Genesis revival

[david.jsy]

So this is the condition when i picked it up after someone had 'streetfightered' it






I got it for £300 from a mate of my brother, after i'd mentioned i was after a 1000 motor to put in my FZX750-R1 (but thats another story )

The lad said it wasn't running right and he'd had a look but wasn't sure what the problem was. I got it to my workshop and stuck it out back under a cover, where it stayed for nearly 2 years! I was just too busy with work and home life to even think about ripping it appart. Until one day i thought sod it i'll get it out and just see if i can get it fired up.

So started taking it appart and hoovered all the spider webs and snail poo off of it I figured i'd strip and clean the carbs, give it some new plugs, change the oil, give it some fresh fuel and give it a try.





Carbs were cleaner than i expected



As for the plugs.........

1 was different to the other 3, 1 had 2 washers, and 1 had no washer!
Also coil leads 1 and 2 were on the wrong way round



Anyway, done all that, got a starter pack and a can of fuel and hit the button.........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kcm8DzAmtrE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18ij9dkDwIk

So with the motor running i started thinking about maybe re building the bike instead of just using the engine. I'd always loved the look of the FZR, especially the white with red speed blocks style. The thing is, i've always been one for modifying the hell out of things, and this one was in a right state. Would take a lot of work, time and money, but I love working on bikes so i figured i'd have a go at it. I started thinking about putting upside down forks on it and maybe putting a different back end on it but in all my searching on the net, i kept coming back to this photo..........


I thought sod it, i'll do a full resto job on it, back to showroom condition


So started the strip down to see what it needed.


New brake pedal,


Wiring loom had been cut to shit,




Did you notice the wood screw holding the coil bracket on ^^^^



This bit of speaker wire was running from front to back of the bike


Loads of broken bits all over it



Tank was rusted through at the bottom




Rad had been 'repaired'



Water system has shit itself



Exhaust can was rubbing on the swingarm



Basically the more i looked, the more i found. But i love a challenge. And love making/fixing things

Thought i'd start with something easy, so made the missing fairing bracket for the right hand side, based on the one on the left side, and pics from the net.

First turned down a bit of solid bar,


Then made the base from a bit of angle



Shaped it a bit, et voila




Next up, the foot peg hangers,



Bit of Ali plate shaped and tacked on





Welded and cleaned up



And a few holes

[david.jsy]

The brake light switch bracket was broken on the other hanger,



So i made a new ring,



Cut it down, and welded it on




Next on the list was the tank. I gave the bottom a good going over and found so many holes in it!!



I decided the best thing to do was to cut the whole bottom off and make a new one







It was about this time that i managed to track down locally a set of plastics that i got for £50!!




They weren't perfect but would do for that price

The back part of the front mud guard was broken, so was the one that came with the bike, so i thought i'd have a go at making one out of fibreglass. I'd never done any before, but how hard can it be?


Turns out it's not that easy

I made a mould by gluing the good bits from one onto the other





Gave it a gell coat



And covered it with mesh and the god awful sticky stuff!!



I think i ended up with more on myself than on anything else!

The next day i tried to separate it but it was stuck fast. Apparently i hadn't waxed it enough

I managed to break it all off to start again but this time waxed the hell out of it, and it worked



It wasn't perfect but a bit of filler here and there





With the mold done i had a go and made this



Again, it wasn't perfect but a bit of filling and rubbing down and shaping




Then a few coats of hi build primer




Not too shabby

[willandrip]

Cracking work mate...that's the way all older m/c's used to be restored....now with the web things are much easier..

Good to see old skills kept alive.

[david.jsy]

Cheers mate, If you like that, you'll probably like the pillion seat cowl i made


It is a bit of a throw away nation now that you can get a new one at the click of a button

But where's the fun in that!

[david.jsy]

Next up, foot pegs.



Just chopped em back a bit and welded a good solid bit onto the end



Then a bit of shaping, and drill and tap the hole for some new rubbers




Job done

Brake calipers were a bit grubby. One of the fronts had obviously seized a while ago



New seal kit was ordered



I tried some Nitro Morse to get the paint off but that stuff ain't what it used to be
I gave up and done it the good old fashioned way with a wire wheel and elbow grease



Then a few coats of paint





New seals





And pads of course

[willandrip]

Cheers mate, If you like that, you'll probably like the pillion seat cowl i made


It is a bit of a throw away nation now that you can get a new one at the click of a button

But where's the fun in that!

The thing is with refurbs...you can get a good used original replacement part so easily nowadays...
If you do it as a hobby,have loads of dosh and time, access to TIG,machine tools,workshop etc then it is part of the deal...
If building to budget and timescale or as a sell on unit then it is no longer feasible. sadly....

I have refurbed from childs tricycles up to railway locomotives...some have cost more to do than if we had rebuild using N.O.S. parts.

[kolederacer]

Very impressive metal work! i would not have even bothered with that bike it was rough.

[Schmo9]

Doing a great job mate....good find with the plastics. Just finished mine...

[kolederacer]

Also if you have something you really cant fix i pretty much have a second parts bike and most of it is pretty good.

[david.jsy]

The thing is with refurbs...you can get a good used original replacement part so easily nowadays...
If you do it as a hobby,have loads of dosh and time, access to TIG,machine tools,workshop etc then it is part of the deal...
If building to budget and timescale or as a sell on unit then it is no longer feasible. sadly....

I have refurbed from childs tricycles up to railway locomotives...some have cost more to do than if we had rebuild using N.O.S. parts.

I sometimes forget how lucky i am to have the tools to be able to make these bits. Just wish i had more time to do it because it's what i love doing more than anything, but damn work normally gets in the way, making handrails and such but it pays for the bits i can't make.
I definitely won't be making any money on this build, but i'm not building it to sell on, this one's a keeper



Cheers Kolederacer, I had originally just got it for the motor, but i love a good challenge


And Schmo9, I've looked through your thread a few times now, you've done an awesome job there. If mine comes out looking like that i'll be a happy man. I might be tapping you for info when i start the re build on mine

[david.jsy]

Also if you have something you really cant fix i pretty much have a second parts bike and most of it is pretty good.

Thats good to hear as i'm not sure i have everything yet, just need to start putting it together and see whats missing

[david.jsy]

On to the plastics.

I'd found some half decent rear plastics on ebay, but some of the lugs were missing so i improvised with a bit of ali and a few screws that'll be filled over and hopefully be stronger than original









This one would have been too awkward to do the same so i cut a bit off a bit of another broken fairing i have and used the soldering iron to plastic weld it together







Bit of a clean up



Fits nicely




I'd been looking for a pillion seat cover but the only ones i found were broken or well over priced, so i thought i'd try making one.

Bit of careful measuring







Little bit of shaping here and there





Then welded up with some tabs to hold it to the seat. It slides on from the rear and pulls up tight and snug









Just needs a pad.

I shaped some plastic and put in some riv-nuts, stuck on a bit of foam and covered it with some seat material





But it came out a bit too thick,



So took it appart and shaved it down



Much better

[Schmo9]

You have some serious skills there mate...awesome job on the seat hump.... I was lucky enough to find one for 50 quid. If I can help at all during your build just gives us a shout...I will be following your build.

[david.jsy]

Nice one

[kolederacer]

looking great!