(This turned out to be more of a diary and got longer than I expected.
If you bore easily, just skip it, as you won't miss much except practice at reading.)
So, yesterday, I get the word that the engine and frame numbers have to be verified by some peace officer or DMV official, as the bike hasn't been registered since 1985, and is no longer in the CA DMV records.
This means I have to take the bike out on the roads before I have a chance to go through and make it all nice street worthy proper. And, I'm going out of town for two weeks beginning Monday! So, now I have about 6 hours to make it street legal for the CHP officer to look at.
AND, hope it stops raining long enough to get there and back.
Last night I slather PJ-1 lube on the dry rusty chain, I'd really rather replace. Can't hurt with lube, though. Set points and reset static timing, noting 11-4 were advanced quite far, which probably explains their discolored head pipes. Cleaned the plugs, found #2 spark plug cap was open and borrowed that one from the 78 (must order a new one, I keep losing those mental notes).
Turn on gas and it slowly leaves a puddle under the bike. Bike sort of wants to run, but won't stay running without th starter motor engaged. Switch to reserve and bike starts right away. DOH! (Must put some more gas in that tank.)
The bike does run a little better, but idle is still not smooth, head pipes uneven temp, and throttle response poor. Okay, off come the carbs. Number one overflow tube has gas in it, I notice.
I stick the carb bank in the vise with padded jaws, and remove number one bowl. It's only a quarter full! Then I notice a crack in the stand pipe. Do I rob a bowl from another bike or patch this one? Maybe I can solder up that crack. Clean the brass bright, a bit of acid core solder and a large mass solder tip on the Weller iron, and wadya know no more crack. Time will tell about durability, I suppose.
Since the carbs are off, remove other bowls to find all the rest at nice fuel levels. Number two bowl has the accelerator pump, and with the bowl full, I give it push. Was that a dribble? I'd rub my eyes if they weren't covered with gas. Take the pump apart and the diaphram is supposed to have two holes in the little mickey mouse ear like bumps at the perimeter. But, I can't see light through them. Both the check valves in pump body and bowl body seem to be working. Let's drill out the mouse ears.
Done. Reassemble the pump to the bowl, fill it with gas and push on the pump plunger. Air bubbles. Push again, less bubbles and a dribble. Push again. Set down bowl, clean glasses, and blot scalp with rag. Yep that's working pretty good now! I decide to yank all the slows and verify all the slow passages. Of note, I found THE perfect tool for press in slow jet removal. Its called parallel pliers. They look like these.
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=646347&t=11082005They contact the jet body along its entire length on both sides, and leave NO chew marks.
With the carbs clean and reassembled, I put them back on the nice soft carb couplers. I also install nice new air box rubber couplers, too. I put the gas tank back on, set it too reserve, and wait for carbs to fill. Hmm, no puddles.
Hit the button and starts right up. Cold blooded D8ea plugs needs warm up. Gonna have to get D7s if I operate much in cold weather. No time for that today though. Throttle is really good. Wish I had time for cam chain tension adjust, a carb sync, but what would be the point without a valve adjustment first. Oh well, it runs good enough to get me the 10 or so miles there and back, I reckon.
I've got time (yeah, right). I'll put on the new in box seat to treat my sorry butt on this short trip. Actually, it bolts right on in very little time, and makes a nice improvement in appearance, to boot.
"Yes, officer come look at my bike I'm riding on the the streets , and just ignore the no head light or turn signals issue, trust me, I'll fix that." "Um, what's that extra paper your writing on there?"
Right. Better put on a headlight. But, no fork ears. I decide to put the vetter-like fairing back on it as it also has the turn signals built in and wiring, as ratty as it is, is set up for it anyway. Will have to rob a head light from another bike, as this fairing is missing that.
Well, it sounded simple. But, the fairing mount is somehow twisted. I'll have to compensate with a stack of washers for now. Front sigs come on now, don't blink. Well, no rear sigs yet maybe that's why. Go find a headlight from the fairing I got with the CX500. Plug in and nothing. Switching hi/lo through several cylces and High beam starts working. 10-15 more cycles and low beam work, too. Good enough for now, will have to overhaul the switch (and all electrical connections likely) in the future. Mounting the headlight finds stripped screw threads. Must rummage through screw stock to find something that works. Not elegant, but works. Okay, front lighting done.
Rear turn sigs were supplanted with lights at rear of hard saddle bags. So, I put those back on the bike, too. I actually like the hard bags. They need paint, though. Shame they block the seat from hinging up. Engineering for another day.
The red lens for the bag's light was stored inside leaving the bulb and socket exposed to rain water. But, it actually works after cleaning things up a bit. They don't blink on either side though. Time to "borrow" a flasher from another bike.
I finally get the side cover off the very hard frame grommets after a shot of WD-40. Without breaking the left side cover! yay! Replace flasher and now all lighting works. I'm ready to go. But wait, the broken windshield! There was a brand new windshield in a box with bike when I got it. There's time to put it on. Well, this was time wasted. Turns out this fairing is Vetter-like and the spare windshield was for a bona fide Vetter. Curvature is wrong and the mount holes don't align. So, I just remove the broken one. Good to have a nice riding jacket and full face helmet.
Add a gallon of gas that was destined for the lawn mower.
Suit up, Start up, and head out. It's about 4 oclock, CHP office closes at 5PM. I could make it if I don't have a break down, I think. As I get get about a mile or two down the road, I recall the tool kit is still sitting on my work bench in the garage. I comfort myself with the fact that I have a cell phone on my belt. Now it's time to get on the freeway with this bike for the first time (20 year old tires and a rusty chain). Even before this ,I note that the engine is running much better than my initial 4 mile, sub 40MPH, drive home after first pickup.
Getting on the freeway, the bike has pep, I note. The engine winds up well, but there is vibration I don't like. Chain maybe? Things rattle and buzz all over the bike., Jeesh. No time to investigate that now. Engine kind of surges at freeway speeds 4K on Tach. THE STEERING IS BENT. Forks twisted? Bars and triple tree cocked off center. When I get to the fork seals, I have to figure that out.
Time to get off freeway. Very little engine breaking. Idles at 3K RPM. What? The choke is still on? Well, if it's not warmed up now...smash the choke knob in. Still idles at 3K! At the light I try to reach the idle knob with the Bates gauntlets still on. I can do this at will on my 550's. But, the light goes green in rush hour traffic before I get a clue on this bike. Next red light the glove comes off, the knob is found and the idle comes down quickly to 1500. Still running pretty good, throttle response very nice. 1000 RPM a bit lumpy, and there are noises I don't like. Cam chain tension? Carb balance? 1100-1200 sound pretty good, for now. Light goes green. Dang, bike is going pretty good. Dusk is setting in. Oh swell, I'm being speed matched with a black and white in the lane to my right. Yes, I've got an 85 sticker on my plate. Great, all this work, just to be delayed by a police check 5 blocks from the CHP office, til about 5:05 PM.
But, no, a couple more blocks and he pulls ahead. And, it's time to make the final turn toward CHP. Three more blocks and I'm there.
I finally decided that most of the people behind the glass at a the CHP office were simply stunned to hear english with an American accent. Either that or me leaving my helmet on was very disorienting to them. It was as though they had never before seen the official vehicle verification form I handed them through the slot in the glass. After several dumb looks at me and no less than three other office personnel, a real CHP officer took the form from them, And, without a word, brought out a brand new form identical to the one on a clip board and headed for the door. After about 10 minutes of number scrutiny and form scribbling, he handed the form to me and said, "that's it". He got much friendlier after I took my helmet off, I note. Mission accomplished. Now to get home.
Bike starts much easier. Still have some getting used to the taller bike and the higher CG, compared to the 550's (Or, the 700SC). Can't do flat foot maneuvers in the parking lot. And, I don't tip toe with much apparent grace. Once moving, the bike wields nicely.
I'll take a different route home on back streets as the freeway is jammed this time of day in the direction I have to go. I'll turn at this light. Oh no, engine losing power. Dying. Dead. And, things were going so well. Not blocking traffic, so no need to panic. Analyze. Lights are still on. Hmm, maybe I should turn the gas back on? Wonder why the petcock routine doesn't transfer from 550 to 750? THAT part should transfer exactly. On the drive back home, I notice the bike is steadily improving it's state of operational comfort. It seems to handle more nimbly, and the engine is becoming more responsive, energetic, and eager to get up and go. I'm amazed and quite pleased. It's gaining my confidence well before I have any right to expect it.
There's no doubt more needs to be done to this bike. But, I'm very encouraged with its response to attention, so far. I think it's going to be a very nice bike in the not too distant future.
I wonder if it will tell me it's name soon...
Cheers,
