....on a bike I sold a long time ago.
I sold my '71 CL350 to a guy about an hour away. He came up, test rode it, we shook hands and he came back a few days later to get it.
Fast forward several months and he has it listed on Craigslist. A guy in Portland, OR emails me and starts asking questions. Says new owner gave him my info. No problem...I sent pics, explained what I did to it, answered a BUNCH of his questions, etc. We probably exchanged 12-15 emails over the last few weeks.
The bike shows up and he makes a comment about the condition. Umm, that's exactly how I described it and what was shown in the many, many pics I sent you.
Today, I get an email....
Hi John ...
In Eugene we have a motorcycle shop that specializes in vintage Hondas.
I had them go thru the bike to check it out for me. I just got back from there and the results are not good!
I'll assume you didn't know (but Scott must have known because he said he adjusted the valves) that the number one intake valve cam has virtually no lobe left on it (cause unknown at this time).
It is impossible to adjust number one intake because the lobe is so worn off that there is no adjustment (Scott must have known this if he even tried to adjust the valves).
Fixing it means taking the engine apart ... an expense I definitely didn't plan on.
Now on to ... Chapter Two ... don I replied: Nope, had zero issues when adjusting the valves and rode the bike extensively.
Then it hit me....that's not an email from the shop. That's an email from the new owner to the guy he bought it from. Accusing ME of being shady.
Here's what I then wrote:
"Wait a second... I replied to Don, but after re-reading the email, I feel that I should "reply all".
Initially, I thought that was a letter from the shop in Eugene, but now I see that Don is writing John and accusing me of some impropriety or, at the very least, of being shady.
Don, I've answered probably a dozen or more emails from you and sent pics, explained how stuff works, etc. I went through that bike as it was my own and I rode it for several hundred miles before selling it. John viewed the bike in person and even test rode it. We shook hands that day, but he returned at a later date to make the transaction. He had more than one opportunity to walk away. My responsibilities to that bike ended the day I handed over the title.
I had ZERO issues adjusting the valves or setting the timing (which sort of follows cam operation). To accuse me of being shady is uncalled for and I take offense to it. If you can't work on 45+ year old machinery, or afford to have it done, then maybe vintage bikes aren't for you. Even if you paid the shop to repair it, you'll be back every 1,000 miles or so for points and timing adjustment. And frequent valve adjustments and oil changes are par for the course for bikes of that vintage.
Good luck with the bike. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did" That really rubbed me wrong. I have no idea what the guy in-between did or how he rode the bike. After I bent over backwards talking to a guy on the other side of the country that bought a 46 year old motorcycle from a third party, I took great offense to that.
There....just had to vent.
