D-Mac's rat bike to......cafe bike? Here we go again.

[CLAY]

Wow.  During the off season I would TOTALLY make that bike part of the decor in that room.    That things is awesome!  

[Jeff]

Very, very well done.  

[Gerry Sweetland]

Wow, fantastic job Dean  
Gerry

[veefer800canuck]

I have to applaud your sticktuitiveness. Most people buy and dismantle a bike with good intentions of "restoring" it, then abandon the project beacuse it's too much time/effort/money.

This is how basket cases are born.

[FJRider]

I just read this thread from begining to end. I really apprecate watching someone who has a plan, knows what they're doing and has the fortitude to complete the job as planned. Well done. I really enjoyed reading this.

[D-Mac]

Just the facts folks.....

-installed a crankcase vent tube
-moved the bike out to the shop
-Installed a new petcock and fuel/vac lines
-put 2 gallons of fresh gas in the tank (pre-treated with Stabil just in case).
-heated the shop to 60 degrees
-primed the carbs
-no leaks!

So then I pressed "Run", pulled the choke, pulled in the clutch, and pressed the starter button.


crank


crank


crank........





WAIT

FOR

IT







 





AND IT RUNS!!!! Idles well. I'll try and shoot a video at some point when I get an extra set of hands to hold the camera.

Downside? It doesn't want to rev too well. First time I tried it, it bogged and died frequently. I figured I was just rushing things a bit (choke off too soon). Then, a few minutes later, I tried it again when warmer and it would rev "ok" and seemed ok at full throttle too.  Showed some subtle "hanging" at idle though and the bogging was still evident at lower throttle positions.

With the jet kit, new pipes, and K&N filter, it's gonna be "fun" to tune this thing. I'll start by adjusting the fuel-mix screws, idle, and doing a carb sync. Then I'll probably check compression again. After that, I'll probably end up taking it to the dyno to tune it better and sort out the off idle issues (as well as any other issues). There is likely a class of students at Wastenaw Community College starting next week who can help tune it as part of their "carb tuning" course. The beauty of a dyno tune is that you can analyze the fuel/air mix at any throttle position and make sure it's optimal. I suspect that I'll need to adjust the needles and perhaps swap pilots/mains a few times to sort it out. My jet kit came with an adjustable needle and some spare jets, so that should help, although getting four carbs right won't be the easiest thing in the world. All of the boots, o-rings, and other bits are brand new though, and at least I'm starting with clean carbs. Best of all, I still have a few months to get it all sorted out before the riding season starts.

Very excited to get this thing so close.

Oh yeah. I want a new muffler. This one is too quiet and doesn't fit the style of the bike. I'm gonna start shopping around.....

[sleazy rider]

 

[Mr.Black]

[mxvet57]

We need a sound bite.

[OU812]

We need a sound bite.

yes we do!

[Gary B.]

 

I wouldn't go to crazy with tuning just yet. Give it some time for the rings to seat before you go tweaking things.

[CLAY]

WOOHOO!  

[dabirk23]

Oh yeah. I want a new muffler. This one is too quiet and doesn't fit the style of the bike. I'm gonna start shopping around.....

Congratulations on the start-up!
You can always take the packing out of the muffler.  It won't make it look better but it will be louder.  

[sleazy rider]

Mac, give the new one time for the packing to burn out.  It's a Jardine, right?

[Max Wedge]

 

[miles]

I have to applaud your sticktuitiveness. Most people buy and dismantle a bike with good intentions of "restoring" it, then abandon the project beacuse it's too much time/effort/money.

This is how basket cases are born.

I've done that three times (four if you count my '61 beetle).  Now I know better.

[monkeybuttpowder]

 

[D-Mac]

It's a cheapo Mac exhaust.

I had a minute to visit the bike today. Damn it's cold in the shop. I might break down and get a real heating system in there.

Checked the plugs. They look rich. That's what I was aiming for when I put in the jet kit (better rich than lean when starting to tune). I will probably idle it longer to run it in a bit more and get that dialed in.

Then I'll probably adjust the pilot (if I have a leaner set with my kit) or lower the needle. I want to test a few things first.

Best news today is that it's not leaking gas or oil anywhere. I checked voltage at the battery yesterday and it was up when the bike was running (not a full check, but I didn't have my electrical stuff handy). So it looks like it might be charging now too.

[Jeff]

Do not take all the packing out of the Mac. I had a Mac on my CB550, minus the packing, and it sounded like complete shit. It wasn't horrible at idle, but it was definitely loud. But when it was on the boil, it sounded like a swarm of angry bees, and not at all in a good way. I hated the way it sounded - nothing short of embarrassing. But it was basically the only thing available unless I wanted to spend more money on the exhaust than I did on the rest of the bike.

Jeff

[D-Mac]

Do not take all the packing out of the Mac. I had a Mac on my CB550, minus the packing, and it sounded like complete shit. It wasn't horrible at idle, but it was definitely loud. But when it was on the boil, it sounded like a swarm of angry bees, and not at all in a good way. I hated the way it sounded - nothing short of embarrassing. But it was basically the only thing available unless I wanted to spend more money on the exhaust than I did on the rest of the bike.

Jeff

Good to know. I won't be touching it. It doesn't sound too bad (a little "tinny" and quiet), but it's the only option for this bike. At some point I might put a different muffler on, but I'll wait until I actually get to ride it a bit before making that decision.