Fun with my Virago's back mudguard & two questions

[Carl_G]

So, when I first started looking into doing my CBT a family friend offered me her Yamaha XV535 practically for free. It was eighteen years old and she'd had it from new, it had done 23000 miles and been stored in a porch off her farmyard. The only issue she thought needed attention was it needing a new back "fender" because the old one was "quite rusty". The front one had already been replaced with a chrome replica, though this had started to get quite a lot of surface corrosion too.

To cut a long story relatively short, and regardless of the fact that I had yet to source a helmet to fit my gigantic head never mind attempt my CBT and DAS, last August I took it off her hands and stored it in a friend's garage. The first thing I did was order GRP replacements for both front and back mudguards, which then sat in the garage with the bike.

I finally passed my Mod 2 in April and the bike just needed a new battery and insurance to get it to its MOT. To be honest I picked an MOT place that was reputed to, shall we say, not be too stringent in trying to find problems in the bikes that were tested. And twenty minutes or so later I was MOTed. I taxed it and was up and running to put a thousand miles or so on it in the next three or four weeks.

I'm not completely stupid and was happy to go with a cursory MOT because I booked the bike in for a service and safety check with a more searching garage. I just figured that if there was a problem that I needed to save money up for I'd rather have a technically legal bike to use in the meantime. Because we were now into prime biking season I had to wait three weeks for the service and in the meantime I had nary a problem with the bike. Though frankly I was aware of how little I knew and the bike could have been trying to communicate any number of problems to me and I'd have been none the wiser!

Anyway, I finally got the bike in to the mechanic and the oil, filters and shaft oil change went without a hitch. He also stripped down and rebuilt the front brake because I'd been unhappy with how shit it was, it turns out that it's just shit though he improved it slightly. He was horrified by the back mudguard though and only let me leave because he'd strengthened it with a cable tie that ran under the back light and attached it to underneath the top box, and because I had a replacement that I promised to put on straight away. When I got it home I attempted to start the swap over and the first two bolts just sheared clean off, without loosening the mudguard at all. It was clear I needed a load of new bolts, nuts and washers before going any further and I finally picked them up today, what follows are some pictures that reveal quite how fucked the back of the bike was!

TL,DR - Bought old bike, rusted to fuck, here's how bad -

Why the nuts never fell out when I'd taken the bolts out :

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/DreadTemujin/Bike%20Stuff/IMAG0029.jpg

The main load bearing part of the mudguard that horrified the mechanic:

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/DreadTemujin/Bike%20Stuff/IMAG0032.jpg

Why did I not think this was an urgent job?:

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/DreadTemujin/Bike%20Stuff/IMAG0033.jpg

New one in place:

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/DreadTemujin/Bike%20Stuff/IMAG0034.jpg

And finished:

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/DreadTemujin/Bike%20Stuff/IMAG0039.jpg

In the unlikely event anyone is still reading, I do have a couple of clueless questions...

What I thought was going to be the easier job of replacing the front mudguard is currently stymied because a couple of the bolts are so corroded that they just strip when I try to undo them, considering the limited space to work in with how the hell do I get them out?!

Beyond the bodywork and slightly shoddy brakes, the only problem I've had, and it's only been in the past few days, is some surging now and again in low gear. It feels a bit like it's struggling slightly and then picks up randomly. Any ideas what might cause this?

Thanks in advance.
____________________
CBT 11/09/10! Theory Passed 12/10/10! Mod 1 Passed 08/03/11! Mod 2 passed 13/04/11!
1993 Yamaha XV 535 (SMIDSYed) 2008 Suzuki GSF 650 (Hire Bike) 1993 Yamaha XV 535 (Resurrected!) 2004 Triumph Speedmaster 790cc (Payout from SMIDSY!)

[MickC]

If it has a main stand put it on it, jack it up and remove the front wheel, you can then turn the lower half of the stanchions outward to give yourself more room to play. As to the running problem try giving the carbs a clean and check the ignition system components are still within manual tolerences.
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[Carl_G]

Cheers

No centre-stand, but I figure I can work something out to get it into the air, so the front wheel shouldn't be too much of a problem.

I'll have a look at he ignition stuff, tbh the problem has calmed down a lot since I made sure the battery contact screws were the right size... That solved a starting problem I was having and it seems to be running a lot better now.
____________________
CBT 11/09/10! Theory Passed 12/10/10! Mod 1 Passed 08/03/11! Mod 2 passed 13/04/11!
1993 Yamaha XV 535 (SMIDSYed) 2008 Suzuki GSF 650 (Hire Bike) 1993 Yamaha XV 535 (Resurrected!) 2004 Triumph Speedmaster 790cc (Payout from SMIDSY!)

[MickC]

We like simple and inexpensive solutions!
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Previous: CG125,XS250 (converted to 400),Z250A, GPZ550, Norton Commando, XS500, 78 Laverda Jota, GPZ1100,Harris bonneville, XV750 (mono shock),TR1

[Rogerborg]

[MickC]

Also try gentle heating with a blow torch, but be carefull not to get it to hot (you don't want to risk damaging the seals), play the tip of the flame around the bolt hole. The stanchions alloy will heat up and expand faster than the bolt.
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XX XXXx
Previous: CG125,XS250 (converted to 400),Z250A, GPZ550, Norton Commando, XS500, 78 Laverda Jota, GPZ1100,Harris bonneville, XV750 (mono shock),TR1

[Carl_G]

Cheers again all

Considering the state of some of the bike those Irwin bolt grips would probably be a good investment!

I guess combining all of the advice would give me the best chance so I'll get on it.
____________________
CBT 11/09/10! Theory Passed 12/10/10! Mod 1 Passed 08/03/11! Mod 2 passed 13/04/11!
1993 Yamaha XV 535 (SMIDSYed) 2008 Suzuki GSF 650 (Hire Bike) 1993 Yamaha XV 535 (Resurrected!) 2004 Triumph Speedmaster 790cc (Payout from SMIDSY!)