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As interesting at mattresses are, figured I'd start slinging some pics up of my current project. This is my first full 2 stroke rebuild. I'll probably end up trading/selling it in the Spring but not until I have some fun with it. This one is for sanity and educationamal purposes.
I originally had my winter slated for rebuilding my DR350 (again), but chanced upon an unbeatable deal to replace my adventure bike and get a new top end for the old DR. Now that I have a DR350S in decent running order I'm procrastinating that rebuild. So I was on the lookout for a good winter project that didn't involve disassembling my true love, the KTM, or further mucking with the perfectly good running SV I built last winter, as I had originally planned to do.
Stumbling upon a pile of parts that once resembled a 2005 CR85 for $200, I had to have it. Loaded the heap up in my truck, convinced my wife it was absolutely the smart thing to do (she resists but I know she secretly would want to kill me if I wasn't tinkering in the shop for half the winter), and my fate was sealed.
I don't know exactly what I'll do with it except maybe race my buddy on his CR in the pits somewhere, and maybe annoy my neighbors from time to time. But, I like my neighbors, getting my buddy off his ass to ride is next to impossible, and when I do have time to ride I usually head straight to the trails. So yeah, I hope to come out of this with a sweet bike, a better understanding of 2 strokes, and I'll be happy.
Anyway, the bike:
Pretty much a complete bike aside from a blown top end, shagged crank, and missing bolts/washers/etc. It was originally a CR85R Expert (2005 frame marked RB) with the big wheels, but someone attempted to rebuild it in the past with the small wheel kit and just gave up. Pretty much all stock. With the exception of the forks, pretty much nothing was bolted together. Wheel spacers missing, swingarm bolt long gone, just dozens of little items. On the plus side, basically brand new factory seat and plastics, and all the major parts there.
This is the only pic I got of the actual bike after cramming it in my "shop":
The crank had about six feet of vertical play so I kind of knew what I was in for, but first order of business was splitting the cases for a look:
Gorgeous. Anyone want a lightly used crank?
I especially love how the iPhone flash really brings out the rust. It actually ain't that bad. Lots of cleaning/detailing to do though.
Action shot:
Fully disassembled, all the bits and pieces bagged up and stored, and a few solid evenings of cleaning to get the cases back in usable condition. used my handy little Goodwill toaster oven to drop all the bearings without too much fuss. Midway through cleaning after bearing removal:
Around that time my Wrench Rabbit kit showed up. Went with the WR because I didn't want to drop tons of money into it, it has the most solid reviews for an aftermarket kit, and uses a Vertex piston.
I'll be using OEM crank bearings though, but more on that later.
Cases fully cleaned, bearings installed, time to drop the crank in. Damn I love this tool.
And sealed:
It was at this time that I was inspecting the left crank bearing for the third time and identified what I can only describe as a nearly-imperceptible lack of smoothness. I suspected maybe some stray dirt or something made its way in (despite keeping it covered) but after cleaning and fondling it for many minutes I can't get over it. It should be dead smooth, but it's not.
So, my OCD-ish-type-self can't live with that, and I've elected to backtrack in favor of OEM crank bearings & seals. Another $40 and a few hours lost, but why go all this way and skimp out I guess.
Plenty to do while I wait. So far my sixth order from Rocky Mountain came in today so what's a seventh. Full inspection of everything amounts to a total of about 30 bolts, washers, and other miscellaneous items ordered up, some more critical than others (like a stray missing thrust washer in the transmission, maybe why it tanked in the first place??).
That all aside, two important notes:
1. Yes, the thread says 2007. Yes, it's a 2005. I found a cheap 2007 RB frame with a kickstand and decided to grab it. Now technically I'll have a 2007 (the last year of production for the Honda 2 strokes) and I can start frame cleaning/possibly painting/coating, then sell/keep the spare.
2. Found an unbeatable deal on a big wheel setup last week and it's in the mail now. Excel rear, stock front, and big swingarm, so I can do the full big wheel setup and have a spare set of small wheels to boot.
Having quickly giving up on this being a dirt-cheap project, I'm still doing pretty good budget-wise, so it shouldn't break the bank.
Work is insane now, and next phase is cleaning/prepping the top end, carb rebuild, and some more disassembly/inspection. I'll update again when some actual progress is made.
Can't freakin wait to get her started up, but either way I'll have something to do in the evenings for the next few miserable months.