A cheerful hello from the former colony. I'm quite sure its far more cheerful from where you are sitting, given that you aren't looking after us anymore.
Been lurking (the forum's moniker) for a while now and am forced out from under my rock by some questions I have not been able to answer by dredging the net or sifting through the archives here and in other forums. More of that later.
Have been an active biker since '84 when I purchased my own (as opposed to borrowing mates bikes) CB 900 F2 Bol 'dor, well that's what it said on the side covers and it was red and white with white stripes, no 3/4 fairing and smooth (machined) comstar spokes as opposed to the cast ones with the shiny edges facing out. It later became apparent that it was a crashed rebuild, when I started wanting less high speed wobble in corners. Non the less it served/swerved me well all through my university years and well into my second year of marriage when my two elder daughters made their joyfull appearance. After a year of garage life the F2 was let go and I almost convinced myself that I didn't need a bike. YEAH RIGHT!
Two years later and a healthy (new house, the kids well fed and clothed and two cars in the garage) salary, the bike bug erupted with a vengeance, the Blue Whale, YZ 1000 F Thunderace got me barrelling along again at a fair old pace (thought I at the time) and track days started giving more adrenaline rushes than our regular Breakfast runs did. Well that was until I chucked it down into "Clubhouse" at Kyalami. Seriously running out of talent while passing a Speed Triple. Am sure a Ducati had summat to do with it, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Insurance to the rescue and the "Bitch" came home to my throbbing crotch, 1999, YZF R1 OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had discovered my first true vice. Spent too much time and more money than that on her to be rewarded with less than friendly reminders of who was to be obeyed. But reward me she did, over and over and over again. Sad to say, it was in the depths of my financial gloom that we parted company, at about 240 kph, never to be reunited.
Many miles and no rubber on the road later, a mate of mine who's BSA and Moto Guzzi I'd been drooling over offered me the 500 Four, prolly to make me stop messing up the concourse prep he does on them.
She/it came home in February
Engine No: CB500E - 2139885
Chassis No: CB500 - 2051345
Milage: 19 549 km
Apparently stood under a tree for the 15 years prior to my mate rescuing it from being dumped into a landfill two years ago. The way we figure is that the magnet in the generator broke and posed an unsolvable electrical issue for the PO (now deceased), he had made some pretty hairy Heath Robinson repairs to the electrics through the years that lead us to believe that he had done the spannering himself.
By my reckoning this is either a K2 from a US "parts bin export" (miss matched engine and chassis numbers) or a K1 / K2 engine/chassis swap. The handle bars are the high-rise American variety, seemingly not the Euro version. Ill be sure to post pics in the future but its the bike in my avatar.
The non turning engine (piston 3 is rust seized from water getting in through the spark plug hole) has led to a bit by bit strip down of the lump and a through investigation of the running equipment. I wont flood you with any questions right now, but have a bucket load all lined up.
Now that you have my version of "Hello, my name is David and I've been a biker for 36 years". Thanks very much for allowing me to join in on the conversation, I look forward getting to know all of you.
Be careful in the corners.
