Making Progress

It's been a rough couple of days for the old bike. I finally removed all the pilot screws and cleaned out the passages (some black gunk bubbled out... carbon?) and now only 2 of the 4 plugs are fouling, and even one of those 2 that are fouling don't look as bad as before.

Results:

Cylinder #4 is near perfect, if not a bit lean. Cylinder #3- worst of the 4. Heavy carbon build up Cylinder #2 cinnamon brown Cylinder #1 still a bit sooty, but not as bad as before.

I'm getting closer. I checked my fuel levels in the bowls (on the bike... not nearly as easy as it sounds) and they all appear within spec, but then my eye isn't nearly as skilled as someone who has done it before.

It's been a few days of frustration. The bike has poor throttle response, fouls quickly, and isn't much fun to ride. I know sooner or later I'll get everything set right, but it's a shame to miss out on this nice riding weather.

I've been pouring over the manuals, and I have a few more things I will need to do soon. Brake lines are original. I need to replace those soon. Rear brake probably needs to be changed soon, although the tang on the rear drum still has some room to move.

Oh yeah, also need to replace the tires soon. While I still have decent tread left, the tires are old... I know there is a way to tell how old. I'll have to look that up. I am going to remove the front and rear tires myself and take them in. It's cheaper than taking the whole bike in. The user manual shows you how to take them both off. While that's being done, I'm also going to change the wheel bearings.

I hope to have this bike done before the end of the riding season!