Part 4 - Finishing the Job

After the infamous sidecar lugs are off, we need to have the frame welded smooth by Ray-Ray, our favorite machinist at Ballos Precision Machine. We know what he can do for the frame, hopefully he can save the final drive too.

On to Powder Coating

Once the frame is smoothed out, we take it over to Joey at Powder and Performance Coatings to be powder coated. Powder coating the main frame is preferable to traditional paint when the bike is going to be ridden. It's durable and has a great look to it for years to come.

I take the frame in and Joey asks as I drop it off if it will be a standard black gloss. He makes sure I pulled all the bearings out of the neck. We discuss that he might have to fill a bit where the side car was removed. I tell him we need it like "yesterday", and he laughs and tells me the job should take about a week.

First they take the pieces and put them in the oven to warm them up. They mask off the VIN numbers and other places they don't want to be covered with black gloss. Joey removes it from the oven then sprays down the tubes. These go back in the oven, and while he waits for it to bake, he sprays the brake lever and swing arm. After a few minutes they bring the frame back out and spray the rest of it. The whole thing's cooling down fast. They remove protective plugs and covers, then return the fender washers and crown spurs to the oven. This is basically the whole process and the frame is ready to go back to the shop.

What about painting details?

For painting details on the bike such as the fuel tank, the fenders, the air cleaner, and other accents, it's good to go with an experienced professional painter. We send our paint job to a local painter named Rhonda Hoffman. First she chemically strips the pieces, she bead blasts them, knocks out any dents, primes, sands them a bit more, and finally paints them. And no, this is not Aliens...she just works with cutting edge equipment and solid safety gear.

Back at the Shop

All the parts from the far flung reaches of the globe are in, the frame is ready, and Rhonda has completed all the painted parts. I've got the rear wheel on the frame and the whole thing on the rack waiting for finishing.

Remember the final drive freak out we had and the crack? Well Ray-Ray was able to fix it after all, so we're good to go.

The forks that were fabricated by Forking By Frank are done and ready for assembly. With some struggle I finally get the fork put together, and move on to putting on the front wheel. After the front wheel, I decide to go ahead and put on the ID plate. Next I tackle the handlebars, brakes, headlight bucket, ears, headlight mirrors, seat -- you name it, all the costume jewelry. It's coming together slowly but surely.

Engine Time

I decide to fit the short block into the frame first before putting on the heads. It's generally just easier to work with that way. I put tape on the frame to keep it from scratching it up. Next I'll fit the cylinders and pistons, and put the heads on. I have a special little scissor jack with a piece of wood to help support it while we attach it.

I put the wiring harness back on, channeling it through the engine, routing the various wires on the way to the rear. We'll hook up the ignition wires after the engine is finished. I put the fasteners on to hold the wiring on, they are stainless, wish they could be black, but we'll go with these for now. I hook up the brake switch next and move on.

I get some good news that the carburetors are actually done ahead of schedule, so it looks like we'll finish the bike faster than we thought. With those being done ahead, along with the chrome on the air intake tubes, we're sitting pretty to finish on time.

I take the mechanical regulator and air clean it. Everything looks pretty good. I stick the magneto on there. Magnetos are great because you don't rely on a battery. I finish assembling the pistons, cylinders, and heads...we're all set. I'll have to use a few of my own parts to tune the bike until the final bits come in, but that's no problem, we're used to that.

The Home Stretch

Once I've got the bike complete, engine running even with a few temporarily borrowed parts, I have to get the bugs worked out. I first discover some sluggishness with the transmission that bothers me, so I make some adjustments. It's my goal to ride the bike at least 50 miles or so until I'm absolutely comfortable that it's running like a top. With all the accessories finally on the bike, the newly chromed air intake tubes, the Euro handle bars, and specially ordered headlight mirrors all contribute to one heck of a beautiful bike. Once I finish running her around and doing tests, we'll swap out the tune up oil for some special imported oil for England that is designed especially for these older bikes. Wouldn't give it anything less after all that hard work. It's going to be a wild ride at the auction, and whoever gets this baby will be truly pleased. Time for one last ride...