Ride or Wrench?

I’ve been having some time off the bike lately due to a problem with hard starting and difficult idling/ running.  Since I had recently sandblasted my gas tank and painted it along with other parts (see below),  I figured I still had sandblasting residue creating carb problems. Earlier in the painting process I noticed some sandblasting sediment in the tank that I could not remove even though I tried compressed air, vacuum and a gas rinse.

after

The carbs weren’t the problem. After removing them and cleaning them I had the same problem. 

Next was a check for spark since I checked for fuel at the plugs at they were wet.  I should have done this first but somehow I was convinced it was the sediment issue.  Start with the simple things, the obvious.  I wasted 3 hours pulling, cleaning and replacing the carbs when I could have just checked the plugs. 

No spark on 2 & 3 plugs.  Not wanting to waste any more time I checked the manual for the coil test. 1 & 4 read the proper 15000 – 23000 ohms. Seems my 2 & 3 ohms resistance read zero. 

coil off right side

23000 ohms resistance

Okay, dead coil then right? Yep, that’s what the manual said. So, ordered 2 new ones not wanting to repeat this again when the other 30-year-old coil packed it in and died. Given the way things have been going this would likely have been a week after changing the first one so I was being proactive ordering two.  They were back ordered from Japan. A month later, they’re in but one is cracked, the one I need now.  Nice. $250 outlay, a month off of riding and now probably another month off.

I read recently in Classic Motorcyclist a comment that those who want to ride buy new and those who want to polish (read wrench & repair), buy classics.  That got me thinking why I bought this bike.  Okay, I’m trying to save for a house so buying a brand Ducati Monster or Triumph Speed Triple doesn’t seem an option right now but that’s what I would have done had I the money.  I still want to ride and I can’t see waiting five years to do that so my back up plan was an old standard. Finding a nice standard for under a grand is a more viable option and painting it a color I like makes that proposition even more appealing so here I am. 

I’ve been logging my repairs time so far and I’ve spent 62 hours on it. I’ve ridden it about 6 hours. If this pattern holds true I indeed will be spending my time Polishing. My hope is I spend about 4 more hours and then I get a year out of it before something else puts it on the stand for a month again. That’s the plan anyway. The more I read, the more I’m wondering it that will happen. Ultimately, what I wanted to do with the bike is commute, coffee-house crawl with my wife on the back, visit my daughter on it. Take day trips and picnics with it.  Unless almost all the electrical and carburation is replaced or overhauled, I’m nervous about doing anything other than a coffee-house crawl. Even a breakdown during this would mean a 150 towing bill. That stated, I don’t have much left to fix now. The next big thing would be a major mechanical breakdown at which point I’d need counseling. 

What’s the solution? Finance a new one? Spend more money on this one until there’s nothing left to fix? Not sure yet, but I do know I’m learning heaps about diagnosing and fixing them and that has to be worth something right? As my wife always says “it’s either your time or your money” so I guess I’m exercising my patience with time for now.