Having ridden around for a few months I decided that the head race bearings probably needed doing.  The bike didn't feel very stable in corners and had an odd clunk when braking or riding bumpy roads.  I took it in to get it done as I don't have the right tools or the patience to do it properly.  Turns out the bearings were in the top 3 worst bearings the mechanic has ever seen.  I thought it was just my riding skill!  By the time I reached the end of the road I could hardly believe the difference.  The bike felt like a completely different one, almost like it was on rails!  I'm genuinely shocked at how much of a difference it has made.

There seems to be a 'clunk' noise when braking, it sounds almost like the tank is loose and being jolted, but i've checked and it's mounted firmly. What would the next thing to check be? It brakes fine and the suspension travels smoothly.

Ordered one. Let's hope it works!

A couple of pics of the completed bike

I fitted HEL lines to the bike and redid the brakes. Left the lever cable tied overnight and the brakes were very sharp, sharpest of any bike i've ridden!

All my mechanical knowledge is self taught. As said before, the right tool makes a LOT of difference in how hard the job is. I've used basic sets in the past and personally found anything other than the very cheapest tools are more than ok for most jobs. The best advice is read the haynes manual, make sure you understand the concept of what you need to do before you do it, and be prepared to make mistakes, that's the best way to learn fast!

I'm going to get about 5 done this afternoon!

I was like a kid at disneyland. I can't believe how well it's gone considering how long it was left. However I've not taken her out on the road yet, so there may be a few surprises in store! Am going to book an MOT at a garage about 20 minutes away so I have an excuse when I take her for MOT to go the long way round 

0 mph and 0 mph as its on the centre stand?

BWahahaha

UPDATE:


Decided to give it a try and see if she would start. I turned the key, heard the fuel pump go mad for a few seconds (refilling the carbs), then all went quiet. This is it, I thought, the moment of truth. Would all my hard work over the last week pay off? Would the gearbox be seized? would the cylinders have rusted out? I pulled the clutch in and pressed the starter. It sprang to life and turned the engine over with a fair bit of power (bearing in mind all I've heard for the past few days is a 50cc starter motor limping along.


Bugger.


It was turning over fine, but didn't seem to want to catch. I even heard that familiar rumble of it almost firing. Bollocks, thinks I. What on earth could it be, I've gone over everything! Then it hit me. CHOKE! I pulled the choke right out and tried again. This time on the second try it fired into life and jumped straight to about 3 or 4 thousand rpm. I brought the choke off gently and it sat happily idling away at about 1500. She smoked for a few minutes (to be expected, I'd put a drop of oil in the cylinders a few days back) and then sat there purring away. All that's left is for the brake lines to arrive and she's ready for MOT.

The key arrived today in the post (long story) and I turned her on for the first time (giggidy). She's done less than 6000 miles!

Ok, carb cleaned (although couldn't see any varnishing or blockages). The brake switch is ok because as soon as I let go of the brake it stops cranking the engine. Will reinstall the carb once the battery is charged again, am trying to keep it full between starting attempts so it doesn't drop too low.