Long Time No See

Talk about a project getting put on the back burner! I originally started this Blog to document the XS650 Street Tracker project, but that sort of lost momentum after I got the bike rideable enough for Tyler to learn how to ride a bit before going to the MSF school to get his license.

Then, the seemingly unending cold weather/snow scenario we suffered through here in Colorado really pushed it back.

But, the weather has improved, and Tyler is talking about riding again, so I decided to get the Yammie out from under the cover and charge the battery, in preparation for getting it sorted out. Of course, once the battery was charging, I had to see if it would start and run.

So, I turned the gas (and the ignition) on and started kicking the motor over. After finally getting smart and putting on my boots, I got it to fire up. Of course, having set through the winter, it doesn't want to idle very well. I may have to pull the jets out and clean them again. And, I have to admit, I am not looking forward to that. It is a minor job, but an aggravating one.

I decided I would throw some filler on the tank, while I was at it. I plan on flat-blacking the tank, and leaving the good tank in the storage building. If I ever sell the bike, I'll send the good tank along with it for the next owner to paint.

Looks like a map of Africa, doesn't it?

The dents range from broad and shallow to small and relatively deep on this tank. I will let this first application cure for a few days (I put it on a little thick) and then sand it down to prepare for another coat.



In the meantime, I need to start scraping the decals off so that I can finish-sand it and prime it without seeing the old graphics. Then, good-ole Krylon flat black and maybe some pinstriping or girlie art on the tank...

I am actually more concerned with making it run smoothly and reliably than I am with making it beautiful.

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