Missed part 1 of our KTM fork conversion? Click here
This is it. After two years of theorising, trial and error, parts fabrication and emptied beercans, we’re ready to bolt the new forks on to Richard’s Beemer.
Last episode we discussed exactly what components we were using and the modifications being made to fit them up. This time round we’re actually installing the yokes, steering lock and stops, forks, wheel and brakes – everything that’s needed to get Richard’s “number one” bike back on its wheels.
Pete and Rich show off some custom bits that we made – a neat adapter plate set-up for the steering lock and a tidy steering stop that bolts up nicely.
As we post this episode, Horizons Unlimited Mountain Madness (the HUMM) is less than a week away, so Richard’s suspension will be getting a full workout as “Team Garage Night” (Waz, Richard and Garage Night apprentice Etienne) go up against about 150 other competitors, including last year’s second placegetters the Mushman Candidates – Pete, Trent and James. Continue reading ‘Ep 12: KTM forks on a BMW part 2′
Watch Waz and Trent dismantle the wheel in Ep 3: Sand, heat and nipples and Episode 4: Wires, shocks and smoke.
A spoke wheel is a thing of beauty. Here at Garage Night, you can’t tell us otherwise. Cast wheels might be acceptable if you ride a road toad, but if you’ve got spokes, you’ve got class.
Just think, each thin metal spine is fragile on its own, but strong enough when laced together with a bunch of buddies to bear several times the weight of your bike when you’re full on the brakes, or keep your wheel from crumpling when you smash through a wash-out. And no matter how you try, for elegance of both form and function a cast or billet wheel can’t come close.
An old, neglected spoke wheel is NOT a thing of beauty, though – as I found when I bought a complete secondhand USD fork front end for my bike and discovered the seller had been less than honest about its condition. The Garage Night guys were never going to let me put it together in that state. So the wheel had to come apart. Continue reading ‘Ep 9: New spokes on an old wheel’
Missed part 1 of Chain and Sprockets? Click here
With the old chain taken off and consigned to the trash, Trent and Pete remove and examine the old sprockets, install the new ones and rivet the fresh chain in place on Pete’s KTM 950 Adventure.
Along the way, Trent discusses correct chain tension, the different ways a front sprocket may be attached to the countershaft, and why you should NEVER use a worn sprocket with a new chain – at least not if you want the chain to last.
Pete talks about how changing the sprocket ratio – in his case, the number of teeth on the front sprocket – has improved his bike’s driveability. There’s an interesting aside, too, on the possible negative consequences of going for a smaller front sprocket. Continue reading ‘Ep 8: Chain and sprockets part 2′
It’s a key area of wear and tear on a bike, and especially a big trailie – so replacing the steering head bearings is one of the essential jobs you’ll have to come to grips with on a long trip, or just as a long-term owner. Pete’s KTM 950 came back from South America with knackered steering head bearings, and in this episode we show how to remove the worn-out ones, pack the new ones with grease and install them.
Most automotive and motorcycle bearings are in constant, full rotation during their life, so they wear evenly as they turn. But steering head bearings move very little when you’re riding – generally rotating just a few degrees side to side. This makes them particularly prone to uneven wear, especially if they are not kept properly adjusted.
Think about it – you’re doing big miles, mostly in a straight line, over rough roads. Shock is transferred from the wheel, through the fork legs, via the triple clamps/yokes to the steering head bearings. Continue reading ‘Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings’
Ep 17: Restoring anodised aluminium on your motorbike
Ep 16: DIY soda blasting – build your own rig!
Ep 15: Replacing swingarm bearings, part 2
Ep 14, Dremel on a lathe: replacing swingarm bearings
Ep 13: Mountain Madness 2009
Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650
Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings
Ep 9: New spokes on an old wheel
Ep 8: Chain and sprockets part 2
Ep 7: Changing a chain and sprockets
Ep 6: Mountain Madness
Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings
Ep 4: Wires, shocks and smoke
Ep 3: Sand, heat and nipples
Ep 2: Beads and bearings
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