* *

Picture Bit

            

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
December 23, 2024, 03:34:15 am

Login with username, password and session length

Members
Stats
  • Total Posts: 32006
  • Total Topics: 3964
  • Online Today: 126
  • Online Ever: 235
  • (December 09, 2019, 06:27:14 pm)
Users Online
Users: 0
Guests: 138
Total: 138
138 Guests, 0 Users

Author Topic: breath life into my 856  (Read 5489 times)

Markpatat

  • Novice
  • *
  • Posts: 2
  • Karma: 0
  • Rebuilding my 856!
breath life into my 856
« on: February 21, 2013, 08:38:20 am »
Hi there,

I'm new here, but I'm very happy to have find this forum! Haven't ridden my old 856 for the last 5 years. The last ride was, as I remembered it, to the beach. It was a perfect hot summer day, which ended up on riding back on a low-rider! Yellow mush everywhere! Now I have a new bike, and my wife complaint about the old one, which took up too much space... My reply was as usual that I would restore it, some day...

As I have never done any maintance beyond changing flat tyres from time to time, I would never think of restoring it. My dad is a great mechanic, but some how this skipped a generation. Last weekend it occured to me, the 856 had still some great potential! It is and was a great bike, and I'm having some back problems, so I could use the rear suspension! So I stripped it down, with not many problems. It's really therapeutic and am learning fast! I took a lot of pictures and notes, so I can put everything back in the right order.

I'll probally go for the springs from nulifecycles, any thoughts on that? A new supsension system is probally better, but it's USD 500+ vs USD 100. Are there also solutions available in Europe? Anybody from the Netherlands here? Proflex used to be popular here!


Markpatat

  • Novice
  • *
  • Posts: 2
  • Karma: 0
  • Rebuilding my 856!
Re: breath life into my 856
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2013, 12:06:41 pm »
Here are some pics!

This is how it's current state is.


The rear suspension, or what's left off it...


The front suspension, speaks for itself


And now, everything is off!

Colin

  • Guru
  • *****
  • Posts: 1244
  • Karma: 14
  • in a village near Northampton, UK
Re: breath life into my 856
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2013, 02:04:26 am »
Well done on resurrecting a PRO~FLEX! You won't regret it!

I am in the UK, but have owned two "continental" PRO~FLEX's; a large 5500 that I bought in the Netherlands while I was working over there and finally sold in the UK and also a 4000se that I still own that was sold in Belgium to a F1 commentator (their equivalent of Murray Walker) and was top spec'd; allegedly Michael Schumacher has ridden it around the F1 pits to try it out; Cor! to think my arse has been where "Der Regenmeister's" has been!

Anyway, one option open to you is that I have a limited number of the last of the RDS COR Top Hats and Cups to allow conversion of your ODS shocks to Coil springs. You will have to source the springs, but the adaptors are £23 each pair posted to you in the Netherlands.

see : http://www.rapiddescentscotland.co.uk/index.php?module=documents&JAS_DocumentManager_op=downloadFile&JAS_File_id=12 for more info.

PM me if interested and I can also help you out with spring dimensions.

Colin S
2001 OzM
2000 OzX
1999 x500
1999 900 Frame
1998 4000se
1998 4000
1997 957 Frame
1997 857 Frames
1997 XP-X (856)
1995/6 x55/x56 Frame
1992 962 Frame
1991 Marin Pine Mountain with a Flex Stem

Spokes

  • Guru
  • *****
  • Posts: 981
  • Karma: 11
Re: breath life into my 856
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2013, 01:41:08 pm »
It always amazes me how those original MCU's melt like custard! What a mess. Well done for finally starting to restore your 856, if you have any questions this is the place to ask. Hopefully you'll build it and enjoy it once again. If nothing else the therapy will do you good!  ;)

Chris
4000
857
856's
OZx modern build
757
4500
957
955
5000
no room in big shed but always room for one more!

w2zero

  • Master
  • ****
  • Posts: 446
  • Karma: 4
Re: breath life into my 856
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2013, 04:10:23 pm »
RE: the original mcu's melting like custard..

My originals from the 855 never melted.  They did get hard but very hot water from the tea kettle always revived them.  The replacement mcu's that I scored were altogether softer than the originals.  I sourced them from a K2 inline skate dealer I met through a friend who rents the skates.  I bought extras and he gave me another set besides.  When the new set on the bike got mushy, I went to replace them and the ones in reserve had melted away.  That is when I started searching craigslist for proflex and replaced the shock-like devices with some of the ODS and a GDS then to Noleen.  I won't be switching to air unless I happen upon a very swinging deal on it.
855
856 Beast 1
856 Beast 2
856 Animal (small)
856 frame set
Bianchi 748 fix
Hiep Duc 69
Pro Patria

Spokes

  • Guru
  • *****
  • Posts: 981
  • Karma: 11
Re: breath life into my 856
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2013, 01:09:42 pm »
I wonder if it geography that denotes whether your MCU's go hard or melt? Is it a hot country verses cold country type thing?
I've got a Californian 856 frame and the MCU's were melted on that one.
Chris
4000
857
856's
OZx modern build
757
4500
957
955
5000
no room in big shed but always room for one more!

w2zero

  • Master
  • ****
  • Posts: 446
  • Karma: 4
Re: breath life into my 856
« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2013, 02:02:50 pm »
Darned if I know.  Still have a long and a short mcu out there left over and they appear to be good.  Still some squish in the  short and the other is in need of some hot water but does have some give to it.  Even here in Washington state the garage can get to a hundred in summer.

I think they came out of one of the Vectors in the collection.  Might use those in the rear of the small frame for the granddaughter but would prefer coil there.
855
856 Beast 1
856 Beast 2
856 Animal (small)
856 frame set
Bianchi 748 fix
Hiep Duc 69
Pro Patria

kiwi

  • Guru
  • *****
  • Posts: 1871
  • Karma: 24
  • 756,wtb sstk,risse terminator, 97-carbon xlink,v's
Re: breath life into my 856
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2013, 10:44:16 pm »
i cant see the OP pics :(
hang on they are slowly coming up,but if i try to view directly via a link it says error???
I might have some MCU around here somewhere,They will now be very old.NZ is a pretty temeperate place.Will have a look and report findings
« Last Edit: February 24, 2013, 10:51:33 pm by kiwi »
kiwi proflex rider

fyrstormer

  • Guru
  • *****
  • Posts: 524
  • Karma: 3
Re: breath life into my 856
« Reply #8 on: February 27, 2013, 11:11:03 am »
[insert standard "buy Noleen coilovers" recommendation here]

Bubba

  • Novice
  • *
  • Posts: 1
  • Karma: 0
Re: breath life into my 856
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2013, 12:58:41 pm »
I too will be starting a rebuild only 856.  I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts on the shock upgrade.