project franken-lite RAW bike

Here's the back-story: I picked up a 2001 FSR a couple of years ago for next to nothing; the bb shell threads were stripped, the rear shock didn't hold air, braking surfaces were worryingly concave and the bearings in the pivot were shot.

I sorted the bb (with loads of loc-tite!) and then ummed and ahhhed about whether it was worth sending the shock to TF, which I did in the end. I replaced the bearings and got it all set up (decided to risk rim-failure).

First time I took it out for a thrash, the oil all leaked out of the fork in the car :roll: then on the ride, I dropped the seat for a bit of technical downhilly stuff, got to the bottom: no air in the shock. I tried pumping it up, which didn't work and ended up zip-tieing it to get back to the car. It wasn't till I washed the mud off the shock that I saw I'd punctured the shock with the seatpost :x



Anyway, the plan is to fix it up for the Real Ale Wobble next w/e using a beer can and Araldite for the shock, take all the reasonable parts off it and use the ropey-but-lightweight bits I've got lying around to make a light FS bike for thrashing/riding through rivers/not really worrying about. Here it is now:



First question: what beer should I use for the shock-repair?

I will be absolutely gobsmacked if you can produce a patch that will hold air using a beer can and glue. Certainly for any length of time.

If I were you I would take a bit of solid aluminium bar drilled to the correct dimensions as the eye to eye of the shock. That way if it does blow out on the trail you can do a fix turning it into a hard tail to get you home.

Firstly ouch about the shock but it didn't cost much so not much lost really,
Secondly big kudos for trying such a mad-brained Heath Robinson fix on the shock :shock:, Thirdly if you do plunder the bike and the post is 30.9 can I have dibs if you sell it

JeRkY":xw0268xo said:

I will be absolutely gobsmacked if you can produce a patch that will hold air using a beer can and glue. Certainly for any length of time.

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Anyone else got thoughts on this? Could put a jubilee clip on there, too...

My brother-in-law suggested carbon fibre as a fix. Sounds kinda cool but in order to get the cloth, epoxy and all the other necessaries, I'd have to spend more than this project will allow.

kermitgreenkona88":p3re1e9w said:

Firstly ouch about the shock but it didn't cost much so not much lost really

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Well... it didn't until I had it serviced. Then it was about 80 quid :x

kermitgreenkona88":p3re1e9w said:

Thirdly if you do plunder the bike and the post is 30.9 can I have dibs if you sell it

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No idea what size - will bear it in mind, though!

bontyfiend":2jmffoba said:

kermitgreenkona88":2jmffoba said:

Thirdly if you do plunder the bike and the post is 30.9 can I have dibs if you sell it

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No idea what size - will bear it in mind, though!

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and I might be interested in the back end!

Okay! Didn't manage to get this done for the Wobble, so I've got a bit of time to spend on it before next year!
Pics of the shock repair:
BEFORE:


AFTER:


I'm just going to pump it up and see if it holds air; wish me luck! :shock:

whether it works or not, that's a great way to make your shock stand out.. a kind of rat-look bike (for those VW fans out there)

I'm so curious if this is going to work!

kaiser":2ofuyp67 said:

and I might be interested in the back end!

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Ive heard that about you

Great fix,hope it works .Even if it doesnt ,still looks cool as f@ck