The Falcon 87 so far!

Quite proud of this one. The first wheel I've ever built from scratch, mostly because the hub was the only thing salvageable from the original wheel.



Engine has proved to be a bit of swine to do, mostly because of my lack of familiarity with the quirks and foibles of separate gearboxs, and other bits that aren't like a japanese 2- stroke.


Second wheel I've ever built.


Back to waiting for bits to be found or turn up from powder coating to be mated to the bits here and under the bed! Back to the Bantam whilst I'm waiting.
Now things are happening I'll update you with progress (when there is some).

Cheers Colin

Well done Colin, never done it myself, mostly because I have a friend who does it for me !, but maybe next time I should have a go ?

JH

Hi John, I thought I'd give it a shot as I have a guy that could fix it if it went wrong just up the road! I've tried a bicycle wheel in the past and failed miserably which thinking back is probably because the rims are flimsy and the spokes are long. Wheel balancing stand was cheap and to be fair I could have made a better one - but with that and a decent spoke wrench (£10 off EBay with different size screw in ends) and following a few YouTube videos, it was fairly reasonable to do. Cocked up the spoke pattern starting position twice on the back wheel and only realised after putting all the spokes in, but that was the hardest bit. The weld on the rim is confusing as the rim 'necks in' where it is, which makes it look out of true. I'd do it again having had a go.

Cheers Colin

Nice work ,never built a wheel but must be satisfying

Colin
I have done a few wheels now, a lot of people think it is hard but providing you prepare properly it is good to do it yourself.
The important thing is the offset, each wheel on each bike is different.
I always took pictures of the spoke pattern to refer too.

Good work on your part.

Graham

Did all of that...even lightly dot punched the hub where the spoke nearest to the valve hole went. When I got the hub back from powder coating the dot had gone and the photos showed the pattern but not where the spokes came from on the back hub because of the sprocket flange - I live and learn, mostly more and better photos!

Cheers Colin

Hi Colin, Nice job well done you must be pleased with the result.
I will be riding to Fimber on the Cruiser 89 tomorrow morning (wednesday) for tea and home made cakes, Looking forward to you joining us there sometime and putting a face to the name. Any chance of the 87 being ready this year? or is that pushing things a little.
Patrick.

Peter, I have new gearbox sprockets and the Club stock has new rear sprockets,
Gearbox sprockets are £18 each payable to me
Rear wheel sprockets are £27.50p payable to the FBOC
Postage would be £4.50p one or both

John H

peter@dunfordconstruction wrote:Hi Colin,

I am also rebuilding a Falcon 87 but somewhat behind you.

Please could you tell me where you obtained you rear drive cog from was it Talon?

I presume you have rebuilt the 20T engine, where did you source your spares for it?

Regards

Peter

Aiming the Falcon to be done by next year. Still got a few pricey bits to sort, like a seat, paint, and exhaust. Peter - rear sprocket and front sprocket came from Piston 197. Most bits and bats came from EBay via broken engines, but mostly from a guy that sold me a James Captain TS20 engine that he'd bought for the barrel/piston and gearchange spring. If you need engine bits I may have spares. Also Feked (I think) and Villiers have a few AMC bits. Gasket set I would get the newest one you can as my NOS one was great apart from the big casing gaskets had shrunk by 1/4" so I have resorted to ThreeBond for those ones. Bearings and oilseals I've sourced from various online suppliers. Any questions ask away

Cheers Colin

colk2004 wrote:

peter@dunfordconstruction wrote:Hi Colin,

I am also rebuilding a Falcon 87 but somewhat behind you.

Please could you tell me where you obtained you rear drive cog from was it Talon?

I presume you have rebuilt the 20T engine, where did you source your spares for it?

Regards

Peter

Aiming the Falcon to be done by next year. Still got a few pricey bits to sort, like a seat, paint, and exhaust. Peter - rear sprocket and front sprocket came from Piston 197. Most bits and bats came from EBay via broken engines, but mostly from a guy that sold me a James Captain TS20 engine that he'd bought for the barrel/piston and gearchange spring. If you need engine bits I may have spares. Also Feked (I think) and Villiers have a few AMC bits. Gasket set I would get the newest one you can as my NOS one was great apart from the big casing gaskets had shrunk by 1/4" so I have resorted to ThreeBond for those ones. Bearings and oilseals I've sourced from various online suppliers. Any questions ask away

Cheers Colin

Colin, You would'nt have a spare AMC gear change lever would you I have been looking for one for a while.

Regards Frank

Colin
Well done with the wheels. Like you it was my first attempt. The rear was easy as it has hook in spokes on one side. The bloody front was a b.......... Got it almost done and then realised I could not get the last row of spokes in. Eventually got it laced up but still need to true it.
Regards Ken

Very impressed with the wheel build. I can do most things on a bike but, never been brave enough to attempt a wheel build. Great work.

Colin, Do those tyres get fitted the opposite way round for front and rear applications? (like the Dunlop I've got on my Triumph T100). If not then as the brake is on the opposite side front to rear on a Falcon 87 then shouldn't the tyre be fitted the opposite way also relative to the brake drum. Yours are the same. Lovely work either way.

That better Fulmar88? You had me going for a minute there. Quick check in the 'winter workshop' (or kitchen as the better half has it) and they are the right way round.

I think the main thing to the build was the rims were straight to start with, not sure how it would go trying to pull out an out of shape rim.

Cheers Colin

I'm either explaining myself badly or misunderstanding your explanation. In the pictures the tread on the front tyre is facing the opposite way to the tread on the rear tyre when the wheels are placed as they would be in the bike. This may be correct as it is like that on my Triumph, the tread pattern is reversed for front or rear fitment. If your tyres aren't like that however shouldn't they be facing the same way when fitted to the bike? It's not a criticism but it'll be a lot more hassle to fix later if they are fitted incorrectly.

fulmar88 wrote:I'm either explaining myself badly or misunderstanding your explanation. In the pictures the tread on the front tyre is facing the opposite way to the tread on the rear tyre when the wheels are placed as they would be in the bike. This may be correct as it is like that on my Triumph, the tread pattern is reversed for front or rear fitment. If your tyres aren't like that however shouldn't they be facing the same way when fitted to the bike? It's not a criticism but it'll be a lot more hassle to fix later if they are fitted incorrectly.

Got you. Metzeler ME22s rotate different directions for front and rear fitments (braking as opposed to driving - which I think is a moot point on the Falcon 87 as I think neither will bother the tyres much). Always worth a check though.

Cheers Colin

Ah ha. Right. Good. Ironically I only know this is the case on my Triumph because I noticed just before its recent MOT that the rear tyre was fitted the way it should be for a front application. It should've failed the MOT but passed for the 11th time since the bike was restored by a previous owner in 2004. I guess the tester either saw an arrow and didn't read the word 'front' next to it or decided it would make little difference on an old clunker and passed it anyway.

The Francis Barnett (or Francis Balti due to it's Indian/Royal Enfield content), is slowly coming together - though its somehow seems to be a spread of years now due to a slight cock up at the powder coaters and what parts have become available! So it will be a '65 with a front numberplate on top of the brand new mudguard, and 2 pin stripes instead of one wide one, etc, etc. First person to mention it at a show within earshot gets a free poke in the eye Not many bits to sort now - exhaust downpipe as Armours are being slow to produce, seat as I may have the wrong pan and won't find out till the frame is back together, wiring as I have to make my own harness, back mudguard will be brazed back together now as haven't found one in a year and a half of searching, ditto the air filter which I've only seen an original on the Heartbeat bikes. I'm guessing it was bitsa when it went in it's shed over 40 years ago. But it's my bitsa, and I'm really enjoying working on it






As you can see it's over wintering in the spare bedroom, and will be built in the kitchen till the point where oil/grease is involved - very understanding missus, adapting to Yorkshire ways admirably.

Cheers Colin

I have just spoked my first wheels also. The rear went well as the hub has slotted holes but the front was a b......d. Got it nearly laced up and realised one spoke was the wrong side of the others so had to do it all again. I think about 5 hours of frustration.

Your bike is looking very good. I am sure it's going to be a fine example.


Ken

Hi your bike is looking good,while reading your post you said you had to do the harness,when I built my model 87 I had the original harness but after a repair it still gave me issues, I found a person called Catmando services and made mine complete with the switch plugs very helpful man, this was 2yrs ago and cost about £75 which was well worth the money hope this helps unless you are going to make your own.

Hi Ken, I'm guessing wheel building gets easier with practice My front behaved and the rear was the problem. But I think well worth the effort....Banjo Boy, I'll try and track down Catmando as I'm sure the frustration of doing the wiring from scratch for me won't be worth the stress! I think Howard at Bournemouth Bantams can also do wiring harnesses for Francis Barnetts, not sure. Still undecided about this one as I don't think I could get a much simpler harness to have a first crack at....might have a go myself, then if it doesn't work I can farm it out.

Cheers Colin

colk2004 wrote:Hi Ken, I'm guessing wheel building gets easier with practice My front behaved and the rear was the problem. But I think well worth the effort....Banjo Boy, I'll try and track down Catmando as I'm sure the frustration of doing the wiring from scratch for me won't be worth the stress! I think Howard at Bournemouth Bantams can also do wiring harnesses for Francis Barnetts, not sure. Still undecided about this one as I don't think I could get a much simpler harness to have a first crack at....might have a go myself, then if it doesn't work I can farm it out.

Cheers Colin

Colin
Looking at those tyres they look like they may be wider than normal. Be careful at the front. Where the guard brace is the gap is very small to the tyre edge. It will be a shame to scratch anything if you have to move the clamps.
As for the wheel building .Its amazing ince you start to adjust the nipples how soon it all becomes rigid. I left mine loose and fitted it in the bike and then centred it between the fork legs equally


Ken

Hi Colin

Here is the link just in case you do farm your harness out.

http://www.catmando-services.co.uk/

regards

Laurence

For all potential wheel builders.  The first set of spokes must always go down into the hub, not up through it.  If you do it the wrong way round, all looks well until you try to insert the down ones, and then you realise that they will not fit as they have to lie outside the ones you have already (incorrectly) fitted.