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Dan's 1VJ resto mod
Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 8:01 pm
by cadno
hi
I have previously restored and still own a XT600 Tenere 34L which I love.
But I've always thought the 1VJ to be the best looking Tenere. So I went out to procure a 1VJ to restore.
I bought a 1VJ off Geoff off this forum it came completely disassembled in boxes and turned out to be in nice original condition. I'll put some photos up on another thread.
However whilst restoring the blue 1VJ I came across James in Edinburgh's machine. I was working up there and we came to a deal with quite a few handy parts like an extra tank and seat.
Seen as it wasn't complete and not particularly nice I decided to modernise it without losing it's character, and I prefer modified bikes.
So the plan is to finish this third XT and for me and my two brothers to ride the three Tenere's from the UK down the French coast, across the Spanish coast and then down the Portuguese coast, and maybe end up in Morocco.

Re: Dan's 1VJ resto mod
Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 8:09 pm
by Mezo
I edited your post to make the pic full screen, go to
https://postimages.org/ and set up an account, instructions
HERE.
I love the look of this bike.
Mezo.
Re: Dan's 1VJ resto mod
Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 12:03 am
by Oldiron64
Dan, when I was reading your plans for the resto mod in an earlier post I thought I’m not going to like this one but now that I’ve seen the photo you’ve got my attention.
Looks great.
Re: Dan's 1VJ resto mod
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2020 8:40 pm
by cadno
I've got a few more photos I can share and an apology.
I've been restoring bikes for quite a while now and my system is that I usually have one on the go and in the meantime I amass parts and rework/rebuild parts for the next resto. It saves a lot of time and enables the bike sitting in the wings to get a good start when it's time comes.
Here are the photos for the YZ250 top and bottom yoke.
They will be vapour blasted before fitting. Basically you press the YZ stem out and press the XT stem in it's place, you can also see we've pinned this critical part, and that judging by the damage on the bearing area some monkey's been in there before.

Re: Dan's 1VJ resto mod
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2020 8:50 pm
by cadno
I had a very poorly motor that I got with the frame from James.
This gave up its barrel but the head that came with it was really badly oil starved. Apparently if you lap the head and top cover you can gain enough to line bore the cam journals and salvage the head. But not this time.
So I got the head off the 3TB motor I bought and cleaned and vapour blasted it, then resprayed it. Unfortunately whilst rebuilding it I noticed a bent valve. So that was pressed out by a specialist near Liverpool and a new guide and valve fitted. They also three angle cut the valve seats while it was there.
The barrel was bored at Grampian in Liverpool and 1st oversize piston bought.

Re: Dan's 1VJ resto mod
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2020 8:57 pm
by cadno
and then we're on to the carbs.
I have a friend with a powder coating and vapour blasting business so I stripped the carbs and vapoured them. They always look magnificent after this treatment. But never be tempted to try and use them after this process without thoroughly cleaning them. First I give them a good wash in just water and then they go back in the ultra sonic cleaner. If you haven't bought one yet, crack on, you'll wonder what you did before owning one.

All the little linkages, screws and carb top will be cleaned and sent for electroplating at Alchemi in Chester.
Re: Dan's 1VJ resto mod
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2020 9:00 pm
by cadno
Hopefully this week I'll get the exhaust and fork legs back from ceramic coating and post some photos....
Re: Dan's 1VJ resto mod
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2020 11:44 pm
by Mezo
cadno wrote: Sun Feb 23, 2020 9:00 pm
Hopefully this week I'll get the exhaust and fork legs back from ceramic coating and post some photos....
Lovely work Dan,
Time to break out the popcorn.
Mezo.
Re: Dan's 1VJ resto mod
Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 12:48 am
by cadno
thanks fella, appreciated
Re: Dan's 1VJ resto mod
Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2020 1:57 pm
by cadno
Got some parts back from the ceramic coaters Camcoat in Warrington this week, I use them for all my ceramic coated stuff.
Expensive but good work.
Brand new Arrow Dakar coated in gloss black...

and the fork tubes in the same colour....
