The two latest deliveries were for a complete exhaust system and a set of rear shock absorbers. When I took the exhaust off back in June, it had rusted through in many spots. I found a much nicer exhaust system that includes both the exhaust pipe itself plus the chrome heat shield that protects the riders' legs. The heat shields are in great shape. The pipe has some surface rust but should clean up by hand without too much trouble. Here are the old and new side-by-side:

The rear shocks were an even better find. The rust on the original shocks is quite deep and they may have been a total loss, though the plastic covers are in great shape. I found a pair of replacements that look darned close to new! I'll clean up the orange plastic covers from the old shocks and put them on the newer ones.

Tonight's goal was to get the air filter housing completely removed from the frame, and the exhaust pipe pulled in preparation for removing the engine. These constitute where the engine pulls in and blasts out air. The air filter housing was easy work: just a single bolt into the frame onto which mount a gasket, filter housing, filter itself, and a cover plate. I thought I'd be going to bed early.

The exhaust wasn't quite as simple. In order to get access to the nuts that hold the exhaust pipe onto the cylinder head (this engine is too simple to require a manifold), I had to pull the skid plate. Most of the bolts that hold the skid plate are missing. The bots that remain are on the underside of the motor, so I spent the remainder of the evening slithering around on my filthy garage floor while the dog stood over me, literally drooling on me. I really need a motorcycle lift in the garage, but that'd cost more than I hope to spend on the entire project.

With the skid plate removed, the exhaust pipe came off easily. It's a total loss, with rust completely through the metal. If you look at the last photo in this set, you can see the powdered exhaust pipe that was filling the interior now spilled onto the garage floor. Hopefully I can find a good condition replacement as a complete unit.

Remember, these photos aren't meant to be beautiful. They're a historical document so that I can put the bike back together once parts have been refinished or replaced.