That's going to look fab! btw what colour is it behind that blue plastic protective film?
Métis 2 Bobber Build
- Thread starter CAT3
- Start date
The cupboard doors ?That's going to look fab! btw what colour is it behind that blue plastic protective film?
Magnolia.
Or, do the mean the base metal ?
Steel coloured
Been removing all the blanking plugs/screws over the last couple of days & cleaning out the threads where I didn't want any blast media or powder coating going. Had to drill out a couple of the screws, countersunk jobbies, that rounded off when trying to extract them, note to self, use hex. head bolts/screws in future & don't leave any thread protruding through nuts when having powder coating done. I should have remembered this from the last time !! 
Started fixing things in place on the frame, most importantly, the oil return line & the regulator charging wire which will be awkward to get at when the engine goes in. Anything that's "in for good" has been loctited or wire-locked or both !!
The oil tank was fitted just so that I could set the oil return line in the correct position, before the engine goes in.
The oil return line from the filter back to the oil tank, these two P-clips are right under the engine, once it's fitted & when thhe gearbox is in place too they are very difficult to get at the heads to tighten them up. Obviously much easier to get out as you don't have to worry about getting the threads started while holding the P-clip together !!
Regulator/rectifier, because I've rubber mounted it I had to ensure there was a good earth point for it. The earth point is below the mounting plate & has two fly-leads to earth the unit using it's two mounting points. They'll all be sealed once finally fitted using some nylon varnish we use in the aircraft industry for the exact same purpose, i.e. to keep moisture/corrosion out, (see the next the next picture below this one).
Regulator/rectifier earths, the blue tinge on the button head screw is the nylon varnish.
Oil catch tank, just to make it environmentally friendly !!
Brass cover to guide/protect the wiring loom where it runs through the frame top-tube & goes into the headlight, where all the connections will be made for the handle bar switches, speedo, horn & headlight itself.
And the tiny indicators, no more than 10mm in diameter !
Next time I'm home I'll make some new phosphor bronze bushes for the leaf-spring forks. I cracked one of them when I was removing them ready for powder coating, plus I want to machine in some grooves/channels to aid grease dispersal & lubrication. The forks can't be finally fitted until the wiring loom is in place, but I'll be able to temporarily fit them so they are not kicking around the garage floor !
Started fixing things in place on the frame, most importantly, the oil return line & the regulator charging wire which will be awkward to get at when the engine goes in. Anything that's "in for good" has been loctited or wire-locked or both !!
The oil tank was fitted just so that I could set the oil return line in the correct position, before the engine goes in.
The oil return line from the filter back to the oil tank, these two P-clips are right under the engine, once it's fitted & when thhe gearbox is in place too they are very difficult to get at the heads to tighten them up. Obviously much easier to get out as you don't have to worry about getting the threads started while holding the P-clip together !!
Regulator/rectifier, because I've rubber mounted it I had to ensure there was a good earth point for it. The earth point is below the mounting plate & has two fly-leads to earth the unit using it's two mounting points. They'll all be sealed once finally fitted using some nylon varnish we use in the aircraft industry for the exact same purpose, i.e. to keep moisture/corrosion out, (see the next the next picture below this one).
Regulator/rectifier earths, the blue tinge on the button head screw is the nylon varnish.
Oil catch tank, just to make it environmentally friendly !!
Brass cover to guide/protect the wiring loom where it runs through the frame top-tube & goes into the headlight, where all the connections will be made for the handle bar switches, speedo, horn & headlight itself.
And the tiny indicators, no more than 10mm in diameter !
Next time I'm home I'll make some new phosphor bronze bushes for the leaf-spring forks. I cracked one of them when I was removing them ready for powder coating, plus I want to machine in some grooves/channels to aid grease dispersal & lubrication. The forks can't be finally fitted until the wiring loom is in place, but I'll be able to temporarily fit them so they are not kicking around the garage floor !
Spent the past three days assembling parts, mainly cleaning off powder coating to get things to fit correctly, like the handle bar switches, throttle & lefthand handle bar grip, (it's machined from ally, but covered with leather, for that antique look !! 
). Also, had to machine some new bushes for the front fork rocker arms. I've added some holes & shallow groove in each one of the four bushes to improved future greasing.Then finished the assembly of the front forks, fitted the steering bearing & then got the forks fitted in the frame.
The steering damper is also now fitted together with the front wheel & brake caliper.
). Also, had to machine some new bushes for the front fork rocker arms. I've added some holes & shallow groove in each one of the four bushes to improved future greasing.Then finished the assembly of the front forks, fitted the steering bearing & then got the forks fitted in the frame.The steering damper is also now fitted together with the front wheel & brake caliper.
I had a day in the garage today & got the handlebar switches wired up, together with the front brake switch & speedo "MENU" button. The handlebar switch wiring runs through the handle bars for a neater look. I also started making up the wiring loom so I can get everything connected up & check it all works before I finalise the main loom, heat shrink it & route it through the frame top tube.
The handlebar switches were a bit of a pain in the arse to do as the connections had screws rather than soldered connections, which I would have preferred. I did have a look at changing the switches, but couldn't find any with the correct M12x1.0 thread to match up with the CNC machined switch housings. Anyway, they're connected now & I've put a little spot of Loctite on the screws to stop them coming loose. I'll also most likely put a blob of silicone sealant over the backs of the buttons once it's all finalised & working.
It looks a bit like a rats nest at the moment, but once I know for sure everything works as advertised I'll neaten it up a bit !!
Once I know everything works I'll route the loom through the frame & it will exit from the bottom of the brass cover on the headstock & then pass through the headlight, horn & speedo mount & into the headlight shell where all the connections will be made.
The handlebar switches were a bit of a pain in the arse to do as the connections had screws rather than soldered connections, which I would have preferred. I did have a look at changing the switches, but couldn't find any with the correct M12x1.0 thread to match up with the CNC machined switch housings. Anyway, they're connected now & I've put a little spot of Loctite on the screws to stop them coming loose. I'll also most likely put a blob of silicone sealant over the backs of the buttons once it's all finalised & working.
It looks a bit like a rats nest at the moment, but once I know for sure everything works as advertised I'll neaten it up a bit !!
Once I know everything works I'll route the loom through the frame & it will exit from the bottom of the brass cover on the headstock & then pass through the headlight, horn & speedo mount & into the headlight shell where all the connections will be made.
Finished work & back home for Christmas & New Year now !! 
The crimp tool & extractor that I'd ordered came while I was away so I thought I'd get the rear brake working & connect up the brake light switch to get another little job out of the way ! Hard wiring is the best way to eliminate problems, but that makes replacing things harder so a certain amount of pre-planning is required !
I'd really have preferred the front brake to be working as it easier to manoeuvre the bike around with a working front brake, but the rear will do as it's better than no brakes at all ! I still need to remove the handlebars to run the wiring loom through the frame & that entails removing the forks, which means the handlebars need to come off. As the hose connects to the master cylinder via a "normal" banjo bolt it would be a pain to disconnect it all & then have to reconnect it & bleed it again. The rear brake has a dry-break coupling at the caliper end & also doesn't need to come off again
First job was to finish the pressure switch wiring by installing the connector now that I have the correct crimp tool. The connectors are very small & supposedly water proof, to a degree although I'll still shrink a bit of sleeve over the connector when it mated to it's other half. Not that I'll be intentionally going out on it when it's raining, but I might get caught out !
Once the connector was fitted the assembly was final fitted into the master cylinder.
Once bled up I could check the operation of the pressure switch itself. The rear brake light is a LED, as will all the lighting be on the bike, so the current flowing though the circuit will be minimal, much less that the usual amperage with a "normal" 21W brake light filament !!
The caliper mounting bolts will be wire-locked before the bike hits the roads, big V-twins & vibes soon loosen fasteners that are not either thread locked or wire-locked, preferably both as I've learnt !!
The crimp tool & extractor that I'd ordered came while I was away so I thought I'd get the rear brake working & connect up the brake light switch to get another little job out of the way ! Hard wiring is the best way to eliminate problems, but that makes replacing things harder so a certain amount of pre-planning is required !
I'd really have preferred the front brake to be working as it easier to manoeuvre the bike around with a working front brake, but the rear will do as it's better than no brakes at all ! I still need to remove the handlebars to run the wiring loom through the frame & that entails removing the forks, which means the handlebars need to come off. As the hose connects to the master cylinder via a "normal" banjo bolt it would be a pain to disconnect it all & then have to reconnect it & bleed it again. The rear brake has a dry-break coupling at the caliper end & also doesn't need to come off again
First job was to finish the pressure switch wiring by installing the connector now that I have the correct crimp tool. The connectors are very small & supposedly water proof, to a degree although I'll still shrink a bit of sleeve over the connector when it mated to it's other half. Not that I'll be intentionally going out on it when it's raining, but I might get caught out !
Once the connector was fitted the assembly was final fitted into the master cylinder.
Once bled up I could check the operation of the pressure switch itself. The rear brake light is a LED, as will all the lighting be on the bike, so the current flowing though the circuit will be minimal, much less that the usual amperage with a "normal" 21W brake light filament !!
The caliper mounting bolts will be wire-locked before the bike hits the roads, big V-twins & vibes soon loosen fasteners that are not either thread locked or wire-locked, preferably both as I've learnt !!
Back in the garage today & got the front brake bled up & final fitted along with the front wheel so that's them all locked in place & the brake light switch checked for operation
Handlebars are also now fitted for the last time
Just need to get the headstock cover painted now so I can fit the headlight & horn & complete the wiring in the headlight shell. I've also checked that the speedo works with the gearbox sensor that I've fitted. That'll just need calibrating once the bike is running & is just a button pressing job over a measured distance !!
Handlebars are also now fitted for the last time
Just need to get the headstock cover painted now so I can fit the headlight & horn & complete the wiring in the headlight shell. I've also checked that the speedo works with the gearbox sensor that I've fitted. That'll just need calibrating once the bike is running & is just a button pressing job over a measured distance !! 
AbsolutelyWill that little caliper stop the bike
It may well not be quite as good as a modern sports bike with a pair of radial Brembos, but perfectly good enough to stop this latest lump. The engine braking of the big 1500cc V-twin helps too & the other bike has exactly the same setup & that's been fine !
Battery securing is the latest job that's been tackled. I need to get the bodywork painted & the cover that will fit under the seat was going to foul one of the fuse holders so it needed a bit more thought. I didn't want to get the paintwork done & then have to have the under-seat cover modified !! 
So after getting a small piece of 1.2mm zintec I marked out what I was planning using a blue felt pen, which seems to work quite well as "engineers blue" !!
After marking the basic shape I drilled a few holes, some are mounting holes, some are corner holes & some are to allow a slot to be filed out.
A quick offer up of the two fuse holders to mark the mounting hole positions.
Because I've finished work until after the Christmas break I don't have access to a sheet metal bender so I had to improvise in my garage ! With a good coat of blue powder coating on it should look OK
Tomorrow's job will be to start making the bits to make the hinge & some blocks to hold the battery strap in place.
So after getting a small piece of 1.2mm zintec I marked out what I was planning using a blue felt pen, which seems to work quite well as "engineers blue" !!
After marking the basic shape I drilled a few holes, some are mounting holes, some are corner holes & some are to allow a slot to be filed out.
A quick offer up of the two fuse holders to mark the mounting hole positions.
Because I've finished work until after the Christmas break I don't have access to a sheet metal bender so I had to improvise in my garage ! With a good coat of blue powder coating on it should look OK
Tomorrow's job will be to start making the bits to make the hinge & some blocks to hold the battery strap in place.
After temporarily fitting the oil tank/battery tray I realised the two securing legs on my battery strap were too long & when hinged up they fouled the frame cross tube & would prevent the battery from being lifted out ! So today's first job was to shorten these two legs by 20mm.
With the two legs shortened & the two hinge legs cut to length I machined up the two hinge pivots so I now have all the parts ready to tack weld in position, which I'll do tomorrow.
I've also checked that there is clearance between the two fuse holders & the underside of the cover that goes over the oil tank/battery compartment. I think now I have no more parts to make for this build If that is the case, once I've had the battery strap welded up I can get all the bodywork in for painting & then set to finishing this epic in early 2026. It was still quicker than a certain endurance racer, now that was an epic !!
With the two legs shortened & the two hinge legs cut to length I machined up the two hinge pivots so I now have all the parts ready to tack weld in position, which I'll do tomorrow.
I've also checked that there is clearance between the two fuse holders & the underside of the cover that goes over the oil tank/battery compartment. I think now I have no more parts to make for this build
If that is the case, once I've had the battery strap welded up I can get all the bodywork in for painting & then set to finishing this epic in early 2026. It was still quicker than a certain endurance racer, now that was an epic !!
Jeeze, OCC build these in a week, not 20 yearsAfter temporarily fitting the oil tank/battery tray I realised the two securing legs on my battery strap were too long & when hinged up they fouled the frame cross tube & would prevent the battery from being lifted out ! So today's first job was to shorten these two legs by 20mm.
View attachment 153987
With the two legs shortened & the two hinge legs cut to length I machined up the two hinge pivots so I now have all the parts ready to tack weld in position, which I'll do tomorrow.
View attachment 153988
I've also checked that there is clearance between the two fuse holders & the underside of the cover that goes over the oil tank/battery compartment. I think now I have no more parts to make for this build
View attachment 153989
The battery strap is now positioned & tacked in place ready for final welding. That will have to wait until the New Year now as it's too late to go to my preferred welder to get this done, (my welding is nowhere near good enough !!).
It seems to work OK, allowing the battery to be removed without too much of a fight !! The foam strips will be stuck to the underside of the strap once it has been powder coated.
There's also enough clearance between the rearmost fuse holder & the underside of the cover that goes on to hide all the electrical gubbins.
It seems to work OK, allowing the battery to be removed without too much of a fight !! The foam strips will be stuck to the underside of the strap once it has been powder coated.
There's also enough clearance between the rearmost fuse holder & the underside of the cover that goes on to hide all the electrical gubbins.
Picked up the last three bits of powder coating yesterday, the side stand, battery clamp & carb support. I'd forgotten to take the carb support with the original visit to the powder coaters, the side stand needed welding & as it's alloy I had to find a local alloy welder once I'd made a new foot & the battery strap, because I hadn't made it at the time & ended up changing how the battery is secured anyway !
The carb support is curved, rather than straight to allow a bit more room for the fuel pipe to pass by as it needs to connect to the carb where the blue blanking plug is in the picture below.
The side stand is a shortened Triumph Daytona part with a new foot welded to it.
The new battery strap also doubles up as a mount for the two fuses, one main fuse & one from the regulator/rectifier.
The carb support is curved, rather than straight to allow a bit more room for the fuel pipe to pass by as it needs to connect to the carb where the blue blanking plug is in the picture below.
The side stand is a shortened Triumph Daytona part with a new foot welded to it.
The new battery strap also doubles up as a mount for the two fuses, one main fuse & one from the regulator/rectifier.
So, after months of being messed about by an Ebay seller I finally picked up my anodised rocker covers yesterday & got the fitted to the engine.
Hopefully over the weekend I can get the engine fitted in the frame & then get the transmission/rear wheel sprocket/primary drive aligned & bolted up for the final fit
Hopefully over the weekend I can get the engine fitted in the frame & then get the transmission/rear wheel sprocket/primary drive aligned & bolted up for the final fit
Been for a little trip out today down south to Wells to collect my paintwork. Once I got home I couldn't wait to see what it looked like on the bike so I chucked the bits on loosely I'm happy with the end result.
Tomorrow I'll underseal the rear mudguard & refit that & then get the rear wheel refitted. Once that's in I can check the chain alignment & tighten the primary drive & engine up for the last time
The last big, as in time consuming, job will be finishing the wiring, then chuck some fluids in, check the timing & off for an MOT !!
I'm happy with the end result.Tomorrow I'll underseal the rear mudguard & refit that & then get the rear wheel refitted. Once that's in I can check the chain alignment & tighten the primary drive & engine up for the last time
The last big, as in time consuming, job will be finishing the wiring, then chuck some fluids in, check the timing & off for an MOT !!
Good joke, due to the green one being such a rapid buildMust be good to see it coming to an end. Thank fuck you never painted it green or we would be waiting another 10 years
this one has been running longer than Corrie 
I wonder if he’s thought about changing the colour
Met up with the Somerset Ducati owners club in Brigewater had a 'Ride as one' to Westonzoyland, Glastonbury, Wells and Cheddar to name but a few.
I'll have you know I'm in serious danger of finishing two projects in this same year, (this bobber & my Kawasaki) both will have been completed in double quick time as I've got one of those clocks you use for time keeping !!Good joke, due to the green one being such a rapid build
I wonder if he’s thought about changing the colour
Bugger! I’ve posted the above in the wrong thread.
I thought it was ‘What have you done on your bike today’.
Sorry
I thought it was ‘What have you done on your bike today’.
Sorry
Terrible behaviorBugger! I’ve posted the above in the wrong thread.
I thought it was ‘What have you done on your bike today’.
Sorry
Yeh but 6 years for a wheel change on a retro copy of a ZepherI'll have you know I'm in serious danger of finishing two projects in this same year, (this bobber & my Kawasaki) both will have been completed in double quick time as I've got one of those clocks you use for time keeping !!
crazy dude 