The Concours is a naked thing at the moment. I’m under the fuel tank for the first time since I bought it. I’m going after the spark plugs, but neither of my imperial spark plug removers would fit. Kawasaki uses an 18mm metric socket. Fortunately, Canadian Tire had that very thing in stock.
With the plugs changed it’ll be time to start putting it back together. I’m cleaning electrical terminals and torquing bolts to spec as I go.
The wheels are off, stripped and cleaned and ready for reconditioning at Fireball Coatings. I’m hoping to get them over there this week.
What twenty year old Concours rims look like after you’ve had a go at them with SOS pads for an hour.
They’re off to Fireball for a two stage gold/candy coat finish. They look better than they have in years already, I can’t imagine what they’ll look like when I get ’em back!
The stripped bike is letting me get to pretty much everything. I found the two cut-off gas tank ventilation pipes, which will get properly re-attached again.
Last but not least will be calliper rebuilds and braided metal lines for the rear brake and clutch (which have been waiting until some down time to install – I was loath to do it while I could be out riding).
It will all go back together on new tires and renewed rims ready for the season to begin as soon as the rain washes all the salt and other winter crap off the road.
If I lived somewhere more temperate I’d need two bikes so that I could rotate one out of operation for this kind of work. Canada obliges by making it miserable outside for four months of the year.