New build about to start
 

Hi Guys,

I am finally in the position to say hello under this section. I've so badly wanted a bird, ever since you could still get new ones. Somehow there was always some or other tragedy, crisis or major problem in getting to own one. They are getting thin on the ground around here and are still very pricey. Then I heard of one that had a little tumble. Owner doesn't want the bike anymore because it nearly killed him. Given away for a small donation I couldn't say no. Well that's about where the good news ends. It took a BIG tumble. Basically all the bodywork was destroyed. The frame is bent, the sub frame was shortened by the PO who also made a custom tail piece. Sadly this nasty piece of bodywork is the only part that survived the fall. Tank is a goner, wiring harness has been "modified" to eliminate all the "unnecessary" plugs. Geez, what have I gotten myself into. Forks are bent and rim is suspect. Obviously this will be a MAJOR project. The only good part is the engine is intact, there is enough harness to make it start, the carbs are clean and the airbox hasn't been modified.

I will be posting pics as I go along. I'm hoping to find a rolling chassis at a breaker for a good price and go from there. Will see how it all turns out.

Anyways, that's me. Passionate as all hell and hoping to have a respectable bike at the end of it all. Wish me luck

Thanks

BTW all advice and tips are appreciated. It (was) a 1998 carby

Wow! Sounds like you've set yourself a mammoth task David.

Don't forget to post up some before pictures, so we can see the beast before she's a beauty :icon_photo:

Well it's a pile of rubble at this stage, but yes, I will post some pics tomorrow. My ideal is to have an original looking bird, but it will depend on budget to some extent. It may stay a beast. I might make some sort of street fighter, not sure at the moment. Thinking of all the brackets, clips, panels etc. I'll need to buy makes my head spin. Unless of course I find a complete bike with a blown motor and use this lot as spares

If something like that came up, it would be a lot easier, though the engines are more or less bomb proof, so you might have a long wait. :(

Though you can buy ready painted plastics from China, a couple of people have used them with good results.

As promised here are some photos of the starting point

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Maybe with 1200 painted on the ecu it was faster??

Anyways, now you can see the size of the mountain ahead of me. I may need a guide and some oxygen to clear this mountain... :icon_omg:

Anyone in South Africa with parts for sale please contact me

Found a chap breaking up a bird, got a pile of parts on the way and will hopefully be getting started soon.
Anyone have advice for or against having a frame welded? The welds next to the head stock on mine are cracked.
Should I replace or repair?

The welds next to the head stock on mine are cracked.

Not a good idea IMO David. Especially up near the yoke where there's a helluva lot of pressure.

This might sound a bit "off the wall" but couldn't you fit that Blackbird engine in a Hurricane chassis ? I know one of our members is Scandinavia fitted a set of Blackbird fairings to a Hurricane and it looked fantastic !

It's immediately apparent that the bird motor is a hell of a lot shorter, but I haven't yet looked into the actual fitment. Sadly I have had no lifting power recently due to a fractured vertebra in my lower back. I have a cbr1000f rolling chassis standing right next to the bird motor but can't lift it into place to see if it will bolt up :( Sucks to be me. I forsee an issue with clearance between tank and carbs, but could always have curved inlet tracts made to move the carbs back and a bit flatter to clear. Hopefully in a while I'll be more mobile, will let you know if it works

I love 'bird fighters. Putting that bike back to OEM will be a very, very tedious task.
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Now, while it depends on the extent of the crack in the weld, it'd be vital you use someone who is EXTREMELY knowledgeable about structural aluminum welding, and even then - it may be cheaper to find a used frame that is in good order and scrap that one at the recycling center (which would help offset some costs of your new-used frame).


Upclose pics would be helpful of it.


I have no idea what the used parts market it like in S. Africa, but ebay might be your best bet. Another advantage to going the fighter route is that you'll have more parts at your disposal.