Looking forward to the riding diaries, I’m sure there will be some?

"Over the Mountains Of the Moon, Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied....... "If you seek for Eldorado!" :D



Poe's one of my favorites... sue me.:rolleyes:
 
Mailman’s first ride :cool:

426 DAYS AGO, I BEGAN THIS PROJECT.

I honestly thought I was looking at about four months worth of fix up and ride. The bike was running when I bought it, it’s all downhill from there right?

This morning I went out and poured about 2.5 gallons in the gas tank. Petcocks didn’t leak ( thank God) ,
Put the seat and side covers on , installed my new license plate and rolled it out on the driveway. This first time it is ready to ride since 1985.
View attachment 140138 View attachment 140139 View attachment 140140

Last week we hit our first 100 degree day, we were well on our way to our usual summer heat, but last night a thunderstorm rolled in unexpectedly, it absolutely poured for an hour. Woke up this morning and our temperature had dropped by 25 degrees, the air is fresh with blue skies and white fluffy clouds.

I turned the gas on and pulled the starter lever. VROOOMMM!! It fired right off, I immediately turned off the choke and held the throttle slightly open to a fast idle for about 20 seconds, when I let go , the idle dropped to about 1100 rpm and held there absolutely steady. Backing out onto the street, I pulled the clutch lever in and pushed the shift lever down into first gear and promptly killed the motor. My new clutch plates had a little too much drag, so I dialed up my clutch adjuster at the lever and restarted the bike and tried it again. This time PERFECT, it never did that again.

So the bike is running great, but now remember, this bike has not moved outside of my garage, so everything is an unknown. The first few blocks I’m taking it easy, testing my brakes, transmission and clutch. Everything is working perfectly and my confidence is quickly growing. Do you remember how much I struggled with my front brake? That went on for weeks. Now, even with that two piece rubber hose affair, I can stop all day with just one finger on the lever, color me surprised. The back brake also has an excellent feel.

The engine, transmission and fueling are all working just unbelievably well. The transmission worried me some, because I never opened it up, but the shifts are crisp and easy and neutral is easy to find.
The engine never mis behaved or made any worrisome noises, it runs through the gears and through the RPM range fluidly without any stutters or hesitations anywhere. Every time I came to a stop, the engine drops down to a rock steady idle, without so much as a hiccup. And every time I go to start the bike, the electric starter is working beautifully and the bike fires right off. I have backed the cable off the decompression assembly , I am not using it and it is not missed. This bike starts better than my 77D.

As you can imagine, by now I’m grinning like an idiot. I have taken the advice of people I trust and I am not babying it during the break in. I’m not out there doing burn outs, but I’m running it briskly up through the gears and lots of decels also.

View attachment 140141 View attachment 140142 View attachment 140143 View attachment 140144

I rode it 25 miles today and got it good and hot before heading home. I plan to do this about three more times before changing the oil.
Turn the volume up for these next two clips. I absolutely love the sound of this exhaust.



Today was a great day, as I was riding , it was as if the years were blowing off of me. I felt like the 18 year old me again, that used to drool over this bike, I didn’t have a care in the world and The Rolling Stones we’re playing in my head, it was 1970’s again. I swear I think I even have more hair on my head now.

Stay groovy!
Duke. ( my nickname in the 70’s)

B-O-B,

Happy for you a great reward for all that hard work BUT, where are your gloves buddy??

GeeDub
 
Where we are born and where and how we have lived is unimportant.

It is what we have done with where we have been that should be of the most interest.

Bob,

The shared journey through your restoration project has been one of the most remarkable motorcycle accounts I have ever read.

(you have single-handily rekindled my interest my my TX650A (with sidecar) that has been languishing in my shop for a couple years)

Thanks for sharing !
 
Bob,
Your documentation of your restoration has been inspirational, and the closing almost brought tears to my eyes (especially when you or anyone mentions RobinC). I'm humbled at the level of your work, knowing that is something I'll never reach ('cuz I lack the patience and dedication).
Riding your bike, after such a long process (and you probably sat on it many times, making motorcycle noises! :laugh: ), must have given you a sense of elation like Ponce De Leon finding the fountain of youth. (I'd settle for the fountain of middle age, myself...)
In my mind, now, you are no longer "Mailman" or "Bob". You are "Duke" or "THE Duke".
Whadya say, people? All hail "THE DUKE" !!! :bow::bow2:
Tebo
 
Well said all - and yes, our good friend Robin would be just as thrilled for you as the rest of us Bob. ...but I wanna see that gorgeous bike in-person and so, I've got to say it just one more time on this thread (I must tell you that Robin always gave a huge belly laugh every time I said this)....

Dammit, I'm comin' over!

Pete
 
I`ve followed this restoration from the start and it has been "Top Shelf" all the way. Both the bike and the thread! Congratulations on a job overly well done.:thumbsup::thumbsup:
P.S. You can`t quit now. Is there a tracker or cafe racer in your near future?? Let`s hope so.
 
I have been out of town for a while and was glad to see the progress you have made on the bike. Congratulations, looks and sounds great. When I ride the old bikes the go to song in my head is Ventura Highway by America. I was going to tell you to remove the key ring on the key so it does not wear on the beautiful adjuster but i see in the later photo you have. Now enjoy the comments you will get from all the old timers you meet and know the bike. You will have made their day.
 
To everyone who has been saying such nice things to me , thank you, I am overwhelmed. And amazed.
My wife confided in me yesterday after my maiden voyage, that she never thought I would get it all back together.
Especially after we moved to a new house. When we arrived here, my bike was just a frame sitting on the floor of my garage, the engine was on my work bench, and the rest was inside about 50 various tubs and plastic containers out in my garage. There were times when I never thought I’d see it all come together myself.

I got it out and ran another 40 miles this morning, it’s a very interesting contrast to my later model 77D.
The difference between the early motors vs the later ones. Longer stroke, hotter cams, less restrictive exhaust, just give it an entirely different character. I really like it, it’s a little bit lower geared than my other bike and pulls nice off the line.

Pete, the video link was classic. You don’t need to speak the language, to understand how those men were feeling. It made my throat tighten up to watch it. Thanks.

I know you guys like photos, so a couple from this mornings ride.
“Shadow”, said he, Where can it be — This land of Eldorado?” :cool:
F51B69AB-5E41-445E-B11C-A48D498543E1.jpeg
F749EFFF-2472-4FAD-9E20-50B19FA47352.jpeg
E74777CF-46A2-471E-B148-CC5F189D0828.jpeg
 
Congrats!!!
Your bike has turned out better than just well done. Like Jack Reacher's hand to hand skills it's beyond outstanding. Any museum or collector would be proud to have it. The best thing about it is you are actually going to ride it. It won't be a garage queen. You persevered through a lot of adversity not just with the bike but also with things going on in your life.
Just like the real Duke you're going to ride around the Southwest and command respect everywhere you go. I'm sure he would not be offended if you were referred to as Duke. One of his best quotes definitely doesn't apply to you.
“I Don’t Much Like Quitters Son” 
Your wife also deserves a shout out for supporting you through this ordeal. You need to tell her she needs a new pair of shoes and a dress to go with them. And then after she gets them take her out to dinner.


Now about the hardware on the breather and the green gaskets.:poke:
 
Congrats!!!
Your bike has turned out better than just well done. Like Jack Reacher's hand to hand skills it's beyond outstanding. Any museum or collector would be proud to have it. The best thing about it is you are actually going to ride it. It won't be a garage queen. You persevered through a lot of adversity not just with the bike but also with things going on in your life.
Just like the real Duke you're going to ride around the Southwest and command respect everywhere you go. I'm sure he would not be offended if you were referred to as Duke. One of his best quotes definitely doesn't apply to you.
“I Don’t Much Like Quitters Son” 
Your wife also deserves a shout out for supporting you through this ordeal. You need to tell her she needs a new pair of shoes and a dress to go with them. And then after she gets them take her out to dinner.


Now about the hardware on the breather and the green gaskets.:poke:

Haha! Thanks man! I’m still super pumped , it was only a week ago I was questioning if my bike would ever run.
And you are so right about my wife deserving a shout out! She’s a definite keeper, she has indulged me more often than I can remember. As for John Wayne, my childhood hero, well what would the Duke say?
MOUNT UP PILGRIM!
B967B0D2-DE35-4352-9D9E-0E3A5F010F0B.jpeg


Oh, and I’m still not listening to you about my green gaskets! :rolleyes:


Bob, this is my favorite pic...or is it all the others? Thanks and I'm glad you are back on the road and taking pictures again.
5fa5d3ff-2909-4ad0-a420-bbaa5270093c-jpeg.140142

Thanks buddy! I am really enjoying getting out there too. I’ve been so focused on problems or getting this darn thing built for so long , I haven’t got much riding in. And I have to confess to being a photoholic, the whole time I’m riding I’m scanning for nice backdrop s for photos. I’ve been looking into some action video cameras to take you guys on some rides with me, the problem is , my only computer is an iPad and it simply doesn’t have the computing power to edit and process movies. I’m still thinkin on that one! :bike:
 
the problem is , my only computer is an iPad and it simply doesn’t have the computing power to edit and process movies.
There's lots of good web based video editors out there. Don't let that hold you back. :whistle:
 
Mailman (Bob), I had to log in to congratulate you on a job well done.
I, along with many (from all around the world) have enjoyed your updates.
You have put the hard yards into this build. The time, quality of work and perseverance you have shown to not only build this beautiful motorcycle but to document it fully is something to truly be proud of.
Not to take any of the kudos away from you, however, the help provided by the brains trust of this forum was definitely a contributing factor to the success of this build.
I know I definitely enjoyed hearing it idling properly and watching the maiden voyage - enjoy your motorcycle
 
Back
Top