Which is which

[vulcanman]

Have my Langcourt invoice infront of me.3 barrels replated ( no repairs) inc removal of oil feed brass parts at £12 was £482.40 .i posted them Royal Mail very carefully boxed with lots of bubble wrap and tape with ins coverage of £2500 .the post return was £56 .so grand total was £538.40p .my piston kit came from Grampians in Liverpool at £204 all in.if you need any repairs per barrel they have a fixed price each as listed on their site but they are the only ones in uk that seem to do repairs.

[vulcanman]

Got to say apart from usual little things my 550a is running well and now covered 1500 miles.Langcourts do the business

[jaybe64]

The price just keeps going up but worth it .

[vulcanman]

Your later barrels with damage Langcourts can repair at further cost .if memory serves if the damage is minimal its an extra £60 per barrel if damage is severe its an extra £80 odd per barrel.they assess them in receipt and let you know .anyhow prices are shown once you go through their system

[vulcanman]

Grampians do gasket sets,pattern ,too .

[jaybe64]

So does WEMOTO . I think Fecked classic bikes do aswell . But I shop around for best price n quality . Many thanks . I've got a Rh barrel saved just got to pay . £26.64 . I have my eye on a centre barrel but mine doesn't look to bad . Now just going to have to wait and see if Alan whom I was chatting with yesterday does have a left one . This is going to be a long term project due to lack of funds . I need to sell car bits I've accumulated over the years . Crank rebuild is nearly £350 .

[vulcanman]

Wemoto is only 40 mins from me but they had almost nothing for A model and no gaskets for A/B only earlier models.i spent a week shopping around and getting advice from Alan on here and Stan Stehens and Dave Higgs .there are not too many places to obtain A and B parts in uk sadly .i dont have shares in Grampian but they came uo trumps with all i needed.Robinsons only had 2 original pistons at £489 each ! And no circlips or rings or gudgeon pins .best piston kits are Mitaka or Cruisin image .both very good and similar prices .

[vulcanman]

I do use Wemoto often but usually just for cycle parts .universal stuff and they are usually very good .they have very little for oldee models in the way of engine parts or bodywork

[jaybe64]

I was going to use IMD pistons .I contacted them direct via email and had phone call from them . I told him what I wanted and I admit the price was for other engine 0.5 oversize got offered price of £144.00 for the set ( piston wrings gudgeon pin n circlips . I am waiting to hear back for std set for the coated barrels as pistons are compatible . Now I have a question and that's on the pistons I got which are shagged ( seized and ring lands broke ) they have small holes in the skirts is that for lubrication and are they for all 3 bores or just extra lube for centre cylinder ???

[vulcanman]

Holes for all 3 bores on A and B models with nikasil.i dont know about earlier models .Alan will hopefully be able to let you know .

[jaybe64]

Thanks vulcanman . This site is ideal for me as I can find all answers to my many questions . I thank you all for all your help . I use to be old school motor mechanic so loads of heavy lifting but nowadays my back has suffered so had steroid injections in my back but didn't work n recently had nerve ends killed off by more injections but with radio waves . Is there anyone on here near me as would be great to meet up with fellow members. I live in small village south of Cambridge Cambridgeshire. Foxton .

[vulcanman]

Im right down in the heart of East Sussex in a tiny village called Herstmonceux so bit of a way from you.must be others that are nearer.im lucky as have many bike mates in south east built up over 44 years of motorcycling.i smashed 5 verbebrae and had 2 years of daily bone injections ,self funded,cleared my pension out so know whete you coming from.can still ride but 50 miles is a big run out these days.

[jaybe64]

Ouch sounded really painful . I hope maybe there might be a bike meet up for those of us in UK and our foreign Bros. I lost contact with my biker friends when I got married ( 2nd time ) I was a member of the Harley Davidson club GB and backpatch fenlanders . Had to sell my baby as wife couldn't get on back anymore so got MGF but never sold my other vintage bikes all 70s . Safe riding as car driver's nowadays don't like being overtaken . I like no-one in front just clear rd . Still love night riding in early hrs . That's just me .

[vulcanman]

I just ride on my own,on occasion with one mate but do go to a great bikers pub 10 miles up road in countryside.no club but there are about 50 regulars on a Sun and we spend more time talking about aches n pains than bikes.yep .i like a clear road too but doesnt happen much these days.

[Alan H]

I was going to use IMD pistons .I contacted them direct via email and had phone call from them . I told him what I wanted and I admit the price was for other engine 0.5 oversize got offered price of £144.00 for the set ( piston wrings gudgeon pin n circlips . I am waiting to hear back for std set for the coated barrels as pistons are compatible . Now I have a question and that's on the pistons I got which are shagged ( seized and ring lands broke ) they have small holes in the skirts is that for lubrication and are they for all 3 bores or just extra lube for centre cylinder ???

I used IMD last year to do rebores on all 3 barrels on my 550J and was very happy with their service. They were in the process of having pistons made for the 550s in Japan.
I understand that the 3 holes are for lube and they should be same for all 3 pots. The new +0.5mm pistons I sent to IMD didn't have the holes, some do, some don't and it doesn't seem to matter.
Just for interest, Kawasaki H1 gudgeon pins, little ends and circlips are the same as 550s.
I haven't forgotten the barrels, just haven't had chance to look yet as I've been doing the wiring on a mate's boat.