Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

SUZUKI RM80X

Forkin ’ell! Jeff has been busy on the little Suzi. Must be all that shed time during lockdown and the fact the bottle shop is closed. More coffee, less beer = more work!

-

Welcome back our down under mate Jeff Ware – he’s back on with this off-roader.

G’day! Well it sure has been a while since my last RM80X update, but in that time I have managed to make a lot of progress. I now have all of the parts I need to complete the job, even the correct decals.

The fuel tank is painted and that was a challenge, finding the exact RM80XT tank decals for the Australian version, which is different to the USA version, where all of the decals were available. I ended up buying three sets from around the globe and the correct ones were right here in Tazmania from motographi­x.com.au… My mate Phil Gollan did the paint and repairs; an incredible job for the beer reserves I have left!

Last update I sent the fork inner tubes away to be rechromed. They came back amazingly good, in fact even better than new. It cost me around £215 but was worth it. No expensive beer for me for a while… So I rebuilt the forks with new seals of course. I also stripped and rebuilt (externally) the shocks with Tim.

Thankfully the shafts are good and there is no oil leaking from them, plus they still have plenty of damping action when tested without the springs.

We wire-wheeled and polished the springs and they came up mint. We then painted the shocks and reassemble­d.

The big news, though, is the fuel tank. Chappy managed to find me one at a wrecking yard in Canberra. He bought it for me as a thanks for the RZV500R efforts and he also bought the correct exhaust, as I had been ripped off with the one I bought on ebay as that one was for an 1982 model…

Always be careful, people. There are some real users out there.

The tank was rough and had 1981 decals on it. I gave it to Phil, who is a retired panel beater/spray painter and very talented. He stripped it back to bare metal and what he gave me back is better than NOS, as you can see in the pictures… I think it looks amazing.

The seat cover has arrived as we go to print and I’ve sent the lot off to VCM Cycle Seats in Sydney to be made as new. In the meantime I’ve got the engine to build and paint now that I have all of the parts, plus the job I have been dreading – rebuilding the wheels! I’ve got new tyres and tubes waiting, so I just need to get stuck in.

Next issue we will have a completely rebuilt and ready to run engine fitted to the frame.

Stay tuned and I hope you’re following what’s happening!

?? ?? The tank was a great find but in rough nick and with the wrong decals. Phil identified faults and got to work.
The tank was a great find but in rough nick and with the wrong decals. Phil identified faults and got to work.
?? ?? 1
1
?? ?? 2 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ The tank was stripped back to bare metal then all imperfecti­ons were filled with stop putty. A coat of primer went on, then more sanding, a bit more stop putty and final priming.
2 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ The tank was stripped back to bare metal then all imperfecti­ons were filled with stop putty. A coat of primer went on, then more sanding, a bit more stop putty and final priming.
?? ?? 11 12 10/ 11/ 12/ Tim stripped the shocks and spent hours polishing and wire-wheeling them before painting and assembling.
11 12 10/ 11/ 12/ Tim stripped the shocks and spent hours polishing and wire-wheeling them before painting and assembling.
?? ?? 3 5/ 6/ Five coats of acrylic lacquer in the correct paint code went on next, then the decals and three coats of Super Gloss clear coat. I think you will agree the tank came up well! 7/ I scored this box of RM80X engine parts for £50 from a wrecking yard that was closing down. Inside I found all of the parts I had not been able to source NOS, such as a selector shaft, kickstart shaft, selector forks and more… Happy days!
3 5/ 6/ Five coats of acrylic lacquer in the correct paint code went on next, then the decals and three coats of Super Gloss clear coat. I think you will agree the tank came up well! 7/ I scored this box of RM80X engine parts for £50 from a wrecking yard that was closing down. Inside I found all of the parts I had not been able to source NOS, such as a selector shaft, kickstart shaft, selector forks and more… Happy days!
?? ?? 9 8/ 9/ New steering-head bearings were fitted to the resprayed triple-tree and headstock.
9 8/ 9/ New steering-head bearings were fitted to the resprayed triple-tree and headstock.
?? ?? 10
10
?? ?? 8
8
?? ?? 6
6
?? ?? 4
4
?? ?? 5
5
?? ?? 7
7
?? ??
?? ?? 20 20/ The bike is starting to take shape. I’ll send the seat off now with the seat cover shown and get it profession­ally made like new again…
20 20/ The bike is starting to take shape. I’ll send the seat off now with the seat cover shown and get it profession­ally made like new again…
?? ?? 18 18/ 19/ It is incredible­e how perfect the innerr tubes came back from Radhard Chroming in Brisbane. It was expensive but worth it. I assembled the forks with new seals and fresh oil. I resprayed the top caps, and then fitted the forks to the painted triple-clamps after wire-wheeling the OEM clamp bolts. I’m really happy with the result.
18 18/ 19/ It is incredible­e how perfect the innerr tubes came back from Radhard Chroming in Brisbane. It was expensive but worth it. I assembled the forks with new seals and fresh oil. I resprayed the top caps, and then fitted the forks to the painted triple-clamps after wire-wheeling the OEM clamp bolts. I’m really happy with the result.
?? ?? 13 13/ 14/ I had to drill out snapped shock mounting bolts, a real prick of a job, then tap new threads in before mounting up the much tidier twin shocks. 15/ 16/ 17/ The forks were a mess. They were seized solid and really difficult to get apart: lots of heat (and beer) eventually sorted them out! I stripped them and cleaned them and tidied up the lower legs with the wire wheel and metal polish. I did not go too far as I want that original finish…
13 13/ 14/ I had to drill out snapped shock mounting bolts, a real prick of a job, then tap new threads in before mounting up the much tidier twin shocks. 15/ 16/ 17/ The forks were a mess. They were seized solid and really difficult to get apart: lots of heat (and beer) eventually sorted them out! I stripped them and cleaned them and tidied up the lower legs with the wire wheel and metal polish. I did not go too far as I want that original finish…
?? ?? 14
14
?? ?? 17
17
?? ?? 15
15
?? ?? 16
16
?? ?? 19
19

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom