Fresh meat!

[Loudo]

Here's a photo of the spark plugs after yesterday's ride. Right side looks to be normal and healthy, left side a little sooty. Both carb needle clips are at the center groove. I'm not sure what to conclude from these plugs...anyone care to give their opinion?

[LOUD MOUSE]

COMPRESSION/TIMING. ...........lm

Here's a photo of the spark plugs after yesterday's ride. Right side looks to be normal and healthy, left side a little sooty. Both carb needle clips are at the center groove. I'm not sure what to conclude from these plugs...anyone care to give their opinion?

[Loudo]

Discovered my left side intake valve clearance was WAY too large. Don't know what happened there, perhaps I didn't tighten it down or at least not enough. Just a ticking now, not a loud tapping. Maybe that was it...who knows? Wants full choke to start now, the throttle stop screws can now actually be used for their purpose, maybe the bike's getting dialed in better. I'll take it out for another decently lengthy ride to check it out if it ever stops raining.

If nothing else, I'm getting good at tearing everything off the bike and putting it back on in short order. Pretty sure I could field strip the thing and reassemble it in the dark.

[Loudo]

A couple of days ago I decided to check the state of tune by seeing if I could kick start the bike from dead cold, not started in over a day. It fired up and idled on the first kick. I was impressed.

Accordingly I scheduled a 50 mile ride today. Left at 8 a.m., the most beautiful spring day in Puget Sound yet this year. Headed out to the bucolic river valley motor-sickle country and had coffee with a buddy who lives out there. Looped back a different route. Didn't take it up past 55 mph because I'm not impressed with the slight dry-rotting on my Dunlop front tire. I can state that at 55 my revs are 4500. I'm not a speed demon, but it appears there's plenty of speed on tap just in case.

Bike ran very, very well. Sounds really good, idles fine. No oil leaks, nothing weird. Pulled the plugs and they both look excellent...tan cones, etc. Just like the "normal plug" in a plug condition chart. All in all a very pleasurable ride.

Bought some Avon Roadrunner 80/90 and 90/90 racing tires from a local Vintage 160 racer who was kind enough to sell me some extras. They appear to be very heavy duty, sticky tires and I need to replace that front right away.

I plan to ride it all summer and get after the cosmetic stuff this next winter.

[jleewebb]

Glad to see you finally got it sorted out and on the road. Congratulations! Feels great, don't it? Did you ever figure out what the yellow condensate from your breather was? --Lee

[Loudo]

Thank you, Lee...it feels great indeed. I'm for the first time in the situation where it's good to go without still searching for a part. It's been awhile since I've steadily ridden any motorcycle so I need to get out there on the road.

I haven't figured out the provenance of that yellow mystery liquid yet. Every so often I open the vial and sniff it like it will give me superpowers or something. I was so filled with hubris after my long ride Sunday I forgot to look under the bike. :/ I note that the machine smelled like old grease and smoke for the initial engine running periods but now that it's gotten good and hot for the first time in decades all that stuff has burned off and there's no more smells. I'm not ruling out this is the case with the liquid coming from the cylinder head...something built up that needs to blow off. But now that you've reminded me...when I ride it home from work tonight I'll try to remember to check that tube before I shut it down.

Gettin' lots of looks on the streets. I suppose it sounds different than what most folks are used to.

Now I have to get after my next project...that '72 CB175 I bought for $400 a few months ago. It starts, but likes to rev to 6k and stay there, which is exciting. The effect of the choke tells me it's a lean condition problem. I think these new Keyster carb gaskets are rubbing against the floats and I need to trim them a little more than I did.

[allthumbs]

[quote="LOUD MOUSE"]No problem with oil on the stator and you have 2 seals behind the rotor.
One for yje crank and one in the starter sprocket.
Oil seal behind the points plate is probably hard as a gock and leaking.
Be sure to heat the area you plan on bending before ya try to bend those levers.
I'd make a new cable. ..............lm




Do i understand this correctly? oil on the stator wrapping is not a problem? and does not need to be immediately addressed? does this in any way limit it's function?