This week I proved to myself that I should never become a bike mechanic (and in a lot of ways validates my decision to sell the 914s). One of my dreams since the first winter after I got my bike, when I tore it down for paint and other mods, was to go to one of the motorcycle mechanics institutes and possibly pursue a new career. Nuh-uh. No way. I’ve been losing things, breaking things, forgetting to order parts and tools in advance, finding things again, scrambling to have parts over-nighted from friends and acquaintances on the east coast. It’s very nearly been a complete disaster, just because everything has to be ordered from England. As it is I’ve been without my bike for a week of absolutely gorgeous weather, and that makes me grouchy.

Things are getting better, albeit slowly, but I had to abort my valve adjustment for a little while (all but one of my eight valves are on the tight side) because I didn’t have the parts or the specialty tool on hand. I’ve decided to put off my rear tire replacement at least until next week and my front tire replacement for mid-to-late July (there’s just too much tread on it to throw it away when I do the rear).

Last weekend I did the oil and filter change, and installed the new kickstand, horn and sparkplugs. Over the past week I managed to get the carb mods completed. It was a little dicey for a while when I lost some teeny tiny washers and o-rings for the idle mixture screws. Luckily I found all of them.

Today has been productive, however. I got the carbs put back in and installed the new carb brace. I used the K&N brand cleaner on my air filters 4-5 times and they’re still not completely clean. Guess I shouldn’t have waited 3 years between cleanings. I’m waiting for the filters to dry so I can oil and reinstall them. I cleaned up the wiring harness under the tank and replaced a bunch of zip ties. I removed the visors from the headlight and driving lights (just for shits’n'giggles) and rerouted the wiring so it’s cleaner. I also rerouted the throttle cables so that they don’t bind up.

As soon as I go back out there after lunch I’m going to run new fuel line and install my new fuel filter. My bike is crippled because of one of the things I broke. I snapped off a banjo bolt for the tube that feeds oil to my camshaft bearings. I’ve only got one bolt holding it in right now. I can still run it but not very hard. I only plan to fire it up once the air and fuel filters are installed so I can tune the carbs. I’ll have the replacement part I need by Monday so the bike will be 100% again.

Despite the weather I wouldn’t be rushing it but I need to have the bike back on the road for next weekend. I’m helping my mother move next Saturday and we’re towing the bike behind the U-haul so I can ride it home (the rest is an awfully long story). It’s likely next Sunday, after the move is complete (for me anyway, heh) I’ll pull the rear tire so I can get that replaced. I’m not worried as much about the front; I can do that in less than a day as long as Jeff is available to mount and balance the new tire.

Here’s what’s left on my checklist:

  • valve adjustment (waiting on parts: the tool and gaskets and such), probably do that the weekend of July 8-9
  • new tires (rear July 4-5, front somewhere around July 15-19 depending of if I go to Red Lodge)
  • install speedbleeders and bleed brakes (today or tomorrow)
  • solder some wires to the replacement toggle switch for my driving lights and install (today or tomorrow)
  • reinstall clock (today or tomorrow)
  • install handlebar riser spacers (today or tomorrow)

Oh and then there’s fixing the saddlebags…