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"What started with a valve check ended up with a rebuild"
Flashback:
One of the first black duke 390 in bangalore, i was excited and there i was taking delivery in 2014 winter.
All the hype, excitement and restless sleep for a week as the SVC guys from EC called me.
7:30 pm sharp i am at the svc. Last formalities and finally a bland handover of keys, no balloons, nobody except my friend who dropped me there and then 1 or 2 svc guys.
All i had in mind was the black beast and nothing else mattered. Took the bike and babied it all the way 5 kms home.
Night i couldnt sleep lol, i had to go out again at 11:30 down Hosur highway just to feel this. Coming from a pulsar 150 this was a totally different beast.
I learnt to handle it in a couple of days, gave it back the next two days as i had completed the required kms for the first service.
Then the big leap after the first service where i started to RIP across the entire power band, ofcourse sensibly on highways mostly. P.S. was never a squid.
Anyways fast forward.... >>>
For a couple of years, i had serviced at all these svc, and i lost trust as the work be it minor or major, it lacks dedication and expertise. The quote "adjust maadi" meaning "adjust karo/ chalta hai attitude" is very apt in these places.
Hence started with all small service like oil change, oil filter change, chain, brake front and back adjustment etc at home only.
Like everyone else comes an itch for a little subtile changes to the bike.
Hence didnt do much but changed handle bars, frame sliders, headlight bulb, front sprocket down a teeth etc etc.
Changed the color scheme a little bit, some pics below
Dont know how to tag and comment on different pics.
Anyways made a clock from the rear sprocket.
Present Day:
Last month i started getting a knocking sound, a slight sound indicating a valve clearance on 1 or 2. Sounded like the other 2 could be exhaust side is ok. Decided it was time to fix. Ordered Vernier Callipers from Amazon, didnt work as it wasnt precise. Then got a screwgauge, took measurements to the dot. Found the intake valves wouldnt even accomodate 0.04mm through it.
Got the correct shims to match in spec and now the clearances are good.
Got a torque wrench and boy oh boy most of the nuts were out of spec where the Svc wrings out the life of each nut and bolt. This also led me to do a rebuild on entire bike. Perfection to the dot.
Then comes the evil mind, why not since we are already here and the top is open, check the valves itself? Dont get excited, stopped here only as it wasnt required.
Now since we have mostly dismantled it, why not a good paint job! Hell yea!!
The Wife wasnt too keen on moving the bike to one of the rooms indoor which i eventually did.
Took the frame to get the paint stripped, and then painted.
Wait hold on, the color will be revealed later. I wanted the top spec quality finish also. Checked many places around from mnc to local (instead of local i could do it myself)
Then found one place and unfortunately they didnt have the testarossa RED like in the ferrari red, hence my next option would be painted. Currently awaiting for the wheels as i got the frame ready and prepped.
Lockdown itself was a horribly thing for bikers, and to make it worse there is a positive case in layout hence we are under 14 days lockdown.
And I DONT have all the parts with me. Im restricted to start the build. Damn. Anyways will update once i have all parts.
If anyone willing to pass me materials / parts it would be HEAVEN.
Ciao.
D
Flashback:
One of the first black duke 390 in bangalore, i was excited and there i was taking delivery in 2014 winter.
All the hype, excitement and restless sleep for a week as the SVC guys from EC called me.
7:30 pm sharp i am at the svc. Last formalities and finally a bland handover of keys, no balloons, nobody except my friend who dropped me there and then 1 or 2 svc guys.
All i had in mind was the black beast and nothing else mattered. Took the bike and babied it all the way 5 kms home.
Night i couldnt sleep lol, i had to go out again at 11:30 down Hosur highway just to feel this. Coming from a pulsar 150 this was a totally different beast.
I learnt to handle it in a couple of days, gave it back the next two days as i had completed the required kms for the first service.
Then the big leap after the first service where i started to RIP across the entire power band, ofcourse sensibly on highways mostly. P.S. was never a squid.
Anyways fast forward.... >>>
For a couple of years, i had serviced at all these svc, and i lost trust as the work be it minor or major, it lacks dedication and expertise. The quote "adjust maadi" meaning "adjust karo/ chalta hai attitude" is very apt in these places.
Hence started with all small service like oil change, oil filter change, chain, brake front and back adjustment etc at home only.
Like everyone else comes an itch for a little subtile changes to the bike.
Hence didnt do much but changed handle bars, frame sliders, headlight bulb, front sprocket down a teeth etc etc.
Changed the color scheme a little bit, some pics below
Dont know how to tag and comment on different pics.
Anyways made a clock from the rear sprocket.
Present Day:
Last month i started getting a knocking sound, a slight sound indicating a valve clearance on 1 or 2. Sounded like the other 2 could be exhaust side is ok. Decided it was time to fix. Ordered Vernier Callipers from Amazon, didnt work as it wasnt precise. Then got a screwgauge, took measurements to the dot. Found the intake valves wouldnt even accomodate 0.04mm through it.
Got the correct shims to match in spec and now the clearances are good.
Got a torque wrench and boy oh boy most of the nuts were out of spec where the Svc wrings out the life of each nut and bolt. This also led me to do a rebuild on entire bike. Perfection to the dot.
Then comes the evil mind, why not since we are already here and the top is open, check the valves itself? Dont get excited, stopped here only as it wasnt required.
Now since we have mostly dismantled it, why not a good paint job! Hell yea!!
The Wife wasnt too keen on moving the bike to one of the rooms indoor which i eventually did.
Took the frame to get the paint stripped, and then painted.
Wait hold on, the color will be revealed later. I wanted the top spec quality finish also. Checked many places around from mnc to local (instead of local i could do it myself)
Then found one place and unfortunately they didnt have the testarossa RED like in the ferrari red, hence my next option would be painted. Currently awaiting for the wheels as i got the frame ready and prepped.
Lockdown itself was a horribly thing for bikers, and to make it worse there is a positive case in layout hence we are under 14 days lockdown.
And I DONT have all the parts with me. Im restricted to start the build. Damn. Anyways will update once i have all parts.
If anyone willing to pass me materials / parts it would be HEAVEN.
Ciao.
D
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