Thanks for the info! I will certainly do the 3000 mile tune up and pick up the proper tools. I was wondering why I was stripping some bolts.
Would it be counterproductive to do the tuneup now and then have the bike sit through the winter? ......Or should I just wait to tune it in the spring?
I have begun work on restoring the factory seat. I had originally brought the seat to two local upholsterers and one wanted $150 to recover it and the other wanted $400!! Tat being said, I decided to order a new seat cover from eBay and was pleasantly surprised at the quality.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/160889716791?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 It cost me $67 which included shipping. I also bought new trim on eBay for $5. Unfortunately, I did not use it. It didn't hold the edge very well. I decided to cut the trim off of the original cover and sanded and spray painted it flat black as the fake chrome finish was in really bad shape. I don't have very high expectations that the spray paint won't chip, but it should look pretty good until I can build my flat seat. Either way, the old trim held the edge much better.
The replacement was pretty easy. My foam was in pretty good shape so I did not have to replace or repair it. The cover comes preformed and slides right over the foam. The only tricky part is trying to get it centered as well as pulling it tight enough to remove any bumps in the vinyl. I found it was easiest when I had two sets of hands. The directions called for the use of contact cement, however, I tried it on a small section and didn't think that it was all that helpful. Once the cover was centered, I had my wife pull the vinyl over the edge and hold it until I was able to slip the edging back on and bend the metal tabs back in place. I am extremely satisfied with the end product and can't imagine that I would have been any happier if I had spent the money for someone else to do it.
Next project- bob the rear fender and replace the taillight.