ThisGuy
Standard Boor
IT'S ALIVE!!!
I got my sump leak fixed (hopefully), fresh oil and filter, new drain plug washers and o-ring, and a brand new battery freshly activated that's been sitting on the OptiMate for the last week. It was time.
Before I started it up I put it in gear, held the clutch, and tested that the clutch hadn't seized up while it sat for so long. @JRock helpfully mentioned this in my intro post. The clutch definitely drags a decent amount, but was not locked up.
First start took 3-5 seconds and everything sounded good. I gave it some throttle and experienced one of my absolute favorite feelings with the rocket… the little gyroscopic lean to the right and back when you rev it. So much power.
I ran it about 30 seconds, shut it down, and topped up the oil. Started it up again and did a 12 minute tune. The bike hadn't been ridden a whole lot since I moved to Bozeman at a 4,500 foot elevation, so I figured it couldn't hurt.
After twelve minutes I shut it down again, topped up a final half quart of oil, and rechecked the clutch in gear. It was definitely much smoother this time with the new oil fully warmed up.
So I fired her up one last time (started instantly, couldn't hear a single crank), put it in gear, and took a couple passes down the alley behind our house. Of course I couldn't resist gunning it briefly coming back. Still amazing.
So, it's running and hopefully leak-free. It feels great to have gotten it at least this far. I still have a long ways to go getting all the maintenance caught up, new tires, etc. I don't have a lot of extra money to put into it right now so I'm not sure how quickly everything will get done. But it's a start.
I got my sump leak fixed (hopefully), fresh oil and filter, new drain plug washers and o-ring, and a brand new battery freshly activated that's been sitting on the OptiMate for the last week. It was time.
Before I started it up I put it in gear, held the clutch, and tested that the clutch hadn't seized up while it sat for so long. @JRock helpfully mentioned this in my intro post. The clutch definitely drags a decent amount, but was not locked up.
First start took 3-5 seconds and everything sounded good. I gave it some throttle and experienced one of my absolute favorite feelings with the rocket… the little gyroscopic lean to the right and back when you rev it. So much power.
I ran it about 30 seconds, shut it down, and topped up the oil. Started it up again and did a 12 minute tune. The bike hadn't been ridden a whole lot since I moved to Bozeman at a 4,500 foot elevation, so I figured it couldn't hurt.
After twelve minutes I shut it down again, topped up a final half quart of oil, and rechecked the clutch in gear. It was definitely much smoother this time with the new oil fully warmed up.
So I fired her up one last time (started instantly, couldn't hear a single crank), put it in gear, and took a couple passes down the alley behind our house. Of course I couldn't resist gunning it briefly coming back. Still amazing.
So, it's running and hopefully leak-free. It feels great to have gotten it at least this far. I still have a long ways to go getting all the maintenance caught up, new tires, etc. I don't have a lot of extra money to put into it right now so I'm not sure how quickly everything will get done. But it's a start.
