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Post by x90rider on Apr 15, 2007 17:03:05 GMT -5
Since the old forum is dead, I will repost my restoration of Hotcakes little Harley. This is the bike that we are using for this project. It's a 1973 HD X-90 Shortster that I purchased from the original owner. The best part about the bike is that it has a clean Ohio title. It takes about 250 hours to redo one of these little bikes. Tear down is 1st on the schedule. Every part is cleaned and inspected to determine if usable and the put in the correct pile. By the time everything is inspected, there are severasl piles of parts. Some get chrome plated, zinc plated, powder coated, painted, replaced, etc. All wearable parts are replaced.
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Post by x90rider on Apr 15, 2007 17:10:42 GMT -5
As parts start returning from outside processing they are inspected and seperated for assembly sequence. Since this is going to be a total restoration, a NOS 0 miles speedometer is used. The top of the triple tree was bead blasted, rewelded, and powder coated with satin black wrinkle powder.
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Post by x90rider on Apr 15, 2007 17:23:20 GMT -5
A lot of polishing takes place during the project. The fenders are stainless steel and get polished. All pieces that are going to zinc or chrome polishing get buffed and polished smooth. Powder coated and painted parts get welded, straightened, sanded, and bead blasted prior to getting shipped out. As the parts start coming back, assembly is under way. The factory crash bars help hold the frame up for assembly. The seat pan had to get rewelded, cleaned up, and powder coated. A new reproduction seat cover was purchased for the bike.
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Post by x90rider on Apr 15, 2007 17:34:12 GMT -5
Assembly progresses, the problem is that all of the metric fasteners have to get replated or replaced. Replacing them is a lot of work finding new ones. They used a lot of extra fine thread fasteners or special stepped bolts. I end up making a lot of new bolts, nuts, and special sized washers out of stainless steel and the polishing them. The alternative is to used carbon steel and get the fasteners plated - NOT. ;D
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Post by x90rider on Apr 15, 2007 17:45:02 GMT -5
I actually had 2 X-90s when I started this project. I am getting one bike finished with the perfect parts. The other parts will get used to build a mini Bobber. All black powder coating, minimal chrome, short rear fender(I need to cut the bent section off), no front fender(do not have one), and a 125cc engine instead of a 90. The wheels are bent and I straightened them but they are not good enough for plating. Black or red powder will work on the wheels. We normally use Pirelli 3.0 x 10 tires for the bikes but I found some 3.50 x 10 Continentals for the Bobber. The best part is they are BIG whitewalls. Think I should use them?
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Post by xsyamahadg on Apr 15, 2007 18:09:32 GMT -5
X-90, yeh, use the fat whitewalls. What would an old bobber be without the whitewalls? BTW, nice work !!
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Post by x90rider on Apr 23, 2007 8:09:57 GMT -5
I am really excited about finishing the bike. All of the parts are back from zinc plating and I just received a shipment of parts from Jim's Harley. Gotta get moving - we are leaving in 40 days and this bike has to go.
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Post by xsyamahadg on Apr 24, 2007 5:54:56 GMT -5
X-90, can't wait to see the finished bike. BTW, which tire did you decide to use on the mini bobber ??
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Post by x90rider on Apr 24, 2007 6:10:11 GMT -5
I am using the standard tires on Hotcakes X-90 and the fat whitewalls on the bobber. This is what I had in mind, but in a miniature.
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Post by xsyamahadg on Apr 24, 2007 6:58:17 GMT -5
Can't wait to see that one too. I like the modest use of red on that bike. Strange enough to see the fork brace on the bobber. Looks like you will be fabricating some parts on the little bobber, do you want to borrow my hand held dremel ? Just kidding....you got more tools at your finger tips than the Harley factory has. ;D
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Post by x90rider on Apr 24, 2007 10:48:09 GMT -5
I do not know if I will use red or black on the rims. The red would look cool but the wheels on the X-90 are sheet metal stampings not spokes.
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Post by x90rider on May 1, 2007 20:50:06 GMT -5
I received a phone call today after lunch that I was needed in Canton for a few days. I am sitting at the hotel, so I figured it is time to add some more photos and info. The wheel hubs needed a lot of cleaning and polishing. The brake backers are polished to a nice shine. The drum hubs are blasted with glass beads and then clear coated. Most people blast the stamped rims and powder coat them silver because they can not figure out what type of plating is on them. It is no secret, they are zinc plated. The same plating that is on nuts and bolts. Canton Plating does excellent zinc plating. The lower fork tubes are powder coated to match the original paint color.
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Post by x90rider on May 1, 2007 20:54:11 GMT -5
I always feel better when I have a rolling frame. The bike is starting to get heavy.
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Post by xsyamahadg on May 1, 2007 21:21:21 GMT -5
The bike is looking most excellent so far, they did do a good job on the wheels didn't they.
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Post by x90rider on May 1, 2007 21:24:26 GMT -5
Canton Plating always does excellent work.
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