The Spectre Rebuild

Let's start removing stuff from the bike!!!

Just the bike

Handle Bars Gone!!!

Handle Bars and some of the wiring








She just keeps getting more naked.

Yeah got rid of the pipes. You can see it in some of the pictures above.

At this point I went ahead and put the bike on the stand and got ready to remove the tires forks and swing arm.

Bike on the stand.

God I'm a nerd but there it is!!!

Here me and my helper are working on getting the forks off.

Removing Forks.

Removing Forks.

Forks Removed. Notice the back tire is still there.

Back Tire Removed but the swing arm is still there.

Now all I have to do is remove the swing arm

Here goes the swing arm removal. The thing I love about the web is I don't have to show all the waiting for something I didn't know exactly how to do







This mighta been me accepting defeat. I could not get the swing arm off for the life of me.











God I love google. And websites like this too.

Removed. Nothing but the engine left!!!

After much frustration I found the piece that needed to come off to let the swing arm drop. I thought I had the right piece early on but it's always worth going back and checking the manual to make sure before you start prying stuff apart? But I got it off and now were down to an empty shell of what the bike used to be.

I had to get my buddy to hlep me pull the engine. But we did get the engine out. I bought a 20 dollar from harbor freight to hold the engine while I work on other pieces. Worked out perfect put two 2 by 4's across the dolly for stability since the gap was so large and the engine cradled right in. I can now wheel the engine around the garage



Loosening Nuts

More Loosening

One good lift and it's out

Engine on the Dolly

Frame

More of the engine


Engine

Frame

Frame

And here you go a kawasaki 550 F1 Spectre Frame. Light as can be!!!

So now I'm down to an engine. I'm researching the best way to clean this engine and I'm going to be putting a new gasket set on. I would like to have it powder coated black along with the frame?

Some of the tabs were driving me nuts so I took a cutting wheel to them. I'm grinding down the jaggedy edges that I'm cutting off in the process.

Grinding


More Grinding

And More Grinding

.....More of the same.

I grinded down the tabs that used to hold on the blinkers. I also grinded down one of the tabs in the front that was broke when I got the bike. I think it originally housed some cables or the wiring harness somehow. Doesn't matter I can get better clips from the hardware store for any loose wiring. And I can drill a couple holes for the blinkers. Much sleaker looking in my opinion.

I never use my center stand and it drives me absolutely nuts so I grinded down the tabs that held it in place also. I use the bike stand anytime I have to work on my bike. So that big piece of metal is now out of the picture.

I'll be doing some reading today on engine cleaning!!!!

I started cleaning the engine lastnight. After quite a bit of research I decided to go buy a few wire brushes that attach to your drill. 2 in diamater or less. Seems to be working really well. I've only got a small corner started right now but it seems to be working pretty dang good.

I kind of question if I should put that much work into it just to have it powder coated? But then again I might be able to get it clean and buffed and I might be happy with it? I don't know yet at this point but either way the 25 yrs of muck is going to be cleaned off the engine. I will post pictures of the engine when I get some time and get some good shots of the 'crud' coming off.

So I started the engine cleaning this week during the evenings. I got some of the top done. You can definatly see a difference hopefully you can see it in the pictures?

The left hand side is dirty the right hand side is where I started.















I'm cleaning away? This is a tedious process but I gues I'll grab a 12 pack of henieken and keep going at it

you seem to have created your self a whole lot of extra work for your self. first the bondo job on the fender by the way that is the first time ive ever seen a can of bondo reduced to dust in quite that way. excellent perserverance displayed by you. then to tackle cleaning an engine with a wire wheel and a die grinder excellent.i will say this for you you aren't scared of hard work. by the way awesome pictures. how is the original finish holding up to the die grinder. just kidding have fun with it the only way you can learn is by actually doing it, right. just roll those sleeves up and go for it.

Yes the bondo incident was surely a lesson learned. But like you said timebomb the only way to learn is roll up the sleeves and go for it. Hopefully sooner or later I'll have before and after pictures of the engine and we'll see how it turns out? I don't really know exactly how it'll turn out but it can't really be any worse than it was? So yeah I'm learning hope I don't pull my hair out from all the hard work? :woohoo:

dont feel bad ive been around these things since 75 and im still learning!:laugh: