Tips for tearing a bike down

jwarriner

jwarriner

Been Around the Block
It's a 1973 CB500.

I need some tips for tearing a bike down to the frame, cleaning / painting everything and putting it back together. In my head it seems like a big job and I've never done it before.

Off the top of my head I can think to:

Take pictures of everything
Label everything
Take my time but don't drag it out so long I forget what everything is

Any must have special tools? Any gotchas? Any portions of reassembly not as simple as bolting back together?
 
If you are modifying anything, new tank, adding rearsets, etc. you may want to do it before you take it apart so you can make sure everything fits right when it is all assembled. You really shouldn't tear it all down until it is ready to paint.

I didn't do this. :(
 
You pretty much summed it up yourself. That's a good idea Flug. There were a few things that I wish I had fitted before the strip down. I also took video of some of the things I might forget the order of assembly/dissembly on. Good luck!
 
Are you planning on doing any engine work, because if you are you must get a set of feeler gauges and snap ring/circlip pliers both external and internal. Both can be easily purchased at your local auto parts store. A vernier caliper is also good to check the wear on internal engine parts and also all the different moving parts in a motorcycle that can wear out over time.
 
Good time to replace fluids, filters, gaskets, seals, light bulbs, cables, maybe new tires, brake pads/rotors, coils...and things I am surely forgetting

Order all that stuff online at the best prices you can find and then you will have it BEFORE you tear down the bike.

Make sure its running well before you tear. When we reassembled mine, and it just sat there all pretty after 4 days of tuning and still didnt run properly, it was a crying shame
 
Couple of tips I've picked up over the years.

1. dont be drunk
2. dont have any other teardowns in progress
3. dont let your girlfriend/friends help. shit will end up everywhere
4. dont throw away anything
5. dont be drunk
 
Useful Idiot said:
Couple of tips I've picked up over the years.

1. dont be drunk
Click to expand...

:eek: :-\ ??? shit

Will it be OK if I'm drunk when I put it back together?

j/k
 
From what I learned over the years, if you are drunk when taking it apart, you have to be drunk to put it back together. Just like if you always went to class drunk or hungover in University, you had to take the exam that way so your brain was working the same :) It is true. I just recently went on course for work and they got us drunk every night, so I had to get drunk the night before the exam or I would not have passed :) Just don't go for a test ride after assembling the thing drunk :) look it over in the morning.

Cheers,
 
Maritime Biker said:
From what I learned over the years, if you are drunk when taking it apart, you have to be drunk to put it back together. Just like if you always went to class drunk or hungover in University, you had to take the exam that way so your brain was working the same :) It is true. I just recently went on course for work and they got us drunk every night, so I had to get drunk the night before the exam or I would not have passed :) Just don't go for a test ride after assembling the thing drunk :) look it over in the morning.

Cheers,
Click to expand...

This is an actual psychological phenomenon called "situational remembering", although I'm still sure if both phases were done sober the results would be a lot more desirable, though much less fun. :D
 
if you plan on cutting off any "extra bits" from the frame make sure you make these decisions while the bike is all together. And it wouldnt hurt to even use a paint marker or something like that to mark areas you plan to cut. I just got finished reading through a guys build who made some decent progress only to absentmindedly lob off his shock mounting points thinking they were the turn signal mounts.

and ya, label everything and dont throw anything away. Oh and use masking tape on your ziplock bags then write on that. Sharpie on zip lock smears easily and will completely be erased when oil is added to the equation.


p.s. good luck!
 
CresentSon said:
This is an actual psychological phenomenon called "situational remembering", although I'm still sure if both phases were done sober the results would be a lot more desirable, though much less fun. :D
Click to expand...

You are correct on this point. I took it in drugs and behavior class in University or one fo the other Psychology classes I took as electives. I somehow managed to get a degree, then a professional certification using this method :) And your right, I would have had higher marks if done sober, but way less fun, and way more stress :)
 
Also taking pictures of how stuff is mounted before removing can help. I took my center stand off, didn't look that close at how the spring and bracket were attached and couldn't figure it out to put back on and it isn't clear in the manual or any of the parts fiches I checked. That isn't a huge deal as it is heavy and the bike looks better without it, but it makes it harder to lube the chain, pull the wheels etc.
 
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