The slowly does it Indian 741 rebuild

I want to get the forks attached to the frame first.  To do that I need to shim the bottom of the triple tree to make sure that the bearing sits on it correctly and without movement.  I have all the bits I need for that.  What I don't have is the spacer that sits on the triple tree below the bearing and acts as a dust seal.  Jerry Greer's Engineering have the part, item #25 priced at $13 but it costs about $60 to get it shipped to the UK which is just madness. So, I look at the description and decide to have a go at making it myself. They give the thickness of the spacer and the inner diameter and I can measure the recess in the frame for the outer diameter so all I need is some metal.  I go to my garage and rummage around in the corner where I have old off cuts of metal and find something that is almost exactly the correct thickness of 1.6mm, I can't believe my luck.  So I start the process of measuring out the spacer. I centre punch and use a pair of indu...

Painting things is really nice.  It is easy and the outcomes look like you have taken a step forward.  So, I was very happy to get the POR15 paint out, prep the metal and brush away.  Two coats done and dusted.

I thought it would be good to start by attaching the forks to the frame.  I rummage around in the boxes of bits and find the lower headstock bearing and trial fit it on the fork triple tree .  It doesn't fit, it slops around.  The outer bearing shell doesn't fit well in the frame either.  This is a dreadful start because I start thinking that I must have the wrong triple tree and if so what else is not correct? One of the two Indian Motorcycle clubs in the UK which I have joined has a email based forum and it is very supportive of my lack of knowledge and skills.  I have come away from the search on  VirtualIndian  with a plan to move forward.  Nobody that commented on my post suggested that there was anything untoward by my ill fitting bearing and frame, I wonder if this is a sign of things to come.  The gap between the triple tree and the inside of the bearing is clear to see and I am going to fill it with some shim material and bond it a ...

30th November 2024 The start. I had been hankering for a new project having finished the Austin Healey 3 years earlier.  I still have lots of general maintenance to perform on the Healey but I have much less garage time than I used to and I am not having to do the sofa based surfing in pursuit of knowledge that I used to and I miss both.  It was clear that I needed a new project.  It was also clear that it had to be small and not extremely expensive.  I just don't have the space for another car nor do I have the appetite for another 12 year project so my mind turned to a motorcycle. I started looking at British bikes but most are just so small.  Well, have such small engines that I figure I won't actually enjoy riding them.  The bikes with bigger engines are too expensive.  So I started looking elsewhere.  I knew that I wanted something old as all the bikes I like are equipped with girder forks and these tend to be pre war.  Eventually I look...