Final Build and First Run

After all painting and plating work is complete the bike can finally be built. This is a remarkably quick process – maximum 1 week, as everything fits (or should do!); it is extremely satisfying to see a “new” motorbike emerge from the collection of bits that has taken about a year to prepare.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I build the engine in the frame to ensure that the crankcases are sealed properly.

 

And then, Hey Presto! It’s finished!

The first time the bike is started after a rebuild is both a tense and exciting time. It is tense in the respect that, until it actually fires and runs, you are wondering ….”will something break, did I set up the valve and ignition timing properly?” etc… 

I always start bikes for the first time on starting rollers …it’s just easier and, in the case of the K7, there is no kickstart fitted anyway.

The K7 fired up immediately and soon settled down into a rhythmic tickover.

Immediately the biked fired there are the first visual checks to do, the most important and reassuring of which is see oil returning to the tank. On a rebuilt bike this always seems an eternity but, in reality, is probably only about 30 seconds, ie time to get sufficient oil in the crankcases to start the scavenging oil return process.

The next stage is the start of the shakedown runs to find out what doesn’t quite meet expectations, make any necessary adjustments and to run in what is effectively a new bike.

But the restoration itself is now finished.