Hey dudes, just a quick update. It did indeed just end up being a quick adjustment. I'm glad I went with intuition. Everyone told me to just change the oil first and then get back to them. Well, that would've been a pain in the ass because I would have to remove Carpy's exhaust, replace the crush gaskets, and spend more money before resorting to the cheap/free potential solutions. Bike runs like a beast now.
The bike was backed into and knocked over about a month ago, so I finally worked things out with the other party's insurance. The tank is being repainted at Sideways Auto Salon. I was initially thinking of trying to handpaint the tank emblems to freshen them up, but I decided to buy some NOS ones on eBay.
Since the tank is at Sideways and inoperable, I decided to update some of the normal wear and tear parts, many of which I didn't even inspect before ordering the parts. The old shoes and springs for them are in great condition if anyone needs them. They shoes actually look new besides all the dust that has accumulated on them. Some of what will go on the bike tomorrow will include new clutch cable, throttle cables, brake hoses, brake pads (I got a new seat pad and caliper o-ring as well), master cylinder rebuild kit, black clubman's (the old chrome/polished ones are up for grabs), shoes with springs, clutch lever spring, rear shocks, Progressive fork springs, titty grips, master cylinder rebuild, wheel bearings, and a few other miscellaneous things. All the associated OEM dust boots, o-rings, etc. freaking add up. Holy jeebus.
Parts:
Here is the bike as she sits:
Naked!
I powdercoated the rims, spokes, hubs, caliper, drum cover and inner rim of the rotor gloss black. I left the nipples as is since I didn't want to screw up any powdercoating while truing. I got it done at Metalink for $65 a wheel. A little bit of delays on their part, but I heard it was to be expected. It was too good of a price to pass up. Got everything back yesterday, and I think they came out beautifully. I forgot to remove a few rubber bits, and the powdercoaters had an oversight, so they stretched/melted in the baking process. I also forgot to include the right cover that goes over the retainer, but I think it might work out well. Might be a good contrast to all the black if I polish it. I didn't coat the drum/shoe arm either, so again, I hope my forgetfulness will actually pay off in terms of aesthetics. If not, dammit. My goal of getting the bike in fighting condition by tomorrow is delayed as I'll have to wait on those parts now. Suck. I guess I'll polish the forks while I'm waiting on the parts.
Bonus pic of a professional shoot of my son and I done by Danial Mora. The location is Liberty on E 6th. He loves the jacket so much that I have to keep the air conditioning on all the time. He won't take it off!
This is the first time I've really worked on a bike, so it's been quite the educational experience. It has been a pretty smooth transition as I've always been a shadetree mechanic with my cars. I had all the issues that any newb would have, ie. removing the bearings, bearing retainers, etc, but it has really gone pretty smoothly. I'm really most concerned with truing the wheels at this point, but I think I should be fine with the stand and dial indicator I purchased. I have a friend that works at a bicycle shop helping me too. From what I've read, it's a walk in the park compared to a road bicycle wheel.
Thanks for looking!
