Nice one, Luigi!
Posted: 03 May 2012 06:41
Slow progress on my Dart: it may be back together by the time the weather improves! At the moment, I'm working on the rear suspension, having had the nasty rusty swing-arm powder-coated and lacquered. I needed to replace the needle-roller bearings and seals in the arm itself and in the smaller wishbone, and learnt something new about bearings. The current accepted term for crowded rollers without separators, as in the wishbone, is 'full-complement'!
Once these were sorted, I felt I had to check the needle rollers in the larger wishbone, but the bolt that secures it appeared to have been put in before the frame was welded together! Those Italians!
However, rotating it with mole-grips and wiping some of the crud off revealed a machined flat on the low-profile head which allows it - just - to come out past the frame. Something of an after-thought I reckon, and maybe to do with the difference between the original 125cc stroker motor that fitted this Cagiva Freccia frame as compared with the torque-monster 350 that now inhabits it? Anyway, those needle rollers were still good at both ends, so back together it all goes, including the shims and the odd spacer. It's very comforting to have a parts manual to check on presence and position of bits! An assembly matter that I do need to check is the clearance of the neat Gazelle stainless exhaust run as it squeezes past the shock. It might need a little ding or two...
The brakes and carbs are now fully serviced, but the rest of the frame (and the motor) is a disgrace in terms of appearance. However, the priority is to reassemble the bike and actually try riding it! If, as I expect, I'm delighted with it, the push to improve the cosmetics of the out-of-sight bits may continue next winter...
Nick
Once these were sorted, I felt I had to check the needle rollers in the larger wishbone, but the bolt that secures it appeared to have been put in before the frame was welded together! Those Italians!
However, rotating it with mole-grips and wiping some of the crud off revealed a machined flat on the low-profile head which allows it - just - to come out past the frame. Something of an after-thought I reckon, and maybe to do with the difference between the original 125cc stroker motor that fitted this Cagiva Freccia frame as compared with the torque-monster 350 that now inhabits it? Anyway, those needle rollers were still good at both ends, so back together it all goes, including the shims and the odd spacer. It's very comforting to have a parts manual to check on presence and position of bits! An assembly matter that I do need to check is the clearance of the neat Gazelle stainless exhaust run as it squeezes past the shock. It might need a little ding or two...
The brakes and carbs are now fully serviced, but the rest of the frame (and the motor) is a disgrace in terms of appearance. However, the priority is to reassemble the bike and actually try riding it! If, as I expect, I'm delighted with it, the push to improve the cosmetics of the out-of-sight bits may continue next winter...
Nick