Front Shocks Freight Charge

Today I got an email from Paul stating that the freight for the forks from Ok!Shon was USD$125, or NZD$180.70.
Not particularly cheap, but at least they are communicating with us and hopefully moving the freight very soon.

So all up cost of front forks is NZD$457.62 + NZD$180.70 = NZD$ 638.32,... Yup.

Spare Engine and rear Shock

Today I bought a spare SP engine off TradeMe for NZD$300.

Also Paul bought an SP rear shock off the same guy, for me, for NZD$100.

So that means I now have all the bits to make a complete SP (1989 NSR 250R SP [MC18 R6K])

Well, I have bought them, they have yet to actually be physically in my possession.

The Engine Auction stated:

nsr 250 mc18 motor

Top barrel is cracked and will need resleeving or a whole new barrel before it can run. its off a sp so has the dry clutch. no idea if pistons or rings have been changed. odometer read 31000 when i took it out. have heaps of other mc18 parts available. Auction Number 280725185

The Rear Shock Auction stated:

nsr 250 mc18 sp rear shock

sp shock with remote reservior, needs regassing.

Auction Number 280686129

SP Front shocks bought off Ok!Shon

Overnight I had 2 bids run on Ok!Shon
I had a bid (JPY15,625 yen approx NZD$250 + freight) on an NSR 250 MC18 SP rear shock which I was outbid on.
I had a bid on a set of Front shocks as well, complete with triple clamps, steering dampener and slightly damaged front guard. My winning bid of JPY51,100 yen converts to USD$315 or NZD$457.62 + freight. Not exactly cheap but it seems like the "SP" components go for a premium.

Now lets just see if I EVER actually get delivery of these front shocks!

Note that they also come with front axle, steering head bearings and shaft, plus handlebars.

Hopefully Paul will keep scouring the internet for an SP rear shock for me.
Paul found these and placed all the bids using his OK!Shon login.


Link to Front shock "Okshon" is here
AuctionID = 128921396

News on the engine!

Today I got out of bed and checked my emails.

There was an email from Paul with subject line....

"OKSHON has responded!!!!"

Amazing. I was quite excited.

I bought the engine online on June 16th for about NZD$1100 and now, (9 months and 4 days later) it is starting to look like there may actually be a chance of getting it.

Because the packaged engine was over the Ok!Shon limit of 30kg, they had massively stalled on the freighting of the engine. Paul had recently sent them a few curt emails, and it looks like that tactic has worked as they have finally responded.

I hope to get them to send the engine to a freighting company in Osaka that I have connections to through a friend of a friend. Then hopefully I can get the engine sent to me in New Zealand.

Just for the record, we have finally been able to get a physical address for Ok!Shon.

It is Rm102, 2-34-8 Kamisakabe, Amagasaki, Hyogo which is very near Osaka port in Japan.

View Larger Map

Today I also got Paul to put in some bids on (A) an MC18 SP front shock assembly NZD$455 max bid and (B) an MC18 SP rear shock NZD$210 max bid, for the NSR.

If I can get the SP suspension and the MC18 SP engine, I will be able to put together a complete NSR SP MC18 as I already have the SP (Magtek) rims.

Fingers are crossed.

I guess a lot of readers of this blog (which only averages about 8 hits a week by the way) will wonder why I bother to go back to Ok!Shon for the suspension given their appalling record so far. Well I have just had a bad run due to exceeding the 30kg limit. They seem OK otherwise. Well,.. when I say '"OK", I mean slow and crap, but basically functional, which is kind of OK given the language/cultural barrier perhaps?

Crankshaft bearings and Expansion Chambers

Over the weekend, Paul dropped of a set of 3 crankshaft bearings ($273) that he ordered from Greece.[NSR250 crankshaft bearings and seals availability]

He also dropped off a set of pipes and the pillion peg brackets that hold them.

The NSR crankshaft is sold by Honda as a single unit. This is extremely painful and typical of Honda. Also, the bearings and seals are of non-typical sizes and not readily available. This is also fairly typical of Honda.

However, over time, people do find ways of obtaining the individual parts that make up the cranks and rebuilds of cranks become possible.

I had the seal on the inner bearing of the NSR crank fail on me when I was racing NSR's back in 1990. I had to buy a complete crankshaft assembly to fix it. Yeah, good one Honda! Luckily I managed to find a near new one second hand. ($900 instead of $1500 new at the time)

If I ever do receive my engine from Ok!Shon I hope to be able to rebuild the crank. I have the 3 main bearings, now I just need the big end bearings and the big end thrust washers. Paul is working on sourcing those too.

Also, Paul spotted a Kick Start Lever on TradeMe so I bought it for $40 + $5 postage.

Registration on hold. New Crank Bearings

Saturday 30th January 2010

Today I put the Rego on hold for another year, will come up for renewal 23 Feb 2011

Also, through Paul I have bought a set of 3 crankshaft bearings,. yet to arrive, for NZ$244.21 + NZ$27.93 freight = NZ$272.13

Move bike out of Dave's shed

Well, Dave has gone and bought his own NSR250 now. I don't blame him at all. It was only $800. It had been in a light crash due to the engine seizing when riding home from getting it serviced. Seizure probably due to no water in the radiator!!

So I thought I had better pick up my bike to make way in Dave's shed for the new purchase.

I am STILL waiting to get the SP engine from Japan via OkShon. This is taking a long time and I just hope the engine is not stored in such as way as to cause corrosion or other similar damage.

When will I get the engine from Japan? I do not know. I just hope it is sooner rather than later, although I am not holding out much hope. The freighting side of OkShon seems completely crippled. They do not respond to emails very well.