IT'S READY!!!

[Dave 2]

I'm so excited, Katie, at Street Cycles called this morning to tell me that my 1982 R65LS is ready for me to pick up I'll head down to Falmouth tomorrow after a few hours of work. I feel like a kid on Christmas eve [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]. I'm also nervous because I have not ridden in 20 years [smiley=nopity.gif]. On Sunday I'll spend time getting reacquainted with the concept. I'll let you know what my first impressions are of riding it, and include a scenic picture of my bike on Mt. Desert Island. Dave 2

[vestandpants]

I hope you had a good ride! i bet you have a great time matey  

[montmil]

We're all giddy with excitement for you, Dave. Take it easy and get the scooter and yourself home safely. Then you can take some snaps for us.

Monte

[acruhl]

What all did they do to it? I think you posted this elsewhere but there are a lot of posts

Just curious about what a bike of that vintage would need from a shop's perspective.

[nhmaf]

Be careful riding along Route 1 back home - it will be one of the first sunny days we;ve had in a while, so all the tourists will be out in droves and NOT looking where they are going.   Plan to take a few stops along the way to give yourself a mental and physical break after such a long hiatus !  And more importantly, enjoy!!!!

[Dave 2]

Hi all, thanks for your responses, I appreciate your thoughts. I guess I didn't mention that I'm taking my truck down to load the bike on and bring it home on the truck. I thought about having a friend drive me down so I could ride the bike home, but as Nhmaf (aka Barnstead) mentioned, Route 1 during the height of tourist season is not a pretty sight, particularly for an old dog with a new (or somewhat used) trick. So tommorrow I'll try it out on home turf. As for what was done to the bike, the two most significant things in terms of age related wear were having the gas tank sealed and having the steering head bearings replaced. Two new tires and a set of Ikon shocks have been put on. Everything else I guess one could consider a major servicing. The drained and replace all the fluids, put in new plugs and tuned it up. All to the tune of a bit over $2300.00 . Once I talk to the mechanic today and see the work record I'll know the details. With $1250. for the purchase, I now have spent $3550. Now I just need to work on cleaning it up and enjoying it for a couple of years before I start a frame up restoration.

[dav]

mate, have a great first run 8-)

[Yikes]

Great news that there were no major ailments to your LS!  It is always good news to hear that another R65 that has been out of comission is back on the road turning heads and making riders smile.

Your description reminded me of riding my bike home when I bought it - my first ride in 30+ years.  It was wonderful, except for the gas cap venting problem (which took me about another three months to diagnose and fix with a drill).  The bike ran like a champ for about 5 miles, then would just stop.  Thought I was out of gas, pushed it to a station, pumped in a couple of gallons, rode off again, stopped again after another 7 miles, but would start right up and run fine after pulling over and thinking "Holy crap, What have I done?"  

I did make it home OK and with good advice from the forum and Snowbum, all the bugs got worked out and the old '82 and I couldn't be happier.  Best thing is, the more you ride, the better the bike runs and the more you ride, the more you enjoy riding.  Sort of the exact opposite of the law of diminishing returns.  

So congrats on your great find of a beautiful Low mileage bike.  You have a lot of happy miles and years ahead.  Looking forward to your ride Report ftom Mt. Desert!

[Lucky_Lou]

I had not had a bike for about 15 years before i resurrected my 65. In the UK we have back to biking courses i took one a full day for 50 quid and they provided the bike (400cc Honda heap) i have to say it was money well spent as i had forgot how lazy we are on 4 wheels I'm sure there will be something similar in the states.
Lou

[Altritter]

i have to say it was money well spent as i had forgot how lazy we are on 4 wheels I'm sure there will be something similar in the states.

Yeah. I went up the street this afternoon to where a school is runing a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course. After riding 20-25 miles this morning, I think I need more work!