Thursday 7 October 2010

Kawasaki Ninja 250 street fighter walk around 95% done

This is my 2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250 that is now 95% complete. The only thing left to remove are the stock analog gauges... they look ugly, stick out, and just don't flow with the rest of the bike. The chain around the seat is designed to be fully functional and can quickly be removed from the bike. I did all work myself, including hand painting the gas tank. The Nos bottle is a the coolant expansion tank that works with the natural vacuum of the coolant system. The headlights 50 are basic fog lights fit inside a mask. Cut and reshaped the chain guard. Chopped, reshaped and reupholstered the seat. Sub frame was chopped, exhaust was chopped and gutted, bar end mirror, fitted a pocket bike tail onto the bike, created an under tail using sheet metal, LED brake light, mini stalk turn signals, license plate is mounted so that it is perpendicular to the ground when the bike is on its kickstand, license plate bolt lights, accent lights on the mask near headlights, crankcase breather filter, chopped the stock front fender, used truck bed liner to coat the swing arm and frame. New GP Brake Pads front and rear, new fuel lines and filter, custom made battery and electrical box. Removed 25 pounds worth of weight. Carburetor is tuned with 110 keihin (100 mikuni equivalent) main jets, needles raised 6 settings higher (using washers), and pilot screws set at 1.5 turns out (this method may not and probably won't work for your bike as jetting is bike specific) Left to do on the bike: Remove ...

Tuesday 5 October 2010

Maintenance Special Columbus OH Lancaster

germaintoyota.net September 2010 Special Germain Toyota of Columbus OH 5777 Scarborough Blvd Columbus OH, 43232 866-456-8859 Front Brake Special - $25 off! -- Includes: -Replace front brake pads or shoes -Inspect rotors, drums & calipers -Check brake fluid level -Road test vehicle Road-Ready...

Sunday 3 October 2010

Press Brakes - Learn How to Work Them and Make Them Work For You

Nothing comes from nothing
To get the most of a tool or piece of equipment, you really need to know how it works. This is true in all lines of work, and for a press brake operator it is no different. Press brakes are wonderful assets to any metal workshop, but only if operated correctly. If they are not, they could end up as expensive pieces of junk. I therefore present to you a few pointers on the proper use of press brakes.

Great drawings = great results
In order for the press brake operator to produce quality parts, she must first have a quality drawing in her hands. A good technical drawing should contain all possible details concerning the part to be manufactured, and the drawing should be made with a specific brake and its tooling in mind, to assure that the part can actually be made on a specific machine. Many specifications of a press brake matter to the work process, and should not be ignored when producing the drawing. For an example, it would not make sense to specify that a part be bent off-center, if this were to exceed the specifications and cause damage to the machine. Drawings must of course contain all necessary measurements, dimensions and tolerances. They should be made by someone who understands the brake, and how a typical work process on it might unfold.

The operator and her press brake
No matter the level of automation a piece of machinery has reached, there will always be a human behind - an operator. That person must have intimate knowledge of the machine; its capabilities and its limits in equal measure. Even bleeding edge press brakes, cnc-controlled and fed by robots - will be worthless if the operator lacks the knowledge to wield the technology. The operator must know, when she sees a drawing for a new part, whether or not the work can be done on her machine. She must know what tooling to use, and in what order. Know whether to use air bending, bottom bending or coining techniques to reach the goal. Knowledge is essential every step of the way, which makes adequate training essential too.

Skimp on the learning, and the quality and productivity will suffer. Knowing the max tons-per-inch limit for instance, could mean the difference between using a press brake to its fullest potential - or exceeding that potential and wrecking the machine by upsetting the ram.

Tooling is another critical subject, and it is up to the operator to choose the right punch and die for the job.
No single combination will do everything, so experience and imagination is required to pick what works best in a given situation. And do remember to check if the tooling is up to its factory specs - unless you want your work to be below par, of course.

Friday 1 October 2010

Motorcycles for Sale - What You Need To Know

Firstly, you need to look at the bike, and look at what kind of condition the bike is in. Look for scratches, or dents, or if the bike has been abused, or if the seat covers have been ripped or torn. If the bike looks slightly damaged, then it is probably best to look at other bikes. If you are able to, look and see if there are any leaks.

One of the most important parts that you need to know when looking for motorcycles for sales, is what type of bike you want. As there are many different types of bikes, and different brands, knowing what you want will help you narrow down the search and will take you half the time to look for you bike. Also consider, what the bike is going to be used for, and how often you will drive it. As this will help you determine what type of bike you are after.

Next, you will need to look at the tires. The tires need to be in good condition, as you don't want to have to replace the tires anytime soon, because of the damage that has been done to them. There shouldn't be all that much wear and tear to them. They should still be in reasonably good condition.

Next, what you will need to do is look at the brakes. The pad of the breaks, shouldn't be cracked, and there should be a quarter of an inch of the pad left as well. If the bike has breaks that doesn't have good grip, or if it squeals, then you may need to discuss this with a professional.

When you look at motorcycles for sale, you shouldn't just look at the price. You need to look at the overall bike and the condition it is in before purchasing it.