Today I disconnected the throttle and removed the entire handlebar assembly. It's looking less like a motorcycle every day. The cables are definitely all going to require replacements. This was also a reminder that when I last worked on this engine back in 1984, I broke the throttle cable retainer. I wedged the two broken pieces into the handlebar tube to get by, but it was a short term fix. Back then, there was no worldwide web for average people to use, and certainly no eBay nor Craigslist. A replacement is < $5 on eBay, which would have been nearly impossible to find back in the 80s.

Dad is now clued into the project. It was going to be a surprise, but it'll be more fun to have him helping with it. And as you can see from the bars below, his expertise in metal fabrication will help when it comes to refinishing chrome surfaces like the handlebars.