I am enjoying this series with the Blackbird and I don't like being an armchair critic but the only bit of advice I can give is throw away that adjustable spanner they are a sure fire way to round off a tight nut and bolt

Just a suggestion, ditch the adjustable spanner, nasty bolt rounding tools. 😊 Great series of vids, keep going 👍

Only thing that would worry me to be honest mate, is NEVER use copper grease on rubber. It swells the rubber and ull get leaks.

Yep, adjustable spanners are the best bolt / nut rounder-offers!

I started watching this series thinking your a "Mad Bar Steward " taking this on. However what a compelling journey this is becoming, no fancy heated garage doing it on the drive takes me back to how I worked when I had my many earlier bikes. Respect !!

I think the front brake cables are swapped. The shorter cable needs to be on the other side. And for the throttle bodies, use silicone spray not copper grease

NGL, I've been eagerly waiting for an update.

Use some tubing (5mm ID, which I sell online lol) and a syringe to pull all old brake fluid out through the bleed nipples before undoing the banjo bolts. Then when it's time to fill and bleed them, top up the reservoir and use the syringe to pull fluid through into each caliper (always start at the furthest away on the front), then bleed as normal, otherwise it can be almost impossible to get pressure in the system. And for the throttle cables, would be much easier to do those before fitting the throttle bodies 😎

Unhook throttle cables from grip first, the attach engine end first the connect again at the grip.

As an Oil Rig mechanic of 30 years, I'm really enjoying this, especially the honest learning curves. Keep at it it's going really well. Please ditch that adjustable spanner though, they're awful and cause more problems than they're worth lol. Looking forward to the next vid

Be careful with that radiator, i brought a new radiator off ebay, had the same issues with fitting the fan, but after a year of use the 2 lower cores started expanding, so ended up buying a second hand original. Bike was a 2001 fireblade. Loving the build, by the way. Keep up the good work.

I love that you are new to this but still giving it a go. For all the haters, maybe they should buy a broken bike and fix it "properly" the way they want it. And as for spanners, adjustables should be a last resort as they open slightly under pressure and round off nut & bolt heads. Use the correct spanner if you can as this could save you damaging nuts & bolts. Also socket extension makes life more difficult keeping the socket square to the bolt. Only use them when access is restricted or your wrench could wobble or get misaligned. Keep it up as seeing someone with really basic facilities is refreshing.

Can't help thinking that it would be a much better end finish if you cleaned up the re-used parts, nuts and bolts before refitting. It's pretty cheap but takes elbow grease and time though!

Get a set of proper spanners bro. Broke my heart seeing u use the adjustable on the brake lines.

going great - cant wait for the first attempted start up - it's a Honda, it shoud just run - fingers crossed

Nice to see you having a go good luck for the future project

Coming out so good

Sticking with it and doing great Rye. Absolutely loving this content, keep up the good work👏 Thank you!

90% of aftermarket rads need manipulating to fit. unfortunately their tolerances are awful. tip never use copper slip for anything related too fuel/ seals if u can avoid it as it has metal filings init. also dont know if u have had a chance to read my previous comments, my company is happy to offer heavy discounts on parts required for this venture! hit us up should u need help.

Whilst you may not want to fully restore each part, if u find a rusty bracket or bolt, paint on a little Vactan; it will change the rust to a nice black colour and also help stop more rust forming, or the part failing. Good luck

On the next project maybe get a small wire brush and some wet & dry paper on the rusty bits like the radiator fan mounts and some Hammerite Direct To Rust paint in them for some protection. No need to go mad, just get the flakey bits off and smooth the surfaces a little. Loving the consistency, 100k subs by the end of the year I reckon.

Careful with that brake fluid. It can do nasty stuff to your paintwork , though powder coating is much more resistant. I always cover everything with rags just in case.👍

i understand you are working on a budget and that is ok, but when you have acces to rusted brackets for example it is easy to put some new spraypaint on them and it would make all the difference in the end, surely it will not cost much money nor effort to do so, for the rest i like your channel, i had a blackbird once and i am enjoying every minute of it, thanks

Tip for next time. Disconnect throttle cables at the grip and attach to throttle bodies before you fit them to the bike. Whole lot easier and quicker. If the intake rubbers need a bit of lube use a silicon spray. Copper grease not meant for rubber parts. Been an interesting build, looking fwd to seeing the end result .

Well done heat and also shock will help removing bolts copper grease is not as grease as easy on again you could have used hot water to expand the throttle bodies also could you have fitted the cable first fantastic effort

This is my dream bike and had one back in the days and it is my life's Biggest mistakes to almost give it away! One year plan to buy one back and modify it to it's glory! Nice vids and great to see you do this work!

great job considering your a "newbie" well your obviously naturally tallented ( i'm time served ) love the vids !

Lowering by 15mm is going to make the bike turn in much slower, my BB had been dropped by about the same amount when I bought it, raising it back to standard made a huge improvement in handling.

Mole grips are a must have !

Why do people remove linked brakes ? i`v had a few on vfr`s, i think they`re a good idea imo.

Bro, I love your channel. Especially with this Blackbird I'm a big Honda fan.

Getting there👌

Ur getting on well. Taking shape 👍🏻 I just bled my brakes yesterday, bit odd bleeding the rear brake via the 2 front calipers I know but I do like the linked system. Ur gonna have a great bike in no time 👍🏻🏍

Don't use an adjustable spanner as it will make it easier to round off bolts. Use red rubber grease on anything rubber, copper grease can damage it and act as grinding paste if it gets into the engine!

Absolutely loving the build so excited for the next episode

Loving this so far.

enjoying the series on the blackbird. However im sure your more than capable of a wire brush and a tin of spray paint alongside some new nuts and bolts. Im only saying it as its my pet hate however I know not everybody is the same. However it will just finish it off that little bit better specially when youve gone to the extent of an engine swap.

I love this channel Iv been riding bikes since I was 12 I havnt owned one in years due to personal issues but this summer I’m going to get a cheap 600 and I will be Binge watching this channel and keeping snd eye on this project, much love mate great content

Love this build m8

If you struggle to get bolts undone, warming them with a gas heat gun can help.

Mate it’s your build your project so do it as you like. Love this build think your doing a great job

Couple of tips for undoing the bolts. Hold back with another spanner when trying to undo troublesome bolts like that brake one. Use the closed end of the spanner, more support for the bolt head. Use a cheap blowtorch to help with siezed bolts, heat makes a huge difference! (If your planning on more restoring videos!) Great job so far! I just noted this to try to help !

Great episode as all, My BlackBird Unfortunately it broke down after breaking the chain and damaging the engine. I had to sell it. Now I'm looking for a second one. :) Cheers M8

I am assuming you don’t have a garage? Makes this stuff ten times the work so well done for soldering on. Those wavy discs, I had some new on my Zx9r and had to change them for round ones as they had a throbbing, on/off effect whilst coming to a stop at junctions.

As others have said, get rid of the adjustable spanner, those things never fit the fastener properly, and are a quick way to round stuff off! And get a bigger ratchet to give more leverage on stubborn stuff, and give things a whack to “shock” them undone, as putting slow rotational force is also another way to round stuff off. None of this is criticism, you’re doing it, and you’re getting stuck in, so keep at it!

Hi mate great video. Just something i seen. The front brake pipe on the left hand caliper looks quite tight. Im suspecting the pipes need swapping over so more slack to furthest caliper. 👍

The rear brake might feel a little hard and not quite as good, the master cylinder is sized to move more fluid than it will now that you have de-linked, so less pedal travel. I had the same issue with my X11 so replaced it with one from a fireblade now it is all good. Mine also has manifolds so that all the caliper pistons are used instead of just 2 on each, plus a custom made front caliper brace that replaced the secondary master cylinder.

Good vid . Great to see you making progress. I'm no mechanic, but happy to share my (limited) experience. Rusty bolts - I've used Bulldog BDX, and it seems to work better than wd40 for rusty bolts ( more expensive but easier than messing something up) I try to use open-ended spanners, not the adjustable , especially when bolts are rusty and tight. Similar , I try and avoid the socket set extension, unless I have to. Less chance of rounding them off.

4:52 I think you got the left and right hand lines mixed up --- longer line on the LHS.

Tip. Don't always us an extension bar on your ratchet. If you need to reach in somewhere of course. But for rusty nuts on the likes of the rad fan, you'll crack 'em open quicker minus the extension bar.

Thanks for posting, Im rebuilding a Honda cub at the moment, I had lost motivation but this has inspired me to be a move on for summer. The money you are spending on the Blackbird is just a fraction of that needed to rebuild a cub, they are a small fortune to buy in the first place.

brilliant . i only finished my 99 blackbird . fitted engine ect

This is so inspiring. I found your channel from this blackbird build. I am also a novice building my first bike so i k ow each and every emotion you are feeling😂😂

When you were loosening the caliper mount bracket with the Allen key it's easier to push down than pull towards you, if it's really tight you can slip a ringer spanner over it. You can also link two spanners together if your slackening a hex bolt that's tight

Great job so far Rye. For the frame I’d just tidy up using Simoniz Satin tough paint leaves a lovely finish and easy to use (plus durable and fuel resistant!)

Great progress, well donw

keep it up. loving the build so far. !!!

Fair play mate

Are you going to do a valve clearance check/adjust?

Buena idea por qué esa moto tiene mucha potencia y poco freno.

i get you didnt want to fully strip and restore each part etc.... but why not get rid of the corrosion on the frame, add a little etch primer and simply rattle can some satin black over it? would it be perfect... no, BUT it would stop the corrosion and make it look a damn site nice.... same with the fan etc. Wire brush, something to stop remaining rust, some etch primer, and satin black paint... frame and fan would be less than £20 and take a few hours tops (especially while the engine was out would have been soo simple... i get youre learning but bare corroding ali isnt going to stop corroding and its still open to the elements, where a little time, little £, could have stopped that. your call of course, but i think youre trying to save a few £ where in the long run, it may be costing more... good luck and have a craic

Cannot beat a 200pcs halfords advanced socket set usually have all the sockets and spanner you will ever need plus they have a lifetime warranty.

Really enjoying this project and great work so far. Please don't use adjustable spanners unless you really have to though, awful things.

Good series mate. Did you test the radiator fan to see if it was working before refitting it? If not I suggest you do before you put all the body work on and find it doesn't and the bike overheats and you say " Bye Bye"" to your new engine.

Don’t use shifters on a bike use correct spanner.

can't wait to see it running. will you be giving a run down of what it cost to do it.

Glad to see you have the priorities right, sod weeding or cutting the grass in your drive 😀Concentrate on the Blackbird🏍

Ahhhh! Dont use copper grease on rubber, it can eat away at it. The best stuff to use is red rubber grease, or a silicone spray if its only needed to help fitment

Pop down halfords and get a brake line spanner. Maybe a tenner and worth every penny for next time

The rebuild is going great. The old brake fluid looked properly nasty!

Entertaining videos thanks. I have massive sympathy with you having done a similar restoration project myself. Although I appreciate the 'sense of fulfillment' in restoring I learned my lesson the hard way and now I let someone else do the hard work and suffer the financial loss, and buy one restored! I, like you (and many others), will have spent massively over the value of the bike, my question being will you inform us of your budget? I'm sure others would be interested. Thanks. Good Luck.

Great series, good luck with the finishing bits 👍

I absolutely approve of getting rid of the linked brake system. I wouldn't want that on my 'busa! Don't get discouraged by the problems that arise. You will have a really nice bike when you are finished. Maybe get a rear sprocket with one more tooth. That would give you more pep when you roll on the throttle. I have faith in you man, the Honda will be very fine!

Brake lines could be removed after taking the calipers off right? adding sideways force on calipers while theyre in the disk might cause the disk to bend. Even slight bend in disk causes unstable / wobbly braking

Doing a great job pal, I’m enjoying the build. One tip though, stop using an adjustable spanner, they’re shite.

go halfords get advanced socket sets 1/4 inch also get hex sockets and extensions 1/4 inch , get half inch breaker bar with few sockets , set with few hex sockets you need for major body parts like swingarm , , get hex sockets also. looks like your struggling using tools that are too small for the job , use leverage , get two cheap spanner sets from toolstation metric , its so much easier. dont forget umteen extension bars , probably only set back 100 pounds all in , dont need many half inch sockets usually for wheel axles , never really used 3/8ths socket sets , get some big steel pipe wide enough to fit over half inch breaker for even more leverage , same for 1/4 inch ratchet what security are you using , shed ?

Do you have a workshop manual for your bike mate? If not, get one. You'll learn a lot from just reading it thoroughly before each job. Well done for taking on a project, but i would highly suggest doing some research before starting any job. There are hunderds of videos of people putting carbs back on and not once have i seen or heard any one use copper grease on rubbers! That is actually bonkers 😢. And invest in some flare nut spanners when dealing with brake lines...you'll see why I recommend them. All the best. 😊

Your a braver man then me and making good progress I think I would paint new radiator black and help it blend in but I guess you may not see it when fully put together can’t wait to see it finished 👌😊

Maybe just the angle but that bit you cable-tied looks very close to the exhaust headers now,maybe check that out before the fairing goes on.

You don't need to be a top mechanic to take on projects,patience and enjoy it learn as you go.

Can't wait for the next vlog loving this series

Just found your channel , some nice work your doing. I've recently got a CBR600f3 to fix up , was a bargain at £300

Loving this, can’t wait to see her hit 180+

Much admiration. Big bike for a first project... I started on the old Honda dax st70 😂

Rubber grease for rubber parts. Copper grease for metal.

Can I ask why removed the linking brake system, I understand that the upgraded hoses will improve brake performance, but wondered if there was another advantage. Cheers

great videos to watch, you should have used the red rubber grease on the intake boots, and it is much easier to fit the cables before installing the throttle bodies/carbs, looking forward to the next vid!

A vacuum bleeder is the way to go for your brakes . Think mine only cost a fiver .. the rear is always a bugger to bleed . well to me anyway.

You should put hayabusa decals and suzuki badges on it

Take the inlets of and get rid of the copper grease going to cause you problems ,good vids though 👍

Kano Aerokroil Penetrating Oil better than WD40.

Thanks!

With the siezed threads/bolts, if they don't come apart with 'reasonable' force, *always" try a bit of heat before going to 'undo or round off ya baarstad' force! Get yourself a cheapo butane canister blowlamp - just don't use it around petrol!!!

Ditto the adjustable spanner

Newly painted wheels and break fluid don't mix. You sure you want to do another project. You gone very grey haired lol. Only joking. Loving the real life vog on getting this bike back on the road. Let me know next time your at super sausage. Be great to meet you. 👍🏼🍻

KS TOOLS ? I have the same kit. Never needed anything else for my XT600 or GSR600 (except a very big truck-like size 27mm socket).

Is it actually any cheaper than buying a running blackbird after all the work you do, don’t get me wrong I’ve enjoyed the build immensely and I think you don’t need to buy a new sports tourer as the blackbird will do the job just as good as the newer bikes..

You may not have all the tools but don't use adjustable spanners there going to round your bolts

This is a great project for sure & i know exactly what you mean about the expense of parts for these older bikes as I'm just sorting my zx12r & oem parts on that are bloody expensive lol

Great work mate, i'd try pressurwashing the oil cooler, that might clean it up a bit. Cheers