G'day from the opposite side :)

Evilgidget

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Hi all, Adz from down in Australia here :) I know the forum here is mainly 400 guys, but I've just scored myself a nice little '78 XS250 that seems to be a nice candidate for a resto rod. It runs & is on club rego, but is in dire need of a freshen up & some running repairs to keep it roadworthy. It's so fresh in my possession that I picked it up after work and it's currently too dark to photograph (9pm here). Pics coming tomorrow ;)

Anyway, pleased to meet you all, I've been browsing here for the last couple of days looking at info, a 400 swap would be nice but are apparently quite rare here in Oz, so I'm undoubtedly going to have to manage with what I have...

Catch you all around :D :thumbsup:
 
Righto! Took the old girl to work with me today to see what I have and what needs doing. I certainly have my work cut out for me. Front brake master is shot and the hose is blocked. Rear brake master leaks like a sieve, but pumps enough fluid for the brake to work. Both masters have leaked all over the duco, but it's been done (badly) with rattle can black so it isn't a major drama. A new battery, plugs and fresh fuel got it to run, sort of. It floods and stalls if I leave it to idle, but I did a few laps of the carpark at least. Seems to ride ok considering. Chrome bolt-ons are pretty ordinary as per usual, nothing that can't be fixed. Something funky happening with the indicators and the engine stop switch doesn't work. You've probably noticed the bar on the back... It spent nearly 20 years as a pace bike at the local velodrome. So it's lead an interesting life.

Anyway. I've started the arduous task of stripping it, the velo bar from the back was the first thing gone, I've pulled the brakes off and that'll be the center of attention to start with. The bike is mainly going to be for the bride (I already have a big Kawa myself), so the focus is reliability and safety. And, it has to look cool.

Thinking of doing a solo seat & chopping the back off at the top of the rear shocks, open filters and a nice set of chrome pipes. I've already flipped the handlebars, look much better upside down. Chrome mudguards and LED lights. Clean it up, give it a bit of a cafe look, but not quite. As awful as it sounds, I like the look of Urals. So there might be a little bit of that in the end result. Electronic ignition? Lots of maintenance work - replace a few stuffed bolts, weepy gaskets, valve adjustments and suchlike. I also have a set of forks and clamps off a big Kawa sitting in my shed... They might end up on here yet, although twin disc brakes might be a bit of overkill on this ;)

Anyway, happy to take opinion and advice :thumbsup:
 

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G'day Gidget,

Welcome to the forum. Good luck with the project - I'll be watching this. I hope you don't take as long as me to complete it.

Cheers.

Posted via Mobile
 
Alright, got a little bit of progress from the last couple of days. Mostly been shopping, but have started pulling bits off, cutting off old mounts & making a few changes. First thing was starting the prep and paint for the tank & side covers. The bride and I had decided on a blue-grey, up until I started stripping the crappy black off and we saw the original colour scheme. Now we're doing a variation on that instead. Burgundy with gold striping is the plan now. RH side cover was pretty much perfect, so it's been stripped, sanded & primed. Tank had 6 different colour coats of paint on it which took some getting off, but it's a good shiny tank underneath it with only a couple of small dents which I'm fixing up.

Did something with the seat. I had a set in the shed from a GPZ600 I wrecked a few years ago, sat them on and... they didn't look too bad. Had to cut a bit of foam off the front & chop and mod the plastic bases, otherwise I'm happy with how the mock up is looking. Have done a bit of chopping and moving the rear guard as well, plus the front forks have dropped an inch in the clamps to make the front look a bit nicer.

Still want to turn it into a 400 :thumbsup:

Anyway, that's about it for now. Pics of how it stands as of tonight.
 

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5 weeks later... Have had the flu combined with a nasty little workplace accident that left me with a broken arm... Still, the show has been progressing slowly. More crud has been removed from the bike, plus have ordered a few new bits - tail and indicator lights, braided brake hoses and rebuild kits, new bar & grips. Mufflers. Most of it has arrived and starting the dry fit, plus have cleaned out the carbs and done a quick setup in the meantime. I also got onto a bloke in Florida who's kindly sold me a set of 400 pistons, cylinders, head & a rocker box. Plus an electronic ignition pickup and igniter box to be rid of the points once I figure out how to wire it...

The bike has moved to my own garage instead of at work, after some kids decided to jump on it for a play and dented my tank :( Fortunately it popped back out. Prep for the tank and side covers is done, they're straight, primed & ready for colour as soon as the weather becomes a bit better. Going with early Ford "vintage burgundy", which is about as close to the original colour as I can find. Plus I ordered new gold vinyl striping and tuning fork logos to make it look all new again :) Seats still aren't permanently mounted, but I've been working on a sheet steel underside tray to make a little bit of underseat storage as well as protect the wiring and hold lights, electricals and the numberplate.

Still not sure what to do about the front guard and headlight. The ones on it are banged up and cracked. Ideas for suitable replacements, anyone?

Anyway, only one pic of how it stands from the back tonight. Progress should start to speed up again as I get the use of my arm back...
 

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Lots of holdups slowing progress, but still going. I've been playing with my Alfetta project more lately, but it's back to being a runner so it's back to the bike.

Paint on the tank & side covers is now done. The clear is curing as I type. I figure it looks pretty good for a first attempt at ever painting anything with a gun.

Engine is out, the head & barrels are off & still waiting on a gasket set before the 400 items can go on. I've added a pic for piston comparison between the 250 & 400, just in case anyone wanted to know.

The GPZ600 seats are now modified and mounted on the new brackets, the front one hinges sideways to reveal a nice little storage pocket in the back.

Front brakes calipers are rebuilt, new braided lines are on & a new front master mounted. All bled & working like a champ.

I'm having issues with the rear brake master. Any clues as to what other bikes use a similar 5/8" seal? Otherwise, recommendations on what other masters I might be able to get to fit without having to butcher too much stuff?

Otherwise, next project after the brakes is rewiring & converting it from points to the factory electronic ignition setup.
 

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Looking good. Just some advice from personal experience- if you want the 'low bar' look, don't do the flipped handlebars. Doing that puts the angles all incorrect, you'd feel it within 10minutes of ridding in. Grab a set of clipons, or super bike bars if you want to use the stock mounts. Also, you will need to move your foot controls backwards a bit, or else the riding position will never be correct and your back and wrists will hate you, plus it won't feel right when maneuvering. Better to sort it out now rather than when its done.
 
Cheers for the input :) It looked alright initially but I realised how bad an idea that was as soon as I went to move it. It's got a drag bar on the stock mounts now instead. Feels much nicer and I think I can get away without doing *too* much to the controls. The rubber footpeg mounts will go in the bin though so I might as well tweak them a bit while I'm at it...
 
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