Getting Home

So I finally got the bike into my garage and started working on it. With the help of a friendly relative with a truck (thanks Vic!) I got it loaded. The trip home was uneventful.

Once home I immediately gave the bike a thorough cleaning with simple green and a hose. I removed the air cleaner housing and side panels to make this easier.

A quick inspection showed it to be just as I had thought - good solid paint, but the chrome and alloy had been attacked by the salty air in Torrance. Some parts, like the brake and shift pedals, levers and wheels will be easy to clean and make look nice again. Others, like the engine side covers, will have to be professionally polished or replaced. The forks and front fender are probably too bad to salvage - I will likely either paint the front fender or replace it with a better one.

The side panel badges are mismatched, which I didn't notice before, but it should not be hard to find a pair on ebay.

I couldn't resist the urge to install a battery that I had laying around - it is slightly smaller than the stock battery but should have enough power to start the bike. I checked oil, threw in a few ounces of fresh gas and hit the thumb button. It cranked over (indicating that the engine is not seized), but didn't start. I opened a couple of the carb drain plugs and found that the engine was definitely getting fuel, or at least enough to cough. I pulled a plug and the reason for the non-starting was quickly apparent - a weak spark that could barely bridge the stock gap showed that something was wrong with the ignition system. I planned to rebuild the carbs and tank before getting serious about starting it, so I gave up and rolled it into the garage.

To Be Continued...