Here I go again '81 750Ltd H2 Roller...kinda Thinking I might go "Industrial"

Well Hell gentlemen, thanks for offering. Let's make with the pics, and see what we can see! Or you can just email me through my profile.

Just got back from Canadian tire. Picked up some Duplicolor clearcoat and a heat gun, among other stuff. I've got some black rollbar paint kicking around somewhere. Gonna strip the tank down, hit it with a brass wheel, tape it off and do some quick and dirty racing stripes on the brushed metal, then clear the whole shebang, fill it with vinegar and forget about it while I work on other stuff. It'll still be light years better than that tragic brush-on paint they used on half the entire bike, and it'll be cheap and easy enough to remove when I want to get serious about things.

I just don't understand why they brush painted almost everything on the left side of the bike. It bothers me. I'm a little ocd, crosswords torture me for days if I can't finish them kinda ocd, and it's driving me freakin' NUTS that this crap is put on there so weird, and I just don't understand why. It has has has to go before I wind up just sitting there staring at it into the wee hours muttering to myself.
 
So... yeah... the fuel tank. Looks like it might have rusted through behind the badge mounts and then had some kind of repair. The badge bolts all snapped off, (as per usual) so if I want to mount badges again, I'll have to re-tap the holes.
Not sure how much work I want to put into this tank. Lotta dents. Think I might just throw some vinegar in there, and see if there are any leaks. Go from there. If it holds liquid, grind that bacon smooth, and carry on with the original plan.





 
Tank holds vinegar, (barring the leaky petcock, pretty sure I've got a couple of spares, or I'll just buy a rebuild kit or new one) so I'll let it sit and stew for a bit. Then I'll hit it with the angle grinder to smooth out the bubbly stuff. Thinking if I'm going to re-tap the badge mount bolt holes I might make up some kind of metal plates of my own. Should be fun.

Had some great results using vinegar as an etching acid too. Lots to ponder.
 
Im told its great as a brightner on carbs when mixed with water. i plan to find out soon! That tank is nasty.
 
Thanks Hoosier. Do you think it would work for copper and brass?

Anyone got any experience with this?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281285623236?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Seems like a nice little unit for the price, wondering if you could use metal dowling inserts to do curved bends, or if that would just be a great way to pooch the machine and earn my next set of stitches. Looking forward to getting my paws on that fabrication manual, so many ideas, so little practical knowledge. :eek:
 
Killman77 said:
Thanks Hoosier. Do you think it would work for copper and brass?
When you go to that page, over on the left is a list orf their Products and it shows copper plating and Brass plating kits as well. (nickle, gold and silver too).
*Note* I have never used, just had it saved in my "favorites" from other members postings.
 
Not quite what I had in mind, but still very cool ;D

http://www.pipeburn.com/home/2014/04/14/1981-kawasaki-750-ltd.html#.U0vtYPldX-o
 
Got my "new" Vance & Hines exhaust in today, not crazy about it being a one piece welded unit. No wonder the shipping was balls-out crazy. The airbox the seller kindly threw in for free has a busted cap, but between it and the one that came in the basket-o-parts, I can cobble together one good set.


 
I spent a large portion of my day with a pail of Pepsi and some aluminum foil. Cleaned a ton of thick crusted rust and God knows what else off of the exhaust. Got the collector box and the mufflers scrubbed down, there's actually some really pretty blueing under there. The inner parts of the headers are too close together for my stubby fingers, so I've got them sitting in a rough tote of vinegar, I'll take another stab at them after work tomorrow night...

And now, the tank!

I got that hideous chud paint off of it finally, whatever they used, that shit was tough

After I gave up on the exhaust for the day, I started sanding the tank, 220, 320, 400, 600, 800,1000,1500,2000 and then my new least favorite substance Autosol. It actually seemed to knock the shine back a couple of stages :mad:

I noticed the texture coming out after the 220, but decided to let it ride. It started growing on me. Especially with the dents, and the bacon taking on an almost pewter-ish look.

Managed to get the main dent reduced by about half with the bathroom plunger. Kinda pissed, but without a dolly, or a slide hammer and/or a welder, there's only so much I could do. Heat gun and ice/compressed air propellant were totally useless.


So, from about 15 feet, it looks pretty decent. Kinda rough and ready, got some character. I'm pretty stoked to see how it looks with some decals and a nice off-size set of stripes up top, and a clear coat. Regardless, it's light years better than what I was dealing with before.
 
Almost forgot the new & revised shopping list:

Reupholster or replace the seat
Tires

Chain & sprockets (Seeing as how the theoretical current top speed is more than I'm going to need, I'm toying with upping the acceleration, worried about standing in an intersection watching the bike ride off without me though...)
Overflow and re-breather lines
 
So the pipes are coming along, crazy rusty they were. That pool they're soaking in used to be white vinegar :eek:





Still got a ways to go, though. I'll hit 'em again after work tomorrow, turn 'em, rinse, repeat ad nauseam.



 
if the tank seals, fill it with water and put it in the freezer. that might pop the other dents out. unless it's too rusty, in which case it'll just tear it apart.
 
Yeah, it's that whole tearing apart thing that has me worried. I wasn't too comfortable hitting it with the angle grinder as long as I did, those welds around the badge mounts aren't the most pro thing I've ever seen.
 
Killman77 said:
So the pipes are coming along, crazy rusty they were. That pool they're soaking in used to be white vinegar :eek:





Still got a ways to go, though. I'll hit 'em again after work tomorrow, turn 'em, rinse, repeat ad nauseam.





ive had good results using an electrolysis tank. easy to do with a small battery charger. you already have the tub
 
Fun with Science, you say? I don't suppose you put it in a thread somewhere I could check out? Sounds really cool. Also sounds like something that could give birth to a baby Godzilla if I pooched it...
 
Looking for opinions here, (not assholes) it's just about time to order in a replacement chain and sprockets, and I'm wondering what to get. Been playing around on Gear Commander and fantasizing about laying huge flaming tire marks everywhere I go.
In real life, I have no need to go over 220 kph. Hell, in real life I have no need to launch off the line at a stop light either. Still, it's nice to know you have the option.

So I'm wondering who's got some saddle time in one of these and what gearing changes you made and how you liked them. I've got no problem staying with the stock sizing, just seems that if I'm going to swap some stuff out, I may as well tweak it a little for a more enjoyable ride.

I'll be doing a fair amount of "city" driving, smaller town, not so many soul crushing stops and starts as long as I avoid the Colwood Crawl. Some nice long twisty and open roads. Be doing quite a bit of highway riding this Summer as well, hoping for a Cross Canada ride if the gf can get the time off. I'm thinking perhaps I should have more than one configuration ready to go depending on what I'll be doing.

So, stock? 16T up front? 38T in the rear, 41T? What's been your preference and experience, and why?
 
I was recently in the same position as you and inquired with the guys over at z1enterprises. Great site and excellent customer service, highly recommended. Anyway here was a response to almost the same exact question, I went with the closest to stock.

Hi,
Sorry for the delayed response. It looks like you have it figured out
pretty well. The 15-38 combo will require a 102 link chain. It will also
provide a 2.53:1 final drive ratio from the stock 2.46 which will increase
your cruise rpm by about 150 RPM in trade for a bit stronger acceleration.

If want a ratio closer to stock, and there is clearance for a 16T front
sprocket, a 16-40 combo will provide a 2.50 ratio with only an 80 RPM
increase. This combo will also work with the 102 Link chain.

The chain will come with a rivet or stake style link, if you want a clip
type link you need to order it separately.
http://www.z1enterprises.com/ItemDetails.aspx?itemDescription=530+Chain+RK+s
plit+link+%27X%27+Ring&item=LA530XSOZ1-CL

Hope this helps
Feel free to contact me if I can be of further assistance.
Have a great day.
Thanks,


Mike Ames
Z1 Enterprises, Inc.
3720 Union Street
Marion NY 14505-9652

Phone: (315) 926-5054 x124
Fax: (315) 926-5841
www.z1enterprises.com






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