Well, yesterday was quite a day on Canada’s sunny southern coast....
I removed a few key components from Lucille (my red ‘76 Standard) and assembled some others from my little stock of XS650 stuff and my willing assistant drove me the 75 km to the estate of our own Lakeview - the
Earl of North Buxton, where the ‘78E of the late RobinC has been stored.
It was time to bring BlackBetty to her new home.
We dug her out of the storage shed and after a brief tussle with a sticky front caliper, began the task of prepping her for the ride back to Windsor. Lakeview thoughtfully had Big Blue (his Chevy Express van) ready, but I felt it was important for Betty to ride to her new home under her own power.
Soon she was clad in a slightly bizarre set of tins, some of which may be familiar, and she was ready for a bit of a test ride up and down the road in front of Lakeview’s estate.
She started up readily, idled steadily and was charging at 14.5 voltts when reved up a little. That’s all pretty darned good in view of the fact that, except for a new AGM battery (good tip Mailman), she still has the stock charging system including electromechanical regulator,
corrodomatic rectifier under the battery box and she remains a points bike. The 2 km test ride revealed that everything was ok, except for an odd vibration that came on above about 55 MPH and then disappeared. Given that her tires are also “vintage”.... and the rear brake is also suspect, I decided to not push it too much harder than that.
Anyhow, soon, she was all suited up for the road and, accompanied by Lakeview on his red ‘76 Standard (to ensure that if Betty decided to take break, I wouldn’t be stranded alone), we set off for Windsor.
After a pleasant, but uneventful ride, and a tastey and nutritious Teenburger and root beer lunch at A&W, Lakeview and I arrived at the DCW and my new mount joined her sisters.
I want to extend a huge thank-you to Lakeview for kindly storing Betty on her way from London to Windsor and for providing some odds & ends to speed her final leg to my place.
Lakeview, I’ll get the mirrors back to you in a jiffy, but I’m keepin’ the zip-ties!
....and now, she’s all tucked in snug as a bug in a rug. Please don’t stare at the now “topless” Lucille in the foreground of the photo - she’s not used to sharing her tins and might get cranky.
Next steps...new tires and tubes and paint for a proper 1978 fuel tank and side covers for Betty (thank-you SO MUCH, Gordon in NC!) and then, I need to troubleshoot that very odd vibration and check over everything else on the bike.
While, as I said earlier, I am sad to have Betty under the existing circumstances, she is a beaut’ and I will look after her as Robin would have.
Isn’t this forum just the most incredible community?
Pete