Time to Dream!Wow! My first post was almost 1 1/2 years ago. I new this was going to be a "longer" project for me but I thought it would have been done last summer, nope! Just finished ti this last weekend, runs great and only been able to give a test drive up and down the street due to our late spring up here in the north country.
My first post was of the condition when I received it, torn apart from a PO that gave up on the project, I had no idea of where to start and no previous experience in this type of work. No idea of the how it went together , missing parts, etc. Just this form and pics off the internet. My only experience was this (by title) was this 2001 KLR 650 I pieced together a couple of years before from parts scrounged around on the net and KLR forums. Kinda like the stories of GI's mailing home a jeep from Europe.
So to bring my story up to speed, my Son had enough of the politics and life of the DC area and my Daughter relocated, both 100 M away in Minneapolis. Yahoo! Both relocated within 1 month of each other and I finished this project the same time....funny how things work out and how this helped my psyche during this point of my life. An hr or two here or there, a weekend in the garage, etc helped pass the time and the winter months!
First order was to strip the bike down and send it off to a friend to paint the parts. He owns a body shop and I told him no hurry, get it done during slow times.....6 months later got it back. although I still wasnt ready for it
While the frame was being painted, I painted some of the smaller parts (black or silver), tore the engine apart and rebuilt it (Thanks to the forum, IM and others for all the help) I got a thousand pics going in and still never had enough when it came time to put it back together. (It didn't help that some of it was in pieces before I got it), Bill Silvermans book was extremely helpful
One big project that took awhile was re zinicing all the spokes, lacing and truing the rims. My wife was real nice to let me have the family room in the basement to do this, this took time. This also was when I started a thread called "for the home platting specialist" Wow! I learned more than I expected. Shows the power of the forum!
I reziniced the old spokes cause I was disappointed in the quality of the replacement ones. Also did other items that needed to have new zinic or chrome parts that need a bit of covering (polishes real nice)
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