Motorcycles
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Monday, I dont know if NY offers a motorcycle safety/training course through the DMV, but if they do I recommend it. I knew how to ride before I got my licence but they make you do a wacky driving course when you take the driving part of the MC licence test. If you go through teh class here in Cali, you bypass that need, and only have to take the written test. Plus, I did learn a thing or two:)
I love old bikes, but the maintenance kills it for me when I dont have a garage. As of now, I have to park on teh sidewalk in Oakland and lay down a towel to wrench, and that gets annoying when every crack head in the city wants to watch me from 4 feet away.
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Not a complete bike but some progress folks like Injun will probably be in to
Starting the trans. Found some oil from the beginning of time
Got everything apart and blasted the cases
Had the cases polished
Back together
Engine time;
Got the heads off
Generator cover open and pulling the oil pump
Everything laid out
Seats done and valves lapped
Flywheels apart since they were off 8 thousandths
Back together to begin the truing process
Truing done… Zero on oil side and under half a thousandth on the other. Smooth as butter
Polished the cases to match the trans
Going back together
Motor and trans together before I did the pushrods and external oiler lines
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Older bikes are great, but new bikes are pretty wicked also.
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Yeah, those shiny pans look great.
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wow…more than well done mate!
how many hours have you put in this till today?Ugh, I dont even know. Waiting for other people holds you up (polishing and parts). Tearing down a motor and trans can done quickly, checking out a bike that has sat the better part of 20 years can't/shouldn't be done so quickly. Maybe 20 hours total.
@CLJ:
Older bikes are great, but new bikes are pretty wicked also.
Oh I know. My buddy's Super Duke was the most comfortable liter bike I've ever been on and the one in the vid looks amazing. I'm actually trying to buy a KTM of Husqvarna Super Moto after I finish this Panhead.
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Oh shit, dude, I can't wait to see that!
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@TJ:
Full-tilt genny-motor boner over here, Burger. What's it going in?
It's going to go back into the original '63 swing arm frame I got with it.
I already have a chopper. This bike is going to be my "old man" all original Pan.That shovel is going to be wild when its done. Get on that ASAP!
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Burger, I can dig that. I'm putting some serious thought in to unloading my '09 to build a swing arm shovel, but I'm still a young man with kidneys and a back to ruin. I'm so pumped to get my Dad's old chop back on the road, I'm just hoping I don't have to strip the molding to chase rust.
Nate, it's a '76 shovelhead that my Dad and uncle built in the late '80s.
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TJ i love it, thx for sharing such personal pics.
Finn mate your dad's machine is indeed a king. Is that in LA?
@TJ:
Next on the pile. This is getting a full restoration once I get settled into my new place.
My Mom would kill me if she knew I was putting her 80's hair on the internet!
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Anyone got any experience with the Kawasaki W400? I need to pick something from an 'approved' list whilst learning in Australia, and of the options I've got it seems kinda decent with the capacity to make it look like a pretty nice cafe racer. It seems like there's lots of aftermarket stuff around for it and the W650 too. Since it's a grey import for Australia I just want to know if it's pretty reliable etc. Other option is a Ducati Monster maybe.
It's only for 12 months or so then I'd like to get a Harley 48 or a Triumph Scrambler once I get my full licence.
Cheers, Matt -
i would not learn on a Monster. the w400 looks like a parallel twin, so the power band should be nice and smooth. Its also has a good displacement for learning how to control the bike, not the other way around. reliability-wise, I cannot comment, although Kawasaki's are generally very reliable.
