Hello from NJ

Robsteeler66

Robsteeler66

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Hello all, I removed the photo and reference to my brother. I want to make this thread about my intro and my bike. :)

I'm Rob. I live near Philadelphia in South Jersey. Obviously not the channel island for you UK types. ;)

I lived in the UK for a couple of years. I then spent 26 years in Law Enforcement (don't hold that against me!) and I retired in June of 2011 when I was 44. I hope to restore my bike to a safe, fun ride!

I'm looking forward to seeing everything you guys do with your bikes!

Thanks for the help.
Rob
 
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Welcome to the forum sorry to hear about your brother. Looks like a good bike to start with:thumbsup:
 
yea sure it looks like its in good shape I think 600 is not too much for it

Enjoy the bike! my recommendation: ride it for a while before you start chopping/rebuilding things. It's good to know what you want to keep, before hacking it in half ;)
 
I know you dont want sympathy so Im just going to say welcome looks like you have a very nice bike and its been taken care of.Only 7K miles man Im jealous about that,shes not even broke in.I say who cares what you look like riding it just be proud you have it to ride.I wish mine would have been blue in color.:)
 
Robsteeler66 said:
... Do you think it's worth $600? I would give it to him anyway, I was just wondering....
Click to expand...
Welcome to the Forum!
Wow, only 7,000 miles and in pretty pristine condition. You could easily sell it for $1,000 on this side of the lake - so, in my world $600 is a bargoon.

And, since it is in such good shape, my advice would be: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
But before just hopping on and riding (unless you know for sure what maintenance has been done and when), I would recommend tending to all the things that will preserve it. In-line fuel filter, fresh oil and filter, lube the clutch and brake cable, clean, lube and adjust the chain, check molded tire codes for age of tires, gap the plugs.
Then, when you are sure that simply riding it won't break anything? Simply RIDE it. Enjoy it all summer. The time for keeping it off the road for voluntary maintenance is AFTER the 2nd or 3rd fall hurricane.
 
If the bike is in really good shape , I'll just clean it and keep it close to stock looking. I'm not a huge fan of the stock look , but it seems a shame to chop up a perfectly good example. I need to see it in person.
 
I should be picking up the bike next week. My brother said the brake lever broke off. I've looked on the net for a replacement. Weird how it costs less in shipping from the UK than if I get it from Mikesxs.
 
Does anyone know what the brake lever looks like on an 81 special II? I can't tell from the pic and I wanted to have it by next week. I'm looking online and all of the levers seem a little different. Thanks!
 
Just wait till you have it in your hand and then order one that is similar.
 
Go to partsnmore.com they have tons of replacement parts for our bikes. I've ordered from them on more than one occasion.

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I have the bike! I will post pics in a while. :) It's very dirty and the tires (or tyres) are knackered. I will need to pick up some cheap ones so I can ride it. Also I think he must have dropped the bike. The controls are a bit wobbly and need to be replaced. Also the mirror seems to be held on with black tape. Also I want to get some brushes and cleaner to get the oil spills and grime from the engine. Any recommendations for cleaner?
 
Ok, here is the bike. It's a bit neglected and there is more that needs done than he told me, but I'm still happy overall. I'm sorry about the pics, I need to clear out more garage space for it so it's sitting in the driveway. Hard to get a good pic from that angle. I had to move all of the flower pots out of the way. :D











I will have to post pics of the levers, I didn't take any of them. Talk about ghetto. The mirror is wired and taped. :wtf:

The housing part of both levers needs to be replaced. It also seems that the speedo and tach wires aren't connected, so now I'm not too certain of the mileage. :doh:

Time to get to work...

Oh! And the flaming pirate decal needs to go! Ahhhrrrr!!!
 
I'm using shinko 712 and I know others on the board have used them also. This is the 2nd bike I've used them on and I know I paid less than $100 for the pair. You can find them anywhere. Amazon, eBay, bikebandit, motorcyclesuperstore,

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