Topic: 78 GL1000 20 year sleeper! Old Blue.

[Don R]

  I'm thinking it's time to quit fiddling with it and ride it. I painted the cover on both sides, it needed a little corrosion protection. It got a shot of Rustoleum rust killer primer.

[Don R]

 With the clutch lever pulled back to the handlebars and starting in gear it starts but tries to move the bike. I'll have to turn the lifter back in a little.
 Edit: it ended up a quarter turn out from where it stops screwing in.

[Johnie]

Coming along good there Don!

[Don R]

 I did 300 miles or so with the middle age "kids" the leader wasn't thinking clearly about the 7-bike line bunching up when he made a couple quick turn/stops. A couple of them weren't really proficient riders but did well considering. I tried to be last in line so I could stay away from straight pipes. At 55 they sounded OK but at 80 it really got on my nerves. It was difficult to be far enough away without splitting the group, (a couple of them had the same idea as me) 
 I was glad I got the clutch adjusted well, we had some serious uphill starts in the river towns. By the time I got back it was hard to find neutral again with the engine running. I assume the new clutch cable was settling into the yoke and lever and let loose a little or maybe stretched a bit. 

[scottly]

With the clutch lever pulled back to the handlebars and starting in gear it starts but tries to move the bike. I'll have to turn the lifter back in a little.
 Edit: it ended up a quarter turn out from where it stops screwing in.

Hey Don, I gave up on the method of turning the adjuster in and back out on my 750 years ago. Now I just see how much free-play I can feel with my finger on the lever, and adjust for a minimal amount.

[Don R]

 I agree with that method.  A couple of the Naked gold wing guys are freaking out because I don't have the suggested amount of turns out that the manual wants. But if I do that, it doesn't work.  Maybe something to do with the 60,000 miles and the 45 years old part.

[Don R]

 Today I noticed the "in gear" glow on the neutral light has stopped shining. Apparently after a recent oil change the Rotella has finally cleaned up the neutral switch.
  I put the driving lights back on, they are on a clever bar that mounts under the windjammer. I'm thinking of making a banzai 6 hour each way trip, partly after dark. Further adjustment will be needed, to loosen the aim adjuster I have to remove the wire nut, pull the feed wire through a socket and turn it with a crescent wrench.

[BenelliSEI]

With the clutch lever pulled back to the handlebars and starting in gear it starts but tries to move the bike. I'll have to turn the lifter back in a little.
 Edit: it ended up a quarter turn out from where it stops screwing in.

Hey Don, I gave up on the method of turning the adjuster in and back out on my 750 years ago. Now I just see how much free-play I can feel with my finger on the lever, and adjust for a minimal amount.

Good to hear that. Nothing else works for me either!

[Don R]

 The 20 year sleeper got an ebay seat cover today. I left the sissy strap off for now.

[RAFster122s]

Nice Don, cover looks great!

[Johnie]

Looks good Don. If your fingers are not sore you didn't pull hard enough...LOL...mine were pretty sore when I did it.

[Don R]

 Man, I took it to the barber shop this morning going around the town square (round) and ran over a tar line in the street, it felt like the front tire skipped sideways. Twice. I thought the tire might be low but it had 34 psi. Maybe a little high?
 I haven't been fond of the forks, they really shake the fairing on bumps. It might be time to change the fork oil, it probably has ATF in it. 

[grcamna2]

Man, I took it to the barber shop this morning going around the town square (round) and ran over a tar line in the street, it felt like the front tire skipped sideways. Twice. I thought the tire might be low but it had 34 psi. Maybe a little high?
 I haven't been fond of the forks, they really shake the fairing on bumps. It might be time to change the fork oil, it probably has ATF in it.

I like your sig. about the "no kill motorcycle shop" 
You've adopted quite a few 2-wheel pets Don.

[70CB750]

The 20 year sleeper got an ebay seat cover today. I left the sissy strap off for now.

For the CB900C I got a complete seat from ebay/Vietnam.  Not exactly stock looking but for that bike that is a bonus.  Quite happy with the quality and it showed up in less than a week.

[Don R]

 We took the gl to a ball game and dinner. A turn signal fell inside the fairing, our team lost but gave them a run for their money, a lot better than the first time they played when it was lost 20-0 tonight, it was 17-14.
  We ate at a local brew pub, my gout ordered me an iced tea but the rest of me ordered a Rueben and fries.

[RAFster122s]

Don, I find fairings amplify all kinds of noises you wouldn't normally hear... I know a late comment.

[Don R]

 A few years back we got a beautiful new bridge over the railroad tracks, I noticed when I ride in the right lane motorcycle noises can be heard echoing off of the wall.
 That bridge has given us back hours of our life that would normally have been spent sitting at a train. Those tracks angle through town so before the bridge I developed a system of angling my route through town towards the rear of the train to minimize time spent sitting at a crossing.

[Don R]

 We took the GL for a ride in the country today. We ended up at our daughter and son-in law's house, then we went to the oldest grandson's tee ball game. While there I spotted a dark cloud and checked the radar. We made a run for it but got caught halfway home since we had to ride towards it. The highway portion was pretty decent, we were going into the wind and the Windjammer with lowers kept us pretty dry. Then we had to go over a railroad switchyard and it got pretty windy on the bridge.
 We were still pretty dry until I turned into town and was perpendicular to the wind, going slower and the side draft got us pretty wet. It was awesome, I haven't washed my eyeballs so good since the carb-cleaner incident. Old blue didn't miss a beat and even stopped well in the wet.
 

[RAFster122s]

Glad you had a good ride and even a bit of fun in the wet

[Johnie]

Don I went back to your first post and noted the Vetter bags and trunk. I put those same bags on my 77 CB750K back in 1999 before I sold it. That was when I was wanting my first Wing. Found a 2000 SE that year so the 77 got sold.

[Laids]

I called my 79 GL ‘Old Blue’ as well. Two carbs would frost up on a cold start then by the time the choke was off would clear. Did that until the day I sold it, didn’t do it that day, never figured it out. Still think that color was the nicest.

[Don R]

  Thanks for the pic, that's a cool gl.
 I run the brackets, but usually leave the Vetter bags off. My wife finds it difficult to get on it and the bags make it harder. The trunk resides on a shelf and holds spare GL parts. I installed the teak padded chrome rack that I removed from my 78 before I sold it, for a long trip I can put the backrest on and use it in the forward position to tie my tent and sleeping bag to. 

[Laids]

I would use a removable back rack and attach a custom wicker basket 

[Don R]

 I rode old blue to my brother's house today to pick up a free Holley carb. It's a spreadbore woo hoo! Not. I found one once that was the spreadbore emissions version but was also a dual feed, double pumper. What an anomaly, and why?
 Anyway, for the second time this summer I was caught in a heavy rain. For a block or so it felt like hail. I hit a huge puddle that startled me, it felt like a hard vibration, I guess it was water on the lowers.

[grcamna2]

I rode old blue to my brother's house today to pick up a free Holley carb. It's a spreadbore woo hoo! Not. I found one once that was the spreadbore emissions version but was also a dual feed, double pumper. What an anomaly, and why?
 Anyway, for the second time this summer I was caught in a heavy rain. For a block or so it felt like hail. I hit a huge puddle that startled me, it felt like a hard vibration, I guess it was water on the lowers.

How did the bike run ?