Self-abuse- More Porn Outside and Almost Ready to Fire Up

[akmnstr]

Awesome dude!!!
My advice is that you keep in mind that this is your bike.  Having a 67 Triumph Bonnie myself I understand think you feel a sense of obligation to do a perfect restoration to original condition.  At times I think I'd rather have an early 80s Suzuki GS to bring back to life.  I'd do anything I damn well please with the thing.  Keep in mind that just as now, back in the day, avid riders made the bikes their own.  So if all original new old stock is what makes you happy fine.  If your budget or your vision is good with reproduction or borrowed items, so be it.   That said, I love what you are doing.

[RAT900]

Thanks akmnstr

yes I was one of those who was always personalizing them back when they were recent-issue machines.

Guess I am repaying a debt of sorts buying them here and there and putting them back to stock 4 and a half decades later

I usually throw one thing on that is out of line...for this one I may install the Cat's Face rear tail light lens

If I was going to make it a daily rider I would scrap the magneto in favor of a boyers unit and trade monoblocs in for Concentrics or Mikuni's and throw a twin leading shoe front brake on it so it could actually stop

[badgalbetty]

the first bike I restored was a Royal Enfield Single Model G. I built it upstairs in my bedroom above the garage because it was winter. It was awesome. I lived in a house iin London and once the thing was together I could not get it around the tight hallways or down the curved staircase [bang]I had to disassemble the damned thing and have my eldest brother help me carry it down stairs. It was bloody heavy. The bike was donated to a retired police officer a couple of years ago and now resides at Inverness Castle in Scotland. I gave it to my friend Ian's father upon his retirement from 30 years in the met Police of London.He always wanted to have the bike as he had bought one just like it brand new all those years ago. I think it was the right thing to do. I moved to America in 1985 and the bike had sat under a dustsheet for 25 years completely restored and perfect in every way at my brothers house.
I love British motorcycles from 1930-1970 the earlier ones are rolling works of art with swoopy lines.Magnificent in every way. One of the prettiest bikes ever made in my view is a P40.I am also extremely fond of the final offereings from Royal Enfield 1970 Interceptor MK 11 736 cc.They were a superbike back n the day that ran circles around T120'S and Nortons famous 750 Commando.As it was with most of the British Industry in those deep dark days it was too little too late.RIP .
BGB.

[akmnstr]

If I was going to make it a daily rider I would scrap the magneto in favor of a boyers unit and trade monoblocs in for Concentrics or Mikuni's and throw a twin leading shoe front brake on it so it could actually stop

My Triumph would stop faster going backwards than forward with the original front brake.  I picked up a twin leading shoe off ebay and put it on.  Now it will actually stop and I no longer have to drag my feet to bring it to rest.

[ducpainter]

the first bike I restored was a Royal Enfield Single Model G. I built it upstairs in my bedroom above the garage because it was winter. It was awesome. I lived in a house iin London and once the thing was together I could not get it around the tight hallways or down the curved staircase [bang]I had to disassemble the damned thing and have my eldest brother help me carry it down stairs. It was bloody heavy. The bike was donated to a retired police officer a couple of years ago and now resides at Inverness Castle in Scotland. I gave it to my friend Ian's father upon his retirement from 30 years in the met Police of London.He always wanted to have the bike as he had bought one just like it brand new all those years ago. I think it was the right thing to do. I moved to America in 1985 and the bike had sat under a dustsheet for 25 years completely restored and perfect in every way at my brothers house.
I love British motorcycles from 1930-1970 the earlier ones are rolling works of art with swoopy lines.Magnificent in every way. One of the prettiest bikes ever made in my view is a P40.I am also extremely fond of the final offereings from Royal Enfield 1970 Interceptor MK 11 736 cc.They were a superbike back n the day that ran circles around T120'S and Nortons famous 750 Commando.As it was with most of the British Industry in those deep dark days it was too little too late.RIP .
BGB.

That bike, and the Velocette's of the same era was what opened my eyes to motorcycles.

I love to look at the old bikes...but the new ones are way more fun to ride.

[Speeddog]

The transformation is absolutely remarkable; strong work sir! 

I'm drafting a letter of petition for restoration sainthood to be bestowed upon you.

To take that bike from it's former heinously molested form to what it obviously will become... fantastic!

[RAT900]

the first bike I restored was a Royal Enfield Single Model G. I built it upstairs in my bedroom above the garage because it was winter. It was awesome. I lived in a house iin London and once the thing was together I could not get it around the tight hallways or down the curved staircase [bang]I had to disassemble the damned thing and have my eldest brother help me carry it down stairs. It was bloody heavy. The bike was donated to a retired police officer a couple of years ago and now resides at Inverness Castle in Scotland. I gave it to my friend Ian's father upon his retirement from 30 years in the met Police of London.He always wanted to have the bike as he had bought one just like it brand new all those years ago. I think it was the right thing to do. I moved to America in 1985 and the bike had sat under a dustsheet for 25 years completely restored and perfect in every way at my brothers house.
I love British motorcycles from 1930-1970 the earlier ones are rolling works of art with swoopy lines.Magnificent in every way. One of the prettiest bikes ever made in my view is a P40.I am also extremely fond of the final offereings from Royal Enfield 1970 Interceptor MK 11 736 cc.They were a superbike back n the day that ran circles around T120'S and Nortons famous 750 Commando.As it was with most of the British Industry in those deep dark days it was too little too late.RIP .
BGB.

That is a great story BGB. I once did a P-11 restoration down in my basement and hauling that up the stairs was a real trial....you lose track of how big/heavy it becomes when you're incrementally adding stuff on.

As a youngster I had a late (pre-series II) RE Interceptor...I believe it was titled as a 1967

It was my first real road bike back in the late 60's early 70's and it would put anything else on the road to shame....I wrote a long tale a few years back about that bike and how my late sister loved it when I'd take her for a ride on it.  Hands down THE most handsome of all the British machines of the 1960's

I tracked an Enfield down in the late 1990's and restored it...it had been languishing in a barn in Kansas for a decade or 2

it was used in a couple of fashion magazine shoots as a prop for the models...it was a joy to ride that bike again after having been away from them for 2 decades or more.  Sold it to someone over in France and exported it...

needed to fund the P-11 solo seat scrambler

The old classics have a way of getting under your skin.....

I guess maybe I can't much repair the dents, scars bruises and insults to my tired old carcass,

but I sure as shit can bring a 40 or 50 year old mechanical icon of my younger days

back to its full stature and glory 

[badgalbetty]

I typoed.... that should have been P11 I must have been thinking planes or something....

Enfield made many magnificent motorcycles over the years , the earlt v twins are hard to find these days and The J2 was a really pretty bike twin port single. Just Beautiful.At one point Indian motorcycles were selling re-badged Enfield twins like the meteor and constellation. Such lovely names....They also made a very nice 500 twin, which was always a favourite. Yes I have a fondness for all things Enfield except the latest offerings from Madras which are a cobbled together mix of old and new to get it all legal. Technologically they are one step above a sock....perhaps.
BGB

[akmnstr]

I love to look at the old bikes...but the new ones are way more fun to ride.

I think the old brit twins are fun to ride too, but in a different way.  The vibration, bad brakes, shift on the wrong side, and a very vertical riding position gives me a very unique feel.  I love the kick start, except when the engine dies at a traffic light.  The feel of the bike I think can be best described as an over bearing feel of risking your life anytime you ride above 65.   

[Jaman]

what an awesome transformation.

looking at the pics, reading the story so far, and thinking of the anticipation you must feel for firing her up & taking on her maiden re-voyage, giving my a big shit eating grin. 

[RAT900]

oh we are now getting close to the moment of troof

maybe as early as this Sunday morning....

my way of thanking my fabulous neighbors for the daily endless armies of lawn care crews

armed with screaming deafening leaf blowers that make working from home almost impossible

[Speedbag]

Giggity. 

[akmnstr]

Wish I could be there to see you kick it over and hear it start up!   

[cokey]

Should have a start it up bbq

[RAT900]

The BBQ idea is good....then I'll have people available to help push me around trying to start it after my knee and hip give out :-)

Right now I am double-checking the nuts and bolts on the bike from the tranny to the tail light

and painting them with Locktite Blue so I know I

A: got to them and

B: to gum up the exposed threads

so when the nuts back themselves out with the vibrations they won't litter the roadways

and bounce up and hit windshields of cars tailgating me

riding behind a British bike is more potentially expensive than tailing an overfilled gravel truck on a bumpy road