PROJECT SUZUKI RG500 PART 2
Our Aussie ace Jeff finally gets started on his RG500 and finds things may need more work than he thought.
Evil Jeff Ware gets his kids to do the work.
I’m supposedly on a health kick at the moment, a typical New Year resolution to cut out the Refreshing Amber Liquid and keep fit. The down side of this is it took me a month to get motivated in the shed as sipping on water (where once was a stubby of The Cool Nectar Of The Gods in hand) is a bit boring. I have discovered alcoholic ginger beer though, surely that’s okay? I’ve taken myself back to the racing days and focused purely on the job at hand rather than shed time being party time! So, the RG500 is behind schedule but not by much… I have stripped it back and done a thorough inspection of the parts and decided to change my initial plans slightly, to include a little more cosmetic restoration than was initially considered, along with some extra engine work. The condition of the original bodywork is worrying and there needs to be some plastic repairs and paint done. The bellypan is cracking, not uncommon after three decades of fuel spillage and vibration, so I think an aftermarket item painted up might be my best bet rather than risking ruining the original. And does anyone have advice on which rotary disc valves and covers I should buy? The wheels are stripped and off to be painted. Everything else that is black, I will paint myself. New wheel bearings are on the way along with new rubber. The rotors are okay, so I am going to paint the centres. The front calipers are good, however, I will be stripping them and rebuilding them as a matter of servicing.