What did you do to your twin today?

Mines been in bits for a while to deal with a few corrosion issues, I scrapped the steel front mudguard and rusty stays and have now fitted a genuine plastic one with a new fork brace and some good used stays. The fork slider had severe surface corrosion under the paint so I removed the paint and then abraded with increasingly finer wet and dry. I needed a still day to apply the top coat which I did a couple of days ago. I used Halfords etching primer and Halfords Satin Black with really good results and not a bad match All the threads needed cleaning out with a tap. Then I fitted the front wheel and brake caliper. I have an as new swinging arm waiting to go on but I am waiting on a part for my chain tool as I would rather press and rivet the chain on the bench than on the bike but I may end up doing it the hard way. Then I fitted a good secondhand rear mudguard complete with the New Bonneville tail light off my old one. I fitted new bullet style indicators and alloy Motone brackets. There wasn't mutch room for the wires with the deep mudguard but I think I got away with it. A couple of suitable washers would move the indicators away from the mudguard I guess. The fact that I'd put sleeving on the wires and shrink wrapped them to the indicator spigots didn't help. Checked the indicators and tail light all worked. Also waiting are a pair of like new silencers and equally shiny rear shocks. I bought nearly all this stuff from one guy who had been collecting it to fix up his Bonnie but has decided to build a chopper instead. I bid for his swinging arm and then bought everything else he had for sale!

Went over everything I've done so far with the Torque wrench apart from the front axle clamp because I want to bounce the front end but it is on a paddock stand at the moment. took the rear caliper off the end of the pipe because I've got an ebay one on the way but also, because I had been working on the caliper the line was in the wrong place when the swinging arm went back on. Whoops! the air would have been blue if it had been full of fluid and bled. Fitted the RH side panel, I had to recut the thread because the screw that came out was mangled and damaged the thread on the frame when it came out. One thing I have found out doing all this work is that some of the many professionals that have worked on the bike have used any old nuts, screws and washers out of the Come in Handy Box in preference to the genuine Triumph plated or stainless items that they have lost. I have replaced both the side cover screws with genuine Triumph items and the steel top hats behind them which were missing. I found that the largest stainless steel washer in my collection fits the coin slot perfectly so I will keep one under the seat on a bit of wire.

Test rode it this morning, runs very well and looks at least ten years younger! Wish I had a pic of it before all the work, it was mostly rusty. It started second turn of the starter and that is first time since June. Seat next when funds allow.

Velocette said:

Test rode it this morning, runs very well and looks at least ten years younger! Wish I had a pic of it before all the work, it was mostly rusty. It started second turn of the starter and that is first time since June. Seat next when funds allow.

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and here are some of the take offs:

Rode it in the rain last week so I had to clean it again. I usced XCP Rust Blocker Clear
on the chrome and stainless steel but found it is great for the black engine cases too. I may regret this as the dirt might stick to it!

Took mine out for a spin Sunday, about 40 miles. Went very well but a weird thing happened. I was in an unexpected traffic queue, stopping and starting for about half a mile when suddenly the back brake pedal went down about four inches! I gave it a few pumps and it was back to normal. It was only the third outing since I rebuilt the caliper and I don't often brake hard with the rear. One of the pistons hadn't got off the mark and the other one had been doing all the work. I topped up the fluid today confirming what had happened as It had gone down to low. I will physically check it next time, I have never known that happen. I also tightened up the Motone indicator brackets which had developed a squint, I used a bit more force on them this time. The slotted nature of the bracket allows movement if the set screws aren't really tight. I also added spring washers and plain ones to the genuine Jenks seat bolts that a friend kindly gave me, they won't stay tight for long without them and I should hate to lose one. Booked in for the MOT Test next week, hopefully should fly through.