After everything, will it start?

The engine itself was in great shape. It only needed a little maintenance to get to running condition.

The kickstart

The kickstart shaft splines were a little damaged. In the last video I filed them a bit. Then, while I was working in the covers I'd taken off, I took off the kickstart and replaced it. It fit easily, and it also tightened down enough to kick the engine over without any issue.

Splines are the ridges that lock the kickstart lever to its shaft. When they're worn, the lever can slip on the shaft instead of turning the engine.

The condenser

There was an electrical issue with the condenser, or something on the top end. I swapped over the one from the original engine. I kept the damaged part — maybe I can fix it with solder.

The oil filter

The only other issue was the oil filter. It was very crusty and full of sludge — it obviously hadn't been cleaned out in a long time.

I got it as clean as I could, changed some oil seals and gaskets, and got the engine back together.

Carbs and petcock

The carbs were totally clean, but I changed the O-rings and gaskets there as well.

The petcock on the gas tank was clogged, and took a little effort to clean up. I also had a fresh rebuild kit for it, and got the fuel flowing nicely.

It fired up

In the end, after sourcing the replacement engine, maintenance was all I did on the engine and the motorcycle — and the bike fired up with little effort.

In the end it was only maintenance — and the bike fired up with little effort.

It fired up after only a few kicks. I did have to mess with the carb screws to get it running properly.

The electric starter couldn't do it, though. The starter clutch slipped too much for the starter to get the bike running. I'll have to get back into the engine to resolve that, but for now the kickstart is working well.

The starter clutch is what connects the electric starter to the engine. When it slips, the starter spins but the engine doesn't turn over.

Why the engine was for sale

I now wonder if the starter clutch and the damaged kickstart shaft are the reason the seller swapped this engine out of his bike. He put in a larger-displacement engine — but this kind of damage is often the inspiration for starting a project like an engine swap.

Digging into an engine you can't start is sometimes a can of worms people don't want to dive into.

An engine you can't start is sometimes a can of worms people don't want to dive into.

The driveway idea

The trail was a lot of work, and I didn't really get it finished.

This vision is why I wanted a dual sport or scrambler in the first place. I'm staying on the second floor of the building, and I wanted to ride right up to the door. The trail gives me access to the second floor that I wouldn't otherwise have.

I moved tons of material to smooth out a very steep, loose hill. I turned a deer track along the side of the hill into a full motorcycle trail, and I used yard debris from a slide to build up the steepest part. The trail follows the contour nicely.

Before the trail, while the engine was out, I pushed the bike up the hill. It was too steep to ride — and with the engine in, I wouldn't have been able to push it up.

Not finished, this year

The trail looks great, but it's still a little too steep, and the surface needs work to smooth out and pack down. I worked hard on it, but ran out of time this year.

For the winter, I drained all the gas and put the bike in an area that's heated some. Not warm, but it'll stay above freezing.

Winter is coming, and I'm heading back west with my car. Next spring I'll have no wheels other than the bike — so I'll have the motivation to finish everything up quickly.

Next spring I'll have no wheels other than the bike.