First mod complete

While doing domestics today (cleaning up the yard in preparation for my year away) I passed the local bearing shop. A quick visit resulted in two of these being purchased.

Whilst there is a range of debates about what variation of the bearing should be fitted (shielded, shielded one side or open) I feel an open race is best. No real reason but when looking at the caged bearing race - it clearly isn't going to allow free flowing oil to pass completely from the cam side to the timing chain side. There is a gallery that allows this anyway, so I will go with my gut feeling on this. The only time I have specifically sought shielded bearings was when building my CNC machine and that was to keep everything out of the race. Here's the standard versus the roller bearing.

The original alloy bearing is thicker with a machined recess for the retaining clip. The roller bearing is the same width as the recessed area.

Finally a few shots of the assembly - noting that this is not the reconditioned head - I am just playing!

Tools, parts and advice

I don't intend to make a heap of posts about all the background activity. Needless to say I took advantage of the post-Christmas sales to get a few tool bits. A valve spring compressor, torque wrench and a few ancillary items made their way into the tool chest.

I have also found the Virgao Tech forum a great source of advice. It is tightly moderated (certainly compared to other forums I have been on) and has heaps of practical information. The two most helpful posts at this stage have been the cam seizure and spoke wheel conversion info.

My "orginal" motor I think is seized but won't know the extent of the damage or wear until I tear it down. I intend to do this in parallel with my "good" motor, comparing all dimensions with the factory wear limits. Hoping this will make it clear what is junk and what is OK. Having already been through one of the heads I was surprised at the design of the cam bearing - a solid chunk of non rotating alloy. Obviously works but now I know a roller bearing fits off the shelf I reckon its a common sense mod.

The advice from a fellow Aussie of the spoked wheel conversion means I can push on with parts finding. Unfortunately it is only UK and US markets, but there is ample supply.

The begining

So an uneventful 8 hour round trip to the coast and back yielded this little haul.

It's as rough in spots as you would expect but all there. The frame and forks are in good condition, the silver engine I am guessing is the original, and is missing quite a bit of ancillaries (carbs, mounts, clutch and alternator covers and exhaust) and has been stored unprepared so its pretty rough. The other engine appears to be from a Midnight Special (hence the black paint) and is better. Firstly its not seized but has had some use! I am missing the clutch cover, but the seller is going to look for it after the move.

Been through and cataloged all the parts today. The carbs are trash - one butterfly is seized and there is corrosion in the other float chamber. The plan is to replace the carbs with Mikuni VM34s. The starter motor (it is the early version - a know weakness on this engine) is banana shaped! I laughed my arse off - it sits at the front of the engine and must have had a hell of thump but there s no damage to the case mounts on the engine. I have set myself an upper budget on the engine is so plan A is a replacement original starter, plan B is the later model upgrade. This will depend

There is a little evidence of water in the oil and one of the timing belt guides is broken. The cam and top end bearings look OK. The front cylinder needs honing at least, so new rings required. I'll replace all the gaskets, and case bearings might be a good idea. For the bottom end, I want to pull it down first and inspect.

So the plan is to rebuild the engine; and there the story will wait for a bit. I am about to relocate to Darwin and this will be my project while I'm there. The month break will give me time to chase some essential parts for the engine, sort out a few specialist tools (clutch spanner, v brackets to check runout, etc).

Back in a month!

The inspiration

In my opinion there are not many bikes that look less convincing than the original Yamaha Virago in its cruiser form. A combination of those forks, kitsch chrome and sissy bars just doesn't do it for me.

But I have always been a fan of café racers and the slim, stripped down look. A guy in the states, Greg Hageman of Hageman MC, built this one as part of a Discovery Channel program, Café Racer.

Awesome transformation and sounds fantastic with straight through pipes!

So the seed was set. Only problem, the base bike was only built 1981-82 with the single rear shock. After that they went to a twin shock design on the rear. Despite looking far and wide, crappy models go fast. In the last week three bikes have gone for over $1000, two of them non-running.

Fortunately, I jagged one. Happened to look in Gumtree just as one was posted; in Queensland and only for $250. The catch, had to be picked up immediately and was already stripped. The seller was moving due to family illness and a bike in bits was something he didn't need to deal with.  For $250 I reckon it was worth the risk - if not for the frame and swing arm, then the two motors!

About me

I drive this to work

But I used to drive this

I drive this at work

But I used to drive this

and this

I will drive this at the weekend

Hopefully it will look more like this

I want to drive this around the world (when done at work)

That pretty much covers it.