Trike – based on Yamaha XJ750A and Reliant Robin back axle

October 2014
Purchased: October 2014, Loughborough
Received: October 2014, Bristol – Side view, Rear view

Tank removed:
TJC Design asked to paint – continuing web theme
TJC request mudguards, side panels and seat base
Only one side panel!!
Agreed colour – dark pop up green

Removed short silencers as fairly useless
Purchased two “quiet” exhaust silencers from HRS
Removed rotted exhaust collector

April 2015
Removed front wheel to renew tyre and tube – Done – Metzler!

May 2015
Agreed to paint front wheel black with aluminium finish edge
TJC Design work complete
Arranged meetings with fabricators for new rh side panel – not till at least 19th June!!

Front forks and wheel painted – December 2015
Header pipes and front mudguard fitted loosely – January 2016
Marvin silencer and front wheel fitted – February 2016
Attempted rear brake master cylinder refit to accommodate new silencer – March 2016
Air filter cleaned, new spark plugs fitted and tested, new cam cover gasket, tappets and cam chain tension checked – April 2016
Fuel Tank fitted – ENGINE STARTED – May 2016

June 2016
Tyres pumped up. All three wheels on the GROUND! Webster is rolling!!
Silencer removed and rear brake master refitted pending use of of smaller silencer.
Ignition and compressions tested.

Small silencer fitted – July 2016

September 2016
Front brake calipers refurbished and refitted by Kellaways
Tow hitch electrics rerouted.
Started and driven, surprisingly controllably, within the confines of the garage

October 2016
New rear brake master cylinder fitted.
Damaged mirror replaced.

January 2017

A SET BACK – half shaft oil seal has sprung a leak!!

February 2017
New foot rest rubber fitted although far too tight!
Left hand brake removed and half shaft released, led marker lights obtained. Both half shafts, oil seals and rear brakes refurbished

BIG GAP!! Much traveling around Europe – pending Brexit?!

November 2017
Fit matching handlebar mirrors – done

December 2017
Fit matching footrest rubbers to replace dodgy one from USA  – done

April 2018
AT LAST!! Back axle filler plug undone, oil replenished , plug screwed back with much grease and tow bar refitted. Phew!!

ANOTHER GAP!! More travelling around Europe

July 2018
Rear brake master cylinder finalised and 4 x 6 LED marker/position lights obtained.

August 2018
New LED marker lights installed in the huggers. Prototype bracket fabricated and fitted to locate brake reservoir and exhaust.

September 2018
Huggers fitted. Marker light wiring tested and one temporarily working.

November 2018
Marker lights finalised and exhaust adapter pipe fitted.
New brake pipe fitted with a leak at one end… HEP crush washers on order…
Established what spare wires under the seat do and, in the process, decided to refit fog light.

January 2019
Fog light fitted and working with switch under seat.

February 2019
Another brake pipe ordered from Hydraquip

March 2019
Brake pipe number two collected and fitted

April 2019
Vacuum bleed kit obtained and bleed attempted , Vacuum pump may be introducing it’s own air…

May 2019
Rear brakes working! Webster ridden round car park. Steering  very heavy.
Number Plate replaced, black paint finished.

June to December 2019
New Hip!!

January 2020
Finalise – Battery cover and exhaust for MOT – and brakes maybe…
Leak from centre of back axle…

February 2020
Battery cover for a SECA 650 (after discussions with VJMC) received from the USA (Rhode Island I think…). Loads of money – see below – but it fits!  Needs painting. Shall I get it scanned first for ease of replication?? Now with TJC Design (see above) – and has been for some time!! Covid 19 issues I think!

May 2020
At last! Refinished battery cover collected from TJC Design. Hugger spacers finalised and painted, battery cover fitted.

June 2020
At last again! Webster emerges…

September 2020
Rear indicators replaced

March 2021
Many indicator relays procured. Found one that works.

April 2021
All indicators working. – including the new replacements. Unused relays returned

May to December 2021
Not much done as difficult to go anywhere much. Trouble is I may have left the fuel go stale so now probably need to refurb the carbs…! If I can get the engine going I can get an MOT.

March 2022
Tank removed and almost drained…
Carbs removed and passed to local firm for ultrasonic cleaning.
Dicussed, with another local firm the possiibility of  a new silencer to fit the available spece in front ot the A frame. Appointment made for 14th May.
Carbs passed back to me partly stripped down but too  “greened up” for their cleaning system,

April 2022
Spotted some wiring loom chafing under the tank!
Carburettors now in Gloucester with specialist firm. They look as if they know what they’re doing, but I probaly won’t see them again until June!!

June 2022
Carbs collected from Coln engineering – look lovely but not cheap.
Couldent find a decent trailer so postponed vist for exhaust realignment with Infinity Exhausts.

July 2002
Reversed exhaust so no need for Infinity Exhausts.

August 2022
Carbs reattached.

Sept 2022
Carb filter duct pipes are tricky. Not fired up yet

October 2022
Garage down south complete so now moving house. Probably a long project!!!

July 2023 – Shingles!!

September 2023
Carb filter duct pipes refitted at last

October 2023
Fuel tank to Kellaways for internal clean.
I could do this myself, probably, but Kellaways will do a better job I hope..

November 2023
Rear brakes master cylinder seems to have seized. To buy or not to buy a new one.

December 2023
Fuel tank collected from  Kellaways. Looks good. £169 though!
So just fuel and back brakes to get in on the road!  It may not need an MOT now!! Then a minor service and new back tyres.

March 2024
Rear brakes dismantled. New slave cylinders ordered and received from Reliant Spares. Now for fitting and reassembly… Let’s see if the old cylinders have seized.

April –  June 2024

New slave cylinders in place. Refitted slave cylinder retaining clips (tricky until you know how. Also quite fragiile….

Cleaned up and painted bits and pieces  e.g. “handbrake lever” and carb tops.

Refitted pipe work and bled fluid. No obvious signs of piston movement though .Refitting the brake shoes might help.

Refitted petrol tap.

July 2024 – broken wrist!!

August 2024
Refitting brake shoes – confusing and tricky with one hand! N.B. Make sure each pair of shoes is fitted together with springs attached and appropriate use of levers (screwdrivers…). The following picture/diagram was very useful:

September 2024
Drums refitted! However. Adjusting the brake pedal has knocked the tensioning springs off. Tricky to refit…

October 2024
Finally started on unleaded. And taxed and insured. No need for MOT! Slight problem with the fuel tank. I left the feed pipes off the pet cock. Very silly!! Nearly ready though for inaugral transfer run from Horfield to Bedminster.

November 2024
Driven half an inch! Sticking clutch…
Still to do! Sticking clutch, rear brakes may need bleeding again, change of oil and filter is a good idea as I cant see any in the sight glass, trim new exhaust bracket.
Topped up oil and fuel, exhaust brackets tightened up and adjusted brakes and clutch . Engine starts but not keeping going.

December 2024
New petcock ordered.

January 2025
Battery properly charged, engine started and kept going using a separate fuel supply. New fuel tap vacuum outlet too big for 5mm pipe, After some discussion I’ll use some clear plastic pipe.  I hope the carbs are empty …. and that the weather warms up soon! What is annoying is that I suspect the original fuel tap was fine all the time!!

March 2025
Carbs emptied. New petrol pipe and Jubilee straps procured.
Finalise the fuel supply, pump up the tyres and battery, get the machine out of the garage and away she should go.

However – project on hold while I get my new hip.

May 2025
Sat on without too much trouble at the narrowest point of the saddle.

June 2025
Not happy about tank interior. The protective (anti rust?) coating seems to be peeling and flaking. Will include a fuel filter as an interim measure.

July 2025
Webster started and idles!! No smoke! Fuel leak from fuel filter. Maybe riding soon!
Webster started  again and idles 2500rpm!! Some smoke! New filter bought.Riding soon?

August 2025
Webster started yet again .Adjusted the three throttle stop screws. Now idles at 1200rpm. Better! Now working on the rear brake linkage.Too much loss of motion. I need to “amend” the heavy steel bracket.

November 2025
The rear brake mechanism is now  “straight lined” with the original reservoir. Fuel tank decanted as fuel getting old. Problems now with battery and supressor.

December 2025

To do after garage transfer: oil and filter change.

************************************************************************************

Costs to date:
Purchase price £1350, Silencers £119, Tyre and tube £92, cam cover gasket £47,
Front mudguard £12, Paint job £800, Refurbished Seat (15/6/2015) £120,
Marvin exhaust £381 (received 30th July),  consumables, extra tools, other materials £160, Gasket ring set,  spark plugs. £18, Header pipe ring gaskets and oil filter £12,
10w/40 oil £27, petrol tap kit, alternator gasket, o ring, clutch cable £34.
Brake refurbish £65 + £85. Rear brake master cylinder £45, Mirrors x 2 £120,
Footrest rubber £30 (no good!!), more rear brake bits £60. led marker light strips £12, Mini LEDs £51. Mirror thread adapters £20. Battery £43. Front wheel refurb £95.
Pair footrest rubbers £10. Large Allen key and socket £12. 2 x Stillsons £10,
Flexi brake pipe £35. Flexi brake pipe 2 £47. Vacuum bleed kit £14. DOT 4 x 3 £20.
Battery cover £200 with VAT + £125!!
New indicators (Halfords…) £40 + relays and bulbs £20.
Carb refurbish – £667!!
Fuel tank clean – £169
Slave cylinder x 2 – £45
Fuel tap – £25 , £8
Small jubilee strap x 2 – £1.50
Fuel filter – £8

Total (so far) – £5256!!!

Sale of parts not required:
TBA – Front mudguard, mirrors, rear brake master cylinder,
brake drums, thread adapters

To do:

Phase I

Check/fix rear brakes.
change oil
Obtain/fit rear rack?

Completed:
Started
Tank fitted
Insured – No need for MoT /Tax
Paint battery cover and fit
Fit additional reflectors

Phase II

Obtain/Fit Combined custom LED rear lights/indicators
Fabricate/Obtain shopping boot – spider abdomen shape??
Obtain Trailer/caravan – small
Obtain/Fit projector headlights
Obtain/Fit windscreen blade
Obtain/Fit LED insrtuments

Phase III??

More photos >>