Figured I'd post some stuff about the bike here. Mostly so that if (when) I forget what I did, I can reference it on the internet.
The biggest new development with the bike has been the addition of a front fender. I rode in the rain without one, shorted a plug wire, and ruined a spark plug cap so I was motivated enough to find a fender. The main reason I wasn't running one was because I didn't like the look, but I found this one (from a CB500, perhaps?) with only the rear brace. I love the way it looks:
It changes the entire appearance of the bike, in my opinion. Much more appropriate for its era. Not too mention how much better it handles. I'm very happy with that purchase.
I also have a photo of my Dyna S ignition, which has been running flawlessly, except for a brief moment when the supplied splice connector opened up and compromised the connection. Eventually, I'll replace that with something more bulletproof.
I've never posted a photo of the rear of the bike, which I'm also pleased with. I chopped the rear fender, installed a cheap (but very bright) Lucas-style tail light, and painted my plate black/yellow. You can now buy these vintage plates for any model year bike or car in California, for $70. Or you can paint it yourself with pretty good results:
I also added some shocks I found on eBay. NOS Redwing Suspension from the 70's/80's. I don't know much about them, but my first impressions are that they were probably akin to the cheap #$%* that circulates around the aftermarket nowadays. They have no adjustable damping, but do have two different rate springs on each shock. They feel alright, if a touch bouncy. My swing arm bearings may not be 100%, so I'll replace those before I make a judgement on the shocks. They work for now:
Anyway, the bike has been a blast and I couldn't have asked for a better first bike to tinker with. Next on the list are:
-Remove frozen/stripped oil filter housing bolt, replace with 17mm head
-Adjust valves and cam chain for the 4th and final time to try to quiet the motor down
-Sync carbs again to eliminate the slight hesitation off-idle
-Find a smallish electronic tach that I like
-Embark on a 60-mile round-trip commute at least three days a week and hope the bike holds up!
If you've made it this far, thanks for following along. Now go ride your bike.
TF