Cheers, Does your ipad show the embeded video in the thread or did you go direct to the vimeo site via the link?
Safari and Skyfire are just showing the links on iPad 2 iOS 6, Craig. How menacing does that bike sound just purring. I stood drooling on the glass of the Bridge Motorcycles yesterday at their 'not for sale', unregistered, wrapper fresh SP2 and started having nasty thoughts regarding my blade, but it was watching me from the car park so I had to move on.
It's not quite sounding right yet, there is a slight ticking or hissing coming from the front of the bike, I'm hoping it's just gasses from the exhaust not being fitted right. Next for the SP1 is to service the brakes, re-bleed the clutch, get the wheels powder coated and get new bearings and 90 deg tyre valves fitted at the same time. Then I'll get the suspension set, and get the bike out for a blast in the sun (whenever that happens). After that I'll decide if I want to keep the bike or if I want to sell it on and get myself another project for the winter again. If I do keep it then I'll probably spend a bit of money on the bike and make it a bit special.
Today I went round to the garage to see if I could get rid if the hissing/tapping noise coming from the front. So it was off with the fairings and exhaust again, fitted a new exhaust seal to the front cylinder and added a little gun gum to the seal. Re-fitted the exhaust making sure that everything was tight and sealing properly, and fired it up. Yup ticking noise is still there. Damn it !!! I had a good listen around and it's definitely coming from the front cylinder. Valve clearances it is then. Not sure why the clearances could have changed from when I checked them before stripping the engine but it sounds like 1 is out of tolerance. Either way it's not too hard a job to check with the engine in the bike, just need to pull the oil cooler forward and get in there. (I'm just a bit annoyed at myself for not rechecking the clearances once I built the engine back up, as it would have taken 5 minutes). Suppose you can't expect everything to bolt back up after such a strip down and to work perfectly. Lesson learned. I'll be leaving this to next weekend, where I will also dropping the wheels off to get them powder coated, and dropping off the seat to get customised and have a little more comfort put into the plank of wood that they have for a seat. Also have a new Motobatt battery on the way to give the bike some more cranking power. Once the wheels are back I'll get the suspension set, stick on the GoPro and take it for a spin. Oh and I've decided that bike ain't going anywhere. I'm having it for keeps.
I was hoping you would keep it mate, I have enjoyed this thread and hope there is plenty more to come
There's plenty more to come mate. In the warmer months I'll be sorting out a few scuffs on the lower part of the fairings and also where the seat has rubbed the paint off the tank. Apart from that I'll make a few bits for the bike i.e. extendable side stand. And I'll add bits and pieces to the bike as I go on.
Just in from a little bit of tinkering in the garage. Managed to sneak away from work at a decent time today, so thought I'd put a couple of hours in while I had the chance. Anyway I managed to get the head cover off of the front cylinder for the SP1, to check the valve clearances. I can tell you though it was not easy getting in there to remove it with the bike built up. (which pissed me off a bit to say the least). Skinned knuckles and a creaked neck later and that was enough for the night. I'll check the valve clearances this weekend, and I also have to pick up the wheels and seat. Not much to do after that apart from tax the thing and take it for a spin.
Never easy in the bike mate, I've had an SP2 in last week (head race bearings), it was in Castrol colours "chinky" plastics was gonna get some pics for you as it has Brembo (80.00) caliper and a milled under slung mount (120.00), now with some advice is fitting 100mm adaptor plates to the front forks to take 4 pad radial Brembo's that you can pic up from say a KTM off eBay for a 100.00 a cheap upgrade I think... His in in fair condition but he rides it most of the summer as I'm sure you will your once you get into it... looking forward to your write up when your done mate..
Posting pics like that Arthur would just get me jealous mate lol I've been looking at a ISR radial master cylinder for it (as i love the look of them and they get good reviews) and also I'm bidding on a cartridge kit for the front forks just know to compliment the rear shock. It'll be a hard decision on which bike to take out once that suns comes out.
ISR gear is very nice, Carts would be a good up grade mate... think your on the case with it.. and I bet even with the blade you end up falling for the old SP... great bike to ride I love them and IMO 120+ bhp bikes are a barrel of fun on the road!
I'm already smitten with it and I haven't really ridden it that far Its definitely a harder bike to ride, but it gives you a great feeling once you step off the thing.
Today Craig and I spent the day in the man cave getting the SP1 ready for the road. First up I had to go and pick up the wheels from the powdercoaters on Saturday after work and do a little bit of tinkering on the Blackbird, which left me with a full day to concentrate on the SP1. Here's a couple of pics of the wheels to whet the appetite. So first thing this morning it was time to get stuck into the valve clearances to get rid of the ticking noise. This took quite a bit of time and effort, as it's as tight as feck in there to check. And we found fook all wrong with the clearances, which brings us on to the numpty awards, because after all that hard effort and cursing, it turns out that I had forgot to blank off the solenoid for the flapper, after doing the flapper mod, which was causing the ticking/hissing noise all along. I can tell you now I was more than a bit relieved but also left red faced. From our embaressment we then began to build the bike back up so that it could at least start looking like a bike again. With all little bits and pieces that have gradually been getting done to the bike, it really is starting to look like a cracker. Judge for yourselves Not a lot left to do now, just bleed the clutch, paint the front disc rotors to match the wheels, and fit a new soft link to the chain. And last but not least get out and enjoy some V-Twin thunder.
I suppose you got snow blind Colin. Seeing the word "Flapper" written so many times here has made it invisible to you. If you were that desperate to get on the 2013 Numpty short list I could have pulled a few strings with Freedom. You could have got Craig to put his polishing skills to good use buffing out Ling's bumper (oooh err).
