Hot Rod Thruxton. . because of impatience.

[Texas94fs]

The past year for me, has been a . . . . well. . . clusterfuck of sorts. The bike has been down since the end of last June. Prior to that she received many an injury and was down most of the first part of the year as well. Just a friendly warning, this post will contain motorcycle gore, sadness, and pornography. Those with weak stomachs, might want to turn back now. For the brave, neurotic, and deranged lot, press on through these subsequent posts.



This was the start of my year. These two metal shards pulled from a front tire, I was none too pleased as the tire was pretty damn new.

Well well thats all sorted. . . happy to be back on the road raising a little hell and doing some bird watching. . . then a nice little ride to work via the long way. Coming around a lazy left handed turn with a car behind to my right, a car behind me attempting to perform a colonoscopy, and a median to my left. . . the turn tightens up a bit and I'm happily bombing about at about 55mph when around the tighter section of the bend. . . well a giant chasm appears. With the person so far up my ass I didn't trust emergency braking would save me from my fate, rather send me to a different circle of hell.

WHAMMO!!! I hit the worlds largest chuckhole, immediately the bike starts drifting rather quickly into the righthand lane and i narrowly miss the car that was slightly behind. I couldn't keep her on the road up a driveway and down the sidewalk i went, back down a curb and out into an intersection, now behind my proctologist, and his assistant. Still at about 40 MPH. . .bike is now rather unresponsive to my suggestions of direction as I pull up to a stoplight. Afraid to look down at what I have endured. . . Then came the 5 mile ride to work with this debacle.

That tire was the previously damn new tire. Both were actually. No photo of the rear that was also bent (not as severely) but the tire sidewall was bubbled like tar on a hot day.

 

[Texas94fs]

The saga continues.

I manage to source new wheels, and BOTH tires again. Mind you, this was simply from January 1 - Feb 15th that those things happened. Anyhow, tires mounted, wheels painted, loaded in a truck and just ready in time for Austins RvM put on by some good friends. Yet, I have a bearing issue. So pop into austin into Revival Cycle where a friend of mine works and have them swap the bearings an hour before the event kicked off. She's back on the road. I was downright chuffed, and she was looking god damn purty.

I'm not responsible for any . . . substance you just got on your computers. Or if you were aroused in public.

Back from Austin now at work and a buddy pops in on his new cycle to say hello. Then tries to leave. . . his bike won't start. Of course He inherited someone else's problem. So i toss him the keys to mine and a backpack to take the battery to be tested. Bad battery, so he brings a new one back. Takes off. I leave work promptly to get to a little bike event hosted by a friends shop. Reserve Supply Co. Down the street here in Houston. . . hmmmm bike feels squishy. . . .Take a look and see. . . God damn it. (insert lots of cursing and frustration)

 

[Texas94fs]

Yup. More.

My mate had picked it up on his battery run. . . .He was nice enough, and a week later a tire i didn't order showed up at work. . .cheeky bastard.

Oh and the timeline here is, now its the end of May, last year.

Well well, new tire mounted. Time for an oil change and valve clearance check. Bike is at about 32-35k miles. Those of you not familiar this is about a 2-3 hour process depending on how far the shop you have to go to is.

Take her apart one afternoon to do this routine job. Get my shim measurements, call the local triumph stealership. Yup we have those in stock. Make the 40 minute drive. . . .heyyyyyy we fucking lied and never checked we don't have those shims. we can have them by next Tuesday. So simple afternoon job, now a week long.

Tuesday comes, no phone call. . .I let it ride maybe they haven't come in. Saturday I call. . .oh yeah we got your order in. Drive down to pick em up. 40 minutes one way. OOOOOO we ordered the wrong shims. . . We will have them Wednesday. . . two week long afternoon job.

Wednesday comes. .. no god damn phone call. Thursday I call. . .nope not in yet. . . . .

The wednesday after comes and the shims are in. . . drive down. Guess motherfucking what. . . They apparently didn't have the exact sizes i needed so they ordered the closest they could get. . .Pick up my fucking shims and go home. now almost a month on into my simple afternoon job.

I realized I needed the little washers for the cam oil feed line. . .fuck that shop, hop online to order. . .decide to check shims. . .oh they do fucking make the EXACT size shims I need. BOOM ordered.

Parts come in a week and a half later.

This afternoon has turned into damn near 6 weeks. I'm right pissed off at this point. Not a good way to work on a bike.

I get the girl back together, torque her all down and call it a night. Next day I recheck all my torque, and hit the button like the impatient clot I am. I truly truly earned this badge that moment.

I had never bothered to turn the motor over to make sure everything was seated. resulting in this monumental valve clearance (warning : GORE)

 

[Texas94fs]

yes more.

Here you can see the SHADOW of the intake valves that were bent and stuck.

And the pistons dinged from the valves

 

[Texas94fs]

Well months go by, saving up scratch. BAM change of career and a new job, plus, planning the Houston RvM and getting that going. Looks like i get support duties as I'll have no motorbike. . . finally in goes a call to Carlos at TPUSA. . . .plans are made, bank accounts readied. . . BOOM trigger pulled. Real swell Kat, Carlos helping me out, and still answering my questions today.

Before the parts come back in though. . .I'm moving. . .so the whole project incomplete has to move. . . awesome lets not fuck this up.

Order :

904 cc high compression pistons, bore and nikasil coating.

Stage 1.5 head work with +2mm oversize intake valves

Barnett clutch

Cams

Yes. Yes. I've been waiting for this. Pack it all and send it out.

Now I wait. . .. oh shit I get to move

Packed everything and meticulously labeled this is unpacked in its new home

 

[Texas94fs]

All moved. . . . then at work one day. . . this beautiful beautiful thing shows up. .

Here. We. Go

 

[Texas94fs]

Now of course as the process goes along shit happens, you need this bit or that bit. The process took a few months in waiting for little parts.

A dowel from case to cylinders was lost. Had to order and wait. Then little crush washers, then a gasket, then this and that and a battery.

This pain in the ass process was interesting and fun. The base gasket cut the ever living hell out of my hand twice. Really thought I was going to need stitches, but superglue sufficed. Bottom end actually does have a significant amount of blood in it. . . I may have a vampire motorbike.

 

[Texas94fs]

Work work work, get the cylinder head on. Get the cams in and order shims. . three different damn times. Finally all squared away. This is the day. She's gonna go. Only a few bits left to do, fresh fuel to put in the tank.

Cams in, motor spun over, checked and re checked, and re checked. Awesome.

Then. . . (insert cursing, anger, wrench throwing, and a multitude of other things)

god damn cam oil line feed bolt. Part immediately ordered x2.

Decide to check the terrible local shop to see if they have it. . .they actually did. . .yes. Friday it is.

Just a delicious photo through the new shiny intake manifold

 

[Texas94fs]

It's Friday night after a long day at work. I have the little bolt I need. Just need to; put that on, mount the exhaust, tank, hook up the battery, oil and filter, plugs in, then turn her over without plugs connected to get oil to the top. Done and done check. Now the moment of truth. plugs connected.



Well i had a video. but I can't figure out how to upload it. Anyhow. She fires off. all is well. run her and bed in the cams. then its time for a little test ride. . . .excellent. Now time to change clothes and take her for a pint.

Next day was her big debut at the bike event she was last seen at a year ago. Funny enough. Here she is now in all her glory. . . and I can't wait for that motor to be broken in.

And here I am trying not to seem like the giggly little girl that is hiding inside because I've got my girl back on the road.

Only issue I have now is the clutch cover gasket is apparently shit so she dribbles oil on the exhaust. When I change her oil at 1k after break in that is gonna be remedied and she will be tip top, and she'll be good for the ton+

 

[Texas94fs]

Ah, how could I leave out my trust garage companion for all this work, and frustration. She was a vital part of getting things done, keeping me sane, and a source of some laughter as well. Miss Indie-Ana

 

[Texas94fs]

Update

Just. Fuck. FUCK!!

Woke up the other morning smelling gas in the house. Immediately had horrific thoughts in my mind. . .opened the garage and those thoughts were confirmed. A cir clip came off one of the bolts to the mechanical security bar on the jackstand I use to park the motorcycle. (after having very nice tires flat spotted this became habit) The Security bar raised up out of its groove on the front side and the bike slowly lowered until it was off balance and CRASH. . .what 2-3 weeks of her being up and running before being out of commission? I am still right chuffed about this fucking bit.

Damage:

Master cylinder destroyed.

What was a nice perfectly coated headlight dinged (small but still fucking annoying)

Well, thats not really enough to hold a damn foot with a boot in it eh?

 

[Texas94fs]

But wait!!! THERES MORE!

These are badges off a t100 that I have painted the triumph lettering in to match the other blue shit on the bike. They were a bitch to find.

Scuffed my brand new grips, trashed that bar end, and scuffed my nice pazzo levers. . .Damn it.

Pretty much the whole bike fell on a big cardboard box. . .but not the alternator cover.

Exhaust pushed into the swing arm. . . i just tugged on it to pull it back, its dented on the inside. . .but oh fucking well i guess. This isn't enough to make me drop coin on another set. . . .but i could have a really loud noisy set. . .and a more laid back set. . . damn it stop brain.

The mother of all confusion as to how this fucking happened. It's not really very noticeable, but I notice, and it hurts.



Dent in the top of the tank.

All in all, without replacing the levers, grips, alternator cover, and tank badges. Just new pegs, bar ends, and a master cylinder has run me about 250, just for a tiny tip over. . . I'm debating polishing up the alternator cover and clutch cover. .. but i believe those scratches are just too deep. Also, thats a fucking lot of hand work.

I just want to ride me bike. I just want her broken in, road worthy, and reliable so I can take trips to see you bastards. Not gonna lie, probably a small case of depression due to the ole girl.

 

[Flaco]

http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t660/mbrtxkker501/D282E431-86A5-48C1-8383-09454EA98B54_zpswm8ut0p9.jpg[/IMG]

What a story! What a bike! I could comment on a lot of the narrative. However I won't at this time…
I have always been a fan of yellow and the only thing I dislike with our lightly colored tanks is the damn pinch weld!
(I cut it off and re-welded mine.)
Your bike is sweet and I like it…
TPUSA is your / our friend...

 

[strokerlmt]

What a story…..thx for posting it….what an ordeal…..To lighten up the situation I believe I have a brushed cover you can have……email me at [email protected]
and you can give me your address there.
LMT

 

[Roger]

I would be so pissed if this happened. You just got the bike running and now this. It sounds like you already have the pegs, bar ends and master. At least if you get those sorted, you will be able to get back on again.

The other cosmetic stuff can be sorted when ever you get to it. LMT already offered a cover.... BONUS!

Even as lousy as this whole episode has been, thanks for posting. Get it running again and get riding. :motorbike2:

 

[Roger]

(I wanna go for a run!)

That is a cool pic of your buddy.

 

[Texas94fs]

Well, the bates style foot pegs don't fit the thruxton. They fit the t-100, bonneville, or scram.

I paid 105 for em, I'll gladly give em to one of you cats for a reasonable offer.

Bar ends don't fit either without drilling the damn bars out. . . WTF. Why are these things listed as direct fits on websites?

 

[Flaco]

Dog's are my favorite people…
Then cool bikes…
And of course women!

G_d I love the looks of those pistons and intakes!

Me too someday!

 

[monty]

Fuck me, Tex.
Truly a tale of woe but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Don't let the gods beat you.

You will over come and get some miles done. Part of me thinks that the frozen contents of an air liners toilet will land on you when you do but just do it and be damned.

Monty

 

[Texas94fs]

Dog's are my favorite people…
Then cool bikes…
And of course women!

G_d I love the looks of those pistons and intakes!

Me too someday!

Save yer pennies! Due to the jackstand security bar I'm not at break in yet and I haven't even been able to give her the full beans :mad2:

Fuck me, Tex.
Truly a tale of woe but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Don't let the gods beat you.

You will over come and get some miles done. Part of me thinks that the frozen contents of an air liners toilet will land on you when you do but just do it and be damned.

Monty

No joke mate, luckily all my parts are in, rebuilt the new to me master cylinder, its on the bike but the little bitch won't bleed.

Decided to say fuck the bar ends, they'd require drilling out the clip ons.

LMT was bad ass enough to get me an alternator cover, so I'm excited to have that all cleaned up and done as well.

All goes well I'll ride her Saturday afternoon. . .but in this heat I might wait till Sunday morning.:C