In memory of Jim Adams - an R60/5 build diary

[backdrifter]

Yep, that makes a lot of sense. Something along the lines of this, right?



I had this in my bag with the fasteners for the front brake line. Unfortunately, I'm not quite sure where it connects. If I try to connect it to the rear fender bracket, it pulls the brake line too low (in fact, the brake line won't even stretch that far).

I know it went somewhere, just not sure where. I'll try to look through my old pictures to figure it out.

[backdrifter]

I checked through some old photos and found where it was. It's just under the the lower triple clamp and just above the hose clamp in this photo.



That sure doesn't seem too helpful in keeping the brake line off of the fender, does it? Guess I'll have to work something else up.

[mattsz]

Not that it means anything, but my '75 didn't have anything holding the brake cable other than the same clip, same position, that you have:



I can't tell from the photo if the fender has suffered. I don't remember seeing anything, and the bike is gone now, of course...

[georgesgiralt]

Hello !
Actually this clip is sufficient to keep the cable from the fender. It will reduce the sag and the free running part of the cable which, then, will not rattle around...
Bear in mind that the fork length will change a lot during ride. So you should have a lot of free play for the cable in order for it not to be too tightly cornered. The curvature radius has to be ample enough for the effort to pull the brake light enough...
Hope I'm clear enough for you to understand....

[disston]

I think the rubber grommet goes into the wire hoop. I don't have any experience to base this on. It just looks like it should?

[backdrifter]

Thanks gents, I'll go ahead and mount the cable retainer where it was.

[photorider]

How is that clip held in place?

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by photorider

How is that clip held in place?

Good question, photorider. I really didn't see a great way myself, so I just mounted it under the hose clamp and tightened until it was secure. Seemed to work just fine.



I stopped by my local airhead enthusiast shop and picked up these two items:



A rear brake switch, and a ball bearing used as the key retainer. I had completely lost my original rear brake switch, and after looking everywhere, I decided to buy a new one. Guess what I found today, one day after buying the new switch? You guessed it! Oh well, the new one looks better anyway, and now I have a spare. Mounted and ready to go. The rubber cover went on just after the photo.



The ball bearing seems inconsequential, but I only had one of the two in place, and the ignition wouldn't hold the key down with enough force to keep it in contact with everything that it needed to be in contact with. It's the reason my headlight bucket was still open until this point. I put the 2nd ball bearing in and the key works like a charm now, so I was finally able to button up the headlight bucket and install the headlight:





Then I applied Rub N' Buff to the cylinders and heads. It was a bit of a pain, but I got everything that I could. You can't really see a difference, but here are a few pictures anyway.





After this I was all out of excuses to keep the bike in the house. After a multi-point turn in my living room that was more difficult than it seemed like it should have been, I got the bike turned around and ready to exit.





It was a bit sad seeing the old girl go back out to the cold garage, but I know it is her rightful place, and better yet, it means that she's really close to rumbling to life again!







I had the seat off to charge my new AGM battery. I hooked it up to my battery charger and it read "full" immediately, so I guess we'll call it good. So the seat went back on, and we're done for the day.



I need to buy some new oil, I noticed the stuff I bought had too high of an API rating (SN, I believe). I'll do that tomorrow and get the bike all full of fluids. Not sure if I'll try starting her yet, or wait for a warm sunny day so I can start a proper break in. Maybe I'll just try to turn her over and see what happens. It would be nice to know that she's going to fire to life easily when than next warm and sunny day does finally come!

[JonnyCash]

Are you shitting me? You're at that point, and you just say, "I think I'll wait to start it up". Check your pulse man, you may have died already. I don't mean any harm, but I generally go for a first ride on any given project when the bike is about 65 percent done, I just can't help myself.

[enzorover]

Originally Posted by JonnyCash

Are you shitting me? You're at that point, and you just say, "I think I'll wait to start it up". Check your pulse man, you may have died already. I don't mean any harm, but I generally go for a first ride on any given project when the bike is about 65 percent done, I just can't help myself.

Ummmm, yeah...what he said!!

[enzorover]

API (American Petroleum Institute) ratings are just measures of oil quality as far as I know. It shouldn't make any difference to that engine at all. I'm pretty sure that a non-API rated oil would be worse for your engine...

[enzorover]

You will need to enter that beauty in some shows this summer!
I know shows aren't really your thing and, on paper, I understand why you wouldn't want to go...sounds boring. But they're actually a pretty good time.
I took the Land Rover to the Catsup Bottle show in Collinsville a couple years ago.
Check it out: http://www.catsupbottlefestival.com/

Anyway, it'd be a crime to keep her tucked away in a garage. She wants to be seen!

[mattsz]

Ha, Mike!

I'm hoping to God that thing runs, Backdrifter - I couldn't bear it if it didn't!!!

[photorider]

Well done, man. Well done. That is a beautiful machine.

[georgesgiralt]

Hello !
May I say something ?
You're about to start her after a lot of dismantling. Good !
I, for one, would remove the spark plugs, remove the positive wire at the coils and then activate the starter until the oil light goes out. Let is sit a couple of minutes for the battery to recover and do it again in order to get oil up to the valves rockers. (I'll check the presence of oil in both sides to see if the oil canal in the barrel is not clogged by too much paste...)
Then, recharge the battery, buy a gallon or two of proper gasoline and start her after having put the carbs at the "factory setting". Do a fast synchro and an idle set up and return her to sleep 'til you can safely drive her in the neighborhood.. If this moment is in far future, do not forget to close both tank taps, and empty carbs bowls....
I'm mighty jealous by the work you've done ! She looks like a new bike right from factory !