I Got My Tdm900 Back

[leehenty]

After spending quite some time away attending to the those numerous problems life throws at you, health issues etc, I got my beloved 2002 TDM900 out of storage ready to fettle for next year, as I'm going to the Pico's de Europa with my younger brother. He will be on a Honda 1200 Crosstourer.

She's been well cared for in dry store with everything drained down.

 

Unfortunately, the Master Engineer (aka Dad) passed away in January 2018, a great loss of skills, knowledge and experience.

A nearly new Royal Enfield Classic 500 came into my possession in May 2016, which I took to Spain later on in 2018 on a solemn mission to leave someone's ashes on a specified mountain. It made the 3000 miles in 13 days with few issues.

 

Quite a lot of mods have been done to that one, the Master engineer left detailed instructions. Roughly 20% of the bike was binned and parts replaced with my favourite material.

 

I have moved home twice, have a new workshop and will be entering the ranks of the retired next March. (Zimmer frame and Tena pants on order)

 

Much has yet to be done, the new workshop is an amalgam of the best of my kit and Dad's kit.

The biggest problems have been the new digital readouts, setting them up to older scales and bringing the electrical safety interlock wiring up to standard.

 

Various other projects have also been requiring much of my time, including setting up a metal workshop for Rushden Mind with the leftover machinery and tooling, to help older people improve their mental health and wellbeing.

 

[wicklamulla]

great to be reading yer posts again Lee and we're sorry to hear about yer Dads passing. I reckon you will be busier from next march onwards. 

[muddy]

Great to see you back and know you're well, though sorry to hear about the loss of your dad and all your travails Lee. I'm glad I got to meet him one time at a fettle day. Big changes in your life to adapt to there mate.

 

I, sadly sold my TDM to Fixitsan (so a good home) for a Royal Enfield Himalayan, so don't really post here anymore, but I do check in and read posts from time to time. I've also lost my dad, had some family issues and moved a few times too. I'm up north now and love it here. It feels like I'm back in the England I remember as a kid. Now I've got an air cooled single I do all my own servicing--you'll be relieved to hear that maybe Apart from a few quality issues, the bike is a hoot, even though I rarely go over 50 mph on the lanes. And it sups at a consistent 80 mpg too

 

Really pleased to see you post again and know you're OK.

[dapleb]

Welcome back Mr Henty you have been greatly missed.



Very sorry to hear about your dad. I could tell how close to him and proud you were of him just from your posts here.

[ramotdm]

Great to hear from you Lee :good:

[Matlock]

Great to hear from you again Lee and so sorry to hear about your Dad's passing. The best of luck for the future and I hope you have a long and happy retirement  :good:

[Gdog]

Glad to hear you're OK, sorry for your loss chap.

 

Sounds like you have plenty to keep you occupied in your retirement 

[dablik]

Cor blimey Lee, good to see you back matey it's been awhile, you may not know i left my lovely old niner in Spain in permanent retirement and since have bought another mk1 which is currently in lots of pieces, easy this engineering stuff fella

 

Sorry to hear news of your Dad, pretty sure he was a great inspiration to you.

 

Dont be a stranger and enjoy what's probably the best fettled 9r in existence..

[leehenty]

Muddy, I am sure the "quality" issues can be solved with the application of some stainlessness I have also gone the Royal Enfield route mine is very shiny. Like going back to 1950 the Classic is.

[Studley Ramrod]

Good to see you posting up again Lee.  Sorry to hear about your Dad passing away, I know you'll miss him and his sage advice and knowledge of all things engineering.

Sounds like the future's brighter though, new workshop, bike back on the road and more leisure time to enjoy it. :good:

[leehenty]

Dablik so something went wrong or you had some sort of off, to have to abandon it, not salvageable is it ? The reason I ask is that I have become black van man, Fiat Ducato with ramps for bikes.

This post was last modified: 28-11-2019, 02:17 PM by leehenty.

[drewpy]

welcome back Lee, sorry to hear about your dad.

 

Glad your getting yourself back into it again

Muddy, I am sure the "quality" issues can be solved with the application of some stainlessness I have also gone the Royal Enfield route mine is very shiny. Like going back to 1950 the Classic is.

 

pictures pretty please?

[alanfavell]

Glad you're back :good:

[leehenty]

Pictures of the RE 500 Classic, hope I got this right. I bent the rear brake fixed pivot post in Spain, it has no flange inside the drum backplate, so I made a new one, it also needed a new backplate and shoes as these were bent by my big hill abuse. Picture in mist and gravel is Goramendi in Navarra Spain where I left the Master Engineer. Took me two hours to get up a rough track.

 

[attachment=o12687][attachment=o12688][attachment=o12689][attachment=o12690][attachment=o12691][attachment=o12692][attachment=o12693].

This post was last modified: 28-11-2019, 04:41 PM by leehenty.

[leehenty]

I also didn't like bar ends in two different diameters, so I made my own... Stainless of course.

 

 

[leehenty]

Many parts were changed, indictators, valves. guides and piston, primary chain, drive chain, wheel bearings. Made my own head steady as the horrible steel stamped bit was prone to breaking and non adjustable. Most bolts and studs thrown away. Made my own crash bar braces from thick wall alloy tube and made my own adjustable ends. Stops the bars twisting around the down tube. Later, the plastic bits became proper alloy clamps sourced from China. I didn't like the lever pivots being a bit loose so the levers flapped up and down like castanettes at idle, so again made my own from a brass sleeve and stainless pins.

 

Black tool tubes in crash bars housed tools one side, engine oil the other. No shims in this one it's hydraulic tappets like a Harley. Front exhaust had to be wrapped it's easy to melt your leg of your kit. That massive one inch dia drive shaft, 530 chain and a huge 46mm nut the Indians deem neccessary, to safely transmit all of the massive 27.4 HP :rotflmmfao: Later style crash bar alloy clamps shown below, all of £7.50 a pair delivered.

The bracing bars had to be shortened to allow for the alloy clamp centres being different and this is where my using Loctite 638 originally to hold the threads in made things very difficult. Heat and lots of heat.

 

.[attachment=o12695][attachment=o12696][attachment=o12697]

This post was last modified: 28-11-2019, 09:43 PM by leehenty.

[dablik]

I take it you've been burning the midnight oil again Lee, looking good :good:

[TKH]

Sorry to hear about your troubles but good to see you back.

[leehenty]

I have been quite a busy womble, the engine internals are good, cnc machining and all that, but the cycle parts like wheel spacers etc and fasteners are not to my standard. 

She isn't fast, maybe 80 odd flat out but it's not that sort of bike. Ruby is her name. Smiles per mile is very high.

[Robodene]

Sorry about your sad loss and problems. Glad to see you back to your Carpe self.

I do spy a very comfy saddle, I think. Full of springs.