WANTED rated garage/reliable forum member wanting a challenge!

Just finished "detailing" the intruder and im now really pissed at all the rust everywhere, its parked out in all weather no garage and the covers are useless they get ripped and the local cats hide under them when it rains and proceed to slaughter the paint work and seats.

So...

I have wanted to do a lot of things to the bike but I just don't have the time and or the weather is crap, having no garage everything I need to do has to be done outside.
I am looking for recommendations for a trusted mechanic/garage forum member (such as dave r ) to do the following:

Ideally day 1 and 2 deliver bike have all the black plastics, fenders, fuel tank and seats removed so I can take them home and have them covered and sprayed to my design.

Then as is convenient remove ALL the chrome including the forks,yoke,exhaust,engine covers,handle bars etc etc and arrange for them to be stripped and recoated. Fully rust proofed and preferable to me copper coated then sealed so that they stay bright copper .

Replace ALL the exterior/visible bolts with stainless steel/titanium with the heads also being coppered.

Remove the wheels and either source and modify alloys to fit, again coppered or have new stainless steel fatter spokes fitted again coppered along with the rims.

And then rebuilt!!!

Obviously a project for over winter with no time scale, anyone with ideas or the inclination to do said work feel free to post and quote roughly what it would cost, I am not expecting any free labour or time spent on the bike sourcing parts etc I don't have the time/facilities or ability to do the work myself.

Thanks

So not much really eh Justin?

If your going to do something might just as well get it all done and done right first time!

Could you not rent a garage for a few months??

What you are planning sounds great and I'm sure will look ace. But, is it worth doing if you don't have dry, secure storage?  It will look great for a wee while, but the cats are still going to crawl under the tarp and piss all over your bike and make it go rusty,  in no time it will be just as bad as it is now.

Andrew, I live dorwn Sarf! renting a garage is the same as getting a mortgage!! Plus the nearest one is 5 miles away and has no power!

Harry, when its finally on its way I shall be getting a "car port" built! or evicting the neighbours and using their house as a garage (hence the karma points needed!)

ONLY kidding

what you plan on doing sounds good    can't you get a metal shed on skids so it's "moveable" building and you don't need any planning permission.

Good luck with it Justin... Sounds great. Like others have said though, I'd almost be thinking about sorting the storage first and then you could maybe tackle some stuff yourself as well as find a handy geezer for the major stuff....

Pity there's such a distance - I have access to a powered, secure , double garage over at my Dads.  Not used any more (for vehicles).
Oh wait - just had a thought - its no use to you 'Manly' type people as it also has a Dryer and a Freezer in there .  Can't imagine many of you would be be seen dead in such a place.

Ha HA! Ok just to CLARIFY (that's make clear to the northerners!) Feck the lack of garage I CANT be bothered to get dirty/don't have the time/ I HAVE NOT THE ABILITY WHEN IT COMES TO ANYTHING MORE THAN OIL CHANGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111


Happy now!!

Seriously if  I had a house with adjoining garage ie. last marriage/house/lifetime ago! I would probably strip the bike myself and get the work done. BUT I don't and every other option is too much balls ache, I would rather pay a willing/competent/able professional to do the work I cant. 
If my roof needed tiling can you see ME climbing up there in my tutu and doing the work? NO of course not.
If you want it done properly get a Pro, or at least someone with passion who has done it before!

if ANYONE WANTS NEW BLINDS/CURTAINS AND TRACKS HOWEVER please ring 07768733*****

Justin - first of all - thanks for the compliment, it's much appreciated.  Whilst I managed to sort out where to get the stuff done, I did have some help from my cousin, whose a qualified mechanic & Pete helped me last year with the 1400 diff conversion.  If you lived any closer to Nottingham, I'd offer the use of my garage & time, & you could come round & watch how things are done.  But that's not really an option, so I'll make a suggestion.

Back in '01, my Katana had been laid up for nine years & was looking decidedly "tired".  I sourced a local independent bike garage, who agreed to do me a strip & rebuild (this was a complete strip-down to the frame as it needed powder coating) with no time constraints (within reason - they said about six months).  They would do bits & pieces on an "as & when" basis, filling in what would have been dead time when their mechanics were short on work.  I would pop in every so often to see how it was going & give them some cash.  Worked in both our favour - they filled in quiet periods & I didn't have to find a chunk of money in one go.  Took them about four months - would have been quicker, but I kept adding to it. 

I know a bloke up here who may (& I that's a tentative "may") be prepared to it, but again the problem is that it's a long way from where you are, so would probably involve an overnight stay.  If I was in your shoes, I'd go onto local bike forums & ask for recommendations & do some trawling for small, independent, bike garages.  Pop in & have a chat, tell them what you want & see if they'd be prepared to do it.  Emphasise that you're not looking for a rapid turnaround, just a reasonable price.

Out of interest, why copper?  I'd be cautious about plated - I always replace with stainless

Is this "Copper" finish the final process before being Chromed? I've seen bikes with "Brass" fittings and accessories but never copper ones   sounds good though.

I was looking at a Yam XS 850 cafe racer last week with some copper (non-stressed) parts, but I wouldn't have thought copper would have any strength to be used for bolts & I just stay away from plating if I can. You can buy copper bolts, but they're only for light use or in electrical applications

www.chromerestorationspecialist.co.uk/finishes/copper/

Seems he's not on his own with this idea?

I can see how unique it would look, but I'd be concerned about it's durability. But it would look good

Hmm, just clicked the link, they state the copper plating would need lacquering to make it more durable, so the over all cost would be higher and lacquer ain't exactly a tough finish either.

I would have thought anodising would be a better idea.

Thanks guys for all the input, had a look for a local garage but I cant seem to find any with good recommendations down here! a lot of main dealers but scarce when it comes to independents with references?
The plastics are going "green" and will look great with copper, thought it would need lacquering and as our bikes are not really "speed" machines should weather better than a fireblade.
I did think about anodising but the colours are weak unless you like black or red and I really like copper.
I know copper bolts are weak dave I meant ss ones with the heads coated in copper and sealed to match.
The offer is still open dave if you and your friend want to take it on as a winter project I am happy to get the bike upto you (rode it back from Scotland in the rain so how bad can it get?)
Seriously I have this vision in my head (back of johnboss I don't mean I have voices telling me to kill kill kill.............) and I don't have the talent to make them real but I am happy to pay for someone to do it for me.
J

Wish you well with it Justin.  Sounds like you've got a firm idea of the look you're trying to create.

oops sorry forgot to abuse you

I've had a think about it Justin.  I could ask Pete (the guy who's stripped & rebuilt my old Kat a couple of times if he'd consider it), but that'd be down to how many other bikes he had in his workshop over winter.  

Otherwise, if you could get to Nottingham, I could strip it down (with some help from my cousin) in a day.  However - I wouldn't have the time to source a plating company ( I can get resprays & powder coating done, but have never used plating company's), nor would I modify alloys - I know Pete has, & to quote him " I found the experience of changing the spoked wheels for cast ones from the VZ a challenge".  So it'd be a case of you taking all your stuff away, having done what you wanted, then bringing it all back to be rebuilt.  When the bikes been stripped, I could store it my garage - I could push the lift against the wall, then lower the bike onto a couple of blocks. 

The major flaw in this otherwise seamless plan is the fact that you live at least 120 miles away (not sure which bit of London you're at, but my place to Staples Corner is about 120 miles).  So there's no way you're going to be riding the bike up & taking the pieces away with you - can't see that British Rail would be too impressed.  Which means bring it up in a van (with someway of getting it in & out), then bringing all the stuff back up & waiting whilst we rebuilt it - assuming we run into no snags.  I won't rush a rebuild, so you could end up going home bikeless & having to come back for it !!!

I'm willing to do it, but I still think you'd be better off looking for a local garage where you could drop the bike off & pop round every so often to see how it's going

Dave the wheel swap was a challenge because I had to source the wheels, took month's & month's, then had to obtain a new disc from an early VZ, deep dished centre, as the one with it would not fit, had to make some spacers for the caliper but the spacers etc were all the same fortunately so that's why it was a challenge but now I know then it could be repeated again I feel.

C800c or C800 Boss alloy wheels are a direct swap with spoke wheels with no alterations, Just saying in case you like those a well.

Now the Boss wheels look mint.  However, I think that Justins idea would look good with copper rims & hubs, but keep the spokes as stainless - good contrast

Sim, did think about the boss wheels but as its a new bike getting them second hand will difficult and new from Suzuki probably really expensive, but I will look into it.

Thanks Dave sounds like a great idea, I was thinking as no real rush to ride up on day 1 and give you time to strip the tank and plastic parts then get a train back on day 2 (after buying you dinner of course!)
Leaving you to dismantle all the parts that need plating at your pleasure, I could then drive up collect those and return them once plated along with the plastics which would have been sprayed and then I would only have to train it back to collect the bike when complete!
If I go the route of plating the hubs and getting ss spokes instead of alloys I was thinking I would then leave the forks as they are and plating only the yokes etc in which case instead of getting the bolt heads  plated I could just have them swapped for ss ones and the bike would in effect would be a mix of green,copper and ss!!!

Send me a pm with roughly what you think the labour etc would cost and I will start sourcing a plating service.

Thanks

This might sound too cheap and cheerful. But re the copper headed bolts, is there any way you could just use ordinary bright stainless bolts and lacquer them with a translucent copper colour?

Or copper coloured brake calliper paint which must be heatproof...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/222045897926

Let me get in touch with my assistant & I'll get back to you

hawktheslayer wrote:

Sim, did think about the boss wheels but as its a new bike getting them second hand will difficult and new from Suzuki probably really expensive, but I will look into it.

Only new over here, try other european countries ebay for the C800C wheels.

Hold on - you're going to train it back to London carrying a fuel tank  ??? !!!

katsd wrote:

Hold on - you're going to train it back to London carrying a fuel tank  ??? !!!

  Not a chance!    video it and share if you try though 

And a pair of mudguards - have you felt the weight of those things. ?  Hire a Transit with a tail-lift & take everything back in one go .

I can pop over one day Dave/Justin to help rip her to bits if necessary If you want hand, just let me know.

katsd wrote:

And a pair of mudguards - have you felt the weight of those things. ?  

Would that be 01 to 08 or 09 to present? 

Mines an '01 - weighs about 8kg - did they change the design?

Thanks for the input guys, will see about getting bike transported up or wife to follow in car!
Will wait to hear from you Dave

v-twin wrote:

I can pop over one day Dave/Justin to help rip her to bits if necessary If you want hand, just let me know.

Thanks Andrew - I'll give you a shout if it works out