Front section is now 1/2 wired. Just need to figure out the hot leads to the headlight switch and brake circuits, and add the sealed battery. Carb goes back on tomorrow, tried to shine it up a bit and failed miserably, still looks like crap, but it is clean crap...  

Used to have alumunum cleaner in a spray bottle that you could buy. I had an aluminum trailer. Spray it on let it set 5 minutes and wash it off with a garden hose. Trailer looked brand new. Should work on a carb but I cant remember the name brand or even where I bought it.

It cranked! Booster cables directly to the starter, spark plug removed, compression seems alright.

Figured I'd try that to make sure the engine hadn't seized from sitting up so long.

So, need to run a couple leads for the lights/horn, hook up the brake/tail wires. Ready to modify the HD shifter linkage and swap it in place of the stock weak sister part. Need to drill/tap the factory shifter pivot for a grease zerk, drill/tap the swingarm and steering head as well. Overhaul forks (seals) and add heavier oil as I want ZERO brake dive. Get the front brake shoes relined, get the custom cables made, with a spare full set. Change the rear tire for the spare 140/90-15 Dunlop even though I really want a 130/90-15.

That should hold it for a couple years until I get around to the rigid frame conversion with sprung seat, 6" backbone stretch/round backbone conversion and 4.75 gallon Mustang gas tank swap, and chain drive conversion. Just doesn't look right with rear shocks, and if I could graft on a VN800 or XV750 rear section with hidden mono shock instead of a rigid conversion... even better on my tired old back.

Fish are biting, pecans are ready to drop, black walnuts are ready to pick up. Bitter oranges should be close as well, have somewhere between 15 and 25 thousand of those plants (birds/deer/squirrels/pigs seeded them).

Door is open, but the dogs and cats still have fleas...  

Oh and will be sure to wear my flea collar
when I do visit..

WD wrote on 11/11/13 at 23:25:13:


pfffft your north of Ole Miss .... thats yankee country!  They have snow and eat funny things like Shepards pie.    

Had some time to play with the project today... Got a "little" bit done...

Yes, the bags clear the shocks, which still work as intended. Hard tail conversion to run good bags rendered moot...


Oh, yep, that blob on the front fender IS a light. Just sitting there while I decide if I like it or not...


Close up, showing the bags spaced out with brackets kind of visible, relocated reg-rec kind of visible under the seat, and the headlight bracket turned front fender mount. The reflectors under the taillight are cheap Chinese Walmart stick ons, used them to mock it up, will be replaced with faceted glass versions...


The grips suck. Period. Don't buy metal grips with rubber sections, don't use them if they were free like mine were, they suck. Oh, the bars are raised in 1970s AEE aluminum dog bones, height and reach are spot on perfect. With the thin seat, the floorboards, and those risers, it now feels like a motorcycle instead of a toy...


8 wires or so to go and it is off to have cables reworked.

Oh, that's the plate I'm going to run instead of a TN one, which will be in the saddlebag. No year sticker, see how long I can get away with it, since I "forgot" to take the "display" plate off at the "show"...