Hi, a friend of mine gave me this bike. He said he found it in a garage when he lived in tennessee. Fixed/rigged it up so he could ride it for a couple years. Rode it home to Illinois and parked it for prob a good 2-3 years. He thinks if the tank is cleaned, carbs rebuilt, battery, and some new tires and it should be good to go. It is going to be my first bike and I'm excited to work on it. I just honestly don't know where to begin. Shes not perfect



Tank is kinda rough


Looks like a homemade exhaust

Hardest part is always getting started.  My suggestion is to start with the electrical to get the engine to turn over.  Take the battery out and get a new one or use a car battery hooked up to it (do not hook up things like jumper cables to an old battery).  If it turns over, check your compression and check for spark.  Also have a look at the plugs to see what they can tell you.  How they look can tell you any issues with fuel/air, carbs, and more.

I can tell you that you will definately have more work ahead of you than your theoreticals that you have listed.  How much more work depends how it was left when it was last parked (whether it was drained of fuel, left outside, etc.).  Look to replace anything rubber (brake hoses, fuel lines) and many gaskets (i.e. anything that can dry and crack) if it was not stored properly. 

Either way, there is a wealth of knowledge here on forum that can get you well equipped and on the road.

- Bboy

I agree  with Bboy.  Start with battery and check compression.  If that's good move on to the carbs.  Once you have it running with a temporary tank then work on the gas tank.  I would suggest the POR-15 system to remove the rust and line the tank.  Once the fuel system, electrical, and motor are good to go, move on to the suspension, tires, and brakes.  Next check lighting and controls.  At that point you should be safe for the road, and then you can move on to making it look as good as you want.

Thanks a lot for the suggestions. It's definitely going to take a while. I'm going to try to borrow a battery tender this weekend. I look forward to learning about these bikes and motorcycles.

Thanks again

Jarrett