staying busy

[Lucasind]

........I didn't have a bike to work on for a few days , after finishing my winter maintenance on my '03 and "88 XII's, finished my son's Z 1000 , chomping at the bit for new projects for after I get home from work , and weekends , ....so , I took a road trip from Toledo ,down to Columbus in the Benz....and got these 2 bikes ,neither bike ain't run in years ...$500...."I'll take em both" let's load em up ! ...........

[triton28]

Great buy Tony.
As much as I like the big XIIs I gotta say that the XS 650 was always one of my favorite Jap models having been weaned on british twins back in the mid-sixties. My first bike was a 1956 Triumph T110 which I got my license on back in 1966.
The 86 has a lot of rear end Markland bling which is a bonus, should one like that sort of thing. Hopefully it can come back from the sabbatical it has been on without too much effort.
These 2 should keep you busy for a few days, LOL.
Happy wrenching,
Dave

[cushman eagle]

Great find,Tony,
Would you call that stolen bike syndrome ?

[Lucasind]

....Right on guys ! , The fun began as soon as I got the 2 bikes unloaded, rearranged things in my workshop, and got the 86' up on the airlift . Set up the saw horses,and made a parts table ......soon to be filled up ! . Nev er fails to amaze how guys let their bikes go for years , neglecting any repairs and maintenance. The P.O. told me he spent a weekend trying to get it running a year ago , I took my tools with me, and had her running in a half hour, took it for a short ride,but in less than 5 minutes I had to shut the bike off , fearing it would burst into flames , from decades of oil leaks on the exhaust ....talk about a cloud of smoke ! , Ive compiled a long list of repairs needed , and have already spent over $ 600. on parts, including a -1248 Igniter from Carl , ....things to do include : repair kits in the brake calipers(not releasing) , coolant manifold o-ring replacement , shiftshaft seal,replace , oil pressure switch replace,(these two parts were the source of the oil leaks), get the Clarion stereo working ( the guy said he disconnected it), replace spark plugs, service final drive, change oil and filter, install new front tire (the current tire, date code 1984),Get the charging system working , because the P.O said it does not work, I was shocked to see a new alt. installed when I removed the cover ! , install a new battery, And one heck of a good clean up ......and I'm sure there is some stuff I'm forgetting ! Hauling bikes in the Benz , is the way to go with the high roof ! no more taking off windshields and mirrors as done for the past 40+ years

[triton28]

NEW ALTERNATOR? Bonus! And like you it never ceases to amaze me either about non maintenance owners. Oh well, more hidden gems for us.
I'm sure you must feel better with the new projects to wile away your spare time.
I can see that Benz van must be a pleasure to haul in, lucky guy!

[Lucasind]

....So , you long time "mechanic types" know what a engine that seems to be "out of time" sounds like , when you crank it over ..very slow cranking ,and can stop , and overwhelm the starter motor.......well ...I went thru this bike from "stem to stern" while awaiting the delivery of the -1248 Igniter from Carl , the igniter showed up over the weekend , and after work I installed it on this 86' .....and WOW ! problem went away ! this is a bike that had not been run,after reviewing the title for documented mileage of the past ten years,only 6k miles.......only 45k on the clock now. as soon as I installed the -1248 , touched the starter button , and she fired right up ! .....I think I could hear her say "thank you".....

[cushman eagle]

Yah,Tony,she said Thank You For Saving my starter chain
I wonder what saved it so far?

[Lucasind]

So....I wrapped up my check list of repairs and service items on this 86' XII, 36 issues addressed, 132 hours of labor, the amount of neglect guys inflict upon these bikes is unbelievable, but now the bike has been brought back up to spec , and ready for the open road ,and next phase of it's life ! I took the bike out for 85 miles of testing and looking like she is a strong runner. My "brother from a different mother" "Lemmy" came by my workshop , and is now the proud owner of his first XII....., he helped me clean each individual piece of the body plastic while still disassembled , and decided to go ahead and buy it , he traded his Suzuki 550 L that he bought from me for a truck, 5 years ago and has been wanting another bike

[triton28]

Nice looking stable of early XIIs. These bikes are so nice to own and enjoy. It is a shame all owners don't appreciate the machine for it's design and maintain it to that standard but, sometimes circumstance just doesn't go one's way and things get neglected in a cumulative fashion. Too bad, but thankfully persons such as yourself can right the wrongs, so to speak.
It really looks as though it is ready for another period of enjoyment, well done, IMO you are a credit to the art of motorcycle maintenance.
Dave

[Lucasind]

....Thanks Dave .., best $ 5.65 per hour I ever made .........(again) ......

[triton28]

$5.65 an hour is about the truth isn't it.
But the sense of accomplishment one feels after completing a rebuild that turns out so well is something no amount of money can buy. I suspect we do it for the love of machinery and how it is supposed to be maintained, almost as though it's in the blood to do it properly.
Bravo Zulu
Dave

[cushman eagle]

Congratulations,Tony,for saving another VXII from a salvage yard
Those bikes sure are a nice running piece of engineering
I certainly enjoy mine every time I have a chance to ride it.

[GrandpaDenny]

My Gertrude was rescued from a DSPO, and despite those issues, here's a typical conversation between me and a ****** owner or enthusiast:

Them: "Nice bike!"
Me: "Thanks"
Them: "What's that, a Gold Wing?"
Me: "No, it's a Kawasaki Voyager XII"
Them: "Wow it looks just like an old Gold Wing. Any problems?"
Me: "Yeah, everybody thinks it's a Gold Wing"

[cushman eagle]

My Gertrude was rescued from a DSPO, and despite those issues, here's a typical conversation between me and a ****** owner or enthusiast:

Them: "Nice bike!"
Me: "Thanks"
Them: "What's that, a Gold Wing?"
Me: "No, it's a Kawasaki Voyager XII"
Them: "Wow it looks just like an old Gold Wing. Any problems?"
Me: "Yeah, everybody thinks it's a Gold Wing"

Now,that is a good comeback

[Nails]

Me: "Yeah, everybody thinks it's a Gold Wing"

"Did you notice I put a Fireblade motor in this GoldWing?"

[ekap1200]

Hello from NJ. rainy damp day , but a good day to STAY BUSY in the shop. The last parts bike had this piece of bling on the trunk and after a few months outside in the rain , it cleaned up well. I am not one to like to drill holes in my bike but this was too good to pass.
With no dry roads , the radio cover ( window ) was finally done. I have had the clear poly for years. just never had the time. the inside is milled to fit the clear.

As Marie always tell me a , busy man is a happy man "
Gene K.

[Lucasind]

Been staying bizy completing the Yamaha 650 restoration , nearly done with it ....thought I would tell you all something that happened right near the end of this project......I have all the mechanical issues with the bike completed ,running the engine on my auxiliary fuel supply suspended bottle , so it was time for body /paint work on the damaged fuel tank ....after many many hours of work ...(not to mention the cost of epoxy paint and clearcoat) I whipped this tank into shape , after dry time, I went to put the tank on the bike,,,,,,,,,,thats when I discovered that this is the wrong fuel tank for this bike ! , boy did I feel foolish ! ...a guy would assume that the fuel tank sitting on a bike , bought from a seller, was the fuel tank that this 42 year old machine always had ! nope ! so ,,,,to Ebay I went , and ordered the proper tank ....and started my body/paint work all over again ! The wrong fuel tank must be off a newer model ....it has a larger fuel capacity as you can see in the pics.......

[cushman eagle]

Hey,Tony,I find,even at 72 years old,that I still have not learned that assuming something leads to embarrassment
That tank sure looks good though
Are you and Pam going to the rally?

[Lucasind]

.....Yeah right ! I'm not yet 72 like you Loren , and i suppose at that ripe old age , you could say that a bone head mistake (like I made) was do to "old age".... ,, my Dad used to have a old saying that I never forget , ""the only people that ever make a mistake, are people that are DOING something ! "" , so we move forward.....and looking for the next train wreck , to subject myself to ! , A guy surely must love motorcycles ...,(or need his head examined) , to keep doing this,over and over for 45 years ! ....as for the rally , no not going to make it there this time , but I sure had a great time riding with you and Gene at the last rally in WV. , I really liked that National Forrest ,just to the east of the rally's "main drag" , some great riding back in them mountains.....and who knew we would have a lovely lunch , in a old diner, in the middle of no where, and still paid 1970's prices for food ! great times for sure !

[cushman eagle]

Tony,we are going to miss you at the rally
That was a great ride in WVa,and the old time dinner was a rare treat for sure
We would like to meet up for fish when our workload slows down.