1st 500 miles since The Resurrection

[flyday58]

So with a little over 500 miles since I first got it running after 6 years in the rain, thought I'd post a picture of the plugs I just removed. I'm replacing the NGKs with the Denso iridium IX24Bs. Very happy with the coloring, especially with what it took to get it running correctly.

 

From left to right it's 1, 2, 3, and 4. You may notice #2 threads look funky. I guess the PO may have cross-threaded this one. It's also an Autolite; I left it in place since it didn't turn freely. I ordered a 12mm reverse plug chaser to try and clean it up. I don't want to get into an engine teardown until the move to New Mexico is done in the next couple of months.

[flyday58]

[flyday58]

[flyday58]

The cruise switch operates my bi-xenon headlight.

Edited April 26, 2015 by flyday58
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[flyday58]

And today. Replaced all of the black plastic, it was all busted up and ugly. I like the black and gold combo, looks nice. Don't know if I'll ever replace the side bags, hard to find in decent condition and I've already sunk a ton of dough in this thing. But it keeps me off the streets and out of the nursing home, so the heck with the money. Most of my acquaintances throw their money into airplanes, fast cars or fast boats, so I can afford to do a bit more.

Hope y'all enjoy the pics, wish they're were more!

Edited April 27, 2015 by flyday58
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[Prairiehammer]

Admirable resurrection!

[Brenner]

I love seeing some else resurrecting a tired ride as I did. Thumbs up and hats off to you sir.

[BlueSky]

You do amazing work!

[flyday58]

It turned into a labor of love, it's been damn fun, now I want to till the tires wear out! Never knew these big Yams were cruiser's dreams. And I just took this in trade for 3 boxes of Honda CL350 parts. See the battery, the car battery, in the right saddlebag?? See the corroded-through rear brake reservoir??

 

I know I'll never get my money back out of it but it's more about the challenge of it all. I never can stand to see anything, anyone for that matter, neglected to the point where they are written off. Money didn't matter here. Well, not much!

[BlueSky]

Toys can not be justified financially. Nor should they be. You learned so much repairing that bike I'm sure that the education is worth a ton of money. Now for the fun of riding your labor of love! The International would be a good trip!!

Edited April 27, 2015 by BlueSky

[Patmac6075]

I am on the same road my friend....just a couple of miles behind. It's nice to see the progress others have made, kind of keeps me motivated!

Thanks for sharing.

[Flyinfool]

WOW!!

 

Its amazing how well you are getting that to clean up.

[flyday58]

Thanks for all the nice comments! The assistance here has been invaluable, and you can see most of the upgrades I've done. Some you can't: battery cables, progressive front springs, headlight conversion, LED dash and tail lights, bleed hose extension for the brakes, gear indicator for all gears, all the master cylinders. At some point I may upgrade the brakes, do the V-Max final drive and MKII gear upgrade.

 

Won't be riding much for awhile. The shipper is coming Sunday or Monday to pick up all my scoots and get them headed to New Mexico. We'll follow around May 8th, spend a few weeks setting up house, then it's back to Ole Miss so my daughter can finish up her Girl Scout Gold Award project. Should be permanently in New Mex by the end of the summer, then I can see what riding a "mountain" bike is all about. Eh, Puc?

[BlueSky]

Where in New Mexico are you moving? I spent a year in El Paso at Ft Bliss when I was in the Army and I got used to the dry weather out there after a while. Some Sundays I would drive about 80 miles to the mountains in New Mexico just to see some trees. And I drove 45 miles north of Silver City to see the Gila cliff dwellings. 45 miles in and 45 miles out on some very crooked, hilly roads.

Edited April 28, 2015 by BlueSky

[bongobobny]

Hey Bluesky when were you there?? I was there from Aug 67 to July 68...

[BlueSky]

Hey Bluesky when were you there?? I was there from Aug 67 to July 68...

 

I was stationed there from Jan 1968 to Dec 1968. I went to school for 40 weeks to learn how to troubleshoot and repair the Target Tracking, Target Ranging, Missile Tracking radars and the analog computer that took information from these radars and guided the Nike Hercules Missile to its target. Then I was sent to South Korea. SK was a hardship tour but nobody shot at me like the guys who went to Nam. After growing up in NC, I felt like I was in another world in El Paso. Nothing but rocks and sand around there! Ha! The county I grew up in was about 68% black and in El Paso, black people were rare and about 50% of the population was Hispanic.

[BlueSky]

Deleted. I only hit the submit button once but it double posted.

[flyday58]

We're moving to the village of Cloudcroft, 15 miles and 4000' above Alamogordo. The house is in Russia Canyon, supposedly named because of how cold it gets there in the winter. We're just a few feet shy of being at 9000', so we installed radiant heat, gas furnace, and a standby generator. Also a rainwater and snowmelt collection system since water is scarce and need a backup in case the well goes down.

 

I'll commute out of El Paso till I retire, about a 2 and a half hour drive. I love that drive, looking at the mountains and desert all around. I grew up in Florida and have lived in MS since joining the Air Force in '77. First time I saw the vistas out there I was hooked.

 

Perspective is everything, though, as all who've been in the military will tell you. Was riding an airport shuttle to El Paso last summer while on vacation out there. The driver told me about a soldier he had who hated being out there, couldn't stand the desert and mountains. The guy apparently had been several tours in Afghanistan and the terrain out there was bringing out some PTSD for him. Man, we all sure have our crosses weighing us down. It's forums like this and people like all y'all that help the rest of us get through, if only for another day. My heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you.

[bongobobny]

I was stationed there from Jan 1968 to Dec 1968. I went to school for 40 weeks to learn how to troubleshoot and repair the Target Tracking, Target Ranging, Missile Tracking radars and the analog computer that took information from these radars and guided the Nike Hercules Missile to its target. Then I was sent to South Korea. SK was a hardship tour but nobody shot at me like the guys who went to Nam. After growing up in NC, I felt like I was in another world in El Paso. Nothing but rocks and sand around there! Ha! The county I grew up in was about 68% black and in El Paso, black people were rare and about 50% of the population was Hispanic.

Yup! I was 24Q20 too! Out gutter reference B, in page32 gutter reference B...