KE175 restoration project: - Long term!

[Gazdaman]

Well, I bought a crap Audi 80 from a mate, and he chucked in a Kawsaki KE175 free. It's in about a squillion pieces, but apparently it's all there!

The plan is to restore it back to nice, neat shiny condition.
My mate has started, stripping it back to the frame, frame has been painted black, front mudguard resprayed nicely, bashplate nicely sprayed.

So I think really it's just a case of clean everything, polish shiny stuff, powdercoat some stuff and bolt it all back together and hope for the best.

Anyone know anything about them? Or even better, got a PDF manual?

Gaz

[Gazdaman]

So in the past 8 months, I've got this far, and that was from spending about 20 minutes on it today.

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1108.JPG

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1105.JPG

(Looking at those photos now, something's really not right, rear ride height is lots lower than I suspect it should be. Might have the swing arm mounted in the wrong place, but I don't think so.)

What I did was, put the swing arm on, using the old swingarm caps (have had one new one machined up, need to get a second one done).

Popped the forks back in the yokes, both wheels on, loosely bolted the sidestand on and bolted the bars on.

It's mainly so I can move it around, because I'm moving house to one with my own garage. Also with it as a rolling chassis I can put it on my hydraulic bike lift.

Although tbh, it'll just come back apart again, because pretty much everything needs powder coating, and the stuff that doesn't need coating needs mega cleaning/polishing.

But I can imagine it taking shape now! The project doesn't seem quite so daunting now.

Gaz

[garth]

Looks like you mounted the shocks where the rear pegs should be.
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[Gazdaman]

Yeah, looking at the rough shape of it, I reckon they should mount roughly at the top of where the chain adjusters would be.

It's only to roll it around anyway, so doesn't actually matter.

Now to find a decent, cheap powder coater in Leicester!

Gaz

[Gazdaman]

Yep, definitely mounted the rear shocks in the wrong place.

https://p1.bikepics.com/pics/2007/07/09/bikepics-957353-full.jpg

Gaz

[stevo as b4]

If i was building up a nice KE175 i would personally fit a set of KMX125 front forks and wheel on it. I know it ruins the classic look, but with 17-18bhp and a 70mph+ top speed a front disc brake would be a great move, and the KMX forks are better and have alot more suspension travel 235mm. If you get some decent taller rear shocks then you will have a nice increase in ground clearance, and better suspension performance for off road and better handling on the black stuff too.

[Gazdaman]

Appreciate the input but this rebuild will be as original as it possibly can be. When I'm done I want it to look how it rolled out of the showroom in 1976.

It'll likely be barely ridden, I might potter to the shops on it on sunny days, or I might sell it as soon as it's finished to fund the next project, who knows.

Part of the challenge is keeping it stock, because parts for it are getting really tough!

Gaz

[Gazdaman]

I did some more stuff!

Bad part is, I undid the work I did in the previous update. I stripped it back down again:

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1141.JPG

This is now my 'to be powdercoated' pile. In there is the frame, bash plate, yokes, and one fork leg. The other fork leg doesn't want to play ball right now.

Also started stripping the motor down, I'm planning on getting the casings powder coated. I also want to get the head and barrel done too. Anyone got any input on that? I'm guessing it'll mess with the head dissipation a bit?

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1139.JPG

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1142.JPG

I did get the clutch and basket and associated gubbins off too, but I seem to have neglected to take any photos.

Also, if anyone has a three bolt type generator puller I can borrow, it'd be appreciated. I have two different generator pullers, and of course this bike has to work on not only a different size, but a completely different method.

Bah.

One thing I do like about the bike is the carb is actually under one of the engine covers, and a large part of the engine casting is an empty void, making a part of the engine an air box. Which then attaches to the actual airbox. Which I assume essentially means it can run submerged up to the top of the air inlet in water.

Gaz

[warped one]

Looking good.

I asked about getting the barrels on my GT done.
The guy said that they would just mask off the important parts and the heat generated in the oven is no where near hot enough to warp them or need a hooning so all should be fine.

Warped
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amnesia - Never in the history of usernames has one been more accurate. Warped indeed. You sir are a fecking oddball.

[Carvel]

Imo I dont think it's a good idea to powder coat the barrel. I was looking into doing it to my RD I was advised not to. I think it runs the risk of as you say, messing with heat dissipation, causing hotter running and siezing up, but i've seen a number of people have no problems with powdercoated barrels.
The bikes coming on lovely btw .
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2002 Aprilia RSV1000R, Cbr600Fs, Mk1 B12, Vfr400 NC30...

Matt B: I can deal with crushed nuts to beat Ollie.

[Gazdaman]

Cheers, I think the major progress will come after the first major batch of powder coating. Then I can get it to a mint rolling chassis, get it up on the bike lift and can take my time doing all the crappy little fiddly jobs.

If anyone sees any cheap KE175s of the same era for sale, I'm in the market for a second bike for spares.

Gaz

[Sachstasy]

Love old school bikes like this.

Also, Whereabouts are you in Leicester? I've just moved here!
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2002 Sachs XTC Racing.

[Gazdaman]

Just moved to Hamilton, although I've lived just off Narborough road, near De Montfort uni for two years.

Gaz

[Gazdaman]

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1173.JPG

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1177.JPG

Chopped the spokes to get the hubs and rims powercoated and then I'll rebuild them with stainless spokes.

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1193.JPG
Whipped the generator off, nearly breaking my new 3 bolts puller (which ironically only came with two long bolts).

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1196.JPG
Stator plate off using my impact-screwhead stripper. Then I used the impact driver on the bolts holding the cases together, it whizzed off 3-4 without any trouble and beautifully stripped 3-4.

So I'll likely have to drill the heads off the remaining bolts to split the cases.

Without splitting the cases, I can't powdercoat them. And I don't want to take a batch for powdercoating without taking everything at once.

But it's getting there, and recently I managed to score a NOS 2 stroike oil pump and a NOS tacho from a KE125, which is similar enough for me!

[satelliteone]

aint that engine just like the Suzi GP125 design...nice build bud.. keep it up.

I owned a KE many moons ago.. dam rapid bike. from what i remember, then again i did weigh like 9 stone back then. Probally be a bit slow with me on it now..lol

[Gazdaman]

No idea about the GP125.

These bikes are claimed to make 16bhp when they were spanking new. So I very much doubt it'll be very quick! But hopefully it'll be a fun bike to nip to the shops.

Hopefully the bike'll be mint when I'm finished. It might not be the most faithful reproduction but it'll have a cracking finish.

Gaz

[sniff6]

[Gazdaman]

I'm just not fussed about proper originality, and the value of it is fairly unimportant. It cost me nothing, and I'm doing it up as a project, not for the resale value. Obviously I'm not going to be sticking a digital dash etc on it.

But I will be powder-coating the rims black, which are originally chrome and things like that.

It'll look fantastic, but it won't be completely true to form. But I will be using period indicators/mirrors and stuff like that. It's more about the finish that'll be on it, and things like the rev counter will be from the 125 model.

I'll go for a stock paint scheme too.

Gaz

[Gazdaman]

Borrowed a tiny cold chisel off a mate, and tapped round the stripped screws.

So the cases came apart:

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1206.JPG

Gearbox and crank out:

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1208.JPG

Now it's a case of cleaning up the cases, knocking the bearings out, and painting them up. Probably in engine enamel. I don't think engine cases really lend themselves to powdercoat, since there are so many areas that would have to be masked off.

Gaz

[Gazdaman]

I did say it was a long term project didn't I...

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1369.JPG

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1370.JPG

So I took the frame, swingarm, rims, hubs, drum plates, cush drive, side stand, rear brake torsion arm, fork lowers, bash plate and yokes to Newtech powder coating in Leicester for shotblasting and coating.

I left the inner races in the headstock, but I knocked the wheel bearings and cush drive bearings out.

I was quoted "About £100" for the lot. All going gloss black, other than the rims and bash plate which are going gloss silver.

Next purchases (which will probably have to wait until next month are spokes, new rear shocks and fork seals to get to a rolling chassis. Ideally I'm thinking of getting the stantions rechromed because they are a bit pitted, and I intend to do an A1 job of this.
So if anyone knows of a cheap place to get them rechromed, gimme a shout.

Gaz

[Tim..]

Had forgotten about this lil' project.

I'd chrome the rims though, the powder coat will get chipped.
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Project builds: My VFR400 nc30 build thread + Honda Britain Rep VFR + What? Another VFR +Project 'cos I want one' + V8 coffee table
www.marshallracing.co.uk
OCD - Helping to bring the standard of my bikes up and make me slowly go mad since 1999

[Gazdaman]

[Gazdaman]

Powder coated bits are getting picked up in the morning, so stand by for an update tomorrow hopefully!

For anyone reading this, I am after a few parts, I need an ignition switch, clocks and an exhaust.

I have the latter two, but they're not in great condition.

Gaz

[Gazdaman]

Sneaky peaky:

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1424.JPG

I'm a bit disappointed to be honest. On the frame they've coated straight over the bearing surfaces for the head bearings. I thought that would be obvious that they'd need masking.

And I said they should powdercoat over the steering lock, which they did, but with the cover off at an angle! So those'll need some prodding to make them acceptable.

Other than that, the finish is good, the box of misc black bits, like the swingarm, side stand, hubs etc look very good. The wheels and bash guard look excellent.

The fork lowers are poor, not sure if it reacted or if it didn't take to being shotblasted well or whether the surface was nastier than I remember. But it's all badly pimpled, but sharp pimpled, like you powdercoated a rusty surface.

I just spent £750 on my car, so I've come home to sulk, I couldn't face unwrapping everything, so I'll do it tomorrow and get some decent pictures.
I've ordered the new spokes for the wheels, so first job will be to build up the wheels, then the forks, then buy some tyres and rear shocks then get it back to a rolling chassis.

Gaz

[Gazdaman]

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1425.JPG

So here it is, in all its glory. First impressions are that the finish is pretty good in general. The frame and swingarm are good, nice glossy, smooth black. As are the side stand and rear brake torsion arm.

Then the rims and bash plate done in gloss silver look very very good. Almost chromed.

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1434.JPG

But the rest of the parts aren't as good, the finish is very rough, to the point of being unacceptable.

Fork lowers:
https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1429.JPG
Brake plate:
https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1430.JPG

The hubs are the same, and they powdercoated straight over the braking surface:
https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1427.JPG

And I did ask them to powdercoat over the steering lock, but I thought they might get the cover straight over the lock!

https://www.gaz-racing.co.uk/images/vehicle_1431.JPG

All in all, not impressed. I've fired off an email with photos to the powder coaters, and I suspect the suspect parts will be going straight back to be re-done.

Gaz