In this series of videos I will be giving you an insight into an average day in my shed and garage, working on various engines, bikes and projects using basic tools and equipment and adapting parts to fit from different engines
Mind you, Allen's XL engine has a VFR750 piston, an oversized liner & Kawasaki rings, so I imagine Michelangelo's door frames were a bit special as well...
His Masters Voice Well, HMV, don’t keep us all in suspense. If you know better than Allen, give us the benefit of your superior knowledge, rather than just trying a put-down. Treatment of magnesium is not an easy process, but it needs some kind of protection. Les
Mine was but not with his aircraft background. He got me into fixing/ rebuilding cars and to this day I go to yard to get used parts either cheaper or that are no longer made.
This man is an engineering genius. So laid back and matter of fact about what he does. I could listen to him all day. He's the Bob Ross of the bike world.
@@randersson3672 You're not wrong. I've watched the Missenden Flyer interviewing him and he just amazes me. No plans, apart from in his head, no drawings, nothing. He just 'sees it working' and builds what he sees in his head. The man is incredible.
I can’t get over how AM takes a saw to two perfectly good engines and makes engineering porn. No disrespect to Kawasaki engineers but why did they not extend their wonderful fours into even more wonderful six bangers.
A friend introduced me to your channel knowing I spend hours watching these type of vids after a 2-10 shift. You sir are an absolute genius and by far the best you tuber out there I’ve got to remind myself to breathe while watching on times you have me mesmerised, Thank you 👍
Hi Allen. I have been watching for some time now. And I love your shows. The skills you have are a joy to watch. My uncle was 11 years older than me I was born 73.and whe I wa 6 and older. I was in awe of my uncles bike collections over the years. I took it for granted what environment I was in. But I loved it. I know now that I had a great childhood around yamaha and Honda bikes. And your shows remind me so much of those days. F'kin class in a glass. Thanks for sharing.
Fantastic, a real eye opener. Can't wait to see the one on head gasket making. Could you also show us some more machining: Cutting piston ring grooves, boring out cylinders, fitting new valve guides and seats? Is it also possible to regrind bearing and cam surfaces, and do nitriding on the BBQ? If anyone knows it would be you!
I am a qualified time served (70's)mechanical engineer and biker since then and Allen is without doubt my most admired engineer and bike builder of all time
god, this video took me back. back in 83, i had an SL125 which always over heated. i stripped that bloody thing down a dozen times but never could figure it out, so i just lived with it. wish i still had it now. any way, great channel
beautiful job,i wish there was more like this on telly ,rather than all the bull____ that we get fed....programmes for car enthusiasts?? i think not...keep doing what your doing - great!!!
Back around 1964 my friend had a BSA Super Road Rocket, we were doing an engine overhaul when a more knowledgeable mate and his friend came along as we were putting the cylinders on. This guy suggested we cover the opening with cloth where the camshaft was to stop bits falling inside, great idea. We completed the reassembly and push started the bike, it soon started to billow out smoke. Then someone said, "did we take out the rag?" We all looked at each other, OH shit!!! We took the thing apart to fine the tattered remains of the rage still in the opening. I can't remember how we cleaned it all out but we did get it going again. We had many disasters in our bike maintenance. It was fun time riding and fixing the bikes with very little knowledge. We really needed someone with experience to guide and help us and a proper place to work.
Fabulous! This brings back memories from nearly forty years ago, when I had a CD175 with a centrifugal oil filter. I recall using a handlebar bolt, rather than a special tool to remove the filter, having read this tip in a Haynes manual. Also, forever having to adjust the points, and once having my legs electrocuted by the metal spark plug covers while riding in torrential rain in Oswestry. Those were the days!
good old cd175 , i have had around 12 of them over the years , i rode one from cambridge to swansea and back via m4 north circular m11 i was about 1 mile from cambridge on return journey and my rear end felt warm , i had an electrical fire under seat and sponge had caught alight ,and of course with seat being bolted on i could do nothing , bike caught on fire and i lost the bike , i had plastic from the seat welded to my trousers lol , i am doing a total restoration of one now and am using a screw type bolt like they have on lawn mower handles to hold seat on ( made from metal by an engineer friend of mine) , so if it ever catches fire i can get the seat off quickly
I liked the video so I went over to my computer and pressed the like button, I then walked back to the sofa and sat down, later I will watch another. Loving the video's Allen!!
I have had some Honda motorcycles in my 75+ years, but I have some body parts I don’t need or have two of that I would swap for the Honda 100. This man is an engineering/mechanical genius. I applaud all his work and efforts. Yes sir, I did subscribe to you and I give you a high five also.
Nice to watch. I mechanice'd bikes for several years, and i saw a trick or two here that i liked, like the paint brush for gasket goo. I always attached a wire to the cam chain to keep it under control during assembly. The CB450 had a cam chain about 2 meters long! When my honda 50 lost the con rod bearing, which destroyed the piston, we had to machine a c110 piston down, on a lathe in the school metal shop,and re-gap the rings, and it worked out fine! Nice video!
The pin kipper remained me of making a set for an old road grader engin, only solution because no parts available for it. I didn't have any stock big enough so I melted down some scraps and cast the blanks then used hand tools to shape and fit. It was still working the last time I saw the machine 20 years later.
I never would have thought a four valve piston would have worked in a two valve engine. Either compression too low due to lack of dome top, or valves hitting piston due to valve cut outs in wrong place. But there you have it.
Anyone who dislikes his videos are just jealous. This man is an engineering genius and the couple of immature jerks who have given these videos a thumbs down is just mad they themselves are not capable of such critical thinking
Kids today don’t know they landed , there’s me aged 8 with a hayes manual working out what’s different between 20 thou and and 22 thou , with nothing but a simple explanation. I think he simplified things sometimes, you don’t just pick a piston and think it’s tight it’ll work and wonder why you got holes in the piston where your valves just embedded ha ha am sure his videos will cover choices with pistons and calibration of what fits and doesn’t work. Reminds me of monroes Indian where it is was backyard engineered in a shed lol . Our tuning shop had one of them , bored out , it was a machine , it was like having a modern cr250 in a 70s twin shocker frame .
Best small motorcycle engine rebuild video I've seen on you tube!,very clear and well explained!the copper gasket trick was very interesting.You sir are a very good watch and subscribing👍
,.,.excellent video ,, I looked at it several times ,,, I have a 1994 xl 185 Japanese motorcycle and it has been 18 years without being used, I would have liked someone with his experience to repair it, but the single one brought and brought to his country would be worth more that a new motorcycle ,, if someday I have enough money to fix it and pay your labor, do not hesitate that you would be my first option to recover my motorcycle heirloom,.,greetings from Colombia,..,,.,.,.
Allen, good video, you keep it fast-paced to keep it interesting and this works. But one must pay attention, because some important details could be lost in the blink of an eye!.. Your findings with worn rings may be what is wrong with my 750 engine I am taking out of the frame now. Good idea to check. Your turning the piston for ring fit is one I may not have thought of, thank you.
Indeed, yes rings are expensive as genuine Honda but always available as single sets which may make them seem even more expensive as currently about £68.00 a set. Always better when you can make use of what you have though, as being a resourceful chap you do so well.
That took me back 30 odd years to when I was a teenager and rebuilt my pals cb100n engine on his mums dining room table 😂,run like a dream afterwards. Cracking video and just subscribed top knotch chap 👍
What a joy to watch. I used to use various 'gasket gunk' and smoothed it on with a finger. Next time, I will use a paint brush, so much better than having red hermatite under your finger nails for a week.
this man is an alien. on what planet do these things go right FIRST TIME!!? I would have gone through 8 Z1000 pistons and about 5 175 pistons.. and probably 5 sleeves... If I even had a lathe.
Thank you so much for making these videos, I enjoy really enjoy them, I raced a Suzuki TL1000R for a while but had a stroke 2 years ago aged 47, so Im stuck at home and cant get out anymore .... so thank you again... I hope to build a Suzuki TL2000cc v4 or 4000cc v8 when and if i get better. Ady Wilkinson #117
I never see one of these in person .. but i really like it. It's a Nice engine. I have a 500xls from 1981 obvius it's very similar . And problemátic heheheh love the video
