I put the black and white tank on the bike and put some gas in it … and it actually fired a few times! It would fire and rev for 4 seconds, then die. I pulled the float bowl off the card and was surprised to see the plastic float jet still in there! I’d made a deal on eBay for some Norton owner’s carb parts just to get a viton tipped metal jet .. guess with all the projects I never got it installed, so I dug through the cartons of parts, found it, and put it in the carb. Tinkered for another hour or so and finally …. I had it running. Granted, I need to rev it to keep it running … but I popped the cap on the oil bottle and saw a healthy stream of oil from the return hose, so the oil pump is working. Jiggled the cable and got the tach working. The ammeter shows things are charging …
I went inside and I grabbed my license and helmet, then I headed up the driveway for a test drive!
I know I still have work to do – I need to fix the horn button and make sure it works. The original non-sealed beam headlight seems pretty iffy – I got a 6024 style Halogen headlight ready to go – but I need to get a 3 pin socket to wire it in. And I need to dial in the timing and get the card set better …
But its still daylight … its actually a nice day, 55 degrees, no wind and a bit of sun, and I’ve been working on this bike since I got it in July – I want to ride – at least a little!
So – off I roared to terrorize the neighbors! A quick stop and I tightened down the rear brake rod and off again …. Now, common sense prevails – I just ran around the block a few times – never got past 3rd gear and I can tell the clutch needs adjustment, the tires probably need more air, and I’m sure there are other things. But I’m riding a bike that I put together … what a feeling!
And what a long way from first seeing in Merrimack, NH mid-July http://www.thewebgal.com/blog/archives/000038.html

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