Dennis, excellent story, I love the gas tank. Its way cool. Whatever you were smoking in those days must have been pretty clean also, just like the old Triumph.
On Sep 11, 9:42 pm, "Dennis" <[email protected]> wrote: > When I was in the Air Force in the late 60's, I bought an old Triumph > motorcycle down on the Texas Gulf Coast where I was stationed (Port Lavaca > to those who know the area) . It was partly in a box. Some cowboys had > put nitro or some such in it and completely trashed the top end. At the > time, we were expecting our first child but that event was many months off > and our second bedroom was sitting largely unused. > > Well, the motorcycle came inside. Tarps went down in the bedroom and a > complete cleaning part by part occurred in the kitchen. In those days, I > thought it was fun to take every little thing apart and clean the heck out > of it. It seemed to me that it was sure to run well if I did that <smile>. > And my wife was patient with me so long as I cleaned up. > > In the end, I had most of it laid out on the bedroom floor all with military > precision.. And I'd just go in and stare at it - imagining when I have it > running and be able to ride it. > > But, the baby came too soon and I didn't have the money to replace the > pistons, rework the valves and bore the cylinders. So, it was all > reassembled and boxed up and saved for another day. > > That day came a year and a half later after I was out of the service and had > moved back to my home town, Long Beach, California. I finally got it all > together and it ran. It was never much to look at but it was my first > project of any size and I really loved that old bike. > > I never did get the front brakes hooked up and I still have a gouge on my > right shin where, in a moment of inattention, I didn't see a truck stop in > front of me and when I did, I jammed on the back brakes and slid and slid > and was almost stopped - when I encountered the welded steel back bumper > with my shin - between it and my bike. That impact was enough to complete > my stop and yet not quite enough to break my shin. It was a good lesson on > several fronts and I still have the indentation to remind me. > > I've attached a photo of the old beast. When I sanded the tank down, I > found so many colors of paint that I thought it was too cool so I just clear > lacquered over it and left it that way (probably had to do with what I was > smoking in those days <smile>). > > Cheers, > > Dennis G. > - Seattle > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Kyle Munz > Sent: 11 September, 2009 15:38 > To: [email protected] > Subject: [Nighthawk Lovers] Re: 1983-85 CB650SC Front Forks > > I remember as a kid my dad showed me how to wash parts and wrenches in the > dishwasher. Mom wasn't thrilled. She was even more upset when she found her > good steak knives out in the garage covered in old gaskets. I've been told > that I'm not allowed to get away with such behavior. Infact, I get in > trouble when the garage smells like gas. It's a GARAGE!!! > > -Kyle > > > > 7103-010-640.bmp > 1106KViewDownload- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
