new tires & tubes as well as progress on the build

#1
Well I just ordered the new tires (2.5-10) for my Bird Thunderbird. The rims both have some bent areas I will be taking a sledge to this weekend to get the bead back into shape. Found some nice tires at Motorcycle Superstore - Kenda K329 Front/Rear Scooter Tire, with tubes and rim strips for $55.00 + shipping. Then stripping the wheels and repainting.

As for the motor progress, I have dismantled everything short of the cylinder head. Am soaking the rusty flywheel to get the rust gone, used contact cleaner spray on the electrical beneath the flywheel (it was really cruddy), and have painted the engine and cowlings. Cylinder head is black, engine body is high temp orange-red. engine bolts will all be silver along with the exhaust.

I will post progress pictures when I get home.

Any tips or tricks for straightening rim beads?
 

WrenchDad

Active Member
#2
Sounds like you have your work cut out for you. How bad are your rims bent? I'm assuming that happened the same time as the "high speed forks" Mine have some dings in them also but it doesn't hurt how the function so I left them alone. Bending them back by hand was way beyond my skill level. Do you have fenders? I can get you the dimensions if you need them. Let me know if you need any thing.
Good luck with the build.

On a side note when did you live in Brookfield? I knew quite a few people from Brookfield.
 
#3
The rims aren't "bent" per say, they both have a couple spots where the bead is bent in. I will have to bend them back out. I am thinking about clamping on a a pair of vice grips, heating up the metal and trying to bend the spots out. I don't have fenders yet. I was thinking about the fenders for 10" wheels on the OldMiniBikes warehouse site. I will be buying raw metal and painting them to match the engine color.

I was born in Youngstown and lived there till my family moved to Brookfield in 1978. I stayed in that area till I moved to Chicago in 1993.
 

WrenchDad

Active Member
#4
The OldMiniBikes warehouse 10 inch wheel fenders should work fine. if you want bolt hole location measurements let me know. Are you going to spray paint or powder coat?
Keep us posted.



We moved to Pa. in 72 and I grew up in Hermitage (Hickory high school) and Moved out in 91 My older sister married a guy from Brookfield.
 
#5
I would love to have the bolt hole measurements. I want to make sure the placement is correct.

I plan on spraying the frame and fenders. I used VHT paints on the engine and the "red" color that the paint is supposed to be is more of a red-orange. I am thinking I will use the same color on the fenders and the tank, then clearcoat with a gloss finish so that the color is the same but I get some shine.
 
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