The journey begins

[andyp57]

Well, some may remember me from the Exocet thread which unfortunately I had to abandon as I couldn't get the garage I had planned on (Though this did lead to an MEVX5 order which is being built right now ;D).
Wanting to build SOMETHING and being uber-impressed with the Eco-Exo at the AMM, a plan formed. After a few emails to Scott who was duly dispatched with tape measure to find the maximum width dimensions (without the front outrigger suspension), realisation set in that I can actually get it through the door of my large sectional shed/workshop.
With that in mind, I found a donor, a 1999 Burgman AN400 with some minor damage and won the bidding so it's arriving on Monday
No point in just having a donor so I've just put a deposit down on the Eco-Exo ;D.
Here starts a journey that will no doubt be fun, frustrating, longer than expected due to work and other commitments and did I mention FUN!
Expect photos starting with the strip of the donor and all the way to my aim which is to arrive at AMM 2012 in the MEVX5 with an Eco-Exo on a trailer behind it.

[nigel]

Aug 5, 2011 18:12:50 GMT andyp57 said:

Well, some may remember me from the Exocet thread which unfortunately I had to abandon as I couldn't get the garage I had planned on (Though this did lead to an MEVX5 order which is being built right now ;D).
Wanting to build SOMETHING and being uber-impressed with the Eco-Exo at the AMM, a plan formed. After a few emails to Scott who was duly dispatched with tape measure to find the maximum width dimensions (without the front outrigger suspension), realisation set in that I can actually get it through the door of my large sectional shed/workshop.
With that in mind, I found a donor, a 1999 Burgman AN400 with some minor damage and won the bidding so it's arriving on Monday
No point in just having a donor so I've just put a deposit down on the Eco-Exo ;D.
Here starts a journey that will no doubt be fun, frustrating, longer than expected due to work and other commitments and did I mention FUN!
Expect photos starting with the strip of the donor and all the way to my aim which is to arrive at AMM 2012 in the MEVX5 with an Eco-Exo on a trailer behind it.

I was sad to learn about you not going forward with the Exocet

However I'm now pleased to here that I'm to look forward to a double read of your MEVX5 and Eco-Exo builds

nigel

[andyp57]

The Donor has just arrived. I've managed to squeeze it through my narrow path and put the battery on charge. It's had some damage to the ignition switch (Some vandals tried to get away with it and ripped all the wires out of the back) so phase 1 will be to try to get it started!

Attachments:

[andyp57]

It Runs!
After chasing through all ignition diagrams, putting the swich wires back where they belong and cleaning all contacts on the loom, the donor runs sweet as a nut. Now I can start stripping it with confidence that it will be ok in the Trike.
Breathes sigh of relief

[andyp57]

After a few hours spannering and relatively few whackings with the trusty 'adjustment device', the Burgman 400 donor is now strewn around my workshop in component parts. I had thought this process would take longer than it actually did but due to some good design on the part of Suzuki and the help of a workshop manual, it took somewhere around 5 hours once I'd got rid of the 'tupperware'.
You know those infuriating puzzles where you have to get an item that looks too big to fit through an aperture? Well you should try taking the fuel tank out of a Burgman frame! The manual helpfully guides you through undoing all the fasteners then leaves you with a single sentence 'Remove the fuel tank forward'.. Huh! There is one, and only one, angle that the tank comes through that frame which involves twisting it at a specific angle at a specific place during its transit. If I were to do it again, I certainly wouldn't remember where that is as it kind of happened by accident after a good half hour of twisting and turning.
Now for the fun part. After a clean up of the workshop I can get down to cleaning and preparing the requiured donor parts for reuse. More on them as I progress.

[andyp57]

Now I know I've fallen off the edge!
Having enjoyed stripping the 400 for my Eco-Exo, I've been and gone and bought another donor! This time a 125 later model which will be similarly treated alongside the original to build a SECOND trike! My thinking, flawed though it might end up, is that building Two of a similar design rarely takes twice as long as building One. (Tools already out of the box, mind already engaged and sorted a particular problem etc...) so after a brief email to Scott, I'm about to put iin an order for the second kit.
I'm still not too sure whether I'll end up keeping both for different purposes or selling one (probably the 125) to fund the other but watch this space! I'll be reporting on all the twists and turns this double project takes me.
Now back to my padded cell ;D

[andyp57]

Here we go!
I got confirmation over the weekend that the kit is ready for collection so I've made sure I have room in the workshop, collected the newly powder coated wheels and started to fit engine accessories to my cleaned up 400cc engine.
We're going to collect the kit from Scott at the weekend and will be keeping a build diary with photos to be uploaded to the forum.
Watch this space. Fun Times ;D

[andyp57]

Today marks the first day of the physical build having travelled down to Scott's secret lab and collected the Eco-Exo kit. For anyone interested, it fits comfortably into a short wheelbase Transit van (Which is more than I could say for my lad, Andrew...). Had a chance to look over the prototype and discuss the build order and now, having unloaded the kit into my workshop, I look forward to many happy hours with it. As all the good build logs say.. 'Watch this space!'

[Andy]

Hi andy Hope you got sum photos of Scott secret lab hehe
I bet your kit has sum very nice detail on it as Scott has had his hands on it
What colour are u doing ?
Look forward to seeing it

Andy

[andyp57]

Day 1.
Cut the floor panel and drilled for rivets. Just got to clean the edges up and deburr before sending it off for coating. In the mean time, lots of goodies to purchase so I'm heading for the Car builder web site next ;-)

[andyp57]

Day 2:
If you ever need powder coating done in the Preston area, I can whole heartedly recommend F&M on the Roman Way industrial estate: www.fandmpowdercoating.co.uk/
After explaining what I needed and that holding up finishing the floor plate would delay further tasks, I took it in at 9am this morning and for a few quid, picked the finished article up at 1pm!
During a break this morning, I fitted the rear shock and bellcrank which took a little 'fettling' to squeeze between the mounting brackets but ended up a nice 'slop free' fit.


Then just now I've fitted the floor plate, covering the edges with rubber trim to stop any exposed sharps.



Before flipping it back 'right way up', I'm going to look at the donor floor panel to see if the shock absorber bulge can be detached and fitted to the trike.

More tomorrow no doubt! ;D

[andyp57]

Day 3.
No photos today but we've stuck the rubber floor edging down firmly (Don't want that flapping around) and whilst waiting for the sealant to dry, fitted bushes to Two of the wishbones. Two more to go and my aim of having the Trike on its wheels at the weekend are within reach.

[Andy]

At this rate you we been done in a few weeks looking like a nice easy build
Will be nice to see how it turns out
Andy

[andyp57]

It's certainly started off with a rush but I'm not holding my breath. There's bound to be some unforeseen holdups along the way.
Still, if it does go together this well, I may well build another!

[Andy]

I think u will always have a hold up with a kit build its part of the fun
Glad u are injoying it
Andy