MKL's 1973 R75/5 LWB Toaster
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Picking Up Where We Left Off 12-30-08
The Project Resumes: It's been over 5 years since this project was put on hold, and it's good to be back. The restoration fell victim to life's circumstances - a nasty divorce, finally getting my MBA from NYU, and most recently a second marriage. This bike in pieces, unfinished, is the last remaining reminder of a relatively difficult period, and it's time now to pick up where we left off, and restore the old beast to its former glory.
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The R75/5's Mill 12-30-08
The Plan With my cafe jones now satisfied by my R100S, the R75/5 will be restored to a more conservative stock appearance. Color is undecided as of yet, but mechanically I was lucky enough to find Tom Cutter's Rubber Chicken Racing Garage, and Mr. Cutter will be doing much of the heavy lifting here. This month, I have been busy gathering all of the old and new parts I originally sourced for this project into one place. After 5 years, some parts are MIA, but most are still where I stored them. Next, I've removed many of the aluminum components on the bike, and am sending them out for polishing.
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Some Of The Oxidized Aluminum Parts Going Out For Polishing (L-pic) and Covers & Tranny Removed (R-pic) 12-30-08
I sent the heads out to Mr. Randy Long for refurbishment. Buchanan has rebuilt the wheels with stainless spokes and new OEM rims, and Tom Cutter has renewed the bearings. Cutter also has the bored cylinders and new +0.05mm oversized pistons to match. I've lightly polished some of the chrome components - most came out very nicely with minimal effort. I cleaned up the turn signal lenses and housings as well.
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Cleaning Chrome & Plastic 12-30-08
To Do I've got to source a good painter, and I've got some leads. I've got to figure out what I have that's useful, and what's not. From there, it's just a matter of coordination, time, and of course a second mortgage! Stay tuned!!