big knuckle & the one down by the thumbnail. I was working on a car with a hot engine & got it against the exhaust manifold. Didnt take much cutting to get it out after that burn healed up.


Anyway, Never smack a hammer with  hammer..

I started the bend on mine with a wood chisel, soon as it was out far enough ( about 1/8th") I went to a cold chisel, then went to a punch & walked it out nice & easy like, More light taps works better than a couple of Big Smacks. Its bad form, I know, but I sometimes use my body hammer, cuz its lite & I can deliver quick taps. Learning how to hold a chisel is good, too. Palm toward the chisel will cut down on those knuckle mashin misses. If you have to use a bigger hammer & swing hard, hold a punch with vise grips.


I cant speak to Mythbusters results, but I can show ya the scar. Wish I still had the hammer  with the little pieces missing around the edge of the face. Looking back,, Il bet I had to borrow a hammer. No way I owned 2 of the same kind of tool back then. No way I owned 2 1 pound ball piens.

I just registered on this forum, but I have been following your build from the beginning.  Can't wait to see what you do next.  I have been researching diffrent bikes to turn into a bobber and this I think is hands down the one to go with.  Keep up the good work and keep the pics coming!

IMHO all the critical parts look very healthy.

So, what's the right way to clean the carbon from the valves?



"Right" way or not, I used some carb cleaner and a plastic bristle brush. I'm fighting the temptation to scrape the last bit of baked on carbon from the valves.

(The little bubbles are some freshly sprayed WD40.)

Ordered a pair of these today:



YSS E-302, 320mm long. Just a basic shock with preload adjustment. I got these instead of the Progressive shocks Ryca has in their kit. I wanted to be able to specify the spring rate, and I think they look better than the Progressive units. I don't like the chrome springs and end caps. And I suspect they weigh less.

babyhog wrote on 02/15/11 at 12:13:39:


$300 for the pair, versus about $445/pr for Works Steel Trackers, $420/pr for Hagon Type A's, $645/pr for Progressive 440's and, oh. about $3,000/pr for Ohlins.