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Phil_B |
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Phil_B Borekit Bruiser
Joined: 26 Nov 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 18:11 - 14 Mar 2014 Post subject: Aprilia AF1 125 Replica - Full Rebuild - Updated 6-11-18 |
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I’ve not posted a lot, but have enjoyed looking through the Show & Tell projects here. So here’s my project I’ve been working on when time and money have allowed….
Aprilia AF1 Replica 1991 Restoration.
For those interested I'll give a little background information. A few scanned photos from when I bought the bike.
https://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p655/Aprilia_AF1_Replica_Rebuild/Motorbikes/img053_zpsee49702b.jpg
https://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p655/Aprilia_AF1_Replica_Rebuild/Motorbikes/img051_zps4e38d0c0.jpg
https://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p655/Aprilia_AF1_Replica_Rebuild/Motorbikes/img054_zps5202c2e9.jpg
I bought this bike brand new back in 1991 aged 17. It was well looked after and regularly serviced until the Aprilia dealer shut, from there it went downhill. I struggled to get other dealers to work on it or get parts and a while later the top end went for the first time. I finally got someone to sort it….or so I thought! Sometime later the top end went again and when I stripped it, I found bits of ring in the top of the piston and in the cylinder head. It looked like the first time it went, they only replaced the rings, and didn’t even bother to look for broken bits of ring. This time, the rings on the piston were intact, but a piece of the old ring had gone down the side of the piston. The bike got covered and left.
In 1997/98 for some reason I'd decided to see if I could get the Aprilia back on the road, the restore was as cheap as possible as I didn't know if I could get it running again, or if I'd enjoy it. A few months later and the top end went again resulting in a nice score down the cylinder and it was left to rust in the back yard.
Fast forward to last year, and I found some old photos of the AF1 and took them in to show the lads at work. They tried to persuade me into attempting to rebuild it, but I told them I probably wouldn't be able to get the parts. A search on the internet brought some interesting finds.
There will be lots of photos in this thread, showing both the appalling state of the bike and the restoration of the salvaged and bought parts. Hopefully some of you will find it worth following the project. There will be some times of inactivity, mainly due to having limited time and waiting for work to be done by others. The aim is to get it running by summer, although the paintwork may have to wait until this winter. I was under no illusion that this would be expensive, and it would probably have been better to buy another but where is the fun in that. Plus this was mine from new, so holds some good memories.
And the restoration began....
Over 2 weeks I stripped the bike in my kitchen (nowhere else to do it!) to assess the damage -
https://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p655/Aprilia_AF1_Replica_Rebuild/Aprilia%20AF1%20Replica%20Stripdown/StripStage1_zpsfb04b9a8.jpg
https://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p655/Aprilia_AF1_Replica_Rebuild/Aprilia%20AF1%20Replica%20Stripdown/StripStage2_zps3bad2d3e.jpg
https://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p655/Aprilia_AF1_Replica_Rebuild/Aprilia%20AF1%20Replica%20Stripdown/StripStage3_zps4b234df8.jpg
https://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p655/Aprilia_AF1_Replica_Rebuild/Aprilia%20AF1%20Replica%20Stripdown/StripStage4_zps3568e89d.jpg
https://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p655/Aprilia_AF1_Replica_Rebuild/Aprilia%20AF1%20Replica%20Stripdown/StripStage5_zps26419172.jpg
https://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p655/Aprilia_AF1_Replica_Rebuild/Aprilia%20AF1%20Replica%20Stripdown/StripStage6_zpse3c8705a.jpg
From the list of wrecked parts, I knew that the rebuild would be expensive. The finished product will in no way be worth the money spent, but it’s not about that. It’s about bringing the Aprilia back to life and reliving my youth.
Last edited by Phil_B on 21:36 - 06 Nov 2018; edited 1 time in total |
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Phil_B |
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Phil_B Borekit Bruiser
Joined: 26 Nov 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 18:20 - 14 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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Phil_B |
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Phil_B Borekit Bruiser
Joined: 26 Nov 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 18:21 - 14 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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Will post some more soon |
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chris-red |
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chris-red Have you considered a TDM?
Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Karma :
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Posted: 18:26 - 14 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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You are very brave.
Good luck it will be rewarding when done. ____________________ Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything. |
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Bendy |
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Bendy Mrs Sensible
Joined: 10 Jun 2002 Karma :
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Posted: 18:34 - 14 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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Let her go man, you're just extending the pain for both of you |
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GSTEEL32 |
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GSTEEL32 Traffic Copper
Joined: 24 Feb 2010 Karma :
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Posted: 22:04 - 14 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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Watching this one with interest... ...... I've found mine surprisingly resistant to British weather ..... are you planning respraying back to the original design ? |
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Phil_B |
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Phil_B Borekit Bruiser
Joined: 26 Nov 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 23:47 - 14 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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Brave or stupid Chris....it's a fine line!
It's too late to let go Bendy, the project is too far on.
Yes, I'm hoping to restore it to how it was with as little compromise as I have to. I've not gone for the original engine colours as the colour match for the browny colour was going to be hit and miss, most of it is hidden anyway.
I've got lots more photos to post, the state of the engine is.....special
I'm pretty pleased with how it's going, albeit quite slowly at the moment. Will put some more on tomorrow. |
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Kickstart |
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Kickstart The Oracle
Joined: 04 Feb 2002 Karma :
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Phil_B |
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Phil_B Borekit Bruiser
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Kickstart |
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Kickstart The Oracle
Joined: 04 Feb 2002 Karma :
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Carl_steveo |
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Carl_steveo World Chat Champion
Joined: 23 Jun 2008 Karma :
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Posted: 00:54 - 15 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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What the fuck did you store that in??? A lake???
I'll be following this. It makes me feel more confident about my NSR that needs rebuilding. ____________________ Current: Honda Nsr 125
Live: Sunderland
Luke "cant be arsed to read your post, but suck my balls anyway." |
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Phil_B |
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Phil_B Borekit Bruiser
Joined: 26 Nov 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 08:58 - 15 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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Cheers Keith, will look into that
The bike did used to live in my kitchen when I moved. The idea was to get a shed but when it died it got moved outside. It used to have a cover on, and for a while I did keep looking on ebay to see if it was worth stripping and selling off. There were never any AF1 parts on there. Eventually I completely lost interest in it, the cover ripped and fell apart and it got left to rot. Hindsight is great, never thought I'd be able to do anything with it.
One thing you'll see in the next few posts I make Carl, is anything is possible with the availability of parts, the ability to throw some money at it, the patience and willpower to succeed!
This project has been/still is expensive, and I could have gone and bought something bigger and better for the money I've spent. But for me, this project isn't about that. I'm lucky enough to be in a good place right now so I can afford to do this properly. For me, this is something for me to do, to get my hands dirty and my mind thinking. I'm not even sure I'll enjoy riding it once it's finished, I'll only find that out at the end. |
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c_dug |
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c_dug Super Spammer
Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Karma :
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Posted: 09:26 - 15 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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Watching with interest ____________________ I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock. |
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mintex |
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mintex Nova Slayer
Joined: 10 Jul 2012 Karma :
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Posted: 17:51 - 15 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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Maybe we can look out for parts for us both bud as i start to do to my Af1 too lol |
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Phil_B |
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Phil_B Borekit Bruiser
Joined: 26 Nov 2013 Karma :
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Tamsin |
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Tamsin World Chat Champion
Joined: 07 Mar 2014 Karma :
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Phil_B |
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Phil_B Borekit Bruiser
Joined: 26 Nov 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 20:12 - 15 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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I was under no illusion as to how bad it was before I started, so nothing has come as a big surprise - this has made it easier!
I've replaced all the badly rusted parts, I can't imagine there would have been much metal to weld too
Will post the engine photos tomorrow, something else to laugh at |
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mintex |
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mintex Nova Slayer
Joined: 10 Jul 2012 Karma :
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Phil_B |
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Phil_B Borekit Bruiser
Joined: 26 Nov 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 16:34 - 16 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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Phil_B |
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Phil_B Borekit Bruiser
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Posted: 16:57 - 16 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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mintex |
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mintex Nova Slayer
Joined: 10 Jul 2012 Karma :
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Posted: 19:53 - 16 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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You've taken some good pics mate, good idea, i think i shall be doing the same once i start on the engine |
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Phil_B |
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Phil_B Borekit Bruiser
Joined: 26 Nov 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 20:13 - 16 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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Cheers, will see if it works when I come to put it all back together |
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fraggie |
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fraggie Two Stroke Sniffer
Joined: 15 Apr 2012 Karma :
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Phil_B |
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Phil_B Borekit Bruiser
Joined: 26 Nov 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 21:09 - 16 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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The engine has tabs on the edge to aid splitting the cases. This is how the rotax engine manual states to split them. The mating faces never come in contact with the screwdriver |
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Tamsin |
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Tamsin World Chat Champion
Joined: 07 Mar 2014 Karma :
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Posted: 22:10 - 17 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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I did wince a little when I saw that... |
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 10 years, 85 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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