That Montjuic of mine

Tarka · Jul 12, 2020

Andy...you've done and are doing some incredible work on that bike, but the brake hose routing keeps jarring me.
It somehow just doesn't look right.....should they be inboard of the forks rather than outboard?

The pipes look a bit too glossy in your pics, but we all know that they'll dull down and look proper bad boy in no time at all.

I'm wondering about daring you to give us an itemised rebuild cost sheet. :augie

AndyB_11 · Jul 12, 2020

I’m not sure about the hose routing either, I need to keep them away from the mudguard up to a point and it’s a bit of an odd set up because they go to a manifold that has a pressure switch between the two feed pipes. It’ll work out in the end.

What’s important to remember is that I effectively paid peanuts for the bike when I bought it because it cost me £2.5k due to the uncertainty about the engine spec. Now it’s been stripped there’s no doubt that bike is worth substantially more than that but the bottom line is that it’s not really about the money. It’ll be worth it if the bike ends up where it should be and fortunately time has been on my side meaning I can stop, review where I am and what needs doing then just get on with it.

If I’d had another fortnight I think it would have been on the road but returning to work means I’ve got 2-3 week breaks where I can’t be working on it so I’ll order some sticky tyres, replace the left hand switch cluster which is cracked and doesn’t tighten up properly (it’s the same as a DT125 switch even when new) and then weigh up a few things I think might improve it

I know within a couple of hundred what it’s cost me, I’ve lost track of a few bits and pieces like fasteners, brake fluid etc but the bigger numbers are recorded and I’ll spill the beans eventually.

Tarka · Jul 12, 2020

AndyB_11 said:
I’m not sure about the hose routing either, I need to keep them away from the mudguard up to a point and it’s a bit of an odd set up because they go to a manifold that has a pressure switch between the two feed pipes. It’ll work out in the end.

All the Google images seem to show them inboard of the forks, mate.
A lot seem to have a rigid 90 degree or S pipe from the caliper to just behind the fork slider.

AndyB_11 · Jul 12, 2020

Ok, I’ve not actually looked at photos to see where they show them but I will do before I finish things off.

It had braided front hoses and a very scabby rubber rear hose so I just binned them on the basis that for what it cost I’d sooner know they were new.

I’ve been idly looking at tyres this afternoon and the choice is somewhat limited due to both wheels being 18” with a 3.25” on the back and a 3” on the front with the situation not being aided by the fact that I think it’s a bit over-shod at the moment.

I think it needs a 100/90 or a 110/80 at the back and a 90/90 or 100/80 at the front but it’s got a 110/90 and a 110/80 and I’ve always found that running tyres that are too big makes the steering a bit heavy which is exactly what I don’t want. I’ll go down the usual route of looking on the Laverda forum to see what the general consensus is rather than just winging it though I reckon old be going a bit old school and bunging something like BT45 Battleaxes on it because I know they’re not bad and don’t have a nasty habit of breaking out without warning :blast

It’s nice to be at a point where I’m looking at tyre choices because it means it’s coming towards the end

AndyB_11 · Jul 12, 2020

Tyres ordered along with a pair of Renthal grips because it dawned on me the grips are shot so I might as well have some new ones.

Apparently for road use 100/90 - 110/90 are ‘ok’ but the bikes are quicker responding on 100/80 - 110/80 though the tyres wear faster. Well it’s a no brainer really, I’ve gone for what’s supposed to give better handling and sod the mileage

The tyres? A pair of Bridgestone Battlax BT45s will be waiting when I get home :okay

wassy · Jul 13, 2020

Nice write up. Here’s a picture of my old bike XBR136V that I bought new in 1979. Might help with the brake line set up.

Devon · Jul 13, 2020

Great thread, thanks for writing it up Andy. The highs and the lows of restoring a bike properly: best done with the heart not the head

AndyB_11 · Jul 13, 2020

If I’d been using my head I’d have put the old cylinder head back on the bike, boxed it up and run it at a nice gentle but noisy pace around the western fringes of Cambridgeshire for the rest of the summer then sold the bike.

I’ve hung onto the original cylinder head because in one of the darkest corners of my mind there’s a voice whispering that I should get the cracks welded then source a set of valves from a Laverda Atlas which have bigger working diameters while the rest remains the same, get a set of valve seats made and keep it for a rainy day

wassy · Jul 13, 2020

Here’s another one of my old bike. You can see the damage to the fins on the cylinder head after I crashed it and it hit a car coming the other way and I got a £25 fine for careless driving.Not a lot of grip from the old Pirelli Mandrakes.

AndyB_11 · Jul 13, 2020

I’m guessing there was a lot more damage but you fixed it yourself and left the cylinder head as it was?

Those Pirelli Mandrakes were a bit of an oddity because Pirelli raised the bar for tyres when they brought out the Phantom bit then lost the plot somewhat. The tyre choice now is difficult because of the narrow rims hence me going for what are really an old design tyre but I had BT45s on a couple of old Japanese 400cc race replicas and they seemed ok so I’ll give them another go.

NeilDD · Jul 13, 2020

Andy,
The guy I gave you contact details for can do everything from welding up, seats and new valves of any size and material from S/Steel to Titanium

Neil

wassy · Jul 13, 2020

AndyB_11 said:
I’m guessing there was a lot more damage but you fixed it yourself and left the cylinder head as it was?

Those Pirelli Mandrakes were a bit of an oddity because Pirelli raised the bar for tyres when they brought out the Phantom bit then lost the plot somewhat. The tyre choice now is difficult because of the narrow rims hence me going for what are really an old design tyre but I had BT45s on a couple of old Japanese 400cc race replicas and they seemed ok so I’ll give them another go.

I bought an Alpina frame as the original had split under the headstock and just left the head as I was only 18 and tpf&t. The mudguard was just a generic thing my mate sprayed for me and got the wheel straightened by Hagon.
The bike came up for sale on eBay a few years ago so I contacted the seller and told him the history. He didn’t reply !
Bt45’s or Avon road riders are great I’ve got them on my LC and TDR.

AndyB_11 · Jul 13, 2020

NeilDD said:
Andy,
The guy I gave you contact details for can do everything from welding up, seats and new valves of any size and material from S/Steel to Titanium

Neil

That’s who I’ll be contacting but I need to get a few weeks of paid work in first, this week will be my first full week back after 14 weeks of zero income.

AndyB_11 · Jul 13, 2020

wassy said:
I bought an Alpina frame as the original had split under the headstock and just left the head as I was only 18 and tpf&t. The mudguard was just a generic thing my mate sprayed for me and got the wheel straightened by Hagon.
The bike came up for sale on eBay a few years ago so I contacted the seller and told him the history. He didn’t reply !
Bt45’s or Avon road riders are great I’ve got them on my LC and TDR.

You were doing well to be able to afford the bike at 18 so I’m not surprised you were TPF&T.

My bike was an Alpino that went the other way because of an insurance pay out so the only real difference to a very early Monty is that some had the CR gearbox. Mine is also of an era when it should have MKI bodywork but when it was wrecked the owner went for MKII kit.

AndyB_11 · Jul 13, 2020

Good news for today is that I have the missing parts and when my new tyres arrive they’re being fitted FOC

There’s no way I’d have been able to buy new replacements so he’s lucky he found them. Silver Hammerite is going to be my friend on this job.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

wassy · Jul 13, 2020

AndyB_11 said:
You were doing well to be able to afford the bike at 18 so I’m not surprised you were TPF&T.

My bike was an Alpino that went the other way because of an insurance pay out so the only real difference to a very early Monty is that some had the CR gearbox. Mine is also of an era when it should have MKI bodywork but when it was wrecked the owner went for MKII kit.

I got it on the never never and tpf&t was the cheapest option so I took it. The folly of youth !

AndyB_11 · Jul 13, 2020

wassy said:
I got it on the never never and tpf&t was the cheapest option so I took it. The folly of youth !

When I was 18 I decided it was a fantastic idea to buy a Yam 650 XS2 which was never going to end well. I crashed it after losing it on a corner and bent the forks so cashed in the TPF&T insurance to get the money for second hand fork legs then re-insured it on the drip

Impetuous youth at its finest.

wassy · Jul 14, 2020

AndyB_11 said:
When I was 18 I decided it was a fantastic idea to buy a Yam 650 XS2 which was never going to end well. I crashed it after losing it on a corner and bent the forks so cashed in the TPF&T insurance to get the money for second hand fork legs then re-insured it on the drip ��

Impetuous youth at its finest.

Remarkable any of us survived tbh. I used to clock out of work and jump on the bike wheelie up the road and there was a constant radius left hander less than a mile away that I used to deck the side stand or my Derri boot down on. None of this warming the tyres up nonsense !

AndyB_11 · Jul 14, 2020

wassy said:
Remarkable any of us survived tbh. I used to clock out of work and jump on the bike wheelie up the road and there was a constant radius left hander less than a mile away that I used to deck the side stand or my Derri boot down on. None of this warming the tyres up nonsense !

When I finally get it on the road and running something like right you’re more than welcome to pop over and have a gentle ride around the village.

wassy · Jul 14, 2020

AndyB_11 said:
When I finally get it on the road and running something like right you’re more than welcome to pop over and have a gentle ride around the village.

Thanks, I’m up in North Yorkshire but it’d be worth the travel for the memories !

That Montjuic of mine

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