Figured we need a /2 thread
This bike was bought in 1968 by an old family friend of an old friend of mine.
My old friend rescued it from the forest about 30 years ago, and I've been trying to get it from him since then.
As rescued...
It's a 1968 R60/2
I was on the road with it twenty or so years ago when it was last ridden.
It lost it's spark at the destination of a big seasonal vintage bike ride.
I'd offered to buy it that day - and as usual my gracious offer was declined.
Understandable.
At that time my friend had just entered law school, life was getting really busy, and he was upshifting into a relationship that would start his new family.
Things haven't slowed down for him.
From time to time I've made gestures for the bike, but he wasn't giving up the footpegs.
A few months ago I'd pinged with my interest again, to a familiar response of non cooperation.
Then I got a call.
Come get it.
That's how I found it, where it had been resting all the while.
I arranged time for us to get together and catch up on things while loading the bike for a trip over the mountain.
Got it home for it's initial acclimation to the new climate.
High desert goodness.
Overall it's a marvelous survivor.
Pretty much everything is there and darn near ready to go.
Even the interior of the Sport tank is on pace for the next fifty years.
Fortunately the right-now marketplace is supporting these pre-70 bikes.
I was able to get a super nice Emerald Island coil to replace the original coil, and so far every small part I've needed to get has been a few clicks away from a shipping notification.
I was happy to see that even the Patented Rubber Saddle parts and assemblies were available. Slick!
The last hurdle that I've been managing is the magneto rotor, which had shed a great deal of it's magnetic charge.
After much fretting about and careful inspection and preparation I've had it through two heat cycles, but the spark is very thready at idle.
Timing, valve clearances, carburetor cleaning and setting, new coil, three different condensers, new plugs and caps and leads, harness inspection etc and the results since coil replacement have been the same.
It runs once again, but needs something more.
Magneto rotor was suspect, and when removed and bench tested it predictably failed.
The fellows at Barrington Motor Works notified me this morning that I should be seeing a solution on my doorstep by tomorrow night.
Oh happy day!
It's looking like I might be able to get out on a road test by the end of the weekend.
We shall see.
This bike was bought in 1968 by an old family friend of an old friend of mine.
My old friend rescued it from the forest about 30 years ago, and I've been trying to get it from him since then.
As rescued...
It's a 1968 R60/2
I was on the road with it twenty or so years ago when it was last ridden.
It lost it's spark at the destination of a big seasonal vintage bike ride.
I'd offered to buy it that day - and as usual my gracious offer was declined.
Understandable.
At that time my friend had just entered law school, life was getting really busy, and he was upshifting into a relationship that would start his new family.
Things haven't slowed down for him.
From time to time I've made gestures for the bike, but he wasn't giving up the footpegs.
A few months ago I'd pinged with my interest again, to a familiar response of non cooperation.
Then I got a call.
Come get it.
That's how I found it, where it had been resting all the while.
I arranged time for us to get together and catch up on things while loading the bike for a trip over the mountain.
Got it home for it's initial acclimation to the new climate.
High desert goodness.
Overall it's a marvelous survivor.
Pretty much everything is there and darn near ready to go.
Even the interior of the Sport tank is on pace for the next fifty years.
Fortunately the right-now marketplace is supporting these pre-70 bikes.
I was able to get a super nice Emerald Island coil to replace the original coil, and so far every small part I've needed to get has been a few clicks away from a shipping notification.
I was happy to see that even the Patented Rubber Saddle parts and assemblies were available. Slick!
The last hurdle that I've been managing is the magneto rotor, which had shed a great deal of it's magnetic charge.
After much fretting about and careful inspection and preparation I've had it through two heat cycles, but the spark is very thready at idle.
Timing, valve clearances, carburetor cleaning and setting, new coil, three different condensers, new plugs and caps and leads, harness inspection etc and the results since coil replacement have been the same.
It runs once again, but needs something more.
Magneto rotor was suspect, and when removed and bench tested it predictably failed.
The fellows at Barrington Motor Works notified me this morning that I should be seeing a solution on my doorstep by tomorrow night.
Oh happy day!
It's looking like I might be able to get out on a road test by the end of the weekend.
We shall see.
