Ok , the names haves changed , The Sunday morning ride was originally called The Breakfast Run , big fun cause sometimes you would ride with rich or famous people but they were just another rider to greet. And Alice’s is four corners and on Sunday morning that area was like the Concourse De Elegance, some of most exotic bikes in the area all lined up and there too you never knew who you might meet. My X stomping grounds learned how to ride in them woods , from Hwy 92 to Santa Cruz. Gas up in Santa Cruz race to four Corners. But yeah I bet riding there ain’t much fun anymore due to recent squid population explosion. Hell I’d go just to see bikes & hang out , maybe see an old friend or familiar face.

We have all of our insurance through AAA.  The structure and the personal property are paid out from different coffers, so I will get a settlement check for the structure and clean up first (once a number is agreed upon).  I was told right away not to enter the building, or touch anything, until the investigation is completed.  Fault needs to be determined first.  Since it was electrical in nature, I know they cannot find negligence on my part.  To protect their legal position, they needed to have a Ryobi representative present before exposing the area of the ignition source.  So it took 6 weeks to get everyone on the same page and show up.  It's hard to stare at that mess in the backyard while it seems like nothing is moving forward.  Now that the investigators are done with the building, I should get official word from the insurance that the building is released back to me.

I forgot about your hate for spoke wheels.  Can’t say I blame ya!

You’re moving up nicely on the hp!

Mike, that is just a plug to replace the threaded cap, it isn't part of the shortening, only an alternative that can be used if someone doesn't want to try and rethread the inside of the fork tube.  I'll go back and reread what I wrote and see if I didn't make that clear, and edit it if needed.  

It can be any thickness you need as long as there's room for the o-ring groove on it and enough metal to either side of it so it doesn't deform from the spring pushing on the underside or from being pushed against the circlip in the groove above it.



I'd suggest you make it the minimum thickness that works and then use replaceable spacers for setting preload.

Oh, there should probably a small chamfer on the top corner of the plug to help trap the circlip in the groove in the fork tube.

 Maybe you should just sell it and get the Himalayan/Scram with the bigger motor.  I think they bumped it up to 450cc this year.  

Na , Paul

The Scram is Spoke Wheels  

I really don't like inter tubes and don't ever want them on a bike again ... they might be "OK" on a car or truck ?  
............

The Meteor replaced my S-40 , it Sits , Rides , Corners , and Feels like a S-40/Savage with bigger tank and better mpg.   Very few machines can do that.   The Meteor is only 21HP New ... I've got mine up to about 25-26HP and the 72mm to 78mm swap would get it up to about 30hp.  There are a few "Plus-Points" I don't want to give-up from the Meteor , and the new 450 Himalaya is Liquid Cooled   .  
I have the option to put a Belt Drive unit on the 650 Meteor , but It don't feel like the S-40 ... it feels like the HD Sportster with a lower seat . Good-but not a Savage.

It seems , There are very few "Perfect" Motorcycles from the factory's !  

Dave, Mike

Thanks for your input, I am happy there are the needed gaskets on the way, because the sound from Mikes bike, on that video, is very much like the sound from mine. Not under the same circumstances, but sounding just like that. Not unlike the sound I would expect from a piston hitting the cylinder head, but I checked that with tin wire.
I will pull the left cover and dig my way in to the flywheel, I am already hoping it is loose, and it will be turned down to become the spacer it should have been in the first place. Wroom, wroom, should rev. a bit livelier then
The muffler functions great. Yesterday I started the bike with my nephew right by and the expression on his face told me the sound is just exactly right. ( I knew that already, of course ;-> )
And it looks period cool just as I like it.

Lots of good details and info, Mike!

Wiggling the positive battery cable got it going tells me bad battery connection, OR it worked because the handlebars were inadvertently moved/repositioned when the cable got wiggled.  To Verslagen’s point, the smallest detail could provide a clue.  You might not even notice to repositioned the handlebars.

Then, more things happened after the handlebars were swapped out.  My bet right now is that the contacts in the starter button switch are dirty (your first response).  The wiggling of the positive cable was unrelated and coincidental and it was movement of the handlebars.

I know when I was swapping out the throttle cable on my bike, that entire housing can get pretty dirty in there.  I think I used a 1/4 can of contact cleaner in there.

I hate electrical gremlins!  Continuing to follow this post and learn myself.

Regarding your "battery meter", it is likely that the meter either uses the same ground as your lights & horn, or the same power wire as the lights and horn, or both.  Given the location of the meter, it is highly likely that it was hooked up to the lights and horn circuits because they are in close proximity to the meter.  It would be a good idea to trace the meter wires and see where they are tied in.  I'm guessin that it might be in the headlight nacelle, or under the fuel tank below the speedometer.  The installation of the meter may have damaged a ground wire or a power wire.  Follow the wires and see where it's hooked up.

Press the horn button and the meter should read zero ohms or very, very close to zero ohms.  If the meter shows no continuity or high resistance, inspect and clean the connector pins in the left-hand multi-connector.  That would be black/white wire to black/white wire.  If those pins check out, then the horn button isn't making good contact, but that wouldn't prevent the lights from working.

If the power circuit checks out and the ground circuit checks out, the lights and horn should work.

And the other meter lead to a good clean part of the engine.  No paint or powder coat, bare metal.