Newbie

[Aussiesebring66]

hi folks,new member,looking forward to learning heaps.Live rural Aus.Have 66 Sebring.Not that computer savvy,will try photos soon
cheers aussiesebring66

[Nick]

Welcome fellow Sebring owner. I've put a lot of miles on my Sebring, it's one of my favorite all-time bikes (and I've ridden and raced a lot of bikes!)

A few simple mods and the Sebring makes a great daily rider. I've used it for commuting to work/school, running errands, blasting around on twisty roads, etc. Too much fun! Mine has been extremely reliable and never left me stranded.

Post pics!

[thebossdj]

Just about to start putting a hot rod/cafe Sebring together. What do you suggest as some basic mods. Have an SS1 29D for it, was going to put a new piston in it and open mega cause I like my little machines loud.

Happy New Years fellow Bevel Heads.

B

[Jordan]

I'd suggest keeping it within the period the bike was built.
That is, modifications that could have been done around the time.
I think many modified older bikes are not looking their best when obviously modern bits are attached.
Just my bias!
The SSI carburettor is a great start.

[Nick]

I'd recommend staying with the stock piston and stock compression ratio. This makes the bike easy to start, smoother running and all around more rider-friendly. I've been riding bikes a long time and have watched many, many riders build up their Super Street Bikes with hi-comp pistons and other race bits. The result is always the same. After riding the bike a few times it ends up spending almost all its time in the shed because the thought of starting the hot-rod engine and dealing with its 'attitude' gets old fast.

Race bikes are for racing. If you're going to ride on the street you want a bike that starts easily, idles well and has good low- and mid-range power. With a bike like that you never hesitate to ride it, and riding it is always a pleasure.

Noise also gets old quickly. You want a bike that's loud enough so that the cars know you're nearby, but not so loud that you piss people off or get tired yourself from listening to all that racket. The stock muffler has just the right amount of Db for me.

Best mod is to ditch the stock carb and put on a more modern mixer such as a 28mm Mikuni, Amal or other modern 28mm carb.

You can upgrade to 12V for better lights, however I rode my Sebring for a few years with the original 6V setup and it ran perfectly okay.
I also run an electronic rectifier and I use a toggle switch for the lights, and have re-wired the lights accordingly. Stock ignition key still works fine on mine.

If you want to go fast on your street Duc, learn to ride. When the rear shocks on mine lost their damping oil the bike would regularly slide the rear wheel when exiting bumpy turns — great fun. Too, riding a slow bike makes you a much better rider than riding a 'fast' bike because you have to learn how to go around turns. Either way, trying to go fast on the street is a loser's game. If speed is your drug, go racing.

Have fun, and post pics!

[thebossdj]

Thanks for the great advice Nick.

I was thinking of putting a slightly higher pistoni up in that Sebring but I do not want hard starting issues nor having to jump on it to kick it over. How about adding another base gasket to counter that? Also wanted to put clip ons on the bike so would rather not use the decompression lever etc.

The plan is to make a Formula 3 style bike with external oil drain lines plus put the SS29 on it and a frame mounted remote float bowl. Just keep it period looking with making some minor mods to make it work better. The 12 volt system will be going into the bike for sure. You are so right.. Idles well, low end grunt plus will start when you ride it to your favorite coffee shop

I have BMW S1000R so speed and power are not really important to me with the Sebring just trying to make it look a bit cooler and make it work better. Also have a vintage vespa which I have ridden for years so I hear ya about learning to go quick on a little bike, tons of fun and sure makes you a better rider when you get to something a bit bigger.

[Jordan]

The term cafe racer when first coined in the UK referred to bikes that weren't necessarily performance-enhanced. Rather, they had mods that made them just look more like real race bikes. They then went "racing" - from one cafe to the next - so it was mildly pejorative term.

By the way, the SSI might be a good start in terms of image, but won't make your bike a good starter. It really is a racing instrument, probably should never have been used on street bikes with a hope of ease of use. I like mine though, the hassle is worth it for the style.
At 29mm, you could do a little filing of the inlet port (27mm) to suit.

[Nick]

Sounds like you're on the right track. Ideally, you want a bike that looks the business but is in fact mildly tuned and very streetable.
I would avoid adding extra base gaskets/spacers because you'll lose the squish effect in the combustion chamber. Squish is very important in enhancing combustion efficiency. Unless the stock piston/bore is worn out, use it. The stock pistons are very good. I put a modern 3-piece oil ring in mine. If your bike has the added 4th ring at the bottom of the skirt, you can probably remove it to reduce frictional loss, but others here may have more informed opinions about that mod.

If you do change the piston be sure to check all clearances between head and valves before running it.

As you've almost certainly read elsewhere, don't let it run low on oil, change the oil frequently and don't lug the engine. A magnetic drain plug would be great, there's a company out there somewhere that makes one, but you could install a magnet in the standard screen/plug setup yourself and save some money. I made my own for my Brit-bikes.

You can do without the decomp lever if you just put the bike in gear, back it up against compression by rolling the bike backwards slightly, then putting it in neutral and kicking. You don't want to just tromp on the kickstarter and hope for the best. With the 28mm round-slide Mikuni on my Sebring I put the choke on, kick it through once with the ignition OFF, then use either the above method or the decomp to position the piston just after TDC on compression and it usually lights off in one kick. It fact, it doesn't just start, it literally bursts into life, as if it had been waiting impatiently for me to bring it to life! I'm running an old 12V lucas coil off a Triumph.

I also run points in both my Ducs and have never had a problems with them. Easy to tune, easy to troubleshoot, no worries.

[Aussiesebring66]

Thanks Nick,sounds like you got a good thing there,and you really enjoy.Hope mine turns out the same.cheers