A Peek in the Gas Tank

So the first place I decided to look, to assess the internal condition of the bike, was the inside of the gas tank. I removed the cap and several brown chunks fell away onto the top of the tank and onto the ground ... not a good sign. The smell that came wafting up from the tank was that smell that old gasoline takes on only after it has turned to varnish. If you've smelled it, you know what I am talking about. Also not good, but to be expected given that it has been sitting for some time. Here is peak into the tank:

Hasn't Run in a While

I should probably mention at this point, before anyone gets irate that I am thinking about modding such a fine original specimen, that I am now leaning towards keeping this bike original. Though my original plan was to build a cafe racer, the enduro-ness of this bike has a lot of character.

When Gary and I were discussing the mechanical condition of the bike, he mention that it ran when it was parked, but that it hadn't been run in "a few years". Here are the tabs on the back:

So, it was last last registered 25 years ago. Now, Gary mentioned that he used to take the bike camping, so perhaps he just didn't register it. But I should probably ask him. So, it hasn't run in somewhere between 3 and 25 years.

Losing the passenger seat

Given that this is a small displacement bike, I see it more as a solo rig. I decided to remove the pillion seat. Plus, I prefer the look. So, here is what the bike looks like without the extra seat.

Pillion Seat Removed

From Whence It Came

A couple of months back I posted on G+ that I was thinking about undertaking a cafe racer project this summer. The exact content of that post was the following [pic omitted]:

"I'm really feeling like doing a cafe racer project this summer. Nothing as fancy as the pic, I was thinking more of a cheap rat bike. I'm not sure if I have the funds, know-how, or time. But I like the idea."

Well, recently I began searching the classifieds for a cheap, probably non-running, but decent bike to start from. Something that would be a good platform, but that someone with only moderate mechanical ability could get running. I was a bit discouraged by what I could get with the limited funds that I had on hand. That was until my wife began talking to my neighbor Gary about a bike that he had been storing in his garage for some time. It turns out that Gary had a 1971 Honda SL350 that he was willing to part with if I was interested in a good starter bike. He said that he would give me a "deal that I couldn't refuse". Indeed he did, thanks Gary! And Charity! Here is the bike the day that it arrived at my house, yesterday 4/24/2012.

This bike, by all outward appearances, is in much better condition than what I was expecting to start with. But the true nature of its mechanical condition remains to be seen.