Snakebite68

Whether that would cause the problems you've been having, I don't know, but if nothing else, it will stop the leak which is one fewer problems you have to deal with. It's possible that the effects you are seeing are a result of several things... I've never done it personally, but lapping your valves looks straight forward enough. Might be worth doing while you have it open again. Also while you have it open... Get an engineers straight edge and make sure the head is completely flat! No point putting it back together again if it isn't.

There's really not a great deal to tell lol. Most of it (being run over several times, falling from height (I used to free climb), various impact injuries (we used to go mountain biking in the woods (on racers, before mountain bikes were invented!) was just a mix between a youthful flagrant disregard of personal safety crossed with the indestructible-ness of youth. The rest, well, I had a friend whose dad ran an Army adventure training camp in the Lake District. We used to go over for the summer holidays. 5-6 weeks of orienteering, climbing, abseiling, cycling, canoeing, un-officially joining in on the training operations the Army ran out there like mountain rescue... We were woken up at 02:30 (after having gone to bed about 01:00 lol), taken out silently in a Land Rover into the middle of frigging nowhere. We got out, and in the dim light of pre-dawn, I was pointed at a line of hills about 3 miles from where we'd stopped. Given a water bottle and told to 'Find a good place to rest up and break a leg!' The story was, 2 hikers were missing on the hills, the Army was going to assist the mountain rescue. I was one of those missing hikers. I wasn't allowed to attract the attention of the searchers, but I wasn't to actively hide. It took them about 5 and a half hours to find me, they were in my general vicinity more than once (I'd found a ledge half way down a 20' cliff face lol). I got carried down the mountain strapped to two of the old frame burgens... Anyway, we used to have a bomb fire every night with fallen wood we collected in the surrounding forests. Big ring of stones, big pile of wood, half a gallon of petrol and a match. It was my job to light the bomb fire each night. Well, this night, apparently, someone had had the bright idea to help me out and put half a gallon of petrol on the fire for me! Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one... At best guess after the following investigation, There was about 9 gallons of fuel on there when I waddled up with my jerry can..! The ensuing fireball was seen from 20 miles away! Went higher than the surrounding trees (about 120'). It lifted me from my standing point on the ring of stones, and deposited me (strangely unharmed) on my back some 15-20 feet away! Still holding my box of matches and a surprised look..!!! As I say, I was relatively unharmed other than a rather dazed 10mins following the explosion, however, everyone else around me (up to about 30 feet) had singed hair and were not in possession of all their eyebrows!!! Well, that's kind of a snippet of the strange life I've lead... I wouldn't swap any of it, but quite a bit of it has left injuries! lol

Ok... I'm spitballing here, but... When you had the head off, did you: 1/ Re-seat/lap the valves? 2/ Change the valve stem oil seals? 3/ Change the valve springs? Is it possible you have: 1/ Messed up a piston ring? 2/ Tightened either end of the crank too tight? Looking at your pictures, is that a rusty rod on the middle piston? If it is, have you had the bottom end of the engine open?

And would you believe I've never been in the Army? lol Although, it WAS the Army that blew me up once... I find myself mostly resting on that huge hump of a tank. Even with the back injury I'm not really holding on that much. But I do feel it in my wrists from time to time. Strangely, my new V-Strom is kicking the crap out of my back, I'm not used to sitting up that much lol.

Oh, I keep seeing Thundercats around, there's definitely several within easy range of Squires.

And are they all the same now? We could really do with a video of what it's doing WITH sound... lol

Just out of curiosity, how old are you? I'm 53 at the end of next week, and I've been shot, stabbed, blown up (twice), run over (several times), knocked down, fallen from height and have been through a windscreen (from the outside in). This doesn't even account for the injuries from playing rugby in school and a repetitive strain injury on my lower back from an old job bent over a hot sewing machine... Although I've got up and walked away from, almost, all of this, it's taken its toll... What I'm trying to say is: What's up with your wrists? The Ace is damn comfy! Ok, I've got about 1.5hrs on it before I HAVE to get off and have a fag and a stretch to ease my back. You might want to have your clutch checked, mine is light too...

There are a couple of Aces that come to Squires Café occasionally, but I've never actually seen another one on the road in passing since I got mine (2.5 years ago)...

Vivid Red Cocktail! Same as mine!!! The best colour pattern in my eyes (even before I got mine)...

Can't be Firefox, I use that too...

NOTE: The swing arm removal kit should be used for removing the swing arm only and is not intended for normal daily use. The kit should ONLY be used with the Superbike Stand (not Front Lift Arm) and the Sky Lift in the stoppie position (with the front wheel on the ground). Hmmm... Sounds even more dubious! lol 2 8mm bolts holding up my Thunderace!!! I did see that bit, but couldn't find it on the website. Time to save up I suppose lol.

You've got one oily plug, was that before or after the rebuild?

I've just had a look at that Abba Stand, it looks pretty good (although I was horrified when the demonstrator bloke climbed up on the hayabusa he'd just lifted, sat on it, then climbed off the other side. It's obviously safe, but doesn't look it! lol But since it uses the swingarm pivot, I don't see how you can take the swingarm off using it..?

Funny you posted that material, we eventually got a Thunderace – Triboseat... DON'T CUT UP YOUR FAIRING!!! See my post on your other thread..! I've commuted on my Ace now for 2.5 years, it does it great, but it's feeling the pain. Most recently the swingarm has seized up, so I've bought a V-Strom to take the strain off it and so I can strip it down and do the maintenance that it desperately needs. I have heard good things about some of the Chinese fairings. If I had the cash, I'd consider it myself.

STOP!!! I don't have any links, so you're gonna have to rummage yourself, but, there's a company out there that make top yolk and risers that are designed to NOT interfere with the fairing. If keeping the bike with the fairing on isn't incentive enough to rummage the web, Thunderace fairing parts are getting rarer and rarer... Please don't go cutting bits off... lol Out of curiosity, which colour pattern Thunderace do you have?

Drivetrain, everything that is involved with the direct drive of a vehicle from engine to rubber... Chain is just one of them! Guys here are either knowledgeable or just bright, you should get most questions answered to a good degree.

I see no pictures...

That's a 50cc?

The problem with 'endless' chains is that there's MANY ways you can 'do it wrong' or badly. Best to get someone else to do it (someone you can sue) lol

Same with mine, although that's not why I want to take my swingarm off...

I'm in the same boat at the moment, except with a Thunderace, so probably somewhat heavier than yours. Suggestions so far are: 1/ Suspend it. 2/ Turn your footpegs upside down and use axel stands under them. I'm currently considering both options (together)...

Yes, the whole bike is stock apart from the pipes and end can...

THUNDERACE!!! I've not been out on mine all week, I'm waiting for bearings for my swingarm to turn up (I currently have a hardtail Thunderace! lol). Sadness...

How and who with? And is it cheaper than doing it singly?

Yeah, well I'm not going for a multi policy, the only one I've been quoted for was 4 times the amount of doing it separately... It can't be this hard for normal people!