Harmonia Axyridis | |
When the end of the motorcycle season 2008 approached, and there less
and less events on the calendar stood, then on a mondayevening-chat
of the Dutch Honda CX-500 club was spoken about 'Valve-Cover Race'.
Erik explains it approximately as follows.
But a couple days was later i thought about it again. What it had become was no problem. A CX-valvel;id is nicely round and is therefore ideal for a bug, or in my case, a ladybird. How I would make something like that, what do I need, and what would it cost? The box with loose components was turned upside down, and the barn and scullery were searched. The results were good:
From a box with Knex, left behind until the son has time and space to pick it up (at dad and mum are always storage space) wheels were obtained. Unfortunately there were not six equal wheels, but had do I it with four small and two large ones. An ladybird has six legs, thus it must also have six wheels, nevertheless. The valve cover became with an spraycan red painted, and the cap of the carburetor became black. In the beam I drilled holes, but because I do not own a drilling stand the holes became a bigt crooked. Not lamented, I drilled a bit larger, and with what more space for the axle, it would be possible with the fixation of the axles to adjust them a bit. That was at least the plan. The wooden beam got also a topping black from a spraycan. It did not become perfect black, but it pleased me, however. Therefore further nothing was done. | |
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And so, on an afternoon, after I already a considerable number of times
hold the loose components at each other, I sat with the part before me
at the table. Now it had to be put together. Wheels on the axles, axles
trough the wood, and the opposite wheels on the axles .
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 ... loose components ... | |
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Rings and nuts were put into place, and there stood the frame. But
the wheels did not sit in line, and whatever I tried, the whole construction
remained a bit crooked. On close inspection I found that
the hindmost axle was the problem, here was at the axel hole ash a
wood splinter broken off, and by turning the nut with which I had to
fixate the axle to the wood, it moved over the axle sideways.
The solution? With sanding device of the Dremel I flattend the wood.
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 ... not in line ... | |
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Now it was possible to line up the axles and wheels, however
But it was no simple job! Just as I had one axle straight, another axle
put a wheel up. But eventual everything was in order. Now the
red valve cover was put on its place. It would be fit just fine, but
to be certain I placed the cover on a smell piece of wood, to raise it a bit.
Then, with a slap of the hammer, the carburetorcap was smacked into place.
And two small holes were drilled where I put an old outside cable of a
bicycle brakeline though. And there it stood, my own valve-cover racecar.
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 ... valve cover racer ... | |
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The "Harmonia Axyridis", the Aziatian Multicolored Ladybug,
had become a variant as a valve-cover racer.
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