Earlier this year I bought a ‘98 Tourer teal and black. It was advertised as a “really good running bike” and I jumped on it………well I told them that I would take it at the advertised price. He said that he had bought a trike and just didn’t ride the bike anymore.
I rented a trailer from UHaul the day before I was to drive to south east Georgia to pick it up. That night I got a message that the carbs needed repair and it would be a while before I could pick it up. I though someone else had offered more and the guy was just trying to back out of the deal….besides, I had already rented the trailer and was hooked up ready to pull out early the next morning. I told them that I was coming anyway and I went.
As it turned out, this “really good running bike” had not run in several years. They did fire it up in the shed it was in but it would only idle and very poorly at that. The tires were old and flat. The fuel knob was missing. Apparently some self designated mechanic was unaware of the screw holding that knob on the petcock so he just broke the end off of the petcock shaft. The petcock was seeping. There was a small push button switch wired in with 14 gauge wire across the large terminals of the starter relay. Inside the fuel tank looked dirty and possibly rusty.
For my own good, I should have got back in my car and went back home with the empty uhaul trailer. That bike would likely have ended up in the scrap yard after a few more years of neglect. I bought it! Did I mention that the teal and black tourers are my favorite? I bought it!
The bike has sat in my storage since then and I am just now getting around to resurrecting it from it’s near death experience (might have gotten parted out).
With the tank off and the air box out, some of the previous back yard mechanic mistakes are coming to light as well as some much needed maintenance.
These intake tubes were folded in and are now beyond salvaging.
This is the rack of carbs I have now torn apart and have 3 of them cleaned ready to go back together.
Several screws had been destroyed from using the wrong screw driver. I was able to get them out with vise grips and/or good screw driver bits. Four of the slides were stuck in place, two of the slow jets broke but came out with vise grips. After looking at the petcock, carburetors, and general cobbling up and disrespect this bike has suffered, I have decided to pull the starter before I try to put it on the road. I am going to do that because it is hard for me to believe that this bike has this much wrong and has not been hydrolocked.
Stay tuned! This fat girl is gonna be in the Bigwolf hospital for a while.
