My air cooled monoshock trials bike project (pic heavy)

[canthai55]

Thanx. Re; GTAW - que? No unnerstan.

GTAW - gas tungsten arc welding Commonly called TIG - tungsten inert gas

[papa al]

2015-11-20 12.12.26.jpg

papa likes this bike 99%.

[thaiguzzi]

Thanx. Re; GTAW - que? No unnerstan.

GTAW - gas tungsten arc welding Commonly called TIG - tungsten inert gas

So GTAW is posh, hence never heard of it. And the common man on the street calls TIG welding TIG. Now i unnerstan.

[thaiguzzi]

2015-11-20 12.12.26.jpg

papa likes this bike 99%.

Yeah, that stock Aprilia bodywork/fuel tank is truly georgous innit. Especially in Norton silver 'n black lining.

[thaiguzzi]

Update. Stardate 2558.

Petrol tap been leaking since day one. Acceptable, then worse, then pretty goddam bad. Had it to bits a couple of times, weird design, still no joy, not bad for a 26 year old part. Anyway, back down to fave m/c parts shop, let's have a look at 2 bolt hole petrol taps. Lo and behold, the RXZ tap has the same 35mm hole centres as the original. Thank you sir, that'll be 120 baht (!).

Get home, the hole centres are the same, but the new tap has a larger area to sit on the Aprilia smaller flat sealing platform and the new tap could not seal with the new sealing arrangement. Solution - make an alloy sandwich plate. One side Aprilia details, t'other side Yamaha details. Bish, bosh, jobs a good'un.

Front fork/headstock bearings needed adjustment after too many manic wheelies. Check.

Front fork seals are now pissing out oil, again possibly too much of the above, and they do look oooold. New set, and sparesies on order from an Aprilia specialist in the States.

Still can't stop riding the thing, just fun fun fun.

[BBJ]

I am slightly jealous, and may indeed find myself in unwanted debt!

[guzzi850m2]

Very cool looking trial bike and nicely done thaiguzzi, I am impressed.

Enjoy.

[thaiguzzi]

Thanx guys, decent comments are always appreciated. There may not be a lot of money invested in this bike (now stands me in @ (27k), but there's a hell of a lot of time and work gone into it. Those headstock bearings were new when the bike got built by the previous owner, so i presume, now that the bike is getting regularly used, and used properly, they were just bedding in. The fork seals were always poor, and again, i presume the original bike sat around a long time unused with it's broken engine, until the donor motor showed up, and now full regular movement has finally done them in.

BBJ - you've got to get one. They are brilliant fun, and for us old codgers/idiots, a lot safer than hairing around on a motocross or fast dual sport. Most of the offs are/will be 1st, 2nd gear, and much less chance of broken bones.

I've ridden road bikes all my adult life, but my balance and control, especially near and at stationary speeds has improved tremendously. Try standing on the pegs for a couple of minutes without any fwd movement etc... Ever tighter figure of 8's without putting a foot down. Just good exercise and great fun.

[thaiguzzi]

Bump.

Good grief!

Only owned this bike since Sept last year, and been riding it regularly for the last couple of months.

Only found out yesterday it's a 6 speed!

Always thought it was a 5 speed.

Green book says RXZ -S. Therefore there is the difference mechanically 'twixt RXZ 5 speed and RXZ-S 6 speed. Mmmm, interesting...

[VocalNeal]

Nice looking bike. Just curious about the lack of expansion chamber, which of course could be designed for low end.

Like this.

[canthai55]

Spent many hours welding expansion chambers. Bikes, Ski Doos, trying to get that little bit more scavenging.

[VocalNeal]

I used to race Karts and was a fully paid up member of Pipe of the Month Club club

Edited January 12, 2016 by VocalNeal

[papa al]

Hence your avatar.

[VocalNeal]

Well spotted but the wrong type of pipe.

[Dutchbike]

how about these.....?? like a work of art.

[thaiguzzi]

Wow! Pure art indeed. If i could weld a tenth as good as that, i'd be a very happy man (in fact i'd have a weld/fab shop). Stunning. DB, which country was that photo taken please?

[Familyonthemove]

Really nice bike ..... looks like a classic trials bike. The comment about discovering a 6th gear made me smile. Buy 5, get one free!

[canthai55]

Looking at the second foto, and comparing the welds on the body to the weld on the mounting plate, I would guess that the body is done by robot and the mount by hand. Vast difference in puddle quality. But sure are nice.

[VocalNeal]

how about these.....?? like a work of art.

NSR 250 MC 18 Chambers.jpg

I have two just like that on my Honda

Edited January 14, 2016 by VocalNeal

[Dutchbike]

Wow! Pure art indeed. If i could weld a tenth as good as that, i'd be a very happy man (in fact i'd have a weld/fab shop). Stunning. DB, which country was that photo taken please?

Believe it or but, Made in Thailand. I've seen the welders "live" at work. No robots, only a rotary table, and lot's of skill.

Absolute top quality. Not gonna name the brand but I'm pretty sure VC knows them if he has them on his MC 18

[Dutchbike]

One more :-)

[papa al]

trippy

is that welding, brazing, what?

do you make a cardboard template first?

Edited January 15, 2016 by papa al

[Dutchbike]

^^ Welding papa,

[stoneyboy]

TIG on stainless 316 ?

With an argon back purge ?

[VocalNeal]

^^ Welding papa,

Mine are GP style, stacked on one side.

I'm pretty sure VC knows them if he has them on his MC 18

They used my bike if not to build the prototype but to lets say finesse them.

Edited January 15, 2016 by VocalNeal

[thaiguzzi]

Stunning. Absolutely stunning work.

[chaiyapoon]

Great job.well done

[papa al]

Looks like 5 sea-horses

if ya skwint.

[thaiguzzi]

Just a heads up guys.

This bike is for sale and will be available to purchase in early March, once the new fork oil seals, dust covers and gaitors arrive in about a fortnight. I'm busy with family visiting during the month of Feb, and i also don't want to sell the bike, without it not wanting for anything, hence the fork parts.

It's a regrettable sale, but a new project has popped up, a trials project too good to refuse, recquires a LOT of work, but will be well worth it once finished. details to follow once it's in my hands. I'd prefer to sell the Aprilia/Yamaha to a good home and somebody who'd appreciate the nice bits on it and the work that has gone into it. Hence writing this on this thread before it appears in the ads section on here and B&S in late Feb, early March.

PM me if interested, price will be less than 50, but more than 40k.

[macknife]

If only I lived in the sticks, I'd snap this up!