It’s been a funny few days as you will soon discover. Firstly, it was a terrible shock to find out that a good friend from the north coast was involved in a massive accident on the weekend that resulted in extensive (but not life-threatening) injuries and a helicopter ride to the hospital. Shane has suffered multiple fractures as well as internal injuries and looks like being laid-up for some time. Thankfully he is receiving the best of care and we hope that he will make a full recovery. Family and friends are rallying around and it’s at times like this when you find out who your true friends are.
Closer to home, I have made more progress with the Gold Wing restoration. Yesterday I took the bike to Canberra (funny how my restorations always seem to take place there) so that my mate, Greg (who I haven’t seen for over 30 years) can make a start on the mechanical side of things. They say that your true friends are the ones who you can be out of contact with for 20 years and just pick up where you left off. That is certainly the case with Greg and I. He is a Honda “guru” and I know that the bike couldn’t be in better hands.
I left Greg’s with an empty trailer and a shopping list of parts that I will need to purchase. Greg has an interesting take on restoration, preferring to ensure that the bike is mechanically sound before turning his attention to the cosmetics. While I was there he connected up his battery pack and the motor turned over without any dramas, no nasty noises or surprises. Dash lights still work even!
Later yesterday evening I got a message from Greg saying that he had started the engine! I was amazed so I called him to find out what was going on. He had connected up a dummy fuel tank (mine is probably rusty inside), cleaned and gapped the points, cleaned the spark plugs, fired it up and it started! Huge gouts of oil smoke filled the garage (remember I said I had put oil down the bored to free up the cylinders in case they were seized?) and the motor reluctantly came to life and (sort of) idled. Carbs will need reconditioning so it didn’t rev through the range but there were no nasty noises from the motor and it started very easily considering that it has been sitting for two years. The absence of mufflers meant that it was VERY loud but it WAS smooth and that is a major “plus”.
So, I’d better get started on sourcing bits, hadn’t I?
Oh, and while I was at Greg’s place I was tickled to see two of my photos hanging on his lounge room wall. One was familiar, this one..
But the other was a B&W that I don’t recall taking. As well as that, Greg also showed me this photo.
It is, of course, Greg’s Rickman Honda but it was taken by one of his mates in the pits at Macarthur Park in Canberra at the first road closure in October 1978. I had never seen this picture before. Very cool, I thought.
Anyway, that’s it for now. Weather is supposed to be great today so I might go for a ride. Till next time.