Prince George Vintage Motorcycle Club
General Category => Bobbers => Topic started by: fast1 on February 20, 2010, 10:32:02 PM
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Was by Russ' shop yesterday and today-- saw the progress on his bobber inspired me to build the ultimate off road bobber for when I'm in Fort Ware. Stay tuned for details- how 'bout it geezer--up for a bobber- maybe we could have a build-off?????
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P.S. all participants must ride to bear lake and back. Far enuff on a rigid.
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Russ's progress is pretty inspirational.
I know abit about Fort Ware having worked up there periodically for 15 years. I believe that if you did a small bike with ape hangers, black paint and some skull/crossbones/deathrap motiff, you'd have the coolest ride in town. Of course, that's not much sayin' for Fort Ware. Being a big fish in a small pond is cool. Just don't let it go to your head...its a pretty small pond.
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Everything Dennis says is true. 400 people live in Fort Ware and the best road in town is the airport runway. No pavement for 440 k. Does this mean your in for the bobber build off? Say July 1? You do have a big head start! Did I mention they only have one store where everything but smokes and munchies are double what they are here-12 bucks for a plastic pak of strawberries. One cafe-not open. Worlds slowest internet, no cell service and only about a half dozen satellite phones in the whole village. Chief says the next one to fire a gun in town is going to Jack lake for a month to work by themselves...different kind of law there.....but where the three rivers meet at the foot of the rocky mountain trench(beautiful when you can see it) the air is so clean you sleep like a baby as long as Vance isn't hopped up on "moon juice"( An alcohol concoction made from potatoes) doing donuts down the road on his quad at 5:30 am.
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Hey Russel, want to show us some pics of your bobber?????
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Hey Russel, want to show us some pics of your bobber?????
Where is RUSTY BUCKET ??? ???
Last I heard he had gone down to South America to meet up with the DRAX. CORP. Bosses......
Did he ever make it back :o
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the Britbike guys say the Japanese bikes just naturally fall apart after a few years...they are, of course, wrong: it actually takes a fair amount of work to make them fall apart...
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We used to joke about british cars when I worked at Foreign car centre- spend three years rebuilding it take it twice around the block and start over. The Japanese may not do anything original but they do everything better.
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Guess you haven't heard about "Toyota" eh. ;D
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...just grabbed some pipe and started bending: got off to a dismal start, though; it was headed south in a hurry with a load in it's pants..
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Did you find somewhere to order some Springs for that seat? :o
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Looking at the pic, it seems as though he has a set of spring ride "airshocks".
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Re-did the frame rails for a little less rearward 'weight' bias; these ones don't fit up as perfectly as the ugly ones did, but at least I am happier with the appearance...glad I have another one of these bikes sitting around the shop; it's actually easy to forget where things go approximately when you have started over without many reference points, handy to look over your shoulder at (what's left of) a stock bike. Bike is still riding on 3" of air under the springs, though I did order some longer seat springs today (my FIRST chopper parts!) from the Yamaha dealer (I miss the Motorcycle Shop)
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So, here's a first-look mock-up at the parts that have been drawn into the gravity-well of this project so far; Dennis tells me this is an FX Dyna tank because of the square tunnel. At first, I was pretty convinced it was just too wide for a bobber tank, but Wayne thought that if I left it on there for awhile, I would see it's merit, and he was right about that. It is a big tank, but it does what I want it to do, and has a nice profile, so now I am thinking it is the one...
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Lookin good , Russ. I really like the lines you're takin' :) ;)
MAC ;D
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The Circle of life; first mock-up with the actual beating heart purloined from the adjacent bike...
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Frame welded yet? Or assembled by Gorilla G.
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Yeah, frame welded up after a fashion; now have to start thinking about an exhaust system, electrical system and so forth. SURPRISE! the seat is not all that comfortable...
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Comfort Schmumfort. Its not a motorcycle, its a chopper baby.
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I am trying to keep that mantra in mind; it's hard though, because I don't really like things that are loud, stinky, leaky, and uncomfortable and yet have the same speed potential as a bicycle, and brakes to match; and vibrate like apoplectic paint mixers... but here we are: this wheezing, greasy, smoking, shaking, barking experiment in ill-advised modification seems likely to embody all those attributes, and is nobody's fault but my own.
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you go girl, er i mean 'rusty'
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Ahhhh, the power of peer pressure. And the pressure to build the bobber has no peers. Next you know you will have a sub to "The Horse, Back Street Choppers". With a byline,,,,,Bobbers by Rusty Choppa!,
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The Rusty Bobber to this point:
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That's some good looking seat springs 8)
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Same springs that put the 'handling' in a Mach I. Same damping actually, too, now that I think of it...
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Really like the look of that Front end ...now...the more I look at it more...
What year of Yamaha did that come from again ???....I know you told me once already ...but.... ::)
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The 'six-shooter' drum, concurrent with the steel fork sliders, was on the first two years of 650 Yamaha, then called the XS1 (and then XS1b in it's second year, 1971) It has a poor reputation, not for falling apart, like some of the Suzuki drums from the period, but for just being a not-very well-designed brake to begin with; the conecting rod for the second cam operates in compression rather than extension, and the the brake-cam arms have two different operating ratios, meaning they will never be working equally. Maybe Yamaha was also thinking, "it's not a motorcycle baby; it's a chopper" because it does at least look good, with it's cooling scoops and backside vents and so forth. A guy who had one in the day told me that when you grabbed a handful of front brake, the only thing that happened was a slight grinding noise from the front end, without any appreciable deceleration...
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I am trying to keep that mantra in mind; it's hard though, because I don't really like things that are loud, stinky, leaky, and uncomfortable and yet have the same speed potential as a bicycle, and brakes to match; and vibrate like apoplectic paint mixers... but here we are: this wheezing, greasy, smoking, shaking, barking experiment in ill-advised modification seems likely to embody all those attributes, and is nobody's fault but my own.
Was that a dig about me with the (loud,stinky,leaky) comment ???
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True Dat: he who heard it, felt it and smelt it likely dealt it...
pipes today:
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guilty as charged :-X Bike looks really good Rus!
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Might be highly subjective: Oldduc came by the shop today and said, "Hmph; looks better in the pictures."
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So do the GIRLS, but we still like them anyway. ;D
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Russ a Ducati 999 looks worse in pictures
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So, anybody out there have any feelings one way or the other about the suitability of these handlebars? The more upright pair are Wayne's; they are in good shape and look 'custom-choppery'; the wider, shallower ones are probably Yamaha bars, they are in poor shape, but look more 'motorcycley' to my eye. I am trying to decide which way things are going from here...I don't want to trip over my general preference for things to look stock.
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;D ;D ;D.......
This probably won't help...But.....From the Front...to me...I like Waynes Bars..
From the Back ...I still liked the original styled ones....
What do I know??? :-\ Doesn't really matter.....which ones Feel better to ya when you are on the Bike? :D :D :D
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Yeah, as far as feel goes, they are both ok; the wider ones (not surprisingly) feel wider, and the taller ones taller, but both seem like they'd be fine for riding around at moderate speeds. You sort of put your finger on it, they look different depending on the angles, and like you, from the side and back I really like the Yamaha bars, but as I say (actually, as Dennis says) they are in rough shape, and the mini-apes seem like all the rage with some guys...
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Just a thought, but how about flat bars like the ones on your 1100? That style seems to be quite popular on the u-bilt bobbers in the mags.
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Motocross bar with a pad.
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I like the narrow upright bars better. I do have some dirt bike bars if you would like to try that out also another set of street bars on my 75 husky that were used for ice racing.
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Yes, when I started building it I just assumed it would have flatish-to-flat bars like everything else I have; and I have to say, I haven't tried any flat bars on it yet and I have liked every set of bars I have tried on it so far, BUT I am trying to broaden my sense of what's appropriate a bit with this little project and that desire makes me want to put something on it that would look stupid on my BMW...
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Temptation is always greatest when the door is left wide open. ;D
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How 'bout a set of Clubmans? I have a set if ya wanna try a fitting.Just a thought ;)
MAC
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I left the mini-apes (if that's what they are; the taller ones) on there for awhile to see if I get used to them. I looked through the Flanders catalogue (average price $100 a set!) trying to find a set like the other ones, but haven't found anythng very close so far. If I can't settle on the mini-apes I might try a modified drag bar...
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How would these BARS look on your BMW ;D
(http://i582.photobucket.com/albums/ss263/ironpan65/BAR.jpg)
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Just about ready to break down to it's components to begin the finalization process; wonder how long that will take?
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:D...Depends....have you any time on your hands in order to do it?? :o
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trapped in the past
surrounded by evil
low on gas... ;D
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Hey Rusty.....Did you get that Frame Painted yet.....? Or has that Guzzi taken all your time away..... ;D
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Um, no; still sitting there waiting for, you know, the stars to line up correctly. As I was telling Wayne last night, I have been working on the Guzzi, and the project is proof I am not a one-note cafe-racer production unit: on the Guzzi I am de-cafe-ing a bike that came from the factory with clip-ons, rear-sets and a 1/4 fairing... :D
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De-Cafe-ing a Bike.....What's Happening there Rusty... ???...Mid Life Crisis :D
I would like to Paint another Frame now also....Maybe after Christmas we could Talk that Stuntman Dude into Splashing some colour onto them in one Blast.....You did say that you wanted Ducati RED...... 8) Thinking about it now....there is a GS "G" Frame there also that needs some colour.......
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No problem!!! I can blast them both at once!!!
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Hey, only thing more fun than shooting and riding is. Oh ya, shooting and riding more.
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yea, I would like to have more shooting and riding. Both would be nice but as of late riding will have to suffice.
Donovan
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Took some pics of Stuntman and Rusty's Frame all Dolled up.....Looking forward to seeing the bike go back together there Rusty Bucket..... 8)
(http://i582.photobucket.com/albums/ss263/ironpan65/Nov2010028.jpg)
(http://i582.photobucket.com/albums/ss263/ironpan65/Nov2010032.jpg)
(http://i582.photobucket.com/albums/ss263/ironpan65/Nov2010033.jpg)
(http://i582.photobucket.com/albums/ss263/ironpan65/Nov2010035.jpg)
(http://i582.photobucket.com/albums/ss263/ironpan65/Nov2010037.jpg)
(http://i582.photobucket.com/albums/ss263/ironpan65/Nov2010058.jpg)
(http://i582.photobucket.com/albums/ss263/ironpan65/Nov2010023.jpg)
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Neat. I dug through the 650 Yamaha wheels around the shop, and found two I think would be good enough to powder-coat (meaning solid, but not such good chrome). Now, more colour questions; semi-gloss or gloss black rims? The gloss matches the frame and looks clean if it IS clean; the semi-gloss matches the tank (a whole other question) and doesn't show dirt as much. I guess I could continue on with the chrome rims, which are different from the ones I would powdercoat, and decide about whether to colour the rims later...
Thanks Fritz for the process pics and thanks StuntmanFubar for the frame paint!
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Can't go wrong with Black...
Always could put the Chrome Rims on for now and Ride the bike....then Powder later if need be....That way you could keep working on the Guzzi.... ;D
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Yeah, but I only have one new set of spokes for '70-71 Yamaha, and I doubt if I'd ever get around to swapping them back around... I don't know. One of the '71 front rims I've got is completely hooped, way beyond saving, and I only ever had two chrome-rimmed rear wheels... I would like to figure a way to get red pinstripes on the sides of the rims, but no way to powdercoat THAT in. If I got the rims sandblasted and then painted, instead of powdercoated, I could change my mind about the semi-gloss and go with gloss black. I guess I will look at the computer again and try and use that to make up my mind; it was helpful with the frame.
For the time being I need to concentrate on clearing some workable space out of the massive clutter the Xmas flood caused at the shop.
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The pinstriping is the easy part. The decision you have to make in your mind on the sheen of the black is your biggest decision. Do you have a couple of rims that I can quickly paint one shiny and one satin black?I have pinstiping wheels for painting pinstripes easily. See no problem.
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Rusty
Saw this Cafe Racer on Kneeslider and it has red pin striping on chrome rims. Looks good but I am sure black would look great also.
http://artemiophoto.com/Motorcycles/1978-Honda-CB-550-custom-cafe/14869043_g99cw#P-1-15
Donovan
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Very nice bike; the rims on this Honda are similar to the deep-shouldered Exel's I laced for the Sportster, and you're right, they look good with the accent stripe. I am trying to do things on the bobber in the complete opposite way from all the other bikes I have, so, since I would never change any of their rims away from more-or-less factory finish, I'm figuring the bobber is asking for it (by being what it is) Guilty of one count of being a bobber, and of one count of being an accessory to being a bobber.
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Guilty as Charged then.....Here is your sentence for the next 4(?) months.......... :D
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He can come and do my driveway anytime he wants, beer will be free and he can park in my shop.
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He can come and do my driveway anytime he wants, beer will be free and he can park in my shop.
Free Beer...How could he resist... ;D
Any more pics of the progress on the Bike there Rusty...I see you have a rim Powdercoated... ;D
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Rusty Bucket....How are those rims doin'...? That bike ready to go yet??? ;D
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I just yesterday (Valentine's day, right? Lots of free time...) thought of a way to sand my pinstripe rings on the rims; when I have tried that out I will toss them back at da Fubar again.
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Finally done!!
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh130/supdve/1ffb2ff6.jpg)
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(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh130/supdve/63556e91.jpg)
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Hey, those are EXACTLY like the wheels I wanted for MY bobber - oh...er, wait a minute... ;D
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Drop me a line...
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At the shop...
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Jeeeez, a jig to pin stripe a line. What's next, stencils?
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Really more co-opting an already extant device - using the wheel-lacing stand, already at hand, as more or less a simple ruler...
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A magic wand would be much easier!
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The reassembly of the bobber has (finally) started; still hoping to finsh the bike for $1000, though the Avon Speedmasters, at $300, were not helpful in that vein.
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...something you never see: open primary on a unitized engine ;D Had to dig into the engine to the extent of replacing the camchain, the old one was a bit stretched and flailing enough to be filing off bits of the motor from the inside, resulting in some visible chaff in the oiling system. That's pretty much all the slack in the budget spent - at $800 now - and it could still blow, or more likely leak, at any seam...
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Pretty sweet looking there Russ but I think the tank needs my touch.
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...and now having spent another $60 on handlebar tubing, (though I guess I only used 1/4 of it) and with a headlight ring and - according to Stuntman - some ways to go on the paint still looming, that's probably the death knell for finishing the bike on budget. Here are some final mock-up pics.
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I'll have to drop by your shop to check out the detail on those exhaust heat shields. I don't remember seeing those before.
As to your budget, I say "budget schmudget." Even if your bobber comes in at $2k, you've gotta cool ride to be proud of.
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I just cut up Fast1's donated wine-rack today to make those shields - problem being I need another wine rack for the muffler heat shields. The exhaust wrap is supposed to highlight the holes in black when it's in there. Budget is important, though, in this case: with the large amount of donated parts used herein, including tank, mufflers, aforementioned wine rack, and indeed the two early-model 650 Yamaha's that were sacrificed in this quest, if the thing ends up costing $2000 it would be kind of obscene. I thought the original $1000 would be plenty, but having to go inside the farm-bike's engine was a set-back, and the tires were $100 more than average. I guess I have been including a pile of assorted chopper parts Fritz and I bought in Kelowna a couple of years ago, most of which aren't, and never were going to be, used on this bike. I'm going to add up the bills on this bike in the next few days and see if I am where I imagine...
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Soo...it turns out I have already blown through the original budget on this thing, I might be able to finish it for $1500 rather than $1000. If I have to buy more mufflers, however, the target gets ever harder to hit... so, which of these approximate looks appeals more?
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top one
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My vote is for the Less is more version...
Looks Good Rusty Bucket....knew you could do it....How many years now since pickin' at parts in Kelowna? Forgot his name....but you should send him a pic....
Like the direction you took with the Bars...Looks to be a Fun bike to ride.....Fort Ware should be Proud
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Roman Yamschikov was his unlikely moniker...hmm, I wonder if there will be a consensus, or whether it will be like the original dithering about the bars...
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Leaning toward the bottom. Pipes don't look so busy.
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Bottom photo for me as well, less is often better.
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Without any question , the bottom.
Shep
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" Quote from the Pusher ".....
sorry i cant be of more help its a gazer of a bike youre gunna need quite the pip pip gollywock to get that rickedy-pop to shift on down the cobble stone clippity clops
>>>>>> ;D ;D
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I just had to google that quote. The quote is from the Jockey Journal contributor Pusher. Probably the best forum next to our own.
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So... as the computer prompt is reminding me, this is a pretty elderly thread - some might just say it has passed on. The last serious work this bike got was a couple of years ago now, back before I stuck the LeMans in that ditch in Ferndale. However, Dave painted the tank a week ago, and since I have been tidying up the loose ends since then, wierdly, and at long last, this bobber is finished. Guy and I started it up yesterday - and it started first kick! Well, it started first kick after having the wiring between the breakers and coils reversed - meaning first kick after 25 priming kicks which only resulted in hollow backfires in the exhuast pipes... at any rate, it runs.
I realize it doesn't look much different than in 2011 - that is the price of bringing one to the brink of being finished and then not (quite) finishing it. Paint, trimming bolts, wrapping the pipes, finishing the shields, etc. Not stuff that will show much in pics - but the difference between 'almost finished' and 'rideable' is a palpable one to me.
Edit: I see I formerly said "if the thing ends up costing $2000, that would be kind of obscene." I would say it ended up costing just about exactly $2000, so not only did it take something like 5 years to finish - when it was supposed to have taken one winter - but it cost double what I thought it would. This underscores what I have been saying, 'It's easy, cheap and fun to take something apart - humans are good at that." Putting them back together is the reverse of that; sort of like the manuals say, 'Assembly is the reverse (order) of disassembly'.
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Gotta be careful - when they turn out this nice a fella might be tempted to take one of his herd and do the same thing!
Nicely done!
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Very cool !!
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You started it!!! Hooray! I will try and get by again sometime soon to hear it! If this weather breaks up I may even get my dumpy little bobber down there in person.
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Everyday we are faced with exciting new challenges---disguised as insurmountable problems. Awesome job my friend. CHEERS.