The /5 phoenix project

[Captain Yesterday]

It time to raise this /5 from the ashes back to its former glory.
Picked up this 72 r75/5 swb toaster ( my idea of a unicorn airhead ) last year for 500$ no paper work and it hasn’t be registered since the year I was born. Finally have some time to work on it.

Those bags weight a ton. I’m surprised it didn’t break the sub frame.




I didn't know chrome could rust like that better get a tetanus shot





Oops what happened there






About a liter of rust came out of the exhaust



I can put gas in that, all I need is a good filter





never ceases to amaze me what people do







Holy oxidation batman!!!

[ontic]

let me be the first to say

[disston]

Underneath all that crud hopefully you find a motorcycle.

[Kt-88]

Originally Posted by disston

Underneath all that crud hopefully you find a motorcycle.

I believe.

[elite-less]

Yowza..... gave me flashbacks to the start of my /5 project!

Fill the tank with cheap distilled vinegar and let it stew for a week or so...... It'll purge the sludge with little effort.

Have fun and post lots of pics!

[Renner]

Originally Posted by Captain Yesterday

never ceases to amaze me what people do

ah... yup

[Beater]

I know you want to bring this one back ... and you may be able to. And truly, with enough money you can do anything. But you need to know those carbs will never be right. They may 'function' ... but they will always be weird. Is it locked up? Buy a /5 wiring harness now. Look into new carbs. Dump all the fluids. Does the tranny shift?

I've never seen a sissybar like that on an airhead. Those blinkers are 'unobtainium' ... Metal with the integrated reflectors. Did the tops of those bags come with it? They're rare too.

Good luck. You're going to need it.

[crazydrummerdude]

Wow.

The curry(?) is a good color, I hope you get to save it.

[Bill Harris]

Dang. Phoenix is right.

You've probably thought of this, but make sure that it's Title-able before $inking a lot of ca$h into it...

[lucky23]

I, for one, am behind you all the way! Another R75 rescued!!

[Houseoffubar]

You did not mention, which sea did you pull it up from?

Good luck, and great title!

[tete]

this should be interesting, count me in!

[R85/8]

Last time I saw a bike like that it had been in the sea.

[Renner]

izzat all you got?

I mean the photos. Last I heard you managed to bust every nut free and were just about ready to paint the frame.

any fresh pics? I'd think you'd have a few gigs of them by now.

[Captain Yesterday]

Now that the back story is set, time get everyone up to speed.

You did not mention, which sea did you pull it up from?

I think the guy who I bought it from found it in the Guadalupe dunes or maybe the bottom of Morro Bay.

Even the cat is saying WTF did you get yourself into this time



I've tried to restore a gas tank a couple of years ago. A vt500 ascot which was almost as bad as this tank. I spend days after days using all the tricks in the book. Getting the rust out of the tank is the easy part but sealing it from rusting again that was a pain in the ass. So I had a company called http://www.rusteco.com/ do the work. It cost an arm and a leg to do but since having the tank done in July it's been open to the air and still no rust or residue on the inside of the tank. The inside looks like it just came from the factory.



Final drive looks good. At least that's one positive



Step 1 tear down and get ready for powder coating

Had to make this tool to get the drive shaft out.



The last two bikes that I built had tons of fab work to do. Luckily the only welding is to fix the center stand from the damage of those 80 lbs bags and rack. And cover over the holes from those stupid reflectors



Will be sent off to powdered coating this week