79 "Boat Tail" 750K

[rich]

The tank I ordered from ebay arrived today. Damn if UPS didn't drop it a few times, cause it's got a dent it wasn't visible in the pictures on ebay so I'm pretty sure they did it. Seller should have packed it better.

This is a picture from the auction:


And here it is after I got it and put the Honda badges on:


I tried to pop it out with some compressed air but I could feel the tank spreading so I stopped before I ruined it.

[TOOLS1]

That sucks. Was there insurance on it? I learned my lesson. I put insurance on everything I ship. Also, you might want to check out a paint-less dent removal place. they might be able to get it out cheap.
TOOLS

[rich]

I installed my stator today. The charging system is working great. 14.7+ volts. I also changed the oil and filter and gave the bike a bath.



Then I hit the road (actual pavement this time  for a 60 mile test ride. Took a couple of beauty shots along the way when I stopped and checked the bike over for any leaks or parts that may have fallen off.

I'm glad I didn't need any gas because every gas station I came across was abandoned years ago.




The bike ran really well. I'm very pleased with its performance so far.

[Daddyman]

I really like the last picture you took, nice looking bike.

[TOOLS1]

Bike looks good. How about a ride up to Baxter Cycle in Marne, Iowa on the 20th? Big bike show. The Kansas City Vintage Japanese Motorcycle club is planning on going up. Your welcome to join us. Also going to have a cook out the 21st.
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[rich]

I might be up for that trip. Sounds like fun.

TOOLS1 wrote

Bike looks good. How about a ride up to Baxter Cycle in Marne, Iowa on the 20th? Big bike show. The Kansas City Vintage Japanese Motorcycle club is planning on going up. Your welcome to join us. Also going to have a cook out the 21st.
TOOLS

[TOOLS1]

Here is a copy of the e-mail notice,

Subject: Ride on Saturday, August 20th.

On Saturday August 20th. we will leave from the Platte City Quick Trip (about 3 miles north of the KC airport just off I-29).  We will ride to Baxter Cycle in Marne, Iowa which is about 165 miles north of Kansas City.  Baxter's is having their annual "Openhouse" event which includes a vintage motorcycle show. We will stop one time between KC and Marne unless additional stops are needed.  For more information go to: www.markbayersmotorcyclenews.9f.com
(page #2).  We will depart at 8am sharp.


TOOLS

[rich]

I usually don't like anything extra on my bikes, no racks fairings, flags, etc. But the last time I had a large street bike I was in my 20s (and in Southern Calif, where it never rains). Now, 30 years later, I'm seeing the value in comfort and convenience items.

I added a little windscreen. I got hit (or I hit) some kind of huge bug the other day and thought a windscreen may not be a bad idea. I was wearing an open face helmet and it hit me on the cheek, left a pretty good mark too. I also ditched the open face helmet for a full-face model.



I got these soft saddle bags for my enduro (top speed 45, bugs have time to get out of the way). I got them a couple of years ago for $15 from a guy at work. I think they are supposed to sling over the seat but they look a lot better under the seat. They started to sag onto the pipes when I loaded them (what's that smell? oh it's just the bags melting) so I put some wood on the bottom to help them hold their shape. I think I've got enough clearance from the pipes now.



Now the only other thing that's really bothering me is the mismatched paint (burgundy tank & brown side covers and tail fairing). The tank actually looks pretty good, except for the dent by the HONDA nameplate on the right side. Given the fact that my wife is forcing me to match any money I spend on the bike by giving  her an equal amount for whatever she blows money on, I really don't want to spring for a professional paint job at this time. I was thinking, after looking a pictures of THE TOOLMATIC, that I could just paint the side covers and tail black and call it done. They're pretty small so they shouldn't look too bad with with just a few coats from a spray can.

[TOOLS1]

"I was thinking, after looking a pictures of THE TOOLMATIC, that I could just paint the side covers and tail black and call it done. They're pretty small so they shouldn't look too bad with with just a few coats from a spray can."
I have that both copyrighted, and patented. However I will let, you do it just this once.
TOOLS

[rich]

I thought the 'matics came with black only side covers.

[TOOLS1]

No They matched the tanks. I just had to be different.
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[rich]

My bike made the cover of Cycle Guide!

Cool fleabay find. I also got a road test from Cycle World magazine.
 

I also got another tank, brown this time, and hopefully it will arrive without any major dents.

[rich]

It's nice to see that I'm not the only dumba$$ to dump a bike trying to ride it on to a truck!

[rich]

So I got spring fever and just ordered $600 worth of tools and parts for a $500 motorcycle. Damn internet makes it too easy! 

Got new tires (Dunlap 404s, heavy duty tubes, O-ring chain, front and rear sprockets (converting it from a 630 to a 530 chain), carb synch tool (so I can pull my carbs and replace the o-rings), valve cover gasket and valve shim remover tool, a couple of oil filters and some chain wax.

Today, at the bike show, I also got a leather tool bag and set of chaps. I'll probably look like a fool wearing ass-less leather chaps on a Honda but it's still a little chilly in the mornings and my legs get cold. I figure they'll also keep my pants clean for work and maybe keep them dry if I hit a little rain.

[Piute]

               Chaps are always great TO ME  
         Ya-no here we can get rain at any time
       you'll need to grease them up get caught in the rain and grease them again
       then ya got your fit.Like a good pair of jeans need to go thru the wash.

[shinyribs]

Ass-less chaps!My Pops used to wear those on his Yamaha. He is a big dude so he got away with itFor safety sake we should all be wearing them,but I know what you mean.Big bad chaps on my Cafe bike?...I don't think so.

[Piute]

   I've wore chaps since day 1 I started riding , not one's have I got a neg./ bad comment from any-one.
           Wear all year around,unless I have my snow paints on now got to fat need extra loops.
                Now these dang coconuts / brain bubbles..Only when out alone far from home.


                                                                 2007
                                               4-corners region Navajo Nation

[sgtslag]

Chain, sprockets, wax, shim tool, carb balancer, are all normal maintenance items.  Just a part of owning/maintaining your bike.  

Chaps saved me in a 40 MPH low side slide, last Fall.  If I had the cash, I'd spring for a high-tech, $800, one-piece, riding suit.  Since I don't have that kind of cash lying around, I went for $80 chaps, and an $80, armoured, riding jacket made of Cordura.  That jacket saved me in that same crash last Fall.  It was not damaged enough to replace, so I still wear it, and the same chaps (skid marks are on the side, but it barely wore while I slid 40 feet down the highway, on my back and side -- leather is the best for abrasion resistance, and Cordura isn't bad, either).  My son, sitting behind me, was wearing a similarly priced, armored jacket (my old one).  The jacket was damaged severely, but he wasn't!  Any protection, is better than no protection.  In a low side crash, even inexpensive gear can save your skin, and bones.  In order for any gear to protect you, though, you must be wearing it at the time of the accident -- plan ahead.  Cheers!

[TOOLS1]

Don't forget how "Bad Ass" your battle scared riding gear makes, you look.
TOOLS

[rich]

I don't know what it is about this bike and women; first the ex-wife takes a hammer to it, then the girlfriend backs into it with her car. The second was purely an accident. I had moved the bike out of the garage, it was late at night and she went to move her car out of the way because we were moving some furniture from the garage to the house and bang! She didn't even know it was there. Bent the handle bars, bent the kick stand, broke the exhaust hanger of the pipe (was cracked already), broke a turn signal, broke the clutch lever and a mirror. The bending of the handle bars also broke the top of the switch for the turn signals, horn, high-low beam. Fortunately, I had most of the needed parts "in stock". I already had another exhaust system and I kept my original handle bars. I got a used turn signal, kick stand, clutch lever  and another light switch off ebay. Only problem I had was with the light switch. I thought I'd just take the top of the replacement switch and put it on mine. But for the life of me I couldn't get the headlight to stay on (high or low) once I reassembled the switch on the bike. It would work when screwed together loosely. So I cleaned all the contacts with a points file and that killed it permanently. The contact area on the high/low slider is tiny. I put a new spring in it to increase the pressure and it still wouldn't work when installed. I ended up getting another used switch ($20 ebay) and it worked. In retrospect I wish I had just gotten an aftermarket switch assembly because, after seeing the guts of the original,  I don't see it not causing problems due to its age.

Anyway, she's all back together.  The new pipes are shorter than the ones I had. I thought they'd be louder but they are not. In fact they are not as loud as stock 4 into 4. I also installed the crash bars and luggage rack I had gotten a while ago. I still need to paint the seat faring but haven't found a matching green spray bomb yet.