Description
As the title says, I've owned this bike since 1987. As such, it is not "restored", but rather continuously maintained, repaired, and in a few cases, upgraded. This was not a barn find that was in terrible shape and fixed up. It has always been in great mechanical condition as long as I've owned it, and the cosmetics have been improved or re-done as needed to keep it looking good.
It does show some patina. The main frame is original paint with some wear. The rear subframe has been repainted. The toaster tank has original paint I believe, but the big kneepad tank has been redone a few times. The head pipes are original and show some loss of finish, but the mufflers are stainless and very nice. Seat is recovered with new foam. Rear shocks replaced with Koni's (back when you could still get them.) Essentially, if it needed replacing for function or reliability, it was done. If something was torn or damaged, like the seat or fork boots, they were replaced. Rear tire is brand new, as is the battery. Front tire is very good and will last through the life of the rear.
All maintenance has been done (by me) on a diligent schedule, including valve adjustments, carb rebuilds, fork rebuilds, gasket and seal replacements, input spline lubrication, clutch, brakes ... etc. My most recent long trip on it in 2022 was a 4,500 mile loop out to Nevada and back, and it performed flawlessly.
Odometer reads 17,000, but I had the speedo fully serviced when it was at 60,000 and had the guy zero it out. So, 77,000 miles on the bike.
SALE INCLUDES: Complete set up for THREE riding configurations. ONE is the stock set up as seen in the photos, with bench seat and USA handlebars. TWO is a touring setup, with vintage fairing, large kneepad tank, Reynolds backrest, luggage rack and a pair of super nice Krauser saddlebags (with mounting hardware.) Setup THREE is a cafe style, with shorter Euro handlebars, a solo seat, and cut-down fenders for a clean, minimal look.
Speaking of the vintage fairing, it is handlebar mounted, and the 4 little bracket tabs are installed and ready, takes about 10 minutes on or off. The bike really likes the fairing, with no effect on handling, and a much better aero profile that slips through the wind a little better than unfaired. The turn signals have been removed to allow for fairing installation, and they are included if you care to re-mount them. (Personally I really like the clean look of the bike without them, and I find that motorists see and respond to hand signals probably better than the blinking lights.)
I have a bunch of additional photos of the bike, and a full listing of every maintenance and repair I've done over the years, if you'd like more info about the bike. I also encourage you to call or email me with questions. But of course, the best thing to do is come to lovely Madison, Indiana (about an hour out of Louisville, an hour out of Cincy, and 1.5 hour out of Indy) and see the bike for yourself! I'm not sure how well the email contact form works on this platform, so please feel free to email me directly at slash5swb@gmail.com, or call/text 812-701-9066.