Maiden run to work!

TeeCat · Posted: July 8, 2009, 8:29 am Post subject: Maiden run to work!

Well, I finally grew a pair and, after around 200 miles of little local dial-in runs and problem-solving jaunts, I brought the '73 TX Cafe Roadster to work today! Smile

She did stellarly, and I'm looking forward to the ride home... beautiful day today.

The ride was exceptional, as it was a comfortable 6:00 am run, mostly secondary roads with a tad of highway. She's very stable at speed, is shifting and pulling beautifully, and idles nicely except for a slight "hunt"; need to find time to do my valves. Neutral requires a "trick", but is not a show stopper any more.

The best part of the ride was ascending up out of historic Ellicott City, after running along the river for a tad, at which point a pair of guys in a little sedan - one of which was ponytailed, heavily tattooed, and a fairly conspicuous bike lover - literally hung waist deep out the passenger window to offer kudos. That was satisfying, since I bought this bike stone dead and have worked hard on her.

Thanks again to all here who have helped me see this day! Never "done", it seems, but we're getting there!

TC

nudude53 · Posted: July 8, 2009, 9:26 am Post subject: Re: Maiden run to work!

Way to be TC, way to be. Now that you are fully consumed by the disease it's time for you to get another one to fix up.

JeffM · Posted: July 8, 2009, 12:47 pm Post subject: Re: Maiden run to work!

Excellent TC, well done!

Commuting on the bike is a real pleasure (especially if you are on the early end of rush hour), what a great way to start and end your day, your co-workers are going to be wondering what private joke you are smiling at all day!

TeeCat · Posted: July 8, 2009, 1:03 pm Post subject: Re: Maiden run to work!

JeffM wrote:

Excellent TC, well done!

Commuting on the bike is a real pleasure (especially if you are on the early end of rush hour), what a great way to start and end your day, your co-workers are going to be wondering what private joke you are smiling at all day!

Well, it's not private any more, because the ol' gal's sitting out there on the pad showing up all the mega-buck billet barges. Smile

Know what just occurred to me? The idle only "hunts" a bit in gear, with the clutch pulled in. Bet it's due to the little touch of drag.

TC

pamcopete · Posted: July 8, 2009, 1:24 pm Post subject: Re: Maiden run to work!

TeeCat,

Hunting can also be cause by a loose or badly adjusted timing chain.

TeeCat · Posted: July 8, 2009, 1:35 pm Post subject: Re: Maiden run to work!

pamcopete wrote:

TeeCat,

Hunting can also be cause by a loose or badly adjusted timing chain.

I have it adjusted so the plunger bobbles in and out about a mm... you can feel it with your fingertip more than see it, so it's surely not loose. It's also quiet.

TeeCat · Posted: July 8, 2009, 6:48 pm Post subject: Re: Maiden run to work!

Well, the ride home was as pleasant as the one to. It was about 85F. low humidity, and sunny.

Generally, the bike runs beautifully from off throttle to at speed. The idle still needs to come up some because, though the choke works fine, the cold idle is still too low. The hot idle in neutral is at about 1100 or 1200 or so, lower than I like it with a tad of clutch drag. Guess I'll bump it up a touch.

There is still nothing under the bike... neither oil nor fuel. Still cautiously optimistic that the weep from the left case joint (apparently) is being controlled by the Mike's reed valve.

I must check my valves and continue with some light cosmetic clean up... tedious when you don't want to take a bike apart.

TC

oldbikenut · Posted: July 8, 2009, 9:20 pm Post subject: Re: Maiden run to work!

Kind of makes going to work worthwhile Laughing

Very cool

pumps · Posted: July 8, 2009, 10:54 pm Post subject: Re: Maiden run to work!

Not the same as a ride in on the Ninjette is it? I still have not ridden the XS in to work but have been here several times on it off duty while out cruising. I hear a blue Ninjette got up to 110 indicated on a run in one morning though...if only for a minute.

tacoswild · Posted: July 8, 2009, 11:47 pm Post subject: Re: Maiden run to work!

Awesome. I have a smile on my face just reading about this TC. Very Happy

TeeCat · Posted: July 9, 2009, 6:29 am Post subject: Re: Maiden run to work!

I'm glad that you guys are appreciating the success I'm having at the moment. Smile

Thought you might enjoy hearing about the first ride into work.

pumps, those little Ninjas are grossly underestimated. They're constantly being compared to relative superbikes, but people need to remember that the small-displacement Ninjas have over 20 years of continuous production, an impressive track and road history, and handle like cats on carpet.

Anyway, I'm going to try to enjoy the TX for a bit this season now that I'm getting some issues resolved, or at least meaningfully addressed. I need to make a list of cosmetic to-do's, such as polishing the forks and trying to brighten the exposed frame paint a bit; I'm trying to avoid a lot of masking and painting, though I have found that those little foam brushes can apply enamel on tubular surfaces with no marks... it's just tedious.

Abraxxas1127 · Full Member Joined: Jul 01, 2009 Posts: 34

Nice work, its a great feeling isnt it?! Nice looking bike too, my project has only just begun Smile

Xumi · Posted: July 9, 2009, 11:01 am Post subject: Re: Maiden run to work!

Congrats, TC!

I'm still quite a ways myself from that first ride to work, but the list is considerably shorter than when I started this project...

I'm at the point now that for every 2 things I fix, I find 1 more that needs it, whereas when I started, it was for every 1 I fixed, I found 3 more.

I think next time I face a bike that sat for 13 years, I'm going to just bite the bullet and do a frame level teardown.

What Happened to 650rider.com?

Yamaha xs650