Goat

So i started cleaning the gearsets and laying them out. They had been in plastic bags and covered in grease since 1995. So was good to get all that off. I had noticed earlier that the layshaft 5th gear had some damage, so ordered one of those. That turned up with my head from Australia. Stripped and cleaned the selector mechanism too. This bike is as stripped as its ever going to be. Inside of the case got a good clean out ready for it all to go back in: When cleaning all the gearsets I noticed 4th gear mainshaft also had some damage. Quite a few of the teeth look like below. Do i replace this? Or pop it in and send it? Don't want a tooth breaking off and going through the box. But a new gear is $$. Help a fella understand!

Right, so cylinder head turned up from Australia. Yay. It also came with a few other goodies for the restoration. Still missing heaps of bits, but should have enough to assemble the bottom end! A few weekends ago, I popped round to old mate @kicker and used his sand blaster to tidy up my cases as my sandblaster is at my folks house, and that is an hour and a half away. I could only fit the bottom case in, but it came out just perfect. The finish is ideal, not too bright like vapour blasting, and not too dull like sand blasting. You can see the difference here: You can see the differences between the two finishes below (ignore the low definition sandcasting, yay for italy) Pretty: Not pretty:

Was being silly. I just love how it is cast into them. So rad.

Divine Whats that big black lever attached to the engine slightly to the left of the center of the last pic? Its hard to tell what it is.

So yeah, this has been progressing in the background. The Italian Stallion has been slowly progressing. Everything was outsourced, so was just a waiting game. Distracted myself by buying an ironhead project (which is now all but finished), and a 1st gen Goldwing project. Which still needs collecting from the deep south. Gotta have plenty of projects on the boil eh? I dropped the engine casings off with @Grotty so he could weld up some seriously damaged threads. One of them had a tap broken off inside it! He dropped it to a wizzard who used some magic science thing to get the tap out. He also heli-coiled every thread in the case, and machined the oil pump surface as it had a decent gouge in it. The cases are as good as they're going to get! I still need to bead blast the cases, as they've been sand blasted but have that furry texture. Gonna visit @kicker this weekend and see if they fit in his blasting cabinet. Def want the peened look. Got an email on monday, cylinder head is done. Just like everything on this bike. It was FUCKED. Only thing he could end up using was the head itself, and the valve springs. hah. Even the head had multiple cracks to weld up. Jeeze. This poor thing. I also pressed apart the gear clusters to replace the bearing, i noticed the hardening on 5th gear is wearing off. So need another one of those. Will fully inspect the mainshaft for any cracking, and check the bronze bush condition as per @GregTs recommendation. So in a couple of weeks, i should have everything i need to assemble the engine and nip it all up. Then i only have to do everything else on the bike!.. Regrets? Yes. But i'm too balls deep now to bail. Can see the cracks here: And all done, ready to be shipped back: There is light at the end of the tunnel. Thank fuck. Oh yeah, as there is no photo of the actual bike. Here is a Laverda 1000. This is the end goal:

^I just got a rebranded one of those from onlinetools.co.nz. Really happy with it. Big viewing area is grouse. Its not expensive. And I don't get sore eyes like I do from my old helmet. Haven't done big stints of welding. But for the hour or two I've used it, my eyes are fresh as a daisy. Where my other one, after laying down a couple of welds I can feel it in my balls (eyeballs that is)

Hello welders, TIG filler rods. What type and diameter would I need for the following: Mild steel exhausts, panel steel and motorbike frames. BOC seems to only offer 1.6 and 2.4mm diameter. 1.6 fine for what I need? Stainless exhausts (is this usually 304?) Hearts Where is the best place to get this from online?

Awesome, Good luck! Keep us informed!

I've found out of stock stuff to come back in stock with amayama. That place is legit.

Basically yeah, play the game. hah. No point arguing with the compliance people, as if they get a chip on their shoulder its pretty much game over. Even if they're blatantly wrong. hah. I've been told stuff that I know says otherwise on NZTA website. Its painful, but just gotta suck it up and be nice, as at the end of the day, its their call if you can register your vehicle or not. Also, keen to hear about archived vehicle records. I'd assume they'd all be destroyed, as archive requirements are usually around 7 years. But man, would be awesome if they were sitting in a building somewhere in palmy. Be awesome to digitize them. Be super useful for many enthusiasts trying to get old stuff on the road. Cos yea, its NZTAs fault there is no history!

I believe the process (which i am currently following) is: Go to compliance place with all your docs ready and explain what you want to do. i.e. register the car Compliance place assesses documentation you have to see if they are happy with it, if not they will ask you to fill out the required exemption form. I've had to do Exemption from border check, and Alt docs Go an get as much info together as you can, as @kicker said, pad this out with as much shite as possible, to make it look like you've gone the extra mile Both of these require sighting of vehicle and identifiers by compliance agent. (to prove vehicle exists) Submit the form and play waiting game. Hopefully get your approval Return to compliance place with your approval, pass wof/compliance check, pay for a new plate .... Profit? Step 5 is the bastard. Which you're half way through, so there looks like there is hope for you! Also, because it literally comes down to someone's mood on the day, it pays not to piss off these people, be super polite and patient, as they can rain on your parade if you upset them. Its appalling I know. How fucked up that a process like this isn't black and white. But just gotta jump through the hoops, can give them a 1 star review once you have a plate on the car AFAIK, the VCC stuff is just to show that the car is a real make and model, and complied to the standards at the time. That's all, not sure why/how that is useful for registering. But they seem to list it on the NZTA website. Just another shitty hoop to jump though. Its a game. Have to play it. It sucks. Gotta pay the cost to be the boss.

Lol. Actually is. MR2B and pop into your local AA. You'll have a fresh plate for your couch. /don't try it as it will make it harder for us to register mopeds!

@VintageSpecial The sighting of the vehicle identifiers is pretty much to just prove that the vehicle you have pictures of and are referring to in the supporting documentation is real. hah. Needs to be a compliance person. And you show them where the numbers are, and they just sign a bit of paper saying "Yep, i've seen a real vehicle and it has these chassis/engine numbers". They don't check if the numbers are correct for the vehicle etc. Just that there is a IRL vehicle with these identifiers. So the person in the office assessing your application knows you haven't just made some shit up and are seeking permissions to register a couch for example.

@VintageSpecial Having registered a few vehicles, the process is far from clear. And everyone you talk to gives you a different list of hoops you need to jump through. Its pretty terrible actually. There should be a set process to follow. I'm currently going though an alt docs application. So will report back on the outcome. Seeing you've got that response back, that is promising. All but two of those bullet points is easy peasy. Identifier sighting - easy Stat dec for ownership - easy Police report - easy? As @kickersaid, you should just be able to rock up to a cop shop and get then to write something on an official letterhead. There is also this: https://catalogue.data.govt.nz/dataset/police-stolen-vehicle-database Though there is no way your 7 would be in here. haha. Basically just need a police person to say they couldnt find it and sign something. The vehicle history, and ownership docs could be a pain. For the ownership, the best you could do would be a couple of Stat decs, one saying you believe you're the entitled owner of the car. The other saying how you purchased the car and where, when and who you purchased it off. They don't seem to put much weight on stat decs (so why do we have them???) but that's probably as good as you can do seeing you don't have a bill of sale or anything. Documents for the cars history, this is where the VCC stuff would come into play I assume. Basically saying that this was a model of car that was in NZ yada yada. Does it have an old number plate etc? Any old pics of it with a plate? Its a pretty fucked up system as Kicker said, you're applying to get permission to comply it without documents, but you need to supply all the documents you need to register it. I don't understand. Silly stuff. And doesn't help that everyone you talk to has a diiferent set of requirements. Maybe if its too hard, try a different compliance place? Good luck in any case, and post your outcomes in the thread @AllTorque mentioned to help future peeps.

If you're sure timing belt is all in spec, and dizzy is all in spec. And you're getting sparks. Does it have an fuel cut/anti dieseling solenoid on the carb. Has that been unplugged?

I love how the engines look like they're from the 1920s. Def not a powerhouse. But has torque for africa. Was a bit concerned how the 4 speed box would be. 1st and 2nd are fine for around town/hills. Will see what its like on the open road once its complied. Currently doing the dance with compliance people. Go in one day, they give you a list of things you need. And horror stories how you can't register it if it doesn't have this sticker, or before the 1st of November cos if the new abs rule yada yada.... Go in the next day, literally the opposite of what was said before. Don't need the exemption required the day before, but need a different one, as what was acceptable documentation yesterday is not acceptable today and what was not acceptable yesterday, "oh nah mate, thats fine" today I don't know... Help a fuller understand.... Why can't it be easy. Should be a solid process. Not down to some persons mood on the day. If they're in a grump, then it makes your life misery. Should not be like that.

So yeah, kinda stopped taking pictures of things like wiring and the like. But fully rewired the bike. And installed an aftermarket regulator rectifier on the back of the oldschool generator. Also managed to get it running. What a cunt. Jesus, i've kicked over a few bikes in my time. But nothing as cunty as this. It can't be cos of the compression ratio, as these are like 8.5:1 or something. My japanese 4 cylinders kick over easy as. So must be the ratio or something. I'm not a small unit, and i can jump on the pedal only to bounce off due to it being on compression stroke. Mental. I gave the tank a quick satin black to get it complied. I have a full AMF sticker set in brown and orange to decorate the tank. So once its complied, i'll gloss the tank and pop the stickers on. Here is as it currently stands. I'm trying to get it complied in the next few weeks. Just chasing some paperwork misery. So will see how it goes. Once its complied, i don't know whether to cut it up straight away. Or enjoy it as is. Likely the latter, as riding it around the hood was a blast. Not only did i feel like a crim, it was actually really pleasant to ride. Will update my compliance process in detail as it unfolds.

The tank this came with was so fucking yuck. I had to get rid of it. I just bought a repro factory sportster tank. As i just want to get this complied first. Then it will get the chop. So yeah, not a fan of the ape hangers. So pinched some bars from dad off one of his Bonnevilles (Hinkley not OG) which also have 1" bars. The front forks stanchions were rust fucked, and not a big fan of big rake bastards. So tracked down some OG one. Had to do alot of checking and cross referencing, as the 1977 is meant to have Showa (not grower eh Chris ;)). But this had Kayaba forks. Which were only on 73 and 74 models. So thankfully i checked and didn't pay heaps for the wrong stanchions. Looks good with flat bars (and new front and rear shocks)! You can see the sprocket cover and kickstarter installed here I also got some new tyres, which transform the bike. They're Shinkos, i'm too cheap for firestones and avons (i went that route with my XS650, and youch. not again!) I must say, i like the tread on the rear Shinko even more than the firestones! The sidewall transition is just perfect.

Had ol mate @kicker blast my carb in his cabinet. Oooohweee. Looks like a bought one. A few months later... with the covers all cleaned up, and now on a new bike table (why did i not get one of these earlier. My god what a difference), it was ready to pop the gearbox back in. Absolutely essential stuff had started to turn up from the states: Now there was a whole debarkle around the kickstarter. The setup on these is mickey mouse at best. These are such a cunt to kick over, and all the force it placed on this thin cast alloy sprocket cover. So they just shatter. Good thing this is an electric start model.... with all the starter equipment removed. yay! I ended up tracking down new kick start shaft, and a new sprocket cover. I made up a supporting bracket to help take some of the kickstarter force. So hopefully the cover should be good for a while anyways....

While waiting for the bits, i set to work cleaning up all the corroded engine. Well, just a quick pass to make it not look like it had been pulled out of the sea. Making a start. Looking good. Has potential. This was just a quick 400 grit with some CRC, then a quick going over with some autosol.

Gearbox out on bench, you can see the damage. Which must have happened previously. As there were no bits in the gearbox! Looks like the problem was the shifter rod had popped out of the shifter caddy. So Thats all the problem was. Yay. However, i wasn't happy with the condition of the gears.... This one was completely missing a dog! The others had loads of chips on them: I managed to track down all the gears i needed as NOS. Great. Were cheap as chips too. Howevere, it took almost 3 months for them to turn up from the states..... Project parked.

I got the gearbox out and could see what was happening: Still no chunks of metal. So that was good. Though you can see in the back of the engine cases someone has been in there to repair. So it has had a catastrophic failure at some point in its life.

So the only description was that it was a non runner, suit parts. Gearbox broken. Cool, exactly what I was after! an expensive unknown on the opposite end of the island. Perfect. So first step was to try and figure out what was wrong with the gearbox It was stuck in gear and the clutch wouldn't disengage fully. Real easy to maneuver around. So whipped the chain off.: It was a shit to get the clutch out. But made some tools to help. The oil looked disgusting. But there was no broken metal (yet) so hadn't grenaded, good? i suppose?

So yeah, many years ago I met this cool dude called Chris. He lives in Christchurch. Apparently he was a born loser, but I liked him anyway. It turned out he was a bit of a badass, and was into the devils bikes. He had an Ironhead Harley. A handsome dude with a handsome bike. I was in love. Every time I'd call in and visit Chris, id have to pop into his shed and sit on his Ironhead chop. It was just the coolest thing. I knew I had to have one. Fast forward a few years, and an auto bid on a friday night. And I had purchased this non running, broken gearbox, POS. Yay, just what I need. More projects. But I enjoy self inflicted misery. So yeah, cool one. nice. Took my shitter of a ute all the way from Wellington to Wellsford to pickup this turd. Had my dad rolling up with me. We share a love of misery, projects and motorcycles. So both were equally excited at the prospect of acquiring another non running project. Both of us never thought we'd see the day when either of us would buy a Harley! Low and behold, April 2021, I became a Harley owner. Who would have thought. Made it all the way home. What a mish. We stayed in cambridge. But boy, a lot of driving in a turd of a ute. A relief to have it back in the garage. I'm sure the Harley would appreciate its new stable, adorned with French vehicle memorabilia, and sharing its space with and Italian stallion Laverda, a Miata, and some of japans finest 2 strokes!

Doesnt seem to support foot pedal. How often do you tig welders use a pedal. I've only ever welded with a pedal, but i can imagine that it would be a right PITA for 90% of welding jobs.