- Joined
- May 12, 2014
- Messages
- 21
On my '75 today. I runs and rides just like it should, fired first stab at the button after assembly.
I recently bought this one from the (now elderly) original owner for $6k with 21,000 miles, in completely unmolested original condition, down to the original reflectors, turn signals, decals, paint, including ancient weather cracked bald tires! The only thing not original was a Mikuni and electronic ignition, which are good things. the worn out Amals came with in a big box of spares. I even got the original owner's manual with it.
It ran (I rode it home) and after cleaning it and riding it a bit I found a few things needed to make it a decent rider, starting with standard Commando clutch first-aid (wash and bead blast the plates). While I was doing that I gave the inner clutch hub a spin. Crap, runout (.020") Oh well......here we go!
So apart came the primary and trans. The trans had suffered a broken third gear sometime in the past and been poorly repaired by simply replacing the broken gear. Two shafts, four gears, and all bushings/bearings later I have a good box. The steel clutch plates were hot spotted and the bronze plates were actually worn out (first time I've seen that, and I used to road race these things) so I sourced a whole new plate stack from Barnett.
While it was that far apart I refreshed the swing arm bushings/shaft, rear hub, rear brake, went through the oil tank/lines to de-leak it, replaced the worn out main switch, installed a madass 13mm master cylinder and flipped the forks side-to-side, installed madass rearsets, new header pipes without the leak prone balance tube and peashooters, made a proper battery hold down, replaced everything rubber that holds a fluid, polished the cases, forks, calipers, Z plates, etc. New TT-100's and brake pads of course went on.
This bike had never been apart except for the trans repair, (which was done 30 years ago, I have the receipt) so as can be imagined the gunk was damn near inches thick in places. I spent many hours in my solvent tank :evil:
I recently bought this one from the (now elderly) original owner for $6k with 21,000 miles, in completely unmolested original condition, down to the original reflectors, turn signals, decals, paint, including ancient weather cracked bald tires! The only thing not original was a Mikuni and electronic ignition, which are good things. the worn out Amals came with in a big box of spares. I even got the original owner's manual with it.
It ran (I rode it home) and after cleaning it and riding it a bit I found a few things needed to make it a decent rider, starting with standard Commando clutch first-aid (wash and bead blast the plates). While I was doing that I gave the inner clutch hub a spin. Crap, runout (.020") Oh well......here we go!
So apart came the primary and trans. The trans had suffered a broken third gear sometime in the past and been poorly repaired by simply replacing the broken gear. Two shafts, four gears, and all bushings/bearings later I have a good box. The steel clutch plates were hot spotted and the bronze plates were actually worn out (first time I've seen that, and I used to road race these things) so I sourced a whole new plate stack from Barnett.
While it was that far apart I refreshed the swing arm bushings/shaft, rear hub, rear brake, went through the oil tank/lines to de-leak it, replaced the worn out main switch, installed a madass 13mm master cylinder and flipped the forks side-to-side, installed madass rearsets, new header pipes without the leak prone balance tube and peashooters, made a proper battery hold down, replaced everything rubber that holds a fluid, polished the cases, forks, calipers, Z plates, etc. New TT-100's and brake pads of course went on.
This bike had never been apart except for the trans repair, (which was done 30 years ago, I have the receipt) so as can be imagined the gunk was damn near inches thick in places. I spent many hours in my solvent tank :evil:
