Faults:
Seat cover needed replacing. Had trouble sourcing the original so settled for 'pattern' replacement ordered from the Internet. First one that arrived was too small. Had trouble convincing the vendor that their records were wrong. I have known this actual bike since it was just a year old so knew that the saddle was original.
When I first got the bike, it had only done about 1000 miles in the last 10 years and been laid up in my mates garage. So it was scruffy and tired. Even though one carb is leaking, it goes really well, apart from a slight hesitation as you pull away from a standing start at low revs. The brakes were woeful too. I changed the rear pads and bled front and back systems. A ride out with a few mates on modern bikes soon had all the pads and discs
beautifully scrubbed off and working at their best! Obviously no match to modern bikes, but good enough for me to have to crush the tank with my knees when I stand on the anchors.
General Comments:
She's a big old lump. Falls round corners and by todays standards has a skinny back tyre. But I love it. It's tall and heavy. It has a choke, points and a feeble headlight. But what the heck? Even two up, she has held her own from the lights against a tricked up scooby (much to the annoyance of the Mrs who was convinced that any further and I would have been going even faster due to less weight on board).
We cruise the motorways comfortably at 80, uphill and down dale mile after mile. When angry it could sound better as it flies round the rev counter, but at low revs when you open the throttle it has a very satisfying grunt and pulls well. A beaut in town so long as you check out your footing before you stop. If this thing starts to fall, you ain't going to stop it.
