Sunday, February 04, 2007

Kawabunga!

Well, here it is, Dan's bike. It's a 1992 Kawasaki Vulcan 500AE, a decent little scooter with a bit of pick-up to get you where you want to go. I've been working on this bike on and off next to the Maxim in the small garage, but it has been really cold lately. It's still very much a work in progress, but it's slowly getting there. Here's what I've done so far:


  • Replaced the wiring harness
  • Replaced the petcock (or fuel tap)
  • new plugs
  • new oil
  • new air filter element
  • disassembled the carbs 2x
  • cleaned carbs
  • cleaned from top to bottom
  • new turn signal relay module
  • scratched up the gas tank pretty good...
Yeah, that last thing was unintentional. I was working on the carbs when the stand I had the tank leaning against slipped and the tank tumbled to the ground, scratching up the shiny side. Just like toat, it always lands on the side you're hoping it won't.

I'd love to test ride the bike, but the snow just keeps coming down. I have a feeling I am going to pull the carbs one more time because I think an o-ring is missing from the carbs (since it's laying on my table). I guessed on the number of turns the pilot screw went in anyway, so I know there will be more adjustment. I'll post some pics of that when I get to it... or as soon as the weather is a bit more temperature friendly.