Today I started actual work on restoration project. I thought about how to break the effort up into manageable parts, but the reality is that this a frame-up restoration project so every part on the motorcycle is going to get touch. Eventually I'll focus on categories of work, along these lines:

• Body panels: sheet metal, plastic, and frame. Most of these will need to be sandblasted and repainted.
• Engine: Will be disassembled down to the piston rings. I've already found new rings and gasket packages, but will probably have to buy an entirely new carb.
• Electrical and cables: Most cables are frozen, and the electrical system is totally unknown.
• Misc parts: New wheels, tires, grips, etc.

Since every part of the bike will be cleaned, refinished, or replaced, I can't start selectively with these categories. I have to just start disassembling and spending extra effort ensuring that everything stays organized and identifiable. Toward that end, I'm keeping parts organized in plastic bags, each with a label of which major part it connects to, and the file name of a digital photo that I shoot before disassembling.

Today I took off the luggage rack and seat, two easy components:

I'm going to keep as many parts original as possible. Both the seat and luggage rack will stay original, with the luggage rack being sandblasted and repainted. The nuts and bolts are all rusty and will get replaced with new ones. Here's how I organize them:



667-669 are the images above, so that once I get replacement nuts and bolts, I can remember exactly where they go with a photo for reference if I need it.

The seat only took a few minutes to clean up, and with some leather[ette] treatment, it'll look even better.



The next few weeks will involve nonstop removal and organization of parts exactly like this. I plan to do a few parts each day and just plow through it for as long as it takes to completely break the bike down. Then the real fun will begin.