Restoring a classic '83 Honda Shadow VT500C Motorcycle


Just what I need, another motorbike...

(October 2006)
As if the four Magnas I already owned weren't enough, we bought a Shadow V-Twin for Ann, a smaller 500, since she was not comfortable with the bigger Magnas. Actually, more like not comfortable with potentially damaging one of mine, and the Magna 500 we bought her had a cracked cylinder. She took the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) basic rider course to get her endorsement, but dumped the bike on the quick stop and instantly failed.

The idea was to get her a bike she could practice on and not worry about dropping it or something bad happening to it. Something a little smaller she would be more comfortable with. Something I would eventually restore, but not until after she had more experience with riding.

It all started when she found it on Craigs List for $900. She called me and asked what I thought. I told her I was already busy with the other bikes, but that one was more in line with what I was thinking. One that someone was already using as a daily rider. She sent an email to the owner and he sent back that a relative was interested in it. I told her to keep looking.

And she did. Nothing. She had found an '85 Magna (VF500C) previously, which we bought for $600, but once we got it home and did some serious investigating, I found it had a cracked cylinder - meaning it would need a new engine. She was devastated when I told her the news.

It was maybe a week later she forwarded an email to me from the owner, saying the 'family' deal fell through. She asked if we could at least go take a look at it. So I called the guy to see when we could meet. Since he was a student at the University of Central Florida (UCF), the times he could meet were times we were working, and the times we could meet were the times he was in class.

We did manage to finally find time the next day, Friday, after noon. We took the truck, just in case. We threw the newly purchased ramp in the bed of the truck and off we went. When we got there, it was sitting out front waiting for us. I went to put on the choke and he practically jumped at me and said I didn't need to choke it, he already had it running earlier. It started right up.

My eyebrow raised a bit, wondering why he didn't want me messing with the choke. Here we go again. What else isn't he telling me? I got on and took it for a test ride around the block. It was suffering from a midrange power loss, similar to what I experienced with the Magna 500 we had just bought, so now I really wondered what else was wrong with it.

I brought it back and mentioned the problem with power. He said he noticed it was running a little rich. I was thinking maybe the choke was sticking on, worst case maybe the carburetors would need rebuilt. So I took it for another ride to see what else I missed. It backfired every so often and stumbled around 2500RPM, but would recover and continue to accelerate.

I told Ann she probably wouldn't be riding this one right away either, but at least it wouldn't be anything major, like the Magna 500 was. Told her I could probably fix whatever the problem was, if not the carburetors, but again, it would have to wait until we had the parts and I could get to it. He told us it came with a spare battery, regulator, and the original turn signals since he had installed miniature ones.

He said he, er... his mechanic thought it was the battery, so he replaced it. That didn't help, so now he, er... his mechanic thought it was the voltage regulator, so he replaced that. Still didn't fix it. The repair manual was in that box of spare parts too. I'm thinking he and 'his mechanic' are one in the same, but I'm not saying anything.

The lack of power could also be an ignition problem like I had with the 750. I told Ann if it was a spark unit (igniter) it could be awhile before I found one online. We had already discussed offering $700, so I asked if he would take $700 cash. He said the lowest he could go was $800. Ann was giving me the impression she had to have this bike. Uh Oh... Here was go again. Sold!

She looked like a kid on Christmas morning. He asked how we would get it into the truck. "With our ramp", we said, and got it out of the bed and set it up. We rolled the bike up the steeper part of the incline and slowed to a stop on the more level part of the ramp. Then Ann held the bike while I climbed into the bed and finished rolling it in.

He just kind of looked at us. Astonished? Amazed we had our own ramp? Doesn't everybody? I guess he was wondering if maybe we did this for a living and I knew what was wrong with it that he just hadn't found yet by swapping parts. We signed the paperwork and he brought out the box of 'spare' parts. He was happy he sold it, but not too happy he had to call back all the others and tell them it was sold. We tied down the bike and we were off.

Just what I need, another motor'broke'...

And broken it was. Not all that bad, but I knew it would take some effort to get it running well, and even more to restore it. I checked the bike over. The one thing that really stood out was the nasty spray bomb paint job in some God awful purple color that was supposed to match the original Candy Wineberry Red color. It didn't... Even the decals were painted over. Sheesh!

I checked the rest of the bike over. I already saw the turn signals were those stupid little mini ones. If you're one of those that likes them, good for you. I'm thinking people already have a hard enough time seeing me in traffic, why would I want to make it even harder for them to see my lane change intentions?

For now they stay, mainly because they're not as big a target as the originals. Until Ann is better at riding it, no sense in making it pretty if it gets dropped, or otherwise abused while she's learning. Beyond that, the seat is not sporting the original cover, nor the original foam, and the chrome tachometer cover is cracked in half. Mainly cosmetic issues except for the stumbling and backfiring.

First thing I did was Read The 'Fine' Manual (RTFM). First section of research was the fuel system. Turns out the choke system on the V-Twin carburetors is similiar to that on V4's, but instead of using mechanical arms to open the choke plungers, the choke cable splits into two, one for each carb. Those then directly connect to each plunger with a much smaller return spring for each.

If it had a brand new choke cable, properly lubricated and without kinks, they might return to their seats when moving to lever to off. With the cable we had, no way. It was old, dirty, and the choke lever was very difficult to move. I really need to get one of those power cable lubrication tools, but until then, I'll spray lithium grease into the casing at each end and work it back and forth until it moves freely.

Turns out the handlebars weren't original equipment, which is what I figured when he told us the throttle control had a tendency to twist around the handlebar until he wire-tied it. I told him there was an index tab inside the control that should line up with a hole in the handlebars and it probably broke off. Good thing it uses the same index plate the other Magna controls do, because now I had a spare.

I swapped out the broken one for a good one, indexed the hole location and marked it on the handlebars, punched it, and drilled it out. Perfect, except the clamps for the lever controls don't quite fit on the handlebar far enough before the bend to allow the grips and switch controls enough room without binding the choke lever.

I 'substituted' a couple of the stronger Magna return springs. The choke lever was still hard to work, so I adjusted the handlebar clamp to allow it to move more freely. This allowed the choke to be operated if need be, but unless it's below 70 degrees, it's not really needed.

The carburetors came off relatively easy, much easier than the Magna carbs. I tore them down, cleaned them in solvent, and rebuilt them with new float valves. The seats are different than the Magnas and I can't find an aftermarket set. A replacement set from Honda is more expensive than an entire rebuild kit for all four Magna carbs combined.

I put the carbs back on, fired it up, and took it for a test ride. Pretty good at first, then the backfire and stumble came back. Okay, I seemed to remember a line on the one float that looked like it just sat at the bottom of the float bowl. The floats are the same as the 700/750 Magnas. So I took the carbs back off, tested both floats for leaks and when I didn't find any, replaced the one I thought looked bad anyway.

When I re-installed the carbs, I noticed the return spring for one of the beefed up choke springs I used had twisted around itself and wasn't cooperating. I replaced it with another and made a mental note not to fully apply the choke to avoid damaging them again. I fired it up and took it for a test ride. Again, pretty good at first, but the backfire and stumble were still there. It didn't track temperature or riding conditions. It would just run great, then suck, then run great, then suck.

I took the fuel petcock apart, cleaned the in-tank filter, and cleaned the tank out since it had some rust and the in-tank filter is the only fuel filter there is. Not it. I ran the bike straight off of an auxilliary fuel system. Still stumbling. I've gone as far as I can with the fuel system. Has to be the in the electrical, maybe the pickups, spark units, the coils, the plugs, or the plug wires.

So I got out my meter and buzzed out the pickups, the coils, and the plug wires. All checked out. I replaced the plugs. The back ones were black, seemingly from running rich. Still stumbling. Has to be a spark unit. Now I have to search for and find one on eBay, win the auction, and wait on shipping. Ann's still bumming. Still a motor'broke'.

I did manage to find a parts lot deal that included two spark units and a rear fender, the sissy bar it needed along with the grab rails, a taillight, a horn, and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember now. Won the auction, a LOT cheaper than a single spark unit would have been, and got the shipment in a couple days. Swapped out the old spark units one at a time with the new ones to figure out which was bad, labelled the bad one and replaced it with a known good one.

No more motor'broke'...

(7 November 2006)
Now it ran great. It could almost throw me off the seat when I twisted the throttle! Good thing too since Ann was having a hard time learning how to ride and keeping that tempermental beast running at the same time. We took a couple more rides togther and it sat in the garage since then. That is, until I made some more repairs.

Ever since the time change to 'fall back', it's getting dark as I'm getting home. She doesn't want to ride in the dark and doesn't want to ride alone, leaving only the weekends, which she works. I figured she needed some motivation to get riding again, so I polished the grab rails and sissy bar that came in the parts lotm and scrubbed up the tool box from the spare parts the previous owner gave us.

A makeshift top rail had been fabricated using pop-rivets, that slid between the grab rails to cover the nasty looking seat cover job, and it looked awful. So I took the old grab rails off and put on the ones I polished, together with the cleaned up tool box and made it look nice again. Ann told me not to do anything else to it now that it runs, in case she wants to ride it, but I'm chomping at the bit to replace the handlebars, strip and repaint the tank and fender, polish everything else, etc., etc.

I found a replacement seat with the proper padding (complete with some knife holes in the cover) on eBay and won the auction. Also ordered a new seat cover from Dennis Kirk and the K & N filter oil I needed for the air filter I won on eBay, still in the 'original' packaging, but without the oil it should have come with. I replaced the seat cover and swapped out the seat. Ann tells me the difference is like night and day.

We've had a few cold snaps here, but so far it's been a warm winter. Since Nick's been working at the Vac Stop in Mt. Dora, we've been riding out there to drop him off and pick him up. It's a nice, mostly back roads cruise - about a 40 mile round trip. Ann even rode out to visit her friend at work the other day, all by herself. So I continue to make the little 'tweaks' I can, without incurring serious down-time, just in case she wants to ride it.

Making it look new...

I had the local PPG dealer match the Candy Wineberry Red color that it and the Magna 500 share. The original paint is a kind of burgandy wine color candy over a silver metallic base. The PPG match was nearly $80 for a quart! It's a pearl base coat / clear coat system so I don't have to be perfect at spraying candy just yet.

The guy at the paint store said it probably wouldn't cover a light base very well, so I should stick with a darker primer. I like the JP377 black epoxy primer, which is what I bought and plan to use. He said it would probably take two if not three coats to cover that. The lighter base could take five, six or more. I'll post the results once I get that far.

(January 2007) I already have a replacement rear fender that came with the parts lot that had the spark units in it. When the previous owner installed the mini turn signals, he cut the original rear fender to get them to fit. I finally found a tank on eBay and bought it with the idea I can restore it offline so it's a quick swap without serious down-time. Once it gets here, I'll get that and her rear fender painted. It won't be long now though.

Little by little I'm getting things done on it. Most of what's left is going to take a major teardown and restore, like polishing the front forks and the final drive case. These will take some serious down-time, maybe a week or two. Then there's replacing the water pipe seals, which will require removing the exhaust pipes, another week or two. I was really hoping it would get cold for winter long enough to get most of this done, when she wouldn't want to ride anyway. Crazy weather.

I ordered a gasket set, turn signal stems, some beauty covers for the swingarm pivot bolts, and even though the parts list calls for hex nuts on the exhaust pipes, I ordered some nice chrome cap nuts for it like the Magnas use. It's interesting that even though you see the Shadow pipes right away, it uses regular hex nuts, but the Magna front pipes that are beneath the front heads, where you can barely see them, use the nice looking cap nuts. Go figure.

The replacement fuel tank I bought for Ann's 500 is finally here. The snow storm out west in Texas kept the seller from shipping for a couple days. It has some minor damage including assorted dings and a crease on the right hand side across the wings emblem. I was able to 'pop' some of the dings out by 'bumping' the high spots with the butt end of the screwdriver. I put a new scratch in it near the fuel cap trying to remove it. It didn't come with a key, so I had to drill out the cap, which is too bad since it was in excellent shape.

Looks like someone else tried to force the lock and gave up, also a shame since I probably could have picked it, but it's still worthless without the key. So I tore the shiny chromed metal cover away around the lock mechanism and began to drill. And drill. And drill. I managed to get one of the two latching pawls inside the cap loose, but the other was not cooperating. When I finally did manage to free it, it fell into the tank, but at least it was open.

It was clean inside, except for all those metal shavings, so I just need to get the emblems off, sand it down, putty it, prime it, 'ice' it smooth, prime it again, base coat and clear coat it. Before I put any heat on it to remove the decals, I needed to get the remaining fuel out of it. I washed it out with soap and water. Big mistake since it began to rust inside almost immediately. By the next morning, it looked almost as bad as the tank I was replacing.

Be careful what you wish for...

Well, I got my wish. It was in the upper 30s this morning and only supposed to make it into the mid 50s today (29 January 2007). Supposed to stay that way all week, even colder tonight. Now before you start calling me a wimp and inviting me up to Minnesota, I mention this only because it makes it damned difficult to spray paint, especially with the slow reducer I have that's meant for 95 degree weather! Ann and I grew up in Ohio, and had our share of lake effect snow, Ann more so than I. I have too much fun in the snow, but that's a different story.

I knew that weekend was the last chance I would have to paint for at least a week, so I sanded the replacement fender down to bare plastic. I carefully cut the clearcoat around the tank decals and peeled the wing emblems from the replacement fuel tank, slowly but surely, with some friendly persuasion from the heat gun and a razor blade.

Whatever made that crease on the right side also sliced through the decal, so it came off in two pieces instead of one. Probably doesn't matter since Ann doesn't really care if they go back on, and I'd rather airbrush something on there to match the other bikes anyway. Even if I did decide to use them, I could outline the bad spots with some pin striping paint or something. So now that the decals were off, I sanded the tank down to bare metal.

I decided to clean out the tank using the coating kit I bought for the original, but stopped short of actually coating the inside. I used just the metal wash varnish remover, followed by a muriatic acid wash to eat away the rust, then oxisolv rust treatment which converts any remaining rust to the inert black iron oxide and leaves a zinc phospate coating to prevent further rust, and stopped the reaction with acetone. The only other step would be to pour in the actual white coating 'goop'. It's still metallic grey inside, so that should do until I can get fuel in it again.

With the inside of the tank looking brand new, the outside that used to be so bright and shiny was now streaked with rust and looked like crap. When the last of the acetone had evaporated off, I cleaned the outside with pre-sanding prep and sanded it back down to bare metal with 150 grit. I roughed up the bad spots with 80 grit, mixed up the bondo, and applied it. Then Jay showed up on his new 2007 Honda Shadow 750. Sweet...

Must be nice to have a new bike

He traded in his Honda Rebel 250 for the Shadow, and I must say, it looks good on him. Although I never really cared much for red vehicles, that Shadow really looks sharp in red. The tank has pin-striped flames that are 'ghosted' or 'shadowed' in, like a gradient fill from light to dark. Nice effect, not overkill. It set me back another 3 hours talking to and 'entertaining' him. I don't mean that in a bad way, he's always welcome, but I had things that needed done and didn't want to be rude.

It was a lot colder now at 6:30 than it was at 3:00. So I used the quick and dirty method of sanding down the bondo, a.k.a. the power sander. I had low spots where the dings hadn't popped all the way out, but rather than put another coat of bondo on just to fill it, I figured I could wait until after it was primed and use the 'icing' to handle it. I learned from the other bikes that another coat of bondo just leaves a different area of imperfection.

I still had some hand sanding to do on the fender before it could be painted, so coming up on 9:00, I was finally ready to shoot the primer. First I sprayed a couple of light coats of Bulldog adhesion promoter on the plastic fender and let it flash. I left the heat gun run to heat everything up in the spray booth. I mixed the epoxy primer and filled the spray gun, put three coats on the tank and fender, cleaned the gun and was done by 10:00. I left the heat gun running to keep the booth warm while the primer flashed and cured for a couple hours.

Once they were dry enough to handle, I brought the primed parts in the house, where they would be warm enough to allow the epoxy to fully cure the rest of the night. That was last weekend. I really planned on having them painted by this weekend (3 Feb 2007 - Happy Birthday Kristal!), but that cold snap turned into a week of rain and severe storms that spawned some really nasty tornadoes just north of us, the worst in Florida since Christmas of 1998.

Needless to say not much got done paint-wise, other than wet sanding the rear fender in preparation for the base coat. Unfortunately, I sanded through the primer on a couple high spots and still have some areas that aren't quite smooth enough yet. It's still cold and wet but the weather is supposed to clear up and warm up by tomorrow (6 Feb 2007 - Happy Birthday Chris!) and into the weekend. Then I can sand that tank, 'ice' it, sand it smooth, prime it again, wet sand it, base coat it and the fender, and maybe ever clear coat them before it gets cold again this coming weekend. Yeah, right.

My attention was distracted by the Magna 500 since painting the Shadow parts was out of the question. The Service Honda order arrived last week and I now had the two oil seals I needed to put the crankcase back together. I wanted to work on something, but it was too late to start on the engine. So I cleaned and scrubbed the Magna 500 rear inner fender, tail light and licence plate bracket. A little Armor All on the faded plastic and it looks good as new.

Back to work!

This weekend (10 Feb 2007) I finally got around to sanding and icing the tank. Friday night I mixed up and applied the icing, let it cure, and got the rough sanding done. The shape was good, with some pinholes to fill and fine sand, but it was already 2:00 AM. (Later) Saturday morning I finished the fine sanding. Smooth as a baby's butt! Once that was done, primer. I was done by 2:00 PM, but wanted to let the epoxy primer cure overnight as recommended by the PPG guy, so I turned to the taking apart the front end.

I started with the grips. They weren't the originals and neither were the handlebars. I peeled the grips from the bars, disconnected the controls, and removed them. I couldn't get the right mirror loose without ruining it, so it stayed with the controls. I still have to order a replacement mirror set, but these are still in fairly good shape, so it can wait.

Next, off came the the fuse block, handlebars, and clamp. Of course, there was no index hole for the left controls, and the metal index tab and bracket inside the controls was bent so it would fit on the bars. Need to straighten that. When I looked at the replacement OEM bars I noticed the right side looked bent. I'm hoping I can bend them back. We'll see. Closer inspection revealed a missing weight on that side too. Too late for negative feedback, as if that would keep liars on eBay honest.

I needed to remove the instrument cluster to replace the cracked tachometer bucket. That meant the headlight had to come off as well as the horn, electrical junction box, and brackets holding those mini turn signals. I disconnected them and threw them in the trash. Finally! They're gone! Good riddance! I disconnected the controls, instruments, and the rest of the harness from the junction box and set it aside. This gave me access to the instrument mounting nuts.

I removed the speedometer and tachometer cables and the nuts and washers. With the instruments off, I got the camera and took some pictures of the cable routing before removing the rest of the pieces. I always think I can remember how it goes together but am always wrong. It was starting to look bare. But not bare enough. Now I need the bike jack.

I stood there and stared at how lame the previous owner's paint job was. He had not only refreshed the black frame paint, runs and all, but also painted the top of the fork tubes between the triple trees black. Only the outside though, and even part of the builders plate, but I couldn't tell until now with everything out of the way. I made a mental note to get the acetone and a rag after the plate to clean off the cheap paint later.

I started to loosen the fender bolts, but found the tire prevented me from removing them completely. Time for the jack. I put the bike on the center stand and raised the front end slightly with the jack. I learned my lesson the hard way on the 1100, when I worked on the front end without removing the fork brace first, and it cracked and broke. After spending $70 on a replacement for it, and $45 on a replacement for the VF500, it was the first thing to come off before I even messed with the forks.

After removing the front axle pinch bolt, I loosened and removed the front axle, spacer, wheel, and speedometer sender. After removing three of the four fender bolts, I realized I needed to disconnect the speedometer cable from the sender to pull it through the guide on the fender. With those parts off, I noticed how grimy they were. Now I'm thinking I should have ordered a set of fork seals. I still can, but the forks seem to work fine so I just wiped them down with a rag.

Last off the forks was the brake caliper. It needs cleaned, but that's another one for later. Once I loosened the fork pinch bolts, the forks came out, but not without a fight. That black paint was on thick and I had to pry the lower pinch clamps open the get them out. Only thing left was the handlebar bridge. I grabbed my digital caliper, measured the nut, grabbed the impact wrench and correct socket, and had at it. Off it came and now it really looks bare.

With the top bridge off, I noticed something peculiar about the steering stem, particularly the mounting nut. It had no jam nut or lock washer like all the other bikes I have. I had to look it up on the parts fiche to make sure it's supposed to be like that and sure enough it is. Honda changed it on the '85-86 models to have a jam nut and lock washer. Hummmmm...

Parts cleaned and polished while you wait...

Nevermind. With 18 balls in the top bearing and 19 in the bottom, and no cage to keep them, no way I'm taking that apart unless I absolutely have to. Why is this bike so different from the others? Oh well, doesn't matter, it just is. That's not going to stop me from cleaning the rest of the parts I removed. Sounds like a slogan, but I cleaned and polished the parts while I waited for the primer to cure.

The parts from the lower forks had the most dirt and grime. A toothbrush and some degreaser took that down quickly. The underside of the fender was the worst. Once the grime was gone a lot of rust was left. Using a brass brush, I took it down to the metal. I may try etching and coating it, but that's yet another one for later. The last part to clean was the speedometer sender, but it could wait, and it did.

With the parts clean, I began to buff the aluminum parts. Most still had the factory clear protective coating on them, so it took some extra effort to get them shining. The fork tubes and sliders are the most difficult, at least from a sheer strength standpoint. Ever try standing and holding a 25-30 pound part against a buffer for 3 hours? That's just the tripoli compound on just the sliders.

I still have to buff the fork tubes with emery, then stainless. Then the whole assembly needs buffing with white compound. It takes quite a bit of strength. The top bridge is the most difficult from the standpoint of intricacy. The absolute worst part of any of it is standing there staring down at the work piece and the buffer. After 6-8 hours of that, my neck is stiff and my arms like jello. But the end results are worth the effort. Getting there sure sucks though.

This is why it costs so much to have something chromed. The parts have to be smooth and shine before they are plated. Otherwise, the chrome finish will show every imperfection. Consider how expensive labor costs are these days and polishing and buffing is labor intensive. That's why I polish and buff my parts rather than chrome them. As long as they shine, it's good enough for me.

When I start building show bikes, maybe I'll worry about it more, but I'll probably just use stainless steel polished to a mirror finish. I'm sick of seeing rust bubbling up from beneath the chrome plating. Steel wool will bring back most of the shine, but it will always pit again. Stainless doesn't rust or corrode that easily, and even if it does tarnish a bit, a quick buffing will bring it right back.

Anyway, that much is done. The speedometer sender got a wash with parts cleaner to cut the grease then I polished the cheap black paint off it. There, that's everything aluminum. I'll probably go back over them using the spiral sewn buff since it looks like the ventilated buff is leaving some directional scratching even after raking the buff. By 10:00 PM I was ready to call it a day. I looked in the mirror and my face and neck were filthy. Time for a shower!

Now I'm cleaned and polished too...

Come about 11:00 PM I was clean and ready to sit back and relax. At least Ann wouldn't have to yell at me about ruining the sheets. I still wanted to get those meter buckets swapped out, so I grabbed a wrench and screwdriver and the instrument clusters and set to working on them, in my robe, in my recliner. Another strange arrangement! These are not like any of the other bikes. Sheesh! What a surprise...

I got the original set apart and started on the replacement set. Got as far as removing the last screw from the tachometer bucket, the only one I really needed, but of course the head stripped. So at 12:30 AM Sunday (11 Feb 2007) morning, I'm standing in the garage, in my robe, with the battery drill, removing the offending screw head. It goes a lot quicker with a sharp drill bit.

With the buckets off, I see the requisite spiders' nests they have accrued from years of sitting. A quick scrub takes care of that. Now a quick polish on the screw heads and they shine like new, not years of rust. Using the original meters and the best pieces from both, I put a good set together. The others went together, missing a couple screws, but don't look that bad except for that crack in the plastic tachometer bucket.

Come to think of it, that's another thing that's different about this bike! All the others have metal (aluminum) buckets. That seems to be the wave of the future though, chrome plated plastic crap. I spent over $200 on a new VTX style headlight bucket for the 700, thinking I don't mind spending that much on metal. Wrong. Chrome plated plastic crap. Oh well, at least it looks good and won't pit. But it will eventually wear off showing the bare plastic. Don't know which is worse. By now, it's 2:00 AM again. In seven hours I have to have Nick to work. Bedtime.

I'm up at 7:30 AM, Ann's getting a late start into work. Nick gets up about 8:00 and I ask him if he still wants to ride the motorocycle to work, but I already know the answer. So in 50 degree weather we don our leather jackets and gloves and helmets and hop on the 700. Off to Mt. Dora. I knew what to expect, but I don't think Nick did. We got there and he looked cold. He said his hands were freezing. I gave him a ten and told him to get some hot chocolate and wrap his hands around it to warm them up, and I wanted change... at least 5 dollars.

Making it look pretty...

The sun was out most of the way home and by the time I got there the tops of my legs were cold. I changed into my work shirt and sweats and warmed up for half an hour before getting started on wet sanding the parts to be painted. I used the post sanding cleaner to wipe down the parts. They were finally ready for paint a little after noon. I tried the motorcycle on a stick trick by taping a wooden 'handle' to the rear fender but it soon was apparent that wasn't going to work.

Since I wasn't painting the underside of the fender, I decided to just hold it and ended up painting part of my arm in the process. I laid down three coats of the base color, allowing a ten minute flash time between coats. The first coat barely hid the black primer. The second tried to and third was the charm. It was a nice warm red, slightly more red than the original Candy Wineberry color, but still a nice shade. Now I had to prepare for the clear coat but didn't want to start before Ann got home from picking Nick up at work.

While I waited I looked at the builder's plate on the frame tube and decided to get that cheap black paint off it. I grabbed the used acetone that I'd saved from coating the fuel tanks and a rag and started wiping. It came right off with a little rubbing. Then I looked at the alternator cover and decided it was time for it to look like it should and not all black. With a little bit more acetone and bit more rubbing, the circle of aluminum was now showing and it said HONDA. There, that's better.

By now it was already 2:30 PM. Ann and Nick just got home and they had some BubbaLou's Barbeque. Yummm. Lunch and a break and back to work. I donned my 'bunny' suit and rigged the vacuum as a blower to my fresh air line. With my hood and fresh air supply in place, I mixed up the clear and shot a light first coat and gave it some flash time. I stepped out, removed my hood and had a smoke. Second coat went on heavier but this time I stayed in the booth while I waited for it to flash. Third coat went on heavy too, but now it looks like candy.

I cleaned the mixing cups, lids and equipment and left the clear to cure. I took my 'bunny' suit off and went inside. Jay had stopped by and we sat and watched Myth Busters for a while. I wanted to buff the fork tubes, but again didn't want to be rude. Besides, it looked like I got a lot of dust in the clear coat this time and I didn't want to add to it by buffing. I really have to figure out a better way to filter the air in the booth and tame the dust. Maybe I'll get a buffer and try my hand at polishing it to a mirror shine. Someday. For now it will be good enough.

Well, Jay and I talked some more about the progress on the bikes and he showed me some of the Content Management Systems (CMS) he was working on. Nice. His stuff always looks more professional than mine, but then again, that's what he does for a living. He finally headed out and by now it was after 8:00. Too late to start on anything else and I still needed to look at that work computer for Ann's boss.

I still wanted to get those fork tubes buffed, but I would have been filthy again, and I'm really starting to get sore. My neck is stiff and my shoulder is telling me I should find another way to support the weight of the forks and just guide the work to the buffer. So I decided to take pictures of my work, upload them to my computer and process them. Then I grabbed a spare keyboard and mouse and set off to fix the work computer.

Another weekend gone...

Well, I ran out of weekend again. But last night (12 Feb 2007) I did manage to get everything I had off the bike polished. I even got the front end back together, everything but the brakes and controls, headlight, and that blasted electrical junction box. Ann wants two horns and I have to agree with her that one looks goofy and sounds worse. I told her I would see what I could do.

To do it, I bought a newer version of the front bracket with two horns from a 1985 Shadow, but Honda did away with that blasted electrical junction box, so there is no place to mount it on the newer bracket. I'll figure it out, and while I'm at it, I don't like the rectangular headlight either. The one she has is pretty much eaten up by rust, and since it really needs replaced anyway, I'll look at getting the round version and the mounting ears off an '85 as well. For now the ugly one goes back on though.

Tonight I'll probably finish up the handlebar controls but the new grips will have to wait until I can find a matching handlebar weight. I'd also like to get started on the rear end and the parts that still need polishing. Maybe I will and maybe I won't. I worked on it until 2:00 AM again just to get it to this point, so I may be a bit tired.

Another day closer to completion

Not only did I finish up the handlebar controls last night (13 Feb 2007), I put everything else back together too. It's looking much better, but still needs work. I started out by addressing the lack of controls on the handlebars. I couldn't put the freshly painted tank on then work on something I might drop on it, like tools or brake fluid.

The choke handle had to be removed from the clutch handle, slid onto the bar, then the choke cable reconnected and the clutch handle clamps tightened. Next I straightened the bent keeper plate in the left control switch module, installed it, and tightened the screws. Then I reconnected the clutch switch since the switch itself is on the clutch handle clamp and the wires in the left control switch module. Last was the mirror, which I polished first to get rid of the light oxidation. Now all you can see is light scratches here and there.

The right side controls offered more of a challenge. The throttle tube refused to go on without loosening and removing the push cable from the carburetor. With bar greased and the throttle clamps tightened, I re-installed the push cable and tightened it down on the carburetor. The brake master cylinder leaked brake fluid everywhere while just sitting, so I cleaned it up and mounted it after I polished that mirror. The brake caliper was filthy but I am out of the spray brake cleaner. Using just a rag to wipe it down, I bolted it to the fork slider.

Then I realized I had a routing problem. Unfortunately, the pictures I took earlier to help me remember were taken after I removed the brakes. I had to wash my hands and consult the manual, which has crude, hand-drawn diagrams depicting cable routing. After looking at the diagram I thought I had to disconnect the brake line from the master cylinder, but once I looked at the front bracket and the way the speedometer cable layed in so nice behind the lower fork bracket cover, I saw all I needed to do was unbolt the brake caliper and pass in front of the bracket and between and behind the fork sliders and bolt it back on.

With the controls installed on the handlebars but no grips it looked mighty bare, so I put the old grips back on for now. They fit much better on the OEM bars and aren't too long anymore. There. Now if it just had a headlight it would be much better. Can't do that yet though, I still need to figure out had to fit two horns where it had one before. On to something else.

I started to swap out the rear fender by taking the seat off to gain access to the mounting hardware. First I had to remove the tool box cover, then the seat. With the two bolts and two nuts removed from the frame mount points, I removed the rear fender, grab rails, tail light, license plate bracket, and inner and outer fenders as an assembly. With that off the bike, I broke it down into the individual parts.

Doing it right...

Now it's time to do it over and do it right. I turned to my box of spare parts left from the first time and chose the parts I couldn't use then. This time those mini signals are gone so I don't have to use the rusty old metal inner fender or license plate bracket. Now I can use the later model plastic one with a cleaner bracket design and put the OEM turn signals on it. It is 9:30 PM and I need to finish this up. I was up until 2:00 AM last night and I don't want to be up that late tonight.

I scrubbed all the parts and dried them. I had previously polished the grab rails when I put the rear end together with OEM parts I got from eBay. I decided to re-polish the grab rails while I had them off, then staged them and the other parts in the living room. I sat in the comfort of my recliner and re-assembled all the separate pieces back into one assembly I could just install on the frame, which I did.

With that in place, I reconnected the all the harness connections for the turn signals, tail, and licence plate lights. Now let's turn it on and see if they... oh yeah, that's right, I still need to connect that blasted electrical junction box. Now's the moment of truth. Can I get two horns to fit? I compared the two brackets I had, one horn on the original from '83, and two on the other one from '85.

After placing the original and eyeballing where everything was I tried placing the junction box behind it then against the '85 bracket. No place to mount it and even if there was, it looked awkward at best. I could probably come up with a bracket or something that would work eventually, but for now I just wanted to get it back together as a sort of Valentine's Day present for Ann and it's getting late.

Just getting that damned bracket mounted took fifteen minutes! One of those three hands things. With that in place, it was time to figure out where all those connectors plugged into the junction box and how best to route them. I only made one mistake and it was easy enough to fix without messing up the clean routing. Seems like it went together too easy. Better connect the turn signal and instrument connections and make sure they work before installing the headlight.

Another hour closer to completion

And it's a good thing I did too. When I turned on the key, the turn signal running lights came on, but at different brightness. When I turned the left turn signal on the front right running light went out and the left front came on along with the rear turn signal, but not at full brightness. Great. Did I put the signals on the wrong side or something? I tried swapping the left for right. Now it didn't work at all and the turn signal relay made a nasty groaning noise.

The instrument indicator on the left stayed on dimly and the right didn't come on at all. I wondering if I screwed something up when I put the instruments back together. So I tried just hot wiring the individual bulbs and the left front turn signal filament wouldn't light at all. I tried replacing the bulb and it wasn't cooperating. I finally got another bulb to fit and stay in the socket but it would light either. The rear turn signal bulbs lit just fine.

Nothing made sense. It was as if I had a sneak ground path or a missing ground. So I started working my way back the ground in the harness and found a connector had come loose. I plugged it in and tried the hot wire test again. Everything lit as it should. I reconnected everything and it worked fine. Cool. Now I have signals that work and it's only 2:00AM. I tweaked the horn to make it louder, but couldn't test it very well at 2:00 AM. I mounted it and the junction box. Time to put on the headlight.

I disconnected the turn signals and pulled the harness through the headlight bucket and installed the bolts loosely. I carefully routed the wires and plugged the connections together. One more test and the turn signals still work. With the headlight plugged in I turned the key on and it lit. The high beam worked too, so I installed the screw in the rim and tightened it down. Then I roughly aimed the headlight and tightened down the bolts.

The only thing I couldn't finish was the fuel system since the old tank was nearly full of fuel. I couldn't swap the petcock from the old fuel tank to the new one. Once I finally found the key to the Magna 500, I was able to swap the filler cap from the old tank to the replacement tank and the cap from the empty Magna tank to the old Shadow tank to keep the fuel from spilling and smelling up the garage. By now it's 3:00 AM and I have to be at work in 6 hours (14 Feb 2007).

I just had to put that tank on to see how it looked. Not bad. I still have to pull the rear end parts and inspect them and polish them up. Then the exhuast system needs to come off and the water pipe seals need replaced. While I have it off, I'll polish it and the pegs. That should just about do it except for cleaning that nasty black paint off the clutch cover circle, polishing it and the alternator cover and the head covers. While I have the head covers off, I'll adjust the valves and replace the tachometer cable oil seal where it's leaking. Some new mirrors would be a bonus too.

I'm coming up on the home stretch and the end is in sight. It will probably take me about as long to get it done as it will to get the oil seal from Honda. I thought it was part of the gasket set I bought. Not. Oh well, I can order some other things I need for it and the 1100 as well, like new carb boots. But I'm done for tonight and catching up on some sleep. It will be there tomorrow. And the day after that, and so on, and so on.

There's always tomorrow...

Tomorrow is here (15 Feb 2007). I was ready to take everything apart to get started on the water pipe seals and radiator thermostatic switch, but wanted to take those pictures first. The missing swing arm pivot bolt cover and nasty looking rider peg detracted from the rest of the work on the bike though. So I removed the left passenger peg, disassembled and scrubbed it, and polished the parts. While it was off, I put one of the new pivot bolt covers on. Then I reassembled the peg and loosely installed it to take some pictures.

Time to get started on the cooling system maintenance. I took the seat and fuel tank back off to gain access to the frame neck covers and removed the right one. This exposed the radiator cap and harness connections. I removed the radiator cap and disconnected the radiator from the harness. Then I removed the left rear engine cover and removed the water pump drain bolt and drained the coolant.

Next I removed the radiator cover and the lower radiator hose from the radiator. When I removed the left frame neck cover and turn signal relay, I saw what a pain it was going to be to get to the upper radiator hose to remove it. It was time to consult the manual. It was really too late to start on it and I didn't want to be up that late, so I just left it at that. I figured it would there tomorrow, which is now today (16 Feb 2007) and I have the entire weekend left to work on it if I don't get to it tonight.

Well, I got to it tonight. I needed to remove the upper radiator hose, but could not get to top clamp. I had to again consult the manual to see how to get the blasted thermostat housing out. First I had to loosen the coil mounts and then the thermostat mounts. That gave me a little wiggle room, but not nearly enough. So I had to remove the upper coolant lines from the water pipes on top of the heads. That gave me more wiggle room, but still not enough, which meant I had to take out the air duct from the filter to the carbs and then the carbs.

A lot of work for a little return. So I chanced loosening the hose from the radiator, carefully prying the clamp then the hose loose. There, that's got it. I removed the mounting bolt from the radiator and lifted it free from the lower shock mounts and set it on the bench. I still couldn't get the thermostat out, so I removed the coil mounting bolts and dropped them out of the way. Almost. I took out the air bleed screw and it finally came out. I loosened the clamps and removed the hoses. They 'crunched' when I flexed them?

I cleaned the hoses and the more I flexed them, the more rust and scale came out of them. Now I'm concerned. I ran water through the thermostat housing and it came right out the other side. It's not supposed to do that. Unless the thermostat is stuck open or missing altogether. When I opened the the cover, no thermostat. The housing was full of rust and the air bleed was nearly clogged with deposits. This thing must have been run without coolant, just water, for quite a while.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it...

At first I thought about just replacing the bottom seals that were leaking, but now I knew I should replace them all and totally clean and flush the entire cooling system to boot. It was getting late and I knew I should stop for the night. I didn't want to start taking the exhaust system off, and that's what it takes to get at the lower water pipes, so I just finished cleaning all the parts of the cooling system I already had off.

I took the radiator fan off and removed the old thermostatic switch. I still need to test the replacement I got off eBay. I cleaned the radiator and washed (and washed and washed) it out until the water came out clear after filling it, shaking it, and emptying it a dozen times or so. I was even getting rust flakes out of it the first few times. When I was satisfied the everything was as clean as I could get it, I set the parts aside to dry and cleaned up for the evening.

I got an early start Saturday (17 Feb 2007) since Nick didn't have to work. I picked up where I left off from the night before. I thought I'd start with the radiator and put it back together, but wanted to test the thermostatic switch first, so I boiled some water in the microwave, dipped the original and eBay sensors in the water and tested them with the meter. Neither worked. I tried boiling the water again and just dipping the replacement in. Still not working. I boiled the water for a full two minutes then tested. Still nothing. Good thing I didn't just put it in.

Never believe the "Came Off A Working Bike" line of bullshit they give you on eBay. If it's electrical and it doesn't work, they aren't replacing it, or even accepting a return. Now I'm bummed and pissed off at the bastard that sold me the part. Greedy or just stupid? Now I can't put it back together this weekend! I'll have to wait on more parts and it doesn't matter if I order them today or Monday, the order won't be placed until Monday when someone's there. That set the tone for the rest of the weekend.

Alright, no biggy, refocus on what I can get done and do it. I went back to taking things off the bike instead of putting them back on. First I need to flush the rest of the junk out of the cooling system. I filled up a gallon jug with hot tap water, loosely installed the upper coolant lines and using a funnel washed about half a gallon through each head. It drained into the basin through the water pump. It was thick with rust. Now I can take the lower water pipes off.

I removed the nuts on the exhaust headers - all three of them since the fourth was missing. Then I loosened the lower clamps where they connect to the 'power chamber', a volume expander that helps reduce the exhaust noise and provides some back pressure. I tried to wiggle the front pipe loose, and tried, and tried. I finally got it loose by pulling it out of the head.

The rear pipe was more trouble than I thought it would be. I ended up taking the right muffler off and was working on getting the left muffler loose when the whole system finally came loose. I pulled the assembly from under the bike, stepped on the expansion chamber and man-handled the rear pipe loose. I set the remaining aside. Now I had access to the lower water pipes and the mounting bolts.

I started by removing the right side first. I loosened the hose clamps that connect it to the left side water pipe and water pump manifold and removed it. I found that missing exhaust pipe nut when I went to loosen the starter mounting bolt holding the water pipe in place. I loosely re-installed the bolts in the clutch cover and starter. Then I loosened the mounting bolts on the left water pipe and the hose clamps the held it to the water pump and removed it, loosely re-installing those bolts too. I finished cleaning the rest of the coolant lines and hoses, except the upper water pipes.

To get those off, I need to remove the air duct and carburetors to get access to the mounting bolts. More stuff to come off, but I need that out of the way to get the head covers off anyway. The air duct came off easily, as did the carburetors. I disconnected the plug wires and the coils and removed them. Now I had access to the remaining water pipe mounting bolts, loosened and removed them. These are in the worst shape. I cleaned out the rust from inside them as best I could with a brass bristle brush.

One last thing keeping the head covers from coming off, the tachometer cable. So I tried to loosen the screw holding it to the drive mechanism in the camshaft holder that protrudes through the top of the front head cover. It wasn't budging. I tried the mini vise grips. Still not budging. I started looking for a locking pin of some sort. Nothing. Oh well, it will be there tomorrow and it's getting late.

If it breaks, it needed replaced anyway...

I got another early start Sunday (18 Feb 2007) since Nick didn't have to work. I wanted to get started on polishing those head covers since there isn't much else I can do until I get parts. This time I tried the big vise grips on that screw holding the tachometer cable to the head. Still no luck. Then I got the impact driver after it. BIG MISTAKE! After three blows I noticed the holder was moving further and further away...

Tell me I didn't do what I think I just did. Damnit! I did. I broke the blasted camshaft holder casting where the tachometer drive gear mates to the camshaft. Great! Just Great! Good thing I didn't order parts yet. I have to wonder why that screw was so tight. Maybe the moron that tightened it thought it would clamp down hard enough to stop the oil leaking through the seal when all it does is keep the cable from coming out. Maybe it was already cracked and I just finished the job.

In any case, I still can't get that screw loose so add a new tachometer cable and screw to the list. Nothing like lapse of reason to change that $30 parts order into a $300 one. Of course, a bad thermostatic switch and missing thermostat didn't help. While I'm at it, I might as well get new fork seals too. Later. I need to get back to the job at hand. This won't stop me from polishing the head covers and adjusting the valve clearance.

I finished removing the front head cover, finally breaking the rest of the casting loose in the process. I polished the front head cover completely and loosely installed it. Now for the rear head cover. I can't quite get it loose. I figure I'll remove the valve inspection cover, that'll give me enough room. So I try the big wrench and round the ends right off. SnitzleFritz!!! Batting a thousand. Now I'll have to loosen the air filter housing to get enough clearance.

With the rear cover finally loose and enough clearance to get a socket on the inspection cover, it comes loose easily. Now I have some filing to do to clean up the damage I did with the wrench. I polished it completely and decided to adjust the valves while the cover is off. The clearance was just a bit tighter than it should have been, so I loosened the adjusters, set it correctly, torqued the nuts back down and checked the clearance again. Good.

I opened the new gasket set, used some hylomar gasket dressing, placed the new gasket on the head cover and bolted it in place. One down. I removed the front cover and decided I would adjust the valve clearance even though I knew it would probably change slightly when I put the new cam holder on. This time, just the intake valves were a bit tight. The exhaust was fine. With them all properly adjusted, I put the gasket dressing and new gasket in place and reinstalled the cover.

Another weekend closer to completion

I knocked off early for the weekend. There wasn't much more I could do and did not want to start anything major, especially the way I was breaking everything I touched. I still had plenty of polishing to do. Monday night I started out by polishing the passenger pegs and exhaust pieces. I did just the tripoli and stainless steps and still had the mufflers left to do. I was filthy and had to shower before I did anything else, like sit down in my recliner. I kept thinking there was something else I should do.

Come Tuesday night, I finished the stainless polishing on the remaining exhaust pieces and completed all polishing with the white compound. Wednesday night my neck was so stiff and muscles so sore from all that work I decided buffing was out of the question. I concentrated on getting the water pipes and seals installed. That took most of the evening just for the bottom pipes. The upper pipes needed painted and I didn't want to do it that late so I disassembled the rear end.

Thursday night I started the rear end polishing. I tore down the brakes, then scrubbed up all the parts and dried them. I got the tripoli done on the brake backing plate and started on the final drive case after squirting it with carb cleaner to clean the grease and gear oil off of it. Unfortunately, it still had gear oil in it and it kept leaking out of the vent and shaft input, so I drained it.

It had a red tinge to it, which is strange since the only oil I know of that is colored red is automatic transmission fluid. I cleaned the case with carb cleaner again, but the gear oil still kept leaking out. I knocked off for the evening and figured I would pick it up again Friday night. I did go back out later and loosely install the exhaust pipes to the heads with the new cap nuts and reassembled the rider pegs.

Friday (23 Feb 2007) brought more fun and games. I called Service Honda Thursday to make sure the parts shipped. The guy told me if they hadn't already they would and to call back tomorrow to get the tracking number. So I called back and according to Service Honda the parts got shipped second day air, not overnight because of a 'trainee' in shipping. Great! Since today's Friday, now I have to wait until Monday to put this thing back together.

Another week closer to completion

The weather is finally warm enough Ann and I can ride and now she has nothing to ride. Oh well, now I can take my time. I got home but was still letting the shipping f-up bother me. After supper and getting started on the bike, I finally let go of it. I polished the final drive case a second time and it looked better but still wasn't perfect. So I swapped out the buffs for stainless and started on the left rear shock and remaining rear brake and axle pieces.

Once those were done, I tried the stainless on the final drive case and it put a really nice sheen on it. I had to file the axle nut to remove the wrench damage from previous work and polished it. That left the white step for Saturday after I dropped Nick off at work. On the way home from that, I stopped by the parts store to stock up on more parts cleaner and get some oil and a filter to change the oil in the truck. Ann wanted me to get some chlorine for the pool too.

When I finally got home, I changed the oil and filter in the truck and got back to the bike. I started by cleaning and painting the upper water pipes. While I waited for those to dry, I resumed polishing the rear end pieces with the white compound. Once everything was polished, I assembled the rear end. I got the axle in then realized I forgot to put the dirt shield on the final drive case and had to take it all back apart again.

With the rear end loosely assembled, I shifted focus to the remaining rear brake hardware. I adjusted the brake pedal height first. Then I adjusted the brake light switch and loosely installed the rod to the brake arm. By then it was time for me to get cleaned up so we could go get our hair cuts. After that, Ann wanted to go get Chinese for dinner. When we got back I wanted to get started, but Jay came by and I had to stop work for the evening, or at least until he left.

I really didn't have much more I could do anyway until the parts got here. When he did finally leave I looked at polishing the engine cases with them still on the engine, but it was late and I needed Nick's 4" buffs and he was already in bed. It would have to wait until Sunday morning. I cleaned up the bench the best I could and prepared for the next day.

(25 Feb 2007)
Sunday morning I got after the engine cases with some 4" buffs on the flex shaft. Not the best, but at least they're not black anymore and now they shine. When Ann got home from work, we went to Lowe's to get some gardening stuff for her. I help unload the truck into the dump trailer and Nick hauls it around back with the lawn tractor. I try to get everything else done, but every time I turn around, Nick finds something else wrong with the tractor.

Nothing major, but the last problem is the blades start turning even with the mower deck disengaged. That's kind of major, so I try to quickly diagnose it, but settle on a quick and dirty fix of shimming the deck engagement arm with a cotter pin, which works for a while, but I soon replace that with an allen wrench since the deck still partially engages. I'll have to find the manual and look up how to adjust it properly. With that done, I'm ready to get back to it.

So close to completion it ain't funny

By now, it's getting late and the only thing left I can do is sand and polish the engine head and voltage regulator fins. With those done, I retire for the evening. Monday it's back to work and when I got home the parts are there waiting for me. I eat supper, watch the news, and out to the garage I go. I want to get that camshaft holder in right away so I can finish the rest of the cooling system and get the rest of it back together.

The front head went together quickly. I install the new camshaft holder, adjust the valves, put the cover back on and install the new tachometer cable and oil seal. Then I spot the other dowel pin, in the old cam holder, sitting on the bench. So back apart it comes! This time it goes together with all the pieces. I again adjust the valves and button up the cover, install the tachometer cable and retaining screw. It's after 8:00 PM by now and I realize I'm not getting it all back together tonight.

So I move on to the cooling system. After installing the new thermostat and cover, I insert the thermostat housing into the frame neck area where it mounts and attach the upper hoses from the head water pipes. Next is the radiator fan thermostatic switch. I thread it into the radiator and attach the harness. Then I attach the radiator fan, route the harnesses along the side, and close the loops holding the wires. I attach the upper hose and try to install the radiator to the frame, but the hose is in the way, so back off it comes!

It still fights me the whole way. The radiator fan shroud is interfering with the frame tube and scraping the paint. It finally goes in and I'm able to get the mounting bolt in place. I install the upper radiator hose and tighten the thermostat housing clamp. Then I get the pliers after the squeeze clamp on the radiator side, but slip, and worry I just put the pliers through the radiator. I skinned it pretty good, but cross my fingers and hope it won't leak.

I put the lower radiator hose on, check everything over and pour some fresh coolant in, spilling it down the side of the polished exhaust pipes. Then it starts pouring out the drain hole in the water pump, but at least it's clean. That's what I'm looking for. Good. So I put the drain bolt back in, tighten it down and rig a funnel to fill the cooling system. It's slow going and it takes forever for the coolant to work it's way in. When it's finally full, I hit the starter a couple times to run the water pump and top it off. I clean up all the spilled coolant and watch for leaks. None!

I put the coils back in and route the plug wires. I decided to put the carbs back on without polishing them, route the cables, and install the choke plungers and throttle cables. I adjust and test the cables and hit the starter again. Nothing at first then it kicks. Yes! I got the auxiliary fuel bottle out and attach it to the carbs. It cranks right up, but I don't run it too long, since I still need to finish installing the exhaust system. Besides, the garage door is closed, and Ann will be after me for the smell of it coming in the house!

Finishing touches...

Well, that is good enough for tonight. The 'power chamber' still needs rust control and paint, but I don't feel like sanding it now. So close now, it bugs me. It bugs me to the point where I decide to at least prep it for an acid wash and paint. I wash it down with soap and water, then give it a bath of muriatic acid, using a bristle brush to keep the surface wetted. By now it's 2:00 AM, and I should stop here, but decide to bathe it in oxisolv to convert the remaining rust to black iron oxide. Then that needs a stop bath of acetone.

By now it's 3:30 AM and I know I'm not going to feel like getting up for work in a little over two hours. About the time I fall asleep, the damned phone rings! What time is it? 4:00 AM! Who the Hell is calling us at four in the morning? It's the answering service for the doctor Ann works for. About the time I fall asleep again, I hear my son wretching and puking in the bathroom. I give up! I'm not going to be able to get back to sleep now. Then it hits me from the other end. Must be all the leftovers Ann fed us for supper last night.

Well, that settles it. Next time she feeds us leftovers, she's eating them too! Nick and I both end up staying home. Once he stops puking he goes back to bed. When I'm finally able to get out of the bathroom, I fall asleep and don't wake up until Ann calls at 11:30 AM to say she's on her way home from work. I get some coffee and am finally awake when she gets home. Nick is still sleeping and we aren't going to wake him up. Ann makes the mistake of asking if I want any lunch. You can imagine the answer she got from me.

I decide to make the best of the time off and finish her bike. I wipe the 'power chamber' down with prep cleaner and spray it with the black high temp heat paint. While I wait for it to dry, I make sure all the fasteners are tigthened to the specified torque and take the exhaust pipes back off the heads. I have to pry the old exhaust gaskets out of the heads to put the new ones in. By the time I'm done, the paint is finally dry.

I forgot to clean up the rust on the muffler baffles and paint them so I decided to do it now. I hope it will dry as I put the rest of it together. I loosely assemble the exhaust system and then tighten everything down. Now the moment of truth... I start her up and let the engine warm up. I see coolant dripping on the floor but can't find the leak at first. Then I see it leaking around the air bleed screw. Oops, forgot to tighten that. The cooling system is holding so far. By now, Nick is awake and curious, so he comes out to take a look.

It's a good thing too. He finds the hose connecting the left and right water pipes is leaking from the left side. Turns out I also forgot to put the clamp back over the pipe. I fix that and no more leaks. The thermostat opens and the radiator gets hot. Finally the radiator fan kicks on. Perfect. The heat paint instructions say to run the engine for an hour to cure it. The temperature regulates as the fan comes on and off. I'm hearing engine noise, not real bad, but loud enough I decide to change the oil when the hour is up.

The auxiliary fuel supply is exhausted just about an hour after starting the engine. I let it cool off while I clean and polish the fuel petcock and install it in the fuel tank. I drain the oil, remove and replace the oil filter, and re-fill the crankcase and auxiliary fuel bottle. Although I have to take the air duct back off the carbs to do it, I decide to synchronize the carburetors before putting the fuel tank back on. I connect the vacuum gauges and start the engine.

They are off by more than 5" of mercury! I adjust them to be dead even, but within 2" of mecury is close enough. I turn off the engine, remove the vacuum gauges and replace the air duct. Then I disconnect the auxiliary fuel bottle, connect the fuel line to the fuel tank and mount the fuel tank to the frame. I put the seat on and add some fuel to the tank. She starts right up and purrs like a kitten. Ready to roll! Now I can go collapse.

Not! Ann wants to take her for a test ride, so Nick and I hop on the 700 and Ann hops on her 'new' bike and off we go. Ann leads the way around the neighborhood, out to the state park and back. Talk about an ear to ear smile. She says it's like a totally different bike. And that was with the choke on the entire trip! I notice it on the last leg home but have no way to tell her. I really need to get those chatterboxes or some equivalent bike to bike radio communication system.

It starts to rain later that evening and on and off for the rest of the week. It finally stops late Saturday (3 Mar 2007), the start of Bike Week 2007. We are supposed to get a place up in Mt. Dora and ride over to Daytona from there. Ann tells me that day we're not going this weekend, but two weekends from now when Nick's on Spring Break. Oh well, I have a lot of work to do on the 700 before I wouldn't be embarrased to ride it to Daytona anyway and Mom can't get the time share for Bike Week anyway.

By Sunday it's nice and sunny, so we take an extended ride out along the back roads. We stop at Pep Boys, to get a new innertube for the electric scooter Mom and Dad got for Nick to work on, but they don't have one? Pep Boys sell other bikes with the same size tires there, but do you think they carry replacement innertubes (or tires for that matter)? That place just pisses me off! They NEVER have anything I go there for! EVER! So we ride home, take a break to cool off, then off to Walmart to get what he needs.

That's pretty much the end of the story on this restoration. The only other things would be to polish the carburetors and rebuild them, maybe put some new mirrors on. Eventually I'll wet sand the tank, airbrush it and glass coat it, but I really need to figure out how to totally eliminate the dust in the paint booth or just rent a booth somewhere.

Update!

(11 April 2008)
It's been awhile since I've updated this page, but this bike deserves some praise. Ann has ridden this bike as much as she can, riding it to work, to Mt. Dora, and finally to Biketoberfest 2007 with Nick, Jay, and myself. Obviously she passed her basic rider course the second time around. She and Courtney took it together and both got their endorsements early in August 2007.

So now the dilemma of what will Courtney ride? I had pretty much finished the rebuild of the Magna 500, with the exception of painting the tins. Ann took one ride on that V4 and there was no turning back. Problem solved. Courtney is now riding the Shadow since she doesn't really like the Magna 500 for some reason.

But Ann gets to thinking, if the V4 version of the 500 is so much better compared to the V-Twin, how much better would the V4 750 be compared to the 500? Without a doubt, there is no comparison in her mind. Now that Ann has the increased confidence of riding everywhere, once she gets on that Magna 750, she won't give it back!

What a difference compared to the first time she tried it and dropped it in the driveway! I'm so proud of her! She is so comfortable on it now she rides it to work on the weekends, with Nick and I riding along side her on the 700. But now so much for modifying my daily rider 700 while I ride the 750!

Life begins with your first...

Now that she's having so much fun riding everywhere, I think she wants us to have new bikes as well. Reliable ones. Ones that we don't have to worry about something going wrong with. Ones that didn't look like they had just been, and still needed, worked on. So we visit Seminole Harley the weekend before Bike Week (27 February) 2008. We are looking for a Rocker C for me and end up buying a Sportster for her!

She finds the one that she is looking for, but she wants to test ride it to make sure she likes it. They have a Rocker, not the blue one, and not the C version, but I figure I better test ride it too, just to make sure it's what I want. Of course, neither of us have our gear with us, so we don the provided skid lids and mount up. Needless to say, she loves her sporty and buys it that day!!

We talk about riding up to Bike Week 2008, but we don't end up going. Mom can't get the time share again and we don't want to go up for a day just to have to turn around and come back home. Jay and I were going to ride up the last Saturday, but decide not to because of the weather.

Bulletin!

(27 July 2010)
I was making some other changes to the site, so I decided to just post a quick update on this Shadow project. The poor girl has sat for nearly a year now, with Nick only riding her around the neighborhood, mainly because we cancelled the insurance and allowed the registration to expire to save some money. We didn't want Nick to get in trouble and not be able to get his license (and endorsement), so not so much anymore, but she still runs fine. I keep the battery on the charger and bought some silver touch up paint for the bits of rust starting to show.

So... why just let her sit around? I listed her on craigslist today (29 July 2010). We already know she'll make a great starter bike for some lucky person! At least, we're hoping she will. We don't know if anyone will be interested, and until I can gauge the response, why put any more work into her? We all hate to see her go, but having been laid off since last April (2009), we could sure use the the money! Some of that money will go towards getting a rebuild kit for the carbs on the V30 so I can sell her too.

I did finally figure out the little "bumps" in the paint are from "solvent pop", not dust, like I initially thought. Once I thought about it, I realized the slow solvent that works best for painting in the summer really wasn't the best to use when painting in the winter, and I wasn't allowing enough "flash" time between coats for the solvent to "flash off", or evaporate, so as not to be trapped by the next coat(s) of paint, later bubbling up through as those little "bumps". I was thinking of setting the paint booth back up, getting the proper decals, and glass coating the tank, but I've decided to sell her and give someone else a chance to enjoy her.

Until then, here's my "vanity" pic of her on the CMSNL site.

Previous Magna 500 Saga Back to Summary

Things done...

  • Shadow 500 Before Restoration
    • Rebuilt carburetors and bench synchronized.
    • Cleaned entire intake system and installed rebuilt carbs.
    • Cleaned wheels. Still need polished.
    • Purchased parts lot with spark units, rear fender, grab rails and sissy bar. (29 Oct 2006)
    • Swapped spark units to identify faulty unit and restore engine performance.
    • Purchased, polished and installed replacement exhaust covers.
    • Polished sissy bar, grab rails, and tool box and installed.
    • Purchased another instrument cluster to replace cracked tachometer cover.
    • Purchased K & N air filter.
    • Installed new K & N air filter.
    • Purchased another seat (with the proper foam and form). (19 Nov 2006)
    • Purchased new seat cover and K & N filter oil.
    • Purchased and installed new side cover grommets.
    • Removed, oiled and re-installed K & N air filter. (18 Jan 2007)
    • Recovered seat and installed.
    • Stripped, repaired and primed the fuel tank and rear cowling (fender). (3 Feb 2007)
    • Finalized repair (iced), (re)primed and painted the fuel tank and rear cowling (fender). (10 Feb 2007)
    • Replaced cracked tachometer cover. (11 Feb 2007)
    • Polished top bridge, fork sliders and brace, headlight ears and speedo sender.
    • Polished instrument cluster, forks tubes, handlebars, axle and spacer, bolts and headlight.
    • Installed top bridge and forks, wheel, speedometer sender and cable and front axle. (12 Feb 2007)
    • Installed replacement handlebars and fuse block.
    • Polished ignition switch and installed.
    • Installed instruments and headlight mounting ears.
    • Assembled new turn signal stems and installed front turn signals
    • Cleaned left and right electrical controls and installed. (13 Feb 2007)
    • Removed and disassembled old fender and tail section.
    • Reassembled freshly painted fender, tail section and rear turn signals and installed.
    • Removed the "Stupid Hurts" sticker and installed the new Honda logo on tool box cover.
    • Temporarily installed freshly painted fuel tank, seat and tool box.
    • Installed left swingarm pivot bolt cover.
    • Removed, polished and loosely reinstalled left passenger peg for pictures.
    • Removed tool box, seat, and freshly painted fuel tank. (15 Feb 2007)
    • Removed right frame neck cover, radiator cap and cover.
    • Removed left exhaust shield and rear engine cover and drained coolant.
    • Disconnected makeshift fan bypass switch and radiator harness connections.
    • Removed left frame neck cover, turn signal relay and suspension.
    • Removed coils and plug wires and cleaned.
    • Removed carburetors.
    • Removed radiator and water pipes and cleaned out rust build-up.
    • Removed heat shields, exhaust pipes and mufflers and polished.
    • Removed head covers, breaking front camshaft holder trying to loosen tachometer cable (22 Feb 2007).
    • Drained remaining fuel from old fuel tank.
    • Polished head covers.
    • Adjusted valve clearances. Reinstalled rear head cover with new gasket and o-rings.
    • Temporarily reinstalled front head cover with new gasket and o-rings.
    • Polished rider and passenger pegs.
    • Ordered parts; missing thermostat, new thermostatic switch since eBay unit didn't work, new cam holder, etc.
    • Repaired heat shields and polished exhaust pipes and mufflers.
    • Cleaned all cooling system parts except water pump, painted upper water pipes.
    • Replaced leaking water pipe seals, reinstalled water pipes and hoses and flushed with clean water.
    • Disassembled rear wheel, shocks, final drive case and brake.
    • Inspected rear swing arm, shaft drive, drum brake, brake lever, wheel, shocks and axle.
    • Polished drum brake backing plate, brake lever, shocks, axle and axle nut.
    • Installed rear wheel, final drive case and brake.
    • Removed front head cover, installed new camshaft holder and tachometer drive gear (26 Feb 2007).
    • Checked and adjusted valve clearances again.
    • Installed front head cover, new tachometer cable and oil seal.
    • Re-removed front head cover, re-installed new camshaft holder with both dowel pins and tachometer drive gear
    • Re-checked valve clearances again.
    • Re-installed front head cover and new tachometer cable.
    • Installed carburetors and air duct.
    • Sanded and polished fins on engine heads.
    • Polished engine cases on engine using flexshaft.
    • Acid washed and rust treated exhaust 'power chamber'.
    • Replaced faulty radiator fan thermostatic switch and installed radiator.
    • Cleaned and painted exhaust 'power chamber' (27 Feb 2007).
    • Installed heat shields, exhaust pipes and mufflers.
    • Adjusted and lubricated throttle, clutch and choke cables.
    • Started engine, warmed up and checked for leaks or other issues.
    • Replaced oil and filter.
    • Synchronized carburetors.
    • Polished rebuilt petcock and installed in fuel tank.
    • Installed fuel tank and seat and added fuel to tank to test for leaks.
    • Test ridden past the state park.
    • Test ridden 20 miles first Sunday of Bike Week 2007.
    • Bought replacement mirrors and installed.
    • Purchased a used luggage rack with adjustable sliding backrest, polished and installed.

Things left to do...


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Last Updated: 11 Jan 2018