Oops.. I did it again... They just keep following me home.

[MrConcdid]

Way to stay ahead of incoming parts, I find that it keeps me busy and the project is always moving forward.
You are going to have a beautiful bike when your finished.

Good Job,
MrC.

[kb0nly]

Sure trying to, waiting on parts is driving me nuts though!!

She won't be perfect but she will be dang good, i normally do all the mechanical work then do the cosmetic after its running and driving, but the running and driving parts gathering is taking forever so throwing in some cosmetic work to keep me busy in my spare time. Just got the valve stems today, locally i can only get the normal long car/truck ones, so i had to order in some of the stubby short ones. Thankfully they arrived today and i just got done with the wheels so good timing!

Thanks!

[kb0nly]

Well that was a battle... Got the tires on today. First tire took maybe 20 mins... Second tire i fought for an hour and gave up, third one took about an hour, then i went back to the second one, fought it another hour gave up, came back fought it another hour gave up, and finally came back really mad and got it. In the end it took four ratchet straps around the tire and two around the tire and wheel to force the bead out to the point the air pressure could pop it out. I don't know what the deal was with that one but i thought i would never get it. Tire is fine, doesn't seem to have any issues, the wheel is in great shape, it just wouldn't stretch wide enough on its own to seal up and seat the beads. I think the one i fought so long was the one that was wrapped with shrink wrap when i got them, it was nearly flat... So i think the way it was packed, stored, and shipped didn't help it any.



Deestone 25x12-9 knobby tires, i don't recall the model number off hand but they weren't that bad price wise, set of three for $146 on sale during a cyber sale from SimpleTire.com. Look really good on the wheels, can't wait to get them on and make it a roller.

[MrConcdid]

I have a tire machine now, but even with it, I needed this. It combined with the core out and a fixed chuck on the stem will blow out just about any tire.
It was 56$ on amazon, it doubles as an air cannon with confetti at my kids school.
I'm that dad.
MrC.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LMRFQP..._VYG0FbR74XW9D

You didnt specify, if it was getting the tire on or airing it up and searing the bead. You know most of these rims mount from the backside of the rim vs the front side.

[350for350]

Another thing that helps those flattened in shipping tires is to put an inner tube inside the tire and air it up for a few days to help it stay bulged out. What I've also noticed on the similar styled Cheng Shin tires is that the first time that you try to put the tire on, it's a major PITA. The next time (if you have to remove it for some reason) is easier. The beads don't seem to like to seat the first time either. Sometimes, it takes so much air pressure that I'll get nervous, let all of the air back out of the tire, lube the beads again, and try it again. Sometimes, it takes two or even three tries to get them to seat. They'll usually seat with less air pressure after the first time too.

[MrConcdid]

I do the same with the grease if the first attempt doesnt do it. The inner bead lip seems to be the issue.
A couple of other tricks is cut some 2x4s about 9.5 inches long place them between the beads of a new tire and throw them out in the sun for a few hours or let them sit like that a day or so.
The heat makes the rubber more plyable.
Also you can reverse a pair of adjustable squeeze clamps to push instead of squeezing to spread the beads apart.
A more modern version to the 2x4s.
MrC.

[kb0nly]

All good tips guys thanks! I will have to pick up one of those tire blasters, that could come in handy in the future. Normally i don't have any problems because i am taking off and putting back on used tires, which are already stretched and relaxed to the size of the wheel. I was having trouble airing it up, getting it on the wheel no issue whatsoever, but the tires were so flattened that getting them to stretch out enough for the bead to start to touch the wheel to get them to pop with air going in was the problem. I have a portable air tank with a hose that has a locking chuck and a dump valve, so its like the blaster tank in theory, a larger blast of air, the chuck is gutted and you remove the valve core, so its just a straight blast of air when you dump the valve. I pump that tank to its rated max, well close to it, rated for 120 i bring it up to around 90-100, hook it up, get the tire situated, and flip the valve, with used tires or tires like trailer tires that weren't flattened it pops them on no problem. Soon as the beads pop into place you close the valve which stops air from escaping, then just pull of the chuck and slap in a valve core and check the pressure in the tire. But with these they were like friggin pancake flat and so i had to fight them into shape.

I never thought about a tube in them to stretch them a couple days!! Good idea, as well as the clamps reverse to push the beads out. I will have to try that next time. I almost put tubes in the two rear tires just to get them to seat and leave a tube in them and say screw it, but i really wanted them tubeless because a plug in a hole is so much easier then breaking it down to patch a tube if i ever pick up a nail or something. But i didn't think of just putting the tube in the dang tire and stretching it for a while, i was frustrated at that point! I'm sticking those tips in my brain pan for next time!

Overall these tires slipped right on the wheels no problem with some lube, no drama there, that was easy. Once i got them to start taking air the beads popped out pretty easily, they say on them not to exceed 28 psi for setting the beads, i only had them to about 10-12 psi before they fully seated then backed them off to 5 psi which is their rated load pressure, i am sure i will back them down a bit more like my others, around 3 psi probably, but i figured let them stretch a bit at 5 psi for a while so i don't risk the really flat one wanting to come off the bead. So they are in a warm spot with 5 psi and they can sit like that for probably a week until they go on for good.

Today was all about the tank... Polished it out some, i wasn't going for absolute showroom shine perfection, then applied decals, and now i gotta buff on a few coats of wax and then its all good.

[MrConcdid]

The tank looks amazing, great job.
MrC.

[kb0nly]

Thanks! I'm no body work guy but I can do a decent job, better then rust anyway!

[ironchop]

Yeah tank looks great. I'm enjoying this project

I guess it's the season for fighting with tires. I've been having my own roe with some old tires and you saw the wheel pic from the first one I did.

Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk

[ATC King]

Today was all about the tank... Polished it out some, i wasn't going for absolute showroom shine perfection, then applied decals, and now i gotta buff on a few coats of wax and then its all good.

There's some orange peel, from the picture, but in all seriousness, these things weren't perfect from the factory.

A restoration can definitely be overdone. Just like a lot of the popular muscle cars from the 60's didn't have straight body seams or flawless paint, people can go overboard with restorations to the point it's not correct any more than a restomod is.

I'm pretty certain Honda never powder coated anything on the trikes.

Keep it up!


Edit: Just noticed that open bottle of rubbing alcohol. Hide that stuff ASAP, it's a precious commodity right now.

[kb0nly]

Yeah tank looks great. I'm enjoying this project

I guess it's the season for fighting with tires. I've been having my own roe with some old tires and you saw the wheel pic from the first one I did.

Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk

One thing i truly hate is tire work.... Always have always will... But this time i powered through and did it myself because my local shop won't touch anything ATV anymore, claim they don't have some adapters for their machine or such, but they used to do it, i think they just don't like working on them either!

[kb0nly]

There's some orange peel, from the picture, but in all seriousness, these things weren't perfect from the factory.

A restoration can definitely be overdone. Just like a lot of the popular muscle cars from the 60's didn't have straight body seams or flawless paint, people can go overboard with restorations to the point it's not correct any more than a restomod is.

I'm pretty certain Honda never powder coated anything on the trikes.

Keep it up!


Edit: Just noticed that open bottle of rubbing alcohol. Hide that stuff ASAP, it's a precious commodity right now.

Yep, there is some orange peel, not gonna deny it, but i don't care. It was a mess before, at least now its preserved and in better shape then it was without the huge rust patch under the seat. Once its waxed and put on and driven around and gets dusty and dirty, i won't really care. I remember these back when they were fairly new in my youth, they didn't have perfect factory paint then either i will agree on that. In the end if i was worried i would have spent another day wet sanding and polishing, it actually looks better then it does in the picture, the camera flash made it look like there is a lot of texture to it, but in reality its not as bad as it looks. Its my typical 10/30 paint job, from ten feet or 30mph she looks really good!

Funny thing about the alcohol, i had it out to clean up the bench because the petcock dripped a single dot of fuel on the bench, and after i took the picture i realized i accidently left it open! Horror of horrors, can't let that happen it would start evaporating my precious supply. It's the last bottle i have on the bench for electronics work, its been dang hard to find anything here.

[MrConcdid]

It that a granite counter top ? Fancy
I work on 6.0x6.0x0.6 piece of steel. with legs and braces it weighs about 800lbs
Orange peel or not it looks great.

Did you powder coat it yourself? ifso, I am guessing you have a dedicated oven for PC?
Is it very mess to apply it vs paint?

MrC.

[kb0nly]

It looks that good, but no its fake granite, its composite countertop. All of my benches in my basement shop spaces are made from countertop and steel wall brackets that i made myself, so they are all wall hung. My other shop space where i do the really dirty work like engine rebuilds is made of 2x6's on bench legs, makes it convenient to screw anything down that i want to the bench top while working on it, like a motor stand etc.

Its painted not powder coated. I buy single stage paint in the paint code i want loaded into an aerosol can, has a nice fan nozzle on it, actually makes for quite a nice paint job overall. I usually do 3-5 light coats and a couple heavier coats to get a really durable finish. Never had any issue with gas touching the finish on this stuff either. ColorRite is the brand of the paint, they sell good stuff. I have even done some auto repair with their products, with a final wet sanding and buffing you can't tell it wasn't done with an airgun.