Pee Dubs

Yep

Treated this to a new exhaust and had the carbs looked at - the PO 'rebuild' was all over the place so needed quite a few things put right. Goes and sounds better, but still needs a proper tune.

Paint on the top end turns soft when the engine gets hot so I've already scraped some of it off with a flathead screwdriver where I could get to it. Obviously just can't get between the fins and into corners like that though. Not sure that water blaster would help unless engine was hot; would cooling it too quickly risk cracking the barrels? Alloy underneath looks pretty good from what I can tell.

Sweet GN, certainly a big improvement on stock. Big improvement in the garage department too!

Did you end up getting the engine blasted? Mine's covered in some shitty non heat-resistant paint so keen to get it cleaned up. Problem is that it's still in the bike at the moment and i assume would need to dismantle and remove it... Would an easier option be wire-brushing it in situ?

Worth trying to find an airbox for it maybe?

Got a nice clear day for a change so I just went for a lunchtime burn over into Whitemans Valley, my first proper go on this bike. Observations and things to investigate: Throttle doesn't seem to fully close - not sure if it's the grip, cable, or carbs themselves. Does make smooth changes a little harder. Choke also sticks a little and is either on or off - think that cable/arm at carbs end is possibly fouling on something. Has a small mid-range flat spot - hard to know if it's the bodged 4-into-1 exhaust, carb tuning (for pods), or just a general design trait. Gearbox isn't as bad as I first thought, it just needs remembering that it's an old design and needs some mechanical sympathy and extra 1/2 a second to change. Finding neutral is a bit easier now that I've had a bit of practice around town. Overall pretty easy to ride and I'm happy that have a mostly sorted bike.

For starters just ride it. Learn its tricks (like how to change gear smoothly - gearbags on these are poos!). Maybe paint the side covers to match the tank? Find some CB500Four badges for them. Check all the wiring, and probably remount/replace the led indicators. Medium term a new / remade exhaust would be nice, and either remake rims with spokes or find some originals. Potentially some café style mods further down track, as it's already a long way off original and I won't feel bad about changing things up a bit - but nothing too crazy.

So have I done a good thing, or a bad thing? Maybe a little of each. Picked up this little Honda from an old barry. Supposedly it's just had engine and carbs rebuilt. Only barry's word to back that up though. Has a modern taco/speedo wired in that I didn't realise when I chucked a cheeky bid on for it. Exhaust is a pretty yuk cobble together mismatching sections pos. Has comstars rather than the original spokes. Something is bound to go wrong, but at least it runs and is on the road (for now)... @Steelies needed to give him some pointers on potato phone photography! Winter is a bad time to buy a new bike, cos it's in the shed more than on the road.

This must have been the "let's all message @Bistro at the same time and get him to make a Palmy swapmeet topic' moment!!!

Hey Loz, we could be keen to come up to the Naki and hangabout/eat cheese on NY's eve/day. Where your guys place at? Keen for a tiki-tour (rolling photo op) round the mountain with Amanda afterwards too.

Guts. Nice but windy over the other side.

Argh, garage time crept up on me, on the way now tho!

A+ will trade again. More shooting stars in one night than I've seen for many years combined! Photos courtesy of Amanda http://www.oneseventyfoureast.co.nz

Missus Pee Dubs just managed to get someone to take the call out phone so looks like we're locked in. Unsure if will make the midday Plimmerton RV. So what's the bet it'll rain anyway...?!