SG came to life this morning, after I made a quick run to Sears for some electrolyte. I felt very old school as I asked for the battery acid, which arrived in a dirty jug. Battery acid is the kind of thing grown-ups rightly warn young people about. I wore my protective goggles as I filled the Coventry battery. I topped it off after its initial half-hour of chemical reaction, and then put it on the charger for good measure as I installed the windscreen and placed the body-work onto the frame.
First impressions: she runs well and starts easily, especially when warm. First gear "pulls" ever so slightly even when the clutch is pulled in, so an adjustment may be in order. Shifting is a little notchy, but solid. I find myself looking at the gear-indicator as often as not; perhaps as a result of the novelty of the thing. As with most motorcycles, finding neutral is easier when rolling along than at a dead stop. Adjustment of the clutch may help this as well.
The windscreen might be de-installed soon. Letta's look more sporty without them, and I generally wear a helmet. Plus it feels like it is being buffeted aroud by the wind. I will certainly keep the screen for touring adventures, if indeed I ever have them.
After the mandatory ride around the block, I took Sherman for a spin to our friend's house around the corner and the cafe to show off, where I saw the Triumph I saw at Blind Lizard last week.
Having SG up and running has encouraged me to get the clutch and gearbox rebuilt on Sil, if for no other reason than to see the top surface of my workbench again. I managed to break off another small chunk of the old clutch basket, but only after getting one end of the circle-spring retainer loose. I think I can fashion a compressor out of two c-clamps, a section of square-channel, and a very short section of 3inch cast iron pipe. Perhaps a TIG welder is in my future. . .
Posted by webs0080 at June 27, 2004 9:43 AM