78 saved from the salvage yard

[tcoop]

I have been working on this bike for about 2 1/2 years now. It started when I put a hole in the #3 cylinder and the case. The engine was beyond my ability to repair. I was able to find a 79F engine but I had used parts from my bike to repair others to sell (all to support my Motorcycle habit). I acquired a set of side covers, seat, right and left controls and other parts. It is not a rebuild to original specs. Like all my other bikes it's a Frankenbike!!!
I know, I know a frankenbike is not really a bad thing, another bike (and parts) saved from the junk pile...

Ok you got me I was never going to send it to the junk yard.

The only steps that took pictures of was painting the tank.





I will take more pictures in the morning.


It has a 79SF engine, 80LG front wheel ( and soon to have the rear rotor as well) the seat and tank is from a 79F, the handlebars is from EBay that clamed to be from a 80LG but they don't feel right but they work good. The headers are from an XJ1100 and the mufflers are from a 2000 sportster. I still have a few things to do to it like adding this to the tank


and add some heat shields to the pipes. When it is all done I will ride it to Colorado to give to my son-in-law to repay him (even if it is in a small way ) for the service he gave to this great country.

[donebysunday]

NICE WORK ! Looks good, how's it running now ? Did you figure out what caused the holed piston. Guess if it put a hole in the case had more than carbs or exhaust problems ? ? ?

[tcoop]

It's never ran better. I believe that the #3 cylinder was running lean. Once the hole developed it eat the exhaust valve and the crank smashed it up against the case to create the hole.

[donebysunday]

It's never ran better. I believe that the #3 cylinder was running lean. Once the hole developed it eat the exhaust valve and the crank smashed it up against the case to create the hole.

Was it a problem with the carbs causing the hole ?
Did you find them to be set wrong ?
Or was it in the exhaust pipes not flowing the same ?
I ask just to gain info on causes for holed pistons please.
Thank You, Done

[mrhammer2u]

Looks like you did great body work on that tank. Nice gift!!!

[tcoop]

I believe it was a carb setting. It did have a 4 into 1 on it and the #3 was getting hotter than the other pipes. I didn't check as to why it was running hotter but it was popping on deceleration but I didn't think much of it.

This is what the bike looked like when I first picked it up.


This is after the first build to get it on the road.

It was not pretty but it had a ton of power and always started.

To what it looks like now

[IanDMacDonald]

That green is a great shade!!! Any plans of painting the engine?

[motoman]

Nice job bringing it back to life! Would make for a nice fall ride delievering it if that was your intention. I DO get up that way at least once ayear, as it makes for nice day ride. Sister and bro-inlaw live in Layton.

[tcoop]

I have not decided on delivery method. They are planning to come up for thanksgiving (they would need to bring their truck) but I would like to make the ride out to there. I plan to ride it for a month or two to shake out all the problems. (That's just an excuse to ride it for a while )

[skids]

Nice work. Looks good!

[3Phase]

I will take more pictures in the morning.

Wow! That looks so much more better than when you got it! Is the center stand fixed now or did you have to remove it for the exhaust?

.

[tcoop]

I had to remove it for the exhaust,

[tcoop]

I'm having a charging issue with it. It will not charge the battery at all. I took my wife out to dinner on it last night and the turn signals stopped working, the lights got dimmer and noting happened when I hit the starter. After we finished dinner I got it started by push starting it. made it to 1 mile from home and it ran out of gas. Finally got it home pulled the battery out to charge it and put the battery from my venture in it to run some test.

The tachometer was sporadic so I tested the battery and got 11.24 v at idle and 11.26 v at 4000 rpms changed to a different rectifier and the tachometer worked perfectly but the same story on the battery. I checked the plug behind the fuses and it was fine (I pulled it apart cleaned it and put it back together). I'm thinking the stator may be bad I will replace it with another one that I have to see if it helps.

[IanDMacDonald]

It's kind of the joy of having extra parts. You can swap 'em out without having to do much meter probing.

[motoman]

Nice havin' extra parts to throw at it...........or you could remove, take apart and clean the ignition switch assembly AND the stop switch assembly.