So Happy New Year – I guess we’re all hoping for better in 2021?
Having got the engine in the frame (thanks Mrs A) my next step was to start hunting down all the parts. I’d been pretty disciplined when I tore the bike down so could put my hands on most bits. I was delighted to find that I have more bits and pieces than I remembered (even found a front wheel I’d forgotten about) and that some things that I thought needed fixing might be okay.
The tank looked very tatty but it was just surface dirt and an hour with some T-Cut saw it come up ‘okay’. There’s a few chips and a minor dent (from when I punched the tank in frustration 20+ years ago) but there’s no need to rush out and spend money on paint. Similarly the sidepanels are used but look okay from a few paces back…
The trip down memory lane showed a headlight with a broken glass (complete with sticker from a long forgotten rally in Belgium). The good news was that I have a spare headlight from some RGA bits I bought years ago 🙂 The glass just needs the yellow paint removed (remember when lights in France were yellow). While I was rummaging I also found a pair of RGA headlamp brackets which is good because my originals were ruined when I got them re-chromed (if you try and chrome metal made thin by rust guess what happens…).
The silencers were still covered in filth from 15 years ago and I remembered one had a dent where a spanner had slipped off the nut. Now the dent is there but I can live with it…a sentiment that is a little worrying because am I going to end up with a typical ‘shed’ which is how many of my bikes are described…
I remembered the seat as having the profile wrong where it meets the tank. The seat has lain upside down for 15 years and at the moment it’s cold. So I’ve got it inside to help it ‘regenerate’. I can see though that that front edge of the cover is perhaps hiding rust so it’s going to need further investigation. This isn’t going to be a deal breaker though as initially I intend to run it with the optional dual seat.
The only item I’m yet to find is the fuel cap. The original had poor chrome and I’d replaced it with a new ‘ebay’ item. However this shiny stainless item had a rubbish bent piece of sprung metal instead of the original spring to secure it…guess what it jammed shut. Now I fiddled around with this probably 15 years ago but I NEVER throw stuff out which means it’s somewhere.
Where I ran into problems, for instance the brackets to hold the rear fairing, then I was reassured via a few www searches that the parts could still be found – albeit at significant cost! I have to say having Richard Slater retire is a blow as even if he didn’t have the part his advice on it and possible places to look was invaluable.
Nick 🙂
Bent screwdrivers, big hammers and old Laverdas 