Series D restoration

[b'knighted]

There's nothing wrong with bitsas. It just means that you can set it up to suit yourself. It sounds like your dad did. Sadly many people remove all the riders improvements in a quest for a return to standard, then they complain that its not as good in modern traffic as they expected it to be.
Hang onto the 2cv alternator - if you ride in traffic and use high wattage lamps you may need to put it back on.

 

[highbury731]

Can the Kawasaki side stand be used in conjunction with the Dave Hills centre stand? What model Kawasaki is the donor for this stand?

 

[Tommy Shields]

There's nothing wrong with bitsas. It just means that you can set it up to suit yourself. It sounds like your dad did. Sadly many people remove all the riders improvements in a quest for a return to standard, then they complain that its not as good in modern traffic as they expected it to be.
Hang onto the 2cv alternator - if you ride in traffic and use high wattage lamps you may need to put it back on.

Mine definately will be a bitsa. As I said previously I am going to keep the front disc brake. I have a French electric start, BTh electronic ignition, Alton alternator and on top of all this a series C engine in a mostly series D frame. The series D frame is not as series D as I thought though. Do you know if series C and D down pipes are interchangeable?
Thanks
Tommy

 

[b'knighted]

Most bits should be interchangable. The big differences were that the D (and some Cs) had a diecast, rather than sandcast, engine. UFM and petrol tank were different with a separate oil tank carried on a seat support frame. The D rear spring over damper is different and fits to the UFM and RFM differently. If you compare the parts lists for Series C and Series D you'll only find a couple of pages different. Effectively only the fuel tank/UFM/spring/RFM set up differs enough to need changing as a set. Some D RFMs did not have the lugs for the rear stand drilled and most didn't have it tapped.

 

[macvette]

Why would anybody put sealant on the filter cap threads, the sealing is done by the 45 degree angle of the face joint.

Mine doesn't

 

[macvette]

Hi Mac
Sorry about the delay in responding but I have not been receiving all my replies. I hadnt realised that I would have to log in to see them. Anyway, I think my father was conned away back in 1984 when he bought the bike. He thought he was buying a seried D black shadow. He actually bought a Seried D frame with a series C engine. From what I remember the engine ran well back then. It had had quite a bit of work done on it. It hasn't turned over since. It was taken over to Greece and sat in a garage until I had it shipped back. Certainly the engine appears very clean inside. The oil looked like new. It has good compression. With regards to breathing, I was going to get the Ducati reed vlave fitted to a series D breather by Conway but they don't have any in stock. My series C has a series D cap fitted so I am going to fit a pcv valve (from a car) to it. I think I will replace an anti sumping valve to it having read several articles explining the benefits. I have fitted a new filter but did not put sealant the threads. I will do this at the weekend. We are still working on the oil feed lines.The bike was a bit of a mess when I got it shipped back to Scotalnd. It had a racing sidecar fitted complete with mini wheels spliced on all round. I have had the hubs spliced on to stainless rims. After much deliberation I have kept the single disc front brake. The alternator was from a French car. I have replaced this with an Alton. It now has Bth electronic ignition and an electric starter from France. All the paintwork has been stripped down and is being repainted now. I have replaced the rear shock with a triple rate unit bought in America. I have repalced the front damper with one from VOC. I have contacted Leighton about a new seat. They will send out a seat base which I have to mount to the bike and then return to them with fittings for upholstering. I have just remembered that my engine is a series C. Will your series D downpies fit?
Many thanks in replying to my post. I hope you don't mind me picking your brains in the future.
Regards
Tommy

I think the down pipes are the same but I've only got experience of my D. Maybe some one with both will chip in. When you fit the seat base, temporarily put a piece of foam of polystyrene on the front so that the height of the upholstery needs to be to allow the seat to fully open can be measured. I couldn't find seat clips which go at the rear so came up with a method using two different sizes of plastic conduit which is unobtrusive and has stood up for four years now with no problem. Feel free to pm me, if I can help ,I will.
Mac

 

[Tommy Shields]

I think the down pipes are the same but I've only got experience of my D. Maybe some one with both will chip in. When you fit the seat base, temporarily put a piece of foam of polystyrene on the front so that the height of the upholstery needs to be to allow the seat to fully open can be measured. I couldn't find seat clips which go at the rear so came up with a method using two different sizes of plastic conduit which is unobtrusive and has stood up for four years now with no problem. Feel free to pm me, if I can help ,I will.
Mac

Hi Mac
We are a wee while away from fitting the seat base (though Leighton has just posted one out). The frame has been sent away for painting. If I get stuck I'll be in touch.
Many thanks.
Tommy

 

[mercurycrest]

Sorry for missing the link you posted David,I was racking my feeble brain to remember the video I had seen the speedo in..
Interestingly the video that atracted a lot of attention out of the looped video I had running at the Copdock show was this

Who can supply instructions/parts list for the Open D's Side stand?

 

[b'knighted]

I didn't think that any Ds were fitted with standard side stands. See post 28 in the recent Series D Restoration thread for one way of adding a non-standard one.

 

[mercurycrest]

I'm referring to the side stand on the open D in the above film. It's shown parked right near the ending.