71ish CB450 build

[Flyin900]

Great when it all comes together and runs on the first try with little in the way of needed adjustments. The trip meter rubber can be bought from CB750 Gauges in the Netherlands. It is cheap yet shipping will likely be more than the rubber bit. I have used their parts on previous builds and they are decent.
There may also be an option from California at Clauss Studios too. I have also used their parts and they make a quality product.

Day trip meter knob grommet for CB400 CB350 CB500 CB550 GL1000

Day trip meter knob grommet for CB400F CB350F CB500 K0 K1 CB550 GL1000 gauges instruments clocks restoration

www.cb750faces.com

Featured Products

Clauss Studios & Manufacturing All products are made by us here in the U S A ! Making Classic Motorcycle parts affordable Since 1991! Reproduction molded rubber for classic motorcycles. Free...

www.claussstudios.com

 

[boddy]

Great when it all comes together and runs on the first try with little in the way of needed adjustments. The trip meter rubber can be bought from CB750 Gauges in the Netherlands. It is cheap yet shipping will likely be more than the rubber bit. I have used their parts on previous builds and they are decent.
There may also be an option from California at Clauss Studios too. I have also used their parts and they make a quality product.

Day trip meter knob grommet for CB400 CB350 CB500 CB550 GL1000

Day trip meter knob grommet for CB400F CB350F CB500 K0 K1 CB550 GL1000 gauges instruments clocks restoration

www.cb750faces.com

Featured Products

Clauss Studios & Manufacturing All products are made by us here in the U S A ! Making Classic Motorcycle parts affordable Since 1991! Reproduction molded rubber for classic motorcycles. Free...

www.claussstudios.com

The trip meter rubber was still in good shape and flexible. The rubber between the speedo and the chrome holder was toast but I had ordered new rubbers for both speedo and tach so all is good now. Thanks for the links for these hard to find parts.

 

[fxray]

boddy, I asked this before back in post 283, but I think you missed it in your excitement to get your bike going. If you don't mind, who was your supplier for the rims and spokes that you ordered?

Also, was there any issue with US/Canadian customs when ezpete sent you the brake arm and cam, or were they just shipped in a normal package, mailed directly to your house?

Congratulations on a successful first startup!

 

[boddy]

boddy, I asked this before back in post 283, but I think you missed it in your excitement to get your bike going. If you don't mind, who was your supplier for the rims and spokes that you ordered?

Also, was there any issue with US/Canadian customs when ezpete sent you the brake arm and cam, or were they just shipped in a normal package, mailed directly to your house?

Congratulations on a successful first startup!

Thanks and sorry Ray, I did miss your post in all that excitement.

I went back to my spreadsheet and see that I bought the front D.I.D. rim in 2016 (yeah, it has been a long process ) from Partzilla, the rear D.I.D. rim in 2018 from Z1 Enterprises and the made in Japan spoke sets from Scrambler Cycle in 2017.

The brake arm from ezpete came in a normal package via USPS and arrived in about a week with nothing to pay. I have found that Canadian customs are not too concerned when it comes to vintage motorcycle parts as there is not supposed to be any import duty on these items. If the vendor doesn't declare they are vintage motorcycle parts then the post office will hold your package until the duties and taxes are paid, which is usually on items where the declared value from the vendor is say above $100. They don't seem to bother when the amount is $40 or $50. Packages from individuals like ezpete are not taxed, nor is there any duty to pay.

 

[EzPete]

I will say that he lady at the post office was really helpful on that. I had just put “parts” and she said to be really specific or customs could hold it up.

 

[fxray]

^^^Thanks to both of you for the information. I once sold a couple of motorcycle parts to a guy in Ontario, and he had me send them to a US address immediately across the border. I didn't ask how they would make it across the line, and he didn't say either. That was even before the craziness of the covid period.

 

[boddy]

I will say that he lady at the post office was really helpful on that. I had just put “parts” and she said to be really specific or customs could hold it up.

it worked out well - no issues.

 

[boddy]

^^^Thanks to both of you for the information. I once sold a couple of motorcycle parts to a guy in Ontario, and he had me send them to a US address immediately across the border. I didn't ask how they would make it across the line, and he didn't say either. That was even before the craziness of the covid period.

The buyer won't get dinged for duty if you put on the customs declaration that "the parts are for a vintage motorcycle and are duty free under Tariff Item 9966.00.00"

 

[boddy]

I installed the speedo and see that the faces of the instruments are a different color. I guess I will refurbish the tach I got from ebay as both faces matched.


Finally got the spring on the rear brake pedal and tried the brake light. When I pressed the pedal it was activating the running light. When I turned on the headlight, the brake light lit up.
I took the rear tail light assembly apart and found that the PO had the wires mixed and had taped the connections.
I put some insulating sleeves over the connectors and plugged them into the appropriate colored wire. I assembled the tail light only to find I had the same problem.


Took the tail light apart again trying to figure out what was wrong. In moving the socket wires I could see that it was easy to push the contact plate out enough that it would rotate causing the contacts to be activating the wrong side of the tail light bulb. It was an easy fix, just rotate the contact plate 180 and problem solved.


This is probably what happened to the PO and all he did to fix it was to connect the brown to the green/yellow and the green/yellow to the brown.

 

[boddy]

I have a master cylinder rebuild kit on order and while waiting for it to arrive I decided to get the old parts out. Easier said than done. There is not much room in there for circlip pliers. I started by removing the rubber dust seal by pulling it out with needle nose pliers. A small pick got the wire circlip out. The circlip that holds the piston in place was another story. Pliers would not fit in there but I ground down an old screwdriver and with the piston pushed down was able to wrangle the circlip out. Not pretty but it did the job.


Everything after that came out easily. I suspect the reason the MC wasn't working is because the cap at the end of the spring was clogged with crud. The cap has a bunch of small holes to allow the fluid to pass through and has a rubber diaphragm on the other side. The rubber is pretty stiff so my conclusion is the fluid was not able to pass through easily.

The bore in the master cylinder is shiny and no pitting or score marks so I'm hoping the rebuild kit will do the trick.

 

[Flyin900]

Check the small return hole in the master cylinder bore to be sure that it is clear. You may already know this info, as a plugged return hole will not allow you to bleed the brakes.

 

[boddy]

Check the small return hole in the master cylinder bore to be sure that it is clear. You may already know this info, as a plugged return hole will not allow you to bleed the brakes.

Thanks for the tip. I did check the small hole with a flashlight and can see light coming through into the piston bore. I also took a strand of fine copper wire and ran it through the hole just to make sure.

 

[boddy]

Success! The MC rebuild kit came in today and I rebuilt the master cylinder. It also came with some delicious rubber grease that apparently you are not supposed to eat. A lot easier putting it together than taking it apart. It took a long time to bleed the brakes as the hoses and caliper had no fluid. At first I thought there was something wrong with the rebuild kit but then I remembered LDR's advice "Squeeze, open bleeder, release. Repeat, repeat, repeat." That's exactly what it took!

 

[ancientdad]

Success! The MC rebuild kit came in today and I rebuilt the master cylinder. It also came with some delicious rubber grease that apparently you are not supposed to eat. A lot easier putting it together than taking it apart. It took a long time to bleed the brakes as the hoses and caliper had no fluid. At first I thought there was something wrong with the rebuild kit but then I remembered LDR's advice "Squeeze, open bleeder, release. Repeat, repeat, repeat." That's exactly what it took!

Glad it worked out. I've had a few over the years that were very stubborn to get bled, even when the kit actually worked.

 

[Flyin900]

Success! The MC rebuild kit came in today and I rebuilt the master cylinder. It also came with some delicious rubber grease that apparently you are not supposed to eat. A lot easier putting it together than taking it apart. It took a long time to bleed the brakes as the hoses and caliper had no fluid. At first I thought there was something wrong with the rebuild kit but then I remembered LDR's advice "Squeeze, open bleeder, release. Repeat, repeat, repeat." That's exactly what it took!
View attachment 39170

Looks like the same style/brand of kit I got from PartsnMore and it was an easy kit to assemble and use. I invested in a Mitey Vac a number of years ago to help pull the fluid down the hose under the vacuum of the Mitey Vac while bleeding, it makes a huge difference. It is very difficult to bleed them when you have a twin disc/caliper setup along with a hose splitter to contend with too.

If your doing lots of restorations it is worth the investment.

 

[boddy]

Looks like the same style/brand of kit I got from PartsnMore and it was an easy kit to assemble and use. I invested in a Mitey Vac a number of years ago to help pull the fluid down the hose under the vacuum of the Mitey Vac while bleeding, it makes a huge difference. It is very difficult to bleed them when you have a twin disc/caliper setup along with a hose splitter to contend with too.

If your doing lots of restorations it is worth the cost and investment.

Yes it was from PartsnMore and came in about 3 days. The bleeding took about 20 cycles to actually start feeling some resistance in the handle and then another 5 or so to make sure there were no bubbles in the line. Not so bad, but I can see doing a dual disc system presenting some challenges.

 

[LongDistanceRider]

Yes it was from PartsnMore and came in about 3 days. The bleeding took about 20 cycles to actually start feeling some resistance in the handle and then another 5 or so to make sure there were no bubbles in the line. Not so bad, but I can see doing a dual disc system presenting some challenges.

There are still bubbles in the system, bleed again in 2-3 days to get rid of those.

 

[fxray]

Success! The MC rebuild kit came in today and I rebuilt the master cylinder. It also came with some delicious rubber grease that apparently you are not supposed to eat. A lot easier putting it together than taking it apart. It took a long time to bleed the brakes as the hoses and caliper had no fluid. At first I thought there was something wrong with the rebuild kit but then I remembered LDR's advice "Squeeze, open bleeder, release. Repeat, repeat, repeat." That's exactly what it took!

That's the right method, but there is an easier way. You can install a "Speed Bleeder" like the one on the right in this picture. The bleeder valve on the left is the original one for size comparison:



Notice the thread sealant patch on the threads of the Speed Bleeder. That is so that no brake fluid will leak around the body while bleeding, but, more importantly, no air will leak into the system either. The idea is that you can crack the bleeder open, and leave it open till you have gotten the air out of the system. You don't have to do the open/close/repeat, since there is a spring loaded check valve inside the bleeder screw. Just crack it open and pump the lever till the air is gone. Then close it up. It works great!

The company that sells them also has an accessory kit that captures the brake fluid that is bled out in the process. This also works well for flushing / replacing brake fluid periodically, with no mess.

 

[boddy]

There are still bubbles in the system, bleed again in 2-3 days to get rid of those.

Duly noted, I will do that on the weekend.

 

[boddy]

That's the right method, but there is an easier way. You can install a "Speed Bleeder" like the one on the right in this picture. The bleeder valve on the left is the original one for size comparison:



Notice the thread sealant patch on the threads of the Speed Bleeder. That is so that no brake fluid will leak around the body while bleeding, but, more importantly, no air will leak into the system either. The idea is that you can crack the bleeder open, and leave it open till you have gotten the air out of the system. You don't have to do the open/close/repeat, since there is a spring loaded check valve inside the bleeder screw. Just crack it open and pump the lever till the air is gone. Then close it up. It works great!

The company that sells them also has an accessory kit that captures the brake fluid that is bled out in the process. This also works well for flushing / replacing brake fluid periodically, with no mess.

What a great idea. Never knew about these with the built in check valve - learn something new every day! Will definitely look into one of these.

 

[boddy]

Took a break for the holidays and slowly started back this week. The freezing temperatures are keeping me out of the garage so decided to see what was missing to complete my project (is it ever complete?)
Ordered some parts for the tank cap and some clips for the fuel hoses. I also couldn't find my engine breather hose so ordered one from Mikes XS that looked like it would fit but it turned out to be too short. It did come with a spring to keep it from kinking and it was not too expensive.
I ordered a non OEM breather hose from David Silver and it is much longer.

 

[boddy]

The red tank I have is from a '72 since it has the chrome piece at the bottom. The tank that came with the bike is appropriate for a '71 but is very rusted inside. I thought I have nothing to loose at this point so I will try and restore this tank. I started with the emblems and they pried off pretty easily even though it looks like they were epoxied on. The black dots on the emblem is where the posts are located. A little prying/wriggling with a putty knife and scraper got them off. Didn't even break the posts!


Next was to remove the gas cap and latch which I did using just a punch and then a finishing nail to push the pin all the way through.


I then used a palm sander and an abrasive nylon wheel to remove most of the paint to see how bad the tank really was.


The inside is fairly corroded so I decided to see if I could remove some of the rust with an overnight soak with vinegar. Next morning I found several pin holes had developed, so I drained the tank, dried it out and then used some lead solder to plug the holes.



I will try another dose of vinegar tomorrow and see if any more holes develop.

I did buy a POR 15 kit maybe 7 years ago but I'm not sure it's still good. Does anyone know if there is an expiry date on these kits?

 

[Flyin900]

Brad the Detox C is a better way than vinegar to derust the tank. It won’t flash rust when flushed with water. There is an Alberta based distributor and it is cheaper than Evaporust. It makes up to 20 litres from a powdered material in the container.
If the POR 15 is still sealed it maybe good and contacting them will confirm that for sure. You may also find that the Detox C cleans the tank well enough that you don’t need it

 

[EzPete]

Detox C or Rust 911 would be the way to go, they’re somehow more effective and not as aggressive at the same time. Mix up 4 gallons of it, fill the tank completely and come back to it in a day or two. It does need a decent amount of heat though. I think 30-32C is where it starts to really get happy.

Por15 allegedly has an unlimited shelf life if it has never been opened. I’ve used some pretty old stuff on frame rust before - you’d know right away when opening it if the product has gone bad. It’ll be filmed over or hard as a rock.

 

[boddy]

Brad the Detox C is a better way than vinegar to derust the tank. It won’t flash rust when flushed with water. There is an Alberta based distributor and it is cheaper than Evaporust. It makes up to 20 litres from a powdered material in the container.
If the POR 15 is still sealed it maybe good and contacting them will confirm that for sure. You may also find that the Detox C cleans the tank well enough that you don’t need it

Thanks Dave. Is the Alberta distributor Carzilla? That seems to be the only Cdn supplier i could find when doing a quick search.

 

[boddy]

Detox C or Rust 911 would be the way to go, they’re somehow more effective and not as aggressive at the same time. Mix up 4 gallons of it, fill the tank completely and come back to it in a day or two. It does need a decent amount of heat though. I think 30-32C is where it starts to really get happy.

Por15 allegedly has an unlimited shelf life if it has never been opened. I’ve used some pretty old stuff on frame rust before - you’d know right away when opening it if the product has gone bad. It’ll be filmed over or hard as a rock.

Thanks EzPete, looks like Deox C is the recommended approach - I think I will order some since I am waiting on tank decals anyway. Good to know that the POR 15 might still be good. The sealer has never been opened and I can hear the liquid sloshing around when I shake the can.

 

[Flyin900]

Yes that is the place and I have been impressed with it as a rust remover with the ability to make up the quantity you need. I agree with EZPETE to use hot water when you mix it up and initially install it. Although room temp isn't a problem it just works faster when hotter. I have used it hot initially then at room temp when it cools down and it works great. Leave it in the tank for minimum a day or two if heavily rusted. It may clean it up where a liner isn't required, as long as you keep the gas level up in the tank on longer layovers.

Here's the link:

Bilt Hamber Deox-C 1kg

Rust Removal Bath Deox-C is a crystalline, 100% active corrosion removal product formulated for the removal of corrosion products from steel, stainless steel and most ferrous materials. This product when dissolved in tap water, produces a bath of powerful rust removing liquid.Deox-C is extremely...

carzilla.ca

 

[boddy]

I'm convinced, will order tomorrow.

 

[boddy]

Deox-C has been ordered and should arrive next week. I also ordered a set of gold tank decals from Diablo Cycle. They seem to be good quality and printed on what looks like 3M branded vinyl.


I started to wipe down the underside of the tank with laquer thinner and discovered the original color was Polynesian Blue Metallic.

I also have the set of side covers that came with the bike that were also painted black but rubbing with laquer thinner just exposed red oxide primer.


I have the red set of side covers in original paint, so I might leave those alone and use these black ones. Now I'm torn between repainting candy apple red or the Polynesian blue.

Still lots of prep work to do and it won't be warm enough to paint for a couple more months so lots of time to decide on a color.

 

[boddy]

I tried a bit more of the vinegar soak while waiting for the Deox-C to arrive but after a couple more days there was not a lot of improvement. I drained the tanked and dried it out to get it ready for the Deox. Still pretty rusty inside.


Before using the Deox I decided to put the tank in a plastic bin in case more pin holes appeared (which they did!)



The rust was pretty heavy but the Deox is working well. I had it soaking for 2 days and there was a big improvement but still thick layers of rust in places. I drained the tank and dried it out and put some gyproc screws in and shook that around for about an hour.

I poured the Deox back in and then sprung a leak near the tank badge location. I will let it soak another day and then will drain the tank and fix that leak and any others that show up.

The inside looks a lot better.

 

[Flyin900]

Brad that looks really good compared to what you started with after the vinegar treatment. The Detox C still looks yellowish and not black, so it should be fine for still working it's magic. You may not need a liner, although a consideration if you have thin areas of metal in there plus it will seal pin holes and any thin spots. I used the Caswell tank liner from Caswell Canada in Ontario. It is really thick and needs some thinning with acetone or paint gun cleaner to help it flow better.

The small 1/2 can mini kit is enough for a tank that size (3 gallons) if you decide to go that route. I used it in Joes CL175 tank this past summer and it sealed well and seems good to go. The trick is the tank must be bone dry before you add any sealer into the cavity, or you risk it not bonding 100%.

Here's the link: https://caswellcanada.ca/product/epoxy-gas-tank-sealer/

 

[boddy]

Thanks Dave for the link. In a day or so I will drain the tank and fix the pin holes. If the rest of the tank comes out like the center section, I will be happy. I still have the POR 15 kit I may use even though it's a few years old.

 

[boddy]

There is still a lot of rust in the tank, but more importantly it has gotten paper thin in some areas. I don't want to take a chance on this tank as there may be other areas just waiting to let go.



Luckily I have another tank that I believe is a '72 as it has the chrome strip on the bottom.

The '71 and '72 tanks look identical except for the added strip to hold the chrome trim


My question to those more knowledgeable - can I remove that chrome holder strip so the tank looks more like the '71 tank or should I leave well enough alone?
The strip looks to be tack welded to the tank so my idea was to grind through those tack welds and pull the strip off. Bad idea?

 

[Flyin900]

Brad, I reread your post and the trim rail is spot welded so that maybe a option to attempt. Yet the spot weld dimples the metal where done. That maybe a challenge to grind away without damaging the tank at the dimpled weld???
Beyond my pay grade as I have never attempted it. Below is my first suggestion of grinding if you decide to along the whole rail close to the tank curvature then filling to smooth the tank around that area.

It’s possible to grind it away mostly down and somewhat flush to the bottom curve and then use body filler to round the remaining surface area for a correct bottom curvature. Trying to grind it off flush to the tank would require some real skill with a grinder or Dremel style disc or rasp attachment. The danger is grinding through the tank or making a section thin in spots.

Personally I would use it as is with that metal lip and Canadian Tire sells a chrome trim moulding in the body shop supply and paint area. The strip has an adhesive inside the slotted section that is designed to fit that metal bottom lip like the strip you took off.

If you decide you want if off then slow and steady and maybe practice on cutting away some similar raised lip on a test piece.

Here's that CT trim on a CB900C tank that has a joiner seam all around that I attached it to 15 years ago and had the bike for 7 years and it never moved or faded or discoloured from new.

 

[boddy]

Dave, thanks for the suggestions. I think I will try a dremel and grinding disc on one of the tack welds to see if it feasible. I can get a thin screw driver under the strip between the weld spots, so maybe I won't have to grind down that deep and could break the weld leaving a little circle material above the surface. I will try one weld and if a no go then will leave it as is.

 

[boddy]

Got back to the tank in the last few days and managed to get the chrome holder off the bottom of the tank. It was a bit of a pain but got it off with just one hole in the tank. Started by marking out each tack weld and then used a grinding wheel in the dremel and slowly ground out the tack welds.


Oops should have ground a bit more instead of pulling on the weld.


The other side was a bit smoother having got an idea of the depth and the amount of prying that was safe and not going to make a hole in the tank.


As you can see, there are a few dimples in the tank from going to deep with the grinder.

Does anyone see any problems if I just use some lead solder to fill the divots and the one hole on the other side?

I will smooth out any irregularities with some bondo and finish sanding the tank down to bare metal, filling any dents as required.

 

[EzPete]

Even JB weld would work on that spot. I’d imagine solder would?

 

[boddy]

Small update. Weather is finally warming up to almost painting temperatures, so I decided to get back to the tank. I soldered the holes in the bottom of the tank and also soldered the divots I made when removing the chrome piece on the bottom of the tank. I took the tank and side covers down to bare metal and filled in a couple of small dings with some Bondo. I will spray the bondo areas with some black paint and then lightly sand to see if any pinholes or blemishes appear.



I wasn'r sure my local NAPA store would be able to match the original candy red so I ended up driving 65km (40 mi) one way to a paint store that was able to mix colors for a spray can application. I read @Tracks450 thread when he was painting his tank and got the same Toyota red that he chose. There were a few sample of the 3T7 red that had varying amounts of metal flake. I chose one that matched the side cover I had that was original paint. After the primer there is a base coat which looks kind of coppery, followed by a red clear then the 2K clear coat.



I will have to wait a bit to paint as the primer looks to be as nasty as the the 2K clear and I want to do this in the garage with the doors wide open and wearing a respirator mask. Still not warm enough outside yet.

 

[Flyin900]

Brad your the test case here as that is a multi stage process. My understanding is the amount of top coats of the red you spray determines the final colour depth level. So more coats are darker and less will be lighter. You maybe aware of this already, so it is something to watch for when doing multiple pieces and wanting the same depth of colour on each part.
Your spending the time in the prep work and that is the most important step in my books. Looking forward to the results.

 

[boddy]

My understanding is the amount of top coats of the red you spray determines the final colour depth level.

Thanks David. The guy mixing the paint warned me that I should do all three pieces at the same time and do the same number of coats on each piece if I wanted them to all match. Like you mentioned, he said I would have to experiment with top coats of red to get the color depth I wanted. This 3 step process with rattle cans will be a new experience for me.

When I worked at the Honda shop many moons ago we used to paint the tanks and side covers using the little touch up cans of paint that came with the new bikes. The dealer never gave them out and we had hundreds of those little cans lying around the shop. Most of the candy colors had either a silver or gold base as I recall, and we just sprayed the "clear color" over top until it matched fairly well.

 

[Danager4792]

Thanks David. The guy mixing the paint warned me that I should do all three pieces at the same time and do the same number of coats on each piece if I wanted them to all match. Like you mentioned, he said I would have to experiment with top coats of red to get the color depth I wanted. This 3 step process with rattle cans will be a new experience for me.

I have currently started my candy orange paint job on my CL450K4, it's my first paint job ever. There are two things that I have learned thus far. I am also using rattle cans.

-When you think you need another coat to achieve the color you want, wait those 10 mins for that flash time. The paint I am using from Roth Metal Flake will actually be a shade darker when it dries. Don't know if this applies to other brands though.

- Right after you have applied your final coat, turn off the lights and shine a flashlight real close onto your painted parts. Look for any inconsistent spots that reveal your silver basecoat. These can be found around the edges, nooks and crannies if not applied evenly. I was guilty of this from not elevating the parts properly. Make one or two light passes while the paint is still wet and it will blend in.

-It is very important that you avoid any runs or heavy spots. It's not the end of the world if you get one, but it will result in the part having to be repainted. You will have to scuff up the surface, then reapply the silver basecoat and candy all over again.

 

[boddy]

I have currently started my candy orange paint job on my CL450K4, it's my first paint job ever. There are two things that I have learned thus far. I am also using rattle cans.

-When you think you need another coat to achieve the color you want, wait those 10 mins for that flash time. The paint I am using from Roth Metal Flake will actually be a shade darker when it dries. Don't know if this applies to other brands though.

- Right after you have applied your final coat, turn off the lights and shine a flashlight real close onto your painted parts. Look for any inconsistent spots that reveal your silver basecoat. These can be found around the edges, nooks and crannies if not applied evenly. I was guilty of this from not elevating the parts properly. Make one or two light passes while the paint is still wet and it will blend in.

-It is very important that you avoid any runs or heavy spots. It's not the end of the world if you get one, but it will result in the part having to be repainted. You will have to scuff up the surface, then reapply the silver basecoat and candy all over again.

Thanks for the tips. Hopefully I can get it on the first try!

 

[boddy]

Last week was still too cold to paint so I decided I better get started on renewing the plate. I have the registration as I was riding this bike up until 1982. I went to the license bureau but they told me to make an appointment and come back as the bike hadn't been plated since 1982 and they would have to do some research.. I made the appointment 2 days later and saw a very nice lady that tried to find the VIN or plate number in the system - no luck. She told me I would now need form 148 filled out by the police. Next day I went to the local station and explained my situation. The police officer was nice enough to come to the house to verify the VIN numbers. The officer filled out the form and told me to have the bike safety checked before I went back to the license bureau.

The form 148 is only valid for 10 days, so I needed to make an appointment for the safety check and get it done within the 10 days. The bike was pretty much ready to go except for the gas tank, so I slapped it on the bike as is and unpainted. The pic below is before putting the gas cap on and the petcock.


I had ordered a new throttle pipe as the old one had a bit of drag and the throttle did not snap back as it should. For only $1.75 at DSS it was well worth it. Throttle snaps closed now. Put a new petcock on added and the gas cap then threw some gas in the tank. Fired up right away, so I warmed it up then went around the block a few times.
When I got back, the engine was at operating temp but then if I blipped the throttle the idle would hang at around 3K. When cold it didn't do that.

Since the safety was next morning I wasn't going to look into the hanging idle until afterwards. Put the bike on the trailer and took it for the safety check. They told me to leave if for the day since I didn't have an appointment. Got a call at the end of the day that it passed the safety check so told them I would pick it up tomorrow. I will get the plate from the license bureau tomorrow morning now that I have all of the paper work and then will get the bike from the shop.

My plan is to go to the shop and put the plate on the bike and drive it home - with the backup mode of transportation being the trailer if required.

Won't be nice enough to paint until the weekend so now that I will be street legal there is more incentive to get the tank done soon.

 

[EzPete]

Looking really good. Are you going with the red for the tank?

 

[boddy]

Looking really good. Are you going with the red for the tank?

yes, got some rattle cans mixed about 2 weeks ago, so as soon as the weather cooperates i will do the tank and another set of side covers that I have in the red. The side covers on the bike now are original paint, so I will use these as the target to aim for.

 

[EzPete]

Awesome. For some reason I never see the red down here. That’s going to look really clean.

 

[Flyin900]

That came out really nice and the whole bike looks great and sounds like it is raring to go on a good long ride.
FWIW I like to shoot my paint when it is cooler and low humidity, so something in the 14 C has worked well for me previously. It takes a little longer for the flash and set up, yet the paint flows out and lays down better for me.

 

[boddy]

That came out really nice and the whole bike looks great and sounds like it is raring to go on a good long ride.
FWIW I like to shoot my paint when it is cooler and low humidity, so something in the 14 C has worked well for me previously. It takes a little longer the flash and set up, yet the paint flows out and lays down better for me.

Thanks for the tips David. I was going to shoot when it got to at least 18C but it's good to know that 14C will work as well.

 

[boddy]

So I finally got my plate after a 24 hour delay by the license bureau. My paperwork had to be sent to be verified which normally takes 10 mins but in my case took over a day. I got a paper plate to carry in the interim until the real plate arrives by mail in about 2 weeks.

Driving back from the safety check shop was my shake down ride of about 8-9 miles. Seemed to run pretty good except for the hanging idle. Shifting could be a bit better so I will re-adjust the clutch. Brakes worked well except the rear pedal seems to be hitting the main stand a bit when I press down hard on the pedal - pedal might be bent a bit. The neutral light went out and it's not the bulb so will have to check the neutral switch connection.

I noticed when I got home that the acorn nuts sealing the oil passage ways were seeping a bit of oil. Might be because I originally had them on the right side of the engine when it was assembled and then switched them over to the left once the engine was installed in the frame ( thanks to the keen eye of AD). The copper washers were not OEM but the fit was very close to the steel washers on the other studs. I will try annealing them and put them back on.



Besides the hanging idle it is running a bit rich as the plugs were a bit sooty. Will have to look into this.

 

[ancientdad]

I noticed when I got home that the acorn nuts sealing the oil passage ways were seeping a bit of oil. Might be because I originally had them on the right side of the engine when it was assembled and then switched them over to the left once the engine was installed in the frame ( thanks to the keen eye of AD). The copper washers were not OEM but the fit was very close to the steel washers on the other studs. I will try annealing them and put them back on.

They're actually correctly on the right side of the engine now where they belong (as it sits in the bike, as you are sitting on the bike). Surprised you didn't use the originals, I've never had to anneal any of them I've re-used before and have never had a leak from the originals re-used. Hopefully annealing them does it, but I really hate untorquing a couple of the head nuts after assembly. Might not cause any trouble, but I just don't like to disturb a properly torqued head once done.

Besides the hanging idle it is running a bit rich as the plugs were a bit sooty. Will have to look into this.

Check the advancer return springs for the hanging idle, if they have any slack in them at all they need to be snugged up.