It's Alive

Some unseasonably warm weather allowed me to fire up the mono for the first time since the top end refresh/rebuild.  Amazingly enough, it started up easily, and settled into a nice idle once the choke was removed.  It seems that the off-idle throttle response is better than ever, perhaps due to the new cam profile.  Regardless, this is just the first startup, and will need several more to properly seat the rings and make sure everything runs properly.  The good news is, the engine is oil-tight.  The not-so-good news is the rad has seemed to have developed a pinhole leak.  So, I'm keeping my eye on eBay for a replacement.  It will suit my needs for now on static running at idle.  As for the sound, the bike roars!  A real angry, but low, bark.  I can only imagine how it will sound at full tilt!

With the tank off being painted, I had to figure a way to feed some fuel to the carbs.  I cleaned out an old master cylinder resevoir, bolted it to the rear subframe, and ran some fuel hose to the float bowl -- hey presto, about 3-5 minutes of run time!

This is the rear seat in the uppermost position -- I think I might try it at its lower setting first.  Seat foam was bought in bulk and the glued on with some 3M spray.

This is where the students and I signed our names to the tail section prior to the clearcoat.  I've smudged out their names for their privacy.

Key Lime paint on front fender.  I like it, and it makes a nice contrast with the blue of the front wheel.