2 Trailer Loads of Death... Mostly Gyro X build thread

[Lord Gruntfuttock]

Got thrown off uncles old 3 wheeler yonks ago after doing power slides in the paddock one afternoon. Woke up in the dark with the thing on it's side about 10m away.

Pushed it back on it's feet, rode back to the shed and didn't tell anybody...

[Raizer]

 

Found a couple Honda documents on the Gyro last night, my vin puts it as either late 82 or early 83, so since they started making them in 82 it's an early one!

1990 may have been when it was first rego'd in NZ.

 

 

 

@Shakotom flick me an offer, I'm fucking useless at coming up with prices/I'll send you some decent pics etc first if you want.

[Raizer]

The last 3 days when I've tried to start the Gyro it's taken a hit of either to get it fired up, and the idle has been a bit hit and miss etc, since it's now road legal I figured it was time to fix it up.

Stripped the shitty stock carb and gave it a proper scrub out, the idle circuit was filthy and the auto enrichment jet and another air hole were blocked solid.

Factory carb is about 14mm, and has fixed jetting, so besides the idle mixture there is 0 tuning options, even the needle height is fixed, thinking 21mm PWK or 19mm Dellorto...

Drained the ancient 2t oil and added a litre of full syn Total

Now it fires up instantly, runs smooth and has gain another 6k on the top end, so max is 51kph now lol.

Took it down to BNT and got a new battery, tail light bulb and fuel line, the manager seemed to love it "it's so ugly it's amazing!"  "It's like an AW11, so odd looking it's cool!"

Made a pin to keep the battery cover on, beats the mass of duct tape it had previously!

Just in an hour blatting around town I counted 2 point and laughs, 3 "WTF is that" looks and multiple thumbs up haha.

 

Now to find wheels/plastics/cylinder etc...

 

 

[xsspeed]

fark yes at gyro result

also lol at ATC forks - someone nosedived off a jump or ran into a wall? - OUCH!

[Raizer]

2 hours ago, xsspeed said:

fark yes at gyro result

also lol at ATC forks - someone nosedived off a jump or ran into a wall? - OUCH!

It's got 0 brakes, so I think stopping was done by chopping down gears and aiming at something solid lol

[MKD]

I think you need to get a few playstation 2 stickers for the gyro ala the jap vid.

also...does being a trike mean you dont need a helmet? Billy conolly styled doo rag and chopstache though.

and lol at no shocks i just found a kids alt50 at the dump and no shocks either front or rear haha forks are the same bent back too. 

1983/84 what were you thinking. Geez.

[Raizer]

Gyro wouldn't start again this AM and the carb had weeped almost a litre of gas overnight

So I figured I might as well swap on the Suzuki carb I've got floating around since it would be an upgrade in multiple ways.

PWS looks like it should swap in place of the PA right?

That steel pin is meant to be a plastic piece that the brass valve there is locked to, when cold the brass pin is help up opening the enrichment circuit and proving extra fuel, after a couple minutes of running, the AC current has warmed the wax bulb in the upper section of the unit pushing the valve down and turning the choke off, that steel pin holds the brass valve hard closed at all times, so unless I squirt some engine start at it it won't go when cold.

 

Yeah... that aint going to work...

PWS has a fat ass and the bowl fouls on errrvythang, that's as far into the gap as it will go.

 

Have come across a Keihin PB carb from a Dio that I'm trying to make a deal on, they apparently are a favoured upgrade for the Gyro X in Japan.

 

Other option I'm mulling over is a new Dellorto PHVA 17.5mm carb, but I'm not sure I want to drop $150 on a brand new carb that may not be big enough in future if I go wild on the cylinder choice?

 

Edit: an epic GC on the Moped NZ m.c page just hooked me up with a PB from an AF18 Dio.

[Abarth]

That 17.5mm dellorto carb is the standard carb fitted to Vespa ET2 / LX50s.

If you do upgrade to a 70cc cylinder the dellorto will run it fine just by increasing the jet sizing.

 

 

[Raizer]

I'm running the same carb with a Malossi Sport 70cc kit on my Suzuki, not a bad combo for a sport grade build.

 

Made a new upper cable for the rear brakes last night, used an inner from a Suzuki front, big crimp and solder

Brakes now work well, but I discovered a bit of a set back for the wheels I'm wanting to run

Turns out these super early Gyros ran 3x75mm PCD hubs and the normal 6x120mm ones don't fit.

May have a solution though...

 

 

Also all the front plastics are turning to dust while I'm trying to work on it, so if any of you guys know of any of these Gyros about that might be looking for a new life as a parts donner please let me know!!

Only plastics I've found in NZ have been for the Gyro canopy model which doesn't help at all.

I can get all the plastics from Japan in decent condition or even new repro, but shipping is way up there from what I can see?

 

Last resort is chopping up another scooter and making something custom like the "Dio X" Frankenstein someone built in Thailand

[xsspeed]

Dont chop it! See if the stacked boys can do plastics in a container from japland maybe?

[Lord Gruntfuttock]

Make fibreglass replacements by molding originals...?

I've been tempted to try this myself, but prob better off talking to fibreglass company as I'd fuck it up and be left with nothing...

[Raizer]

Yeah really not keen to chop it!

 Will get hold of stacked and see what the go is.

 $45 for a decent fairing is fine to me, $250 freight not so much!

 

[MKD]

Solution to plastics and carbs??

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/parts-for-sale/wrecking-bikes/auction-1381476138.htm

[Raizer]

Funny you should mention that auction...

 

So on Monday right after I got the plate sorted I left a question on his previous auction about plastics and a front carrier and maybe a 10" wheel, this was before I discovered my shit 3 bolt rear hubs.

Tuesday he replied with his number so I gave him a call, turned out all his stuff was Gyro canopy so no good to me at all as they share no body panels.

Front wheel and fork etc is all different too.

 

Told him I may be keen on a carb and a few other small bits at least, he was going to email pics and prices on Wednesday.

Wednesday night I found the hub issue and also that the 6 bolt hubs have a different spline so even if I found some they wouldn't fit my engine, rang him back and struck a deal on a few bits and paid him.

As the seller was going to be away this weekend, I asked the mega GC @MopedNZ if there was any chance he could help me out, well he went right out of his way to pick them up late Friday, which brings me to today (yesterday now, damn!)...

 

I've literally just walked in the door from an 19 hour,  827.9k round trip to Tauranga (then Hamilton just cause it was there/meat @64vauxhall etc), and this is the back of my van right now

3 engines, 2 6 bolt wheels with good tyres, 2 carbs missing slides and caps (being couriered to me Monday, there still hanging on the cables...), 2 head pipes and mufflers, a NOS set of genuine Honda variator rollers, the mudguard/engine cover, 2 swivel engine mounts and a tub of random bits.

 

While the Mrs went shopping in Hamilton I sat in the boot and played with my newly aquired treasures, the engine under the cover/mudguards is clean, it turns over nicely, feels to have good compression, but the kick starter assembly appears to be among the tub of bits. The middle engine has been in the weather and seems seized, it can donate it's kick starter assembly to the clean engine and it feels to have a nice tight LSD in it and the 3rd engine has also been in the weather and while it isn't seized I can only turn the flywheel maybe 15° or so back and forward before it locks up, can see the piston moving in the exhaust port, I'm going to strip the bore off and hope the crank is good.

 

Judging by the starter motor position I believe these 3 are the last variant of 2t Honda used in the Gyro range before going to 4t.

Which means there also the widest axle with the best LSD fitted to Gyros

 

I'm kinda thinking that the current OG engine and swivel may have to somehow end up stuck on the back of something like an FA50 or NC50 for lols

 

 

 

 

 

Stay tuned for action!

 

[Raizer]

Got a few hours in the shed to check out the Gyro engines, first off I had a good look at the "semi seized" one

Came out the intake, not a good sign!

Starter motor was seized solid, kick start assembly is in working order.

Whipped the bore off, didn't look too flash in the crankcase

Then I removed the flywheel

Engine turns more or less freely now, can feel the crank bearings are a bit rough but otherwise it's a good rebuild candidate .

 

Moved onto the clean engine, start motor was also pretty much seized, all the kickstart bits, clutch, variator, bendix have been removed, few of the kickstart parts are in a bucket of bolts.

Had been running ok though looking at the plug, clean and shiny down the bore too.

 

Got all the starter parts from the semi seized engine in and working, the solid seized engine had a good starter motor so I swapped it over too.

Bit of twiddling with wires and a "New Racing" cdi

WIN!!

 

/\ Seized engine, still haven't gotten into why it's seized, but it's donated a few parts to the good one, CVT tuning is going to be a prick on the Gyro, the whole axle has to come one to get to the variator!

 

Was going to call it a night, but got a burst of energy...

Late model pivot on the left, turns out my one was totally flogged and sloppy, the 2 I picked up yesterday are in decent condition besides the moss lol

Other bonus is I'm changing from the old engine mount style to the newer one that uses 2 plates

The bonus is I can get another pair of plates made to move the engine back for some stretch.

Ran a tape measure over the engines, outside tyre to outside tyre is 47mm on the old engine, new is about 66mm so it's gaining about 20mm track width.

 

Think that's about where I'm at, need to clean up a variator and clutch and install with a belt, figure out what the 2 extra wires from the engine are for, possibly find a different oil pump cable and get it mounted, hopefully it'll be back on its feet tomorrow!

[Raizer]

Bidding on a pipe in Japan, stacked's next container is months away yet so if I win it I'm going to try out Import Monster Australia.

Have also ordered a decent belt and high speed variator etc from WeBike Japan earlier on too.

Got a few hours in the shed tonight, cleaned up the best of the 2 variators, went to fit the NOS rollers but the ones that were in it already are like new

Just a bit dirty.

 

Spent ages cleaning up the less rusted of the 2 clutches, it is pretty stuffed though so will need to replace it asap

*Ignore that belt*

Discovered that the fully seized engine has a 14mm output shaft while the other 2 are 12mm.

More or less ready to come off the bench.

After a bit of creative work with a trolley jack and a few decent whacks with a plastic faced hammer it's in!!
The engine sits a good 30mm or more further back than it used to, which in turn means the rear brake cables and the parking lock cable are all too short to reach.
The engine came with a Canopy parking lock cable attached, just the fore-section is about 100mm too long and I doubt it will fit under the plastics, so going to have to get creative I think! 

Here is a good example of the difference in width, the old engine had the wheels sitting flush with the body, if not a touch inset

Not sure what the 5kg 10kg sticker is about.

*Edit: Loading of loads.

Front side - 5kg

Back side - 10kg

So at this point I need longer inner cables for the throttle and oil pump, longer rear brake cables, wire it up and it should be all go!
The pivot feels soo much nicer too!!
Have sent the guy I got the engines from a text, hopefully he's got a good brake cable at least.


Cracked into the fully seized 14mm output engine too as I was curious.

Yum.      Took a lot of hammering with an alloy drift to get the bore free, bottom end wasn't locked up

Well that ain't pretty!

Turns free, but the big end bearing feels like absolute shit, bugger.

 

 

If I don't win that pipe up there/chicken out at spending an idiotic amount of money on a spannie disguised as a fart cannon the other option is to adopt a much more common pipe, like this

Pretty sure that is a Dio pipe that's been modded.

 

[chris r]

fucke yeah this is awesome! 

skid vids plz

[Raizer]

Seller pulled the auction for that pipe with 3min left to go even though the reserve was met, a mate in Japan reckons it happens a lot when bidding isn't high enough for the seller.

Was re-listed 2 minutes later too.

 

Little bit more progress today, discovered the basket case 14mm crank engine has some thin fibreglass looking reeds in it, they may come in handy in future!

The factory throttle and oil pump cables were miles too long, on the original engine they went along the inside of the engine cover sides right to the rear then came forward over the engine to the carb and pump.

So I cut them shorter and crimped on new fittings, well I cut the oil pump cable shorter and then used an old Suzuki throttle cable and made a throttle cable from that as it already had the right angled end for this carb unlike the stock cable.

/\ Oil done, was working out length for throttle.
Came out well, at WOT both the carb and oil pump are at full open and there is no way those crimps are letting go in any hurry.

Am struggling at bleeding the oil pump though, can't seem to get anything out of it, I'd seen videos saying to hold the lever full open then use a syringe on the line that goes to the carb to draw oil through, but even with a bit of pressure in the oil tank as well I'm getting nothing at all out of the line.

Routed the cables and ran most of the wiring though the frame



Still need to work out the White/Green and Yellow/Green stator wires, can't find a Gyro Canopy wiring diagram that isn't for a 4t with a completely different set up.


That's not the stator I'm using in my engine, just the same type for comparison

As I mentioned in my last post, the rear brake cables are a bit short for this engine mount, I tried a couple of times to get hold of the guy I got the engines from to buy a Canopy cable, to no avail.

So I picked up a length of m6 all thread and then swung by my old work and had these spun up on the lathe



Perfect!

Chopped the adjustment thread on the ends of the cables down, added a lock nut and threaded on a long nut, then attached the all thread.

Now once I go get another long nut to replace the one that vanished under the bench and finish the other side it'll have rear brakes again.

At this point I think it's just a case of changing the carb's float bowl as this one is leaking from the mangled drain screw.
Prime oil pump.
Figure out that stator wiring (may just get it running with it unhooked and check the voltages, then if possible just ignore the 2 extra wires...)
Make a mount for the coil.
Replace the front shock bushings.
Then it should be ridable again!

Got an email just before, my first Gyro goodies from Japan are on there way!
Still need to find decent plastics, front rack, carrier, 10-12" wheel, exhaust then pull it to bits and paint it/have it painted...

Oh and maybe build a 70cc engine with new bearings, soda blasted cases, Daytona CDI, 10cm mount stretch etc...

 

[johnnyfive]

gyro550 by John Bell, on Flickr

[Raizer]