69 "S" Phoenix rises again

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Clint was never 5'7" in fact until he started to have back problems and aged to 80 years old he was 6'4" I have also met him and I am 5' 8" and can tell you he was a lot taller than me, That was about 20 years ago. :roll: Well I guess at some point he was, In grade school.
 
Yeah, everything I read about him says he is 6'4 until he had back problems and is now around 6'2. He sure looks taller on the bike than I do at right around 6', even with the camera angle. I met G. Bush the first, one time and boy was he tall and I rarely look up to someone. Never looked like that on the TV. He must have been 6'5.

Dave
69S
 
I stand corrected; Clint is much taller than I thought. (or my buddy remembered) Great picture none the less and yes I'll bet the bike was red.

Tom

P.S. My apologies to Clint
 
DogT, I hope you figure out way up THE Gravel better than I did the first 6 months.
Main danger is not to put on brakes if fork turned at all going slow, SPLAT!
Otherwise ain't too hard to sorta go in hot and rooster tailing some to shoot right up loose Gravel steeps as good as MX bikes. Helps to lower tire pressure some from pure hard tack level. I wonder if the S muffler mounts can take the rough stuff better than the low standard mounts can.

Nice sound and no smoke on start up, I should be so lucky on mine.

I once was 6'4", then wore out to 6'1". but motorcycle crashes breaking spine made me get serious on my protocols so now back to 6'3", maybe more as ain't check in a few years w/o any more bad crashes. I figure about 20 yr reserves built back.
 
Steve, actually I really don't want to come up or go down that hill no the bike. I can go down in the grass, it's ok. The gravel is steep enough you have to have momentum in car to get up, or 4WD. If you stop on the hill, you're backing back down. I was never good at riding M/C backwards. I have an option, my neighbor's drive is pretty flat all the way to her house and I can go on a short path through the woods and come out at my garage. But I don't want to be wearing a path through her yard, so most likely in riding season I'll park at the barn.

I'm going to be looking for a trailer like Debby's too.

Dave
69S
 
Dave,
I was just looking at your first post on the thread about powdercoating when you removed all of the blanking bolts did you paint the blank spots, or leave them as is?

Matt
 
Matt,
All of the un-powdercoated holes, I used Rustolium enamel before I installed the nuts/bolts. I left bare the blanked off area where the swingarm mounts to the cradle and after I installed the swing arm, I painted up as close as I could. I figure there will be enough oil in there to keep it from rusting, plus there are 2 o-rings that need to seat on a smooth surface.

Dave
69S
 
Sidriley came up today and we finally got it started. But it's not firing on the left cylinder, maybe something came loose. I'll be on that tomorrow. I pretty much expected something like this with all 40 year old parts. It was fine when we first started it, but now it's hard to start of course. I imagine something came loose, or the condenser or coil failed or maybe something in the points.

Anyhow, here are some pictures of it completed with all the decals, primary cover and shields on.

69 "S"  Phoenix rises again


69 "S"  Phoenix rises again


Dave
69S
 
That is a fantastic looking bike, look forward to that before and after shot of you when the bike was new and today's version. :wink:
 
hey Dave, love the first pic of the new ones u just posted, love the high pipes on the s types, i convince myself to paint mine yellow but then whenever i see urs in the metal flake blue i change my mind, not sure as i have the original side covers in metal flake blue brand new but thought it would be easier to paint the tank and everything yellow than try and match the blue metal flake, yours looks great though mate, well done.
 
I don't know if you can get Dupli-Color Metal Specks in OZ, but it comes in a spray can for about $10 a can. Lots cheaper than sending it out, but you need to clear coat it, because it won't stand any petrol and it's dull without clear over it. I used Dupli-Color Clear High Performance Wheel Coating Clear and it seems to work except if you put carb cleaner on it. There are also the 2 pack clear coats that are even better. I may try that later. If you notice, for some reason the panels are a darker hue than the tank, don't know if it's the clear coat I put on the tank and polished or a different can of the Metal Specks Blue. It also comes in Silver and Red I think. It's not bad flake for a can of spray paint. About $40 instead of $700.

I do like the yellow too, but it was not on the 69, maybe the 70, I don't know.

Dave
69S
 
Hello Dave, been following your posts. Your bike looks excellent !
It's a credit to you.
Hope you get the gremlins excorsised soon.
rgeards graeme
 
The gremlin exorcism is complete. The white wire came off the LH coil (-). I put it all back together, used some Hylomar on the exhaust valve covers because they were weeping, same with the banjo below the pressure valve, but that doesn't seem to be the issue. I may take off that banjo and re-seat it in the tubing after cutting off 1/2". I won't mention that I left the RS spark plug wire off, and of course it was hard to start, but it did. Was messing with the carbs and saw it and shocked myself. It sure runs and starts a lot smoother with both cylinders firing. You can actually adjust both carbs and get results with both cylinders firing. Got the idle back down to about 900.

I reckon I've put off the inevitable long enough and will go down to the DMV tomorrow and see what kind of hassle they are going to give me. Hopefully none, just give them money.

Just amazing this thing is running with it's original ignition system and parts.

Just for hobot, 2 deer ran out in front of me as I was going down the drive in the woods.

Dave
69S
 
Steve, actually I really don't want to come up or go down that hill no the bike. I can go down in the grass, it's ok. The gravel is steep enough you have to have momentum in car to get up, or 4WD. If you stop on the hill, you're backing back down. I was never good at riding M/C backwards. I have an option, my neighbor's drive is pretty flat all the way to her house and I can go on a short path through the woods and come out at my garage. But I don't want to be wearing a path through her yard, so most likely in riding season I'll park at the barn.

Hehe, I understand your conditions and hesitation to take it on, wisely actually.
I just don't have a choice if I'm going to reach tarmac. But Commando ability to scoot up what other slip and slide and fall back on is one reason I think the isolastics are important traction improver. But none the less, it does take balls to commit to the speed/power to get up and around loose stuff, I don't alway get it right each time and every time I think I'm about figured out what can go wrong and avoid it SPLAT! I never ever refer to my master teacher but in respect and fear with a tile THE Gravel.

Delicious blue S model, keep it locked away from me, whose been know to Steal.

hobot
 
Believe me, I don't want to get stranded somewhere and have to leave it along side the road. I'm sure it would be gone in a heartbeat, even if hobot wasn't there. It's sure running strong though. Once I get used to riding it I'll probably taking it up the gravel. Sidriley came up on his Triumph 780? yesterday. If you stay on the less graveled part it's not bad, but you have to be adept at guiding it which I am not real confident yet. It's a real brute to me.

Dave
69S
 
let air out to mid 20's PSI and get a bit of a run at it but not so fast you can't keep a bit of throttle on to keep the momentum going w/o rooster tailing away.
On THE Gravel or the road, it helps to stay on power more or less to get on around the best. Of course that can evolve into extremes that save slip ups or just do ya in.
I find better I can ride off road loose stuff/slopes better I can handle the road work in relaxed confidence.

I just got the heebie jibby quivers on your deer encounter, always lurking and lurking. It ain't the ones ya see ahead of time that matter the most. I have had to use extreme handling on THE Gravel to doges some hazards and actually find Ms Peel more maneuverable in every way than deer on THE Gravel, expect when they leap through or over stuff getting out my Aggressive way with em.

Wonder which pipe position is best when slammed down on their side or reverse cones on either side?
 
Trouble is right now 1st gear is running way to fast for me, even with the 19 tooth. It pulls like a rocket and I don't want to be spinning on the gravel. I'll figure it out, give me time, it's been 20 years.

Dave
69S
 
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