For those who have been following along, the engine started up almost immediately and I took it out for a short ride today. It sounds good, no ‘bad’ engine noises at all after about 20 miles so I think I’ll call this one a success. There is still a lot of snow on the ground – I have about a 1 metre pile at the end of my driveway for example, but there is lots of snow elsewhere on the sides of the roadway and people’s yards as well, although the roadways are generally clear. The air is a bit brisk, but the real worry is all the sand and small gravel on the roads from the winter as they have not been swept yet, plus as the temperatures drop quickly in the evening things like sewer covers can get quite slick.
One minor problem I had during the first few miles was the turn signal switch which seized up solidly. It had been a bit tight when I was testing it, but I thought it would loosen up with a bit of use. After disassembling the mechanism, I found nothing wrong with it mechanically and so just lubed it up with some dielectric grease and it now works fine. At any rate, the plan for the next while is to gradually put some mileage on both the GT550 and the GT750 project bike over the next few weeks, and to see what else shakes loose, or needs to be adjusted before taking either bike for longer runs. I also have a few additional photos etc. to go up on the GT550 web site, as well as a short list of minor updates so that will keep me busy also.
With a bit of luck, I may be able to show them off at the CVMG Bike Night sometime in the next few weeks – all we need is some warm weather !