dang
New Member
I'd like to introduce my '72 SL70 beater project:
It has a bit of an identity crisis going with that Kawasaki green paintjob. The first order of business (beyond getting it running in top shape), will be to peel off all the goofy stickers, replace the midget front fender, and paint it a more respectable shade. I'm thinking of toning it down to more of an olive drab, maybe something like what this guy did:
As you can tell, I'm not a purist.
I found it on CL for peanuts. It runs and shifts ok, but it's definitely in need of some love. Its most glaring issue is a pair of leaky fuel petcocks. Yes, a pair. I think it might have a non-standard carb on it (Keihin, but I couldn't find any numbers on it), and judging by the gaping hole under the seat a non-standard air filter as well. Who knows whether its jetted properly.
Beyond fixing the leaking petcocks, a fork rebuild is in my future. Does anyone know of a good source for the rebuild parts? I can measure/size new seals and orings on my own, but if there's a pre-gathered kit somewhere I'd prefer to just buy that.
The guy I bought it from also reports that it "smokes like a two stroke". Who knows if that's because he was running it on pre-mix or if it needs a set of rings. I have a standard compression tester, any ballpark range on a reading for this engine? Any any suggestions for good deals on a rebuild kit? How interchangeable is my SL70's engine with the rest of the 70s? Are they all mostly the same? This will definitely be a low-budget, beater rebuild so I'm not worried about using only OEM parts or things like that. I'd like to refurb/rebuild/reuse parts whenever possible unless it is simply cheaper to buy a replacement.
Aside from that, the bike seems to be in OK shape. It definitely needs some new tubes, and the tires themselves are cracked and dry rotted. If there's a hot setup for these let me know, otherwise I'll probably just go the cheapest route (it is a beater after all!).
Also, my knowledge of this era of bikes is limited to what I've seen in my one afternoon of ownership plus the few threads I've clicked through here. I apologize in advance for any dumb questions, please take it easy on me! For the most part I'll at least try reading some threads in a search before asking out of the blue.
So howdy to the forum! Hopefully I'll have some updates with my progress before long!
It has a bit of an identity crisis going with that Kawasaki green paintjob. The first order of business (beyond getting it running in top shape), will be to peel off all the goofy stickers, replace the midget front fender, and paint it a more respectable shade. I'm thinking of toning it down to more of an olive drab, maybe something like what this guy did:
As you can tell, I'm not a purist.
I found it on CL for peanuts. It runs and shifts ok, but it's definitely in need of some love. Its most glaring issue is a pair of leaky fuel petcocks. Yes, a pair. I think it might have a non-standard carb on it (Keihin, but I couldn't find any numbers on it), and judging by the gaping hole under the seat a non-standard air filter as well. Who knows whether its jetted properly.
Beyond fixing the leaking petcocks, a fork rebuild is in my future. Does anyone know of a good source for the rebuild parts? I can measure/size new seals and orings on my own, but if there's a pre-gathered kit somewhere I'd prefer to just buy that.
The guy I bought it from also reports that it "smokes like a two stroke". Who knows if that's because he was running it on pre-mix or if it needs a set of rings. I have a standard compression tester, any ballpark range on a reading for this engine? Any any suggestions for good deals on a rebuild kit? How interchangeable is my SL70's engine with the rest of the 70s? Are they all mostly the same? This will definitely be a low-budget, beater rebuild so I'm not worried about using only OEM parts or things like that. I'd like to refurb/rebuild/reuse parts whenever possible unless it is simply cheaper to buy a replacement.
Aside from that, the bike seems to be in OK shape. It definitely needs some new tubes, and the tires themselves are cracked and dry rotted. If there's a hot setup for these let me know, otherwise I'll probably just go the cheapest route (it is a beater after all!).
Also, my knowledge of this era of bikes is limited to what I've seen in my one afternoon of ownership plus the few threads I've clicked through here. I apologize in advance for any dumb questions, please take it easy on me! For the most part I'll at least try reading some threads in a search before asking out of the blue.
So howdy to the forum! Hopefully I'll have some updates with my progress before long!
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