Well this was another 1000 mile weekend so didn't have all that much time to work on the bikes, but seeing that Mike's Cafe Racer build is about a year overdue, I thought I better push on with it as my #1 priority, and I'm glad I did, as I actually fired it up for the first time ever!
I built this whole bike from parts I had laying around in my garage. It's all K2, but the engine and frame came from different bikes, and the engine itself was so bad when Mike brought it over (with the top end off) that I had to throw away the crank, conrods, pistons, cylinders, valves, springs, valve guides, most of the gears, the complete clutch assembly, the transmission mainshaft, all of the chains, adjusters, etc.
Basically all I kept was the cases, and only because Mike wanted me to keep them, which involved me buying a special MIG welder with a spool gun, just so I could weld up his cases where they'd been dropped and the upper rear engine mount casting had been broken off. It was a real labour of love, so to see it running again in a bike I built from the ground up from parts that I'd accumulated at swap meets, on eBay, Gumtree (Craigs List) from members here etc, almost brought a tear to my tough old eyes.
I filled my little temporary tank with fuel, gave each float bowl a rap with a screwdriver handle and turned the key, and as soon as I pressed the starter button the engine immediately fired up, with no burping or farting. The new gel battery, Dyna 3 ignition and Dyna coils and leads more than likely helped with their fat blue spark, and once the WD40 I'd sprayed down each spark plug hole burned off and it stopped smoking it idled away happily, with plenty of oil pressure, thanks to the rebuilt oil pump and all new main and big end bearings.
The only thing that pissed me off were the "Carpy" el-cheapo quality braided oil tank lines that pissed oil out of the inlet hose, hence the oil spots on the garage floor, and the oil pan underneath the bike. If anyone here was thinking about buying some (or anything else from Carpy, for that matter) don't, just like his bikes, his parts are half arsed as well. I'll take the hoses to Pirtek and get some proper ones made, that won't fcuking leak.......... Cheers, Terry.