69 "S" Phoenix rises again

They remind me of palmetto bugs when they hit the windshield at 70mph. Guess I'll have to use a full face mask, however, the cooler weather is reducing their swarms drastically. I still have hundreds of dead ones every day from the insecticide. Yes, they like to get in and under things, shit all over, but do not bite, I keep a broom handy for when I open the car door. I've been thinking about some sort of full sealed cover for the 69, is there such a thing?

Dave
69S

yeh id be inventing/making something up to Dave u dont want any of those little guys near ur bike at all after all ur hard work, maybe a type of sheet material big enough to cover ur bike but it has a draw string around the entire edge so u can pull it in around the bottom of ur bike, u could easily sew it in around the edge of a drop sheet/ cotton sheet that way when u drape it over and pull it in its tight up against the wheels when u pull the draw string....

Adam

After checking the harness and most of the switches and grounds, I took my electric drill and turned over the motor with no plugs in it. Maybe 800rpm. With the ignition off, I get about 8 VDC at the rectifier. This is the original setup with the selenium rectifier, MC2 cap and zener diode. So I hooked up my coils and AAU, rubber banded some plugs on the head and turned the ignition on to check for spark and DCV. I got spark, but only about 2VDC coming out of the rectifier. It may be enough to get it started, I don't know, worth a try, if not I see a new alternator in the works. I could always run it with a battery in the meantime. I'm still waiting on muffler clamps, besides it is raining today, I may try to get the bike up in the garage tomorrow if the ground is not muddy. I still want to get oil in it and crank it over with the drill to make sure I get oil returning and to the head. If not tomorrow, Saturday.

The bugs have disappeared for now in the cool weather and rain.

Dave
69S

Well, Saturday has come and gone. Got the wrong silencer clamps. Maybe tomorrow morning I'll get them. Anyhow, just about everything is all nipped up. I strobe timed it by turning the rotor over by the nut and my Milwaukee drill with the ignition on and the timing is about as close as I can get it. I'll crank the motor over with the drill to get the oil into the rockers and returning back to the tank, before trying a start. Here's some close ups before it gets all dirty. I'll take some outside on the patio too before I get it into the garage. Shouldn't be long now. Haven't fastened the clocks or their cables, I need to put oil in the forks when I get it outside.











Dave
69S

Looks great, this is one of my two favorite times during an restoration. First, when you get the project underway, and second, like your project is now, just days away from done.



Tyler

DogT said:

They remind me of palmetto bugs when they hit the windshield at 70mph. Guess I'll have to use a full face mask, however, the cooler weather is reducing their swarms drastically. I still have hundreds of dead ones every day from the insecticide. Yes, they like to get in and under things, shit all over, but do not bite, I keep a broom handy for when I open the car door. I've been thinking about some sort of full sealed cover for the 69, is there such a thing?

Dave
69S

Click to expand...

hi dogt,here in uk there is such a thing called a vac bag,huge plastic bag that you wheel the bike into,zip it up then conect a vacuum cleaner to it that draws all the air out,dont know if you can get them in usa,and sorry but i dont have any more details,btw fabulous pics,you,ve done a great job

chris plant said:

here in uk there is such a thing called a vac bag,huge plastic bag that you wheel the bike into,zip it up then conect a vacuum cleaner to it that draws all the air out,dont know if you can get them in usa,and sorry but i dont have any more details

Click to expand...

http://www.vac-bags.co.uk/bike.htm

http://www.caresecrets.com/cycle_shield

Thanks Chris and L.A.B. The vac bag and the pvc with the plastic over it gives me some ideas. Actually the bugs are just about gone because of the cold weather, but it is supposed to warm up for a week, so we'll see. I can bring it inside when I put it up, so that's not a problem, just when I have it in the garage or barn.

Dave
69S

We call them them cockroaches here. Yuhhhhhh.

They are certainly not cockroaches here, plus they are called brown marmorated stink bugs, they smell worse than they look.



Dave
69S

Dave, I have skipped some content so please forgive my ignorance if this has been covered: What exhaust system are you running? Looks like 2 into 1 into a very short 2? Yes/no, have you run it yet, how you like it/how's it sound, etc. When you get time to reply, I mean, no urgency to these questions! Thanks Dave. Bike looks good! - BrianK

Gday DogT,
exciting times now, getting closer to when your creation reburst into life again. Hope it runs as sweet as it looks, its a credit to you and I have enjoyed the journey with you all the way!
Rgds Foxy

Was not reading well - palmetto bugs = cockroaches. We have the stinkbugs too. I had the unfortunate occasion to roll over at night and crush one with my face against the pillow. Now if I see one I immediately catch it and flush it. With the cold weather they are all congregating on our screens trying to get in - shades of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.

Don't mean to hijack the thread. Love the bike and can't wait until you can ride it.

Russ

Thanks, guys, well if the Post comes through today, I should be trying startup this afternoon.

Brian, I'm using the standard 'S' exhaust with double peashooters. I think there is a picture earlier when I had them test fitted on.

Dave
69S

I got the clamps Friday morning. Managed to get my neighbor Frank and Tony over, and Randy came up from Madison. Not a problem getting it out of the bedroom, didn't have to take off the handle bars, just finessed it through. Had a photo op and then pushed it up the hill to the garage. With 3 it is easy. Then had to fill the forks, gearbox, oil tank with cold 50W oil. Cranked it over a lot with the electric drill until it heated up. Didn't want to burn up my Milwaukee, so we started kicking. I got oil into the rocker shafts, but never saw any come out of the return line in the tank. Decided to just try a startup, but ended up with a few leaks around the fuel line, and one of the float bowls was leaking. Off come the carbs and float bowls, put them on the Corian block with sandpaper and smooth them both off, just for drill, replace them, and I am not getting gas into the carbs even with tickling. So I think tomorrow I'll put the float bowls back to flush with the top of the float and see if I can get any petrol appearance into the carbs. We did kick it over a bit, but not like SwooshDave. I think I will also hook up the battery just so we have a good spark.

The mostly finished product


Up the hill


Trying to start


Praying to the god Norton


More to come,
Dave
69S

The look of a happy man!
Congratulations dave she's looking good!

Dave
I noticed you have an 18" rear tire; did you change that out? I have a 19"rear on mine.
I love the blue; I wish my paint was in poor condition so I'd have an excuse to change my red.
Bruce

Bruce,
No, that's not an 18" rear wheel. I got a 4.10-19, should have gotten a 3.50-19, but I don't think there is much difference. Avon suggests Safety Mileage MK II AM7 with the Speedmaster II front, but I messed up and got an Avon Roadrunner. I'll change that out one of these days. I'm going to try starting it again this afternoon when sidriley gets here.

I remember yours is red. Is it a flake red?

Dave
69S

DogT said:

should have gotten a 3.50-19, but I don't think there is much difference.

Click to expand...

I know you want your "S" to be as original as possible, when I bought my '69 S in early 1970, it had a 4.10 X 19" Avon Roadrunner on the back and a 3.00 X 19" ribbed Avon on the front. I think only the very first Commandos had a 3.50 on the back.

Jean

Thanks Jean, that's good to know. I don't know what was originally on mine. It had been changed several times, but I had the original ribbed front Speedmaster. However, my copy of the S Riders handbook lists a 3.50-19.

Make that original 'style'. There are a lot of non-original parts on it now, but they look like original parts.

Dave
69S