I'm one of the lucky few to have one of these wonderful bikes here in the USA. I bought it about a year ago wanting to do a rebuild right away, but I thought it would be better to ride the bike everyday for a year to make sure I wanted to spend the time and money on it and to figure out what I wanted to do. The result? I LOVE THIS BIKE!!! My plan is to strip it down, refinish the frame and put it back together with upgrades scattered through out.
Here's the bike prior to the rebuild:
Here are the issues that I know about prior to getting it in pieces:
The fairing is cracked in several places. As far as I can tell, it is an early version of a one-piece Boano fairing in fiberglass.
Lots of deep scratches and chips in the paint
Rear suspension is the original and needs to be replaced
Front suspension has progressive springs but suffers from a lot of brake dive
Dent in the brush guard
Rust in a few places on the frame
Lots of little things around the bike that need to be replaced like bearings, gaskets and so on.
Radiator guards need to be replaced
My plan includes the following:
Refinish the frame
New Boano RD07A fairings (I like the look of the RD07A fairings over the RD07)
Ricor Suspension. Intiminators in the front and a custom shock in the rear
Koso Speedometer
New Wheels
Loads of new bits from our friends at Rugged Roads
Though I have not settled on what the new finish will be, I am leaning towards a red.grey/white combination. Here are a few designs I have come up with:
So here goes! If I run into trouble you guys will help right?! :thumbup:
Ok, my first day on the project included getting the garage in order and taking the bike apart as much as possible.
Here's my work space:
And here's how far I got:
I ran into my first issue. The cable that connects to the rectifier appears to have melted to the cable plug:
The electrical system was just fine when riding the bike...so I am guessing that somehow the rectifier is ok and that I simply need to splice in new plugs. Anyone seen this before?
I ran into my first issue. The cable that connects to the rectifier appears to have melted to the cable plug:
The electrical system was just fine when riding the bike...so I am guessing that somehow the rectifier is ok and that I simply need to splice in new plugs. Anyone seen this before?
this is very common on ATs the 3 yellow wire AC feed from the alternator often cooks the connector, if the connector is making a poor contact, your r/r is probibly ok.
but if you are doing a rebuild fit a FH012.. search the forum.. load of info on how too
from the pics shown your bike is in real good condition, i did not see any rust on the frame, the engine paint looks ok too, and with the r/r is a comon problem.
if you do not want to upgrade your fairing with the rally type i suggest to repair the existing one(fiber glass is easy to repair), saves a lot of cash(could spend it on other things).
if you want a stiffer front fork change it with a ktm one or use another type of oil(15w). are you sure you have progressive springs?
the wheels bearings you can buy from a bearing shop, same quality, much cheaper, the same with the seals. you do not have problems with the countershat splines or bearing? what gasket is leaking, i did not saw any oil stains!
when you say new wheels you say that you want them resprayed or do you want an 18inch rear wheel?
Rugged roads got a lot of cool things, alsou afrika queen!
interessting paint jobs you thought, why don't you try something in HRC colours and inspire your self from ford kinetic design(just an idea)
oh, and lift that exhaust a litlee higher...it will give the bike a meaner look
ps: do not forget about the fuel pump!
My bike has 68,000km on it and has gone down a few times. The frame is not bent, but there are some rust spots here and there (it could be a lot worse though). My plan is to be proactive with the rust issue. I have seen a lot of Africa Twins with loads of rust. Plus, my bike sat in Arizona for two years before i bought it and began parking it next to the ocean everyday (where I live). In other words, this is a defensive frame refinish!
The fairing is cracked in a few places and the gel coatings has broken too. I looked into repairing it, but I am not sure it is worth the trouble. The fairing has a very rough finish and does not fit the bike as well as it should. Thats why I am guessing that it is an early model. I've had a few chats with Stormforce8 and he reports that modern Boano fairings do not have the issues I am describing.
The exhaust can't go higher at the moment. I have a custom pannier rack that gives me symmetrical boxes. Here's a pic:
I thought about a rallye fairing, but it is not my style. My goal is not to make a rallye bike...but rather a touring/adventure bike.
Yeah, you are not the first to suggest HRC colors. I'll give that another go :thumbright:
Ultimately, this is a bike that I have wanted for many years and want to keep for a long time. I might as well make it mine right? :blob8:
I am still debating on the wheels. I can't find any corrosion on the outside...but I have seen so many go bad that I feel like I should play it safe and rebuild the wheels with new excel rims. I will probably stick with a 17" rear wheel.
Your attitude sounds exactly the same as mine when I ripped it apart and rebuilt. It would definitely have lasted years without a rebuild; but why not just get it sorted while it's still reasonable condition rather than having to do a full restoration AND a rebuild.
Given the state of your existing wiring loom and the fact you intend to fit a Koso clock I'd recommend fitting a Mosfet regulator, taking power directly from the battery via a 30 amp fuse and replacing the alternator connections.
Jim Davis of Eastern Beaver fame can supply prewired looms and the regulators are wide;y available in the US.
Didn't get a chance to work on my bike last night because a fellow Africa Twin rider stopped by my home to service his bike. That might be normal in the UK, but it is SUPER rare here in the US. In fact, this is only the second Africa Twin I have ever seen in in person in the US!
He's a German guy traveling tharound North America for a few months on a RD07a (with rd07 bodywork).
His is a 2000 that needed new oil, valve adjustments and a carb sync.
The proportions on a RD07 are surprisingly different than that of the original Paris Dakar Africa Twins. Never-the-less, here is a version of my RD07 in a 1988 HRC finish:
I don't think anyone knows for sure. But most agree that it is less than 25 in the entire country. Very rare! Even the Transalp was only here for two years (89 & 90).
I am surprised at how good the condition of my frame appears to be. Far less rust than I was expecting. Don't get me wrong though, there are many spots with little bits of rust forming.
At the moment, I am trying to decide what do with with the frame after I clean it: sand it and paint it or have is sandblasted and powder coated. Powder coating will cost about USD $200 (with sand blasting) depending on the color I choose...more expensive than I was hoping for.
Thoughts? Will paint be enough for another ten years of riding or should I spend the money and powder coat my frame even though it is in pretty good shape?
There was a recent thread on the subject of paint or powder coating on the site you may find useful.
Personally I always go with powder coating and while you don't mention the cost of painting yours compared to the cost of coating I'd pay the extra and forget about it for the next 10 years. :thumbup:
I've been lazy with posting...but not lazy when it comes to the rebuild. :thumbup:
So what has happed since my last update. Well, I bought a second Africa Twin! The young German guy who I posted about earlier in this thread sold me his 2000 Africa Twin! Cool!
Turns out my brother fell in love with my 94 Africa Twin after we did a Trip through Death Valley. So.....
The New Plan:
My Brother will get the 94 RD07 with the black body work from the 2000. I will will get the 2000 RD07a and the new body work. I need to finish the 94 first so I can ship it off to my brother who lives 3000 miles away!
So...on with the 94 rebuild...
Following Thunder's advice, I had the frame powder coated in glossy black. WOW! :grin: Here it is with the engine cleaned and installed:
If Batman had a motorcycle frame, it would be this one! :blob:
A few pics during the rebuild:
We have a roller:
New Mosfet regulator:
Test drive ready:
My brother plans to refinish it at some point in the future...so the mix of 2000 and 94 bodywork isn't a big deal.
And here it is done with crash bars and panniers:
I drove it for about two weeks and then shipped it off:
Now...on the RD07a...
I received a bunch of goodies from Rugged Roads (Stormforce8 has been a HUGE help throughout the entire process!). Among the many new parts is a set of carbon/kevlar bodywork in the rd07a shape (not interested in going for the ralley look). Yesterday, I measured up the bodywork on the bike to drill the mounting holes. Everything lines up great!
I plan to leave the carbon/kevlar showing on the inside...Looks too cool to hide:
Got to agree on that point, to show it off to it's best to consider having a coat of clear lacquer applied when the outside is being painted, did that with Insomnia and it really brought out the Kevlar look and makes it simple to clean :thumbleft:
Having stripped a bike which never had a chain oiler fitted but it seems a regular dose of lubricant applied over the years I can only say that's nothing
Most people think it is a Transalp (they've never seen an Africa Twin or even heard of one). I do get a lot of thumbs-up from GS guys on the road though.
Best money I have ever spent on any bike is to upgrade the suspension. I doubt you'll be disappointed with any suspension upgrade :thumbup:
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