As I said before, one of the hardest parts of a project like this is deciding where to start. After spending the last two days going back and forth between two extremes (a complete frame-up restoration or a quick-and-dirty reassembly) I’ve decided to go with the latter.
The biggest reason for this is that my primary goal (to get the bike running
in time for the fall Crud Run) is unlikely to happen if I completely overhaul
the bike at this point. It’s definitely something I’d like to do (and maybe
I’ll end up doing it anyway) but for now I’m just going to focus on getting
the bike running and ridable and troubleshoot specific problems as they arise.
So, when I picked up the bike it came with a stock-pot full of parts in addition to the exhaust, fuel tank, seat and sissy bar separate from the rest of the motorcycle. This pot was filled with various fasteners, clamps and washers as well as the carburetors.
I think I’m going to begin the re-assembly with the exhaust if only because
it’s the area that’s going to need the least attention. The fuel system needs
to be re-attached as well but since the carbs are already detached I’m going
to pull the bowls off just to make sure everything is clean before I bolt them
back on. I’ll also be replacing all the fuel plumbing as well as treating the
tank (I haven’t looked yet but I assume it’s rusty on the inside), so hanging
the pipes will probably be the easiest thing to do first.