That Montjuic of mine

My plans to re-shim the valves this weekend have taken a dent due to them not arriving yet but I’ve got the cush drive and sprocket carrier castings to paint, a set of Renthal grips to fit, some fork seal dust cover clips to fit and a couple of tidy little Marzocchi stickers for the forks. If I can be arsed to drive to Bedford I’ve got new tyres that need to be fitted so there’s plenty can be done though the temptation to just loaf around all weekend is very tempting.

Obviously if the shims arrive tomorrow I’ll forget any idea of loafing and get back to the business of getting the engine finished :okay
 
One for Tarka

c39d4bf31dbdfeb4b79a646509ff97e7.jpg


The top clip shouldn’t really be there but it’s a snug fit because there’s a small recess the lower one fits in and the top one will stop the speedo cable rubbing the mudguard.

Basically they’re stainless steel bling but that’s not a crime against humanity
 
:thumb

Looks much better and more "right", mate. :beerjug:
If you don't mind me saying though....have you tried it with the hose retainer loop on the clip at the rear rather than at the front?
I think you'd get a more natural looking curve in the brake hose behind the forks then.
 
Yep, it’s certainly an improvement.

I’ve got the castings that need painting bubbling away in an ultrasonic cleaning tank then I’ll wash them to get rid of the cleaning agent and blow them over with silver Hammerite. I’ll scribble down the sizes I need for fasteners to hold the discs, sprocket, wheel spindle pinch bolts etc and order replacements in stainless steel rather than use the original corroded ones and rely on the valve shims being here when I’m next home in a fortnight.
 
One went passed me in Epping this morning - I'd forgotten how small (compact?) they were compared with the GS etc.

Did look nice, and sounded it as it accelerated away from the lights.
 
One went passed me in Epping this morning - I'd forgotten how small (compact?) they were compared with the GS etc.

Did look nice, and sounded it as it accelerated away from the lights.

They are a bit small but fortunately even though I’m 6’ tall I’m only just over 11 stone so I still fit on bikes that size but it’d kill me if I tried to do a long day on it.

I’ve just gone through all the engine mounting bolts plus other sundry fasteners it needs and ordered new stainless steel ones though I’ll make the final call on using the engine mounting ones later because part of me is saying I should be using 8.8 ones on a bike that old because it’s guaranteed the frame will flex if I really throw some stick at it on a track. Not to worry, they’ll just go in the box of fasteners I’ve already got and longer bolts are something you always need on motorbikes. Obviously I booked them through the company to save the VAT :beerjug:

I’m going away from using hex head bolts with tab washers to cap heads I can drill for lock wire on the discs so I need to remember who’s got my lockwire pliers because I had a nice set but loaned them to someone who didn’t bring them back :blast

The minor epic for today was fitting a new Renthal grip on the throttle side because the original sleeve had ridges running along the full length and with soft grips it’d blister my hand so I had to file them off and even then the grip was tight all the way on.
 
Cheers Neil, I’ll let you know if I need them but it’s only going to be if I take it on a track, threadlock will do otherwise.
 
Apparently the shims for setting the valve clearances have arrived so that’s a job for when I next go home and Mrs B has taken the wheels & tyres to our favoured tyre emporium so they’ll be ready as well. A box of stainless steel fasteners has also darkened our doorstep this week so they’ll be bunged on the bike the same weekend and it’ll have more bling than a 3 month old 1250 toilet 😀

I might be getting a bit ambitious but I’d like to finish the bench build and get the engine in the frame when I’m home then a fortnight later spin the brute up 🍺
 
Baby steps again.

I’m only home for 2 days so even though the shims have arrived the engine has remained untouched because work have been pestering me all day. Nevertheless something must be done so I unwrapped the box of stainless fasteners and set about it.

72a09ea9cec80d6a592dc6301430da94.jpg


I’d ordered low head socket cap heads for the discs and mudguard mounts so they were fitted. After that I changed the scabby old fork pinch bolts for nice new ones, fitted the bearings into the cush drive casting then fitted the wheels.

d03bc2b15a1c418061e88766c1797c54.jpg


I’ll have to drop the front wheel and mess with the position of the mudguard because it doesn’t look right but it was more about getting a few easy jobs out of the way. I’ve got to leave again at about 5pm tomorrow so depending on how idle I feel I might bleed the brakes so that’s out of the way then lock the door on it again.

I think I’m only getting one more day off until the job I’m on finishes at the end of the month then hopefully nobody will offer me any work for a week so I can finish the bloody thing.
 
Well I’m out of work again so the plan is to go back to project Montjuic early next week after we get home from our weekend break watching bike racing in Italy. Part of me wants a few weeks to clear up various jobs on bikes and part of me wants to be working again in about 2 weeks so I need to crack on with things :D

I’m far from convinced that I’ll have got the valve clearances right first time but I’ve decided that if they need shims changing I’ll still bung the engine back in the frame and get everything else back where it should be while I wait for them to arrive and at least I can see if it’s sparking where it should be and if the carbs have decided not to spew petrol all over the place which seems to be a bit of a Montjuic trait :blast
 
I've just seen this coming up for auction locally and my mind drifted back to this thread.

Lot 364 - 1980 LAVERDA MONTJUIC

Looks a really nice one and it actually ticks over....:cool:....

Estimate £13,500 - £14,500 !!!!....I wonder what it will actually go for?

Andy. What's the score with yours? Still got it?
 
Still got it and the engine is still in the stand because I haven’t been able to get hold of the shims I need.

It did occur to me that I can change the shim requirements by lapping the valves in a bit more but apart from sitting down with pencil and paper and looking at whether I’d need to order a cutter to do the job properly it’s been neglected.
 
I've just seen this coming up for auction locally and my mind drifted back to this thread.

Lot 364 - 1980 LAVERDA MONTJUIC

Looks a really nice one and it actually ticks over....:cool:....

Estimate £13,500 - £14,500 !!!!....I wonder what it will actually go for?

ticks over means it will only do 105 mph .

change the exhaust timing , becomes hard to start , nothing much below 6k rpm ..but does 115 mph .

should i dig mine out from the back of the garage ?
 
Still got it and the engine is still in the stand because I haven’t been able to get hold of the shims I need.

It did occur to me that I can change the shim requirements by lapping the valves in a bit more but apart from sitting down with pencil and paper and looking at whether I’d need to order a cutter to do the job properly it’s been neglected.


One day eh?...Glad it's still around..:)


ticks over means it will only do 105 mph .

change the exhaust timing , becomes hard to start , nothing much below 6k rpm ..but does 115 mph .

should i dig mine out from the back of the garage ?


I must admit that the one up for auction did sound more refined than I remember them. They coughed, spluttered and wouldn't run clean until REVVVVVVVVED !!!...What a racket on the right pipes....:thumb

Please dig her out - Let's have a look.....PLEASE.
 
May be mentioned earlier (but I can't be arsed to look) - remember the Bike Magazine test?

The journo was on his way to some Police station to write an article - on his way down he slipstreamed a car at 115mph all the way down the A1, checking over his shoulder in case the Police spotted his speeding.

Go the nick and met the same car - it was an unmarked patrol car! They commended him on his rearward observation....

IIRC the same article had a graphic of him with his skull trepanned, top part tilted over and him removing his brain.....

Happy days.

As JC says - please gizzuss a look-see.
 
Found the photo from the Bike article.

q2tpqom3-jpg.184144


August 1980 edition I think, if anyone has a copy. One for sale on eBay here.
 


Back
Top Bottom