More dirt

Still at the stage of discovering what is dirt and what is rust; luckily, most of it seems to be dirt (apart from the exhaust system).

Now the exhaust system and mudguard/tail unit is off (only one seized bolt - cut through it) more of the mucky frame can be seen.

Air filter needs replaced too (of course). Also, missing spark plug means that any manner of creature(s) could have nested in the cylinder over the last few years, so the engine will have to come out and the cylinder head will have to come off! (You can tell I was looking for an excuse!)

Battery has been ordered (£9 from Wemoto). 

Next job will be to get the engine out...

First impressions

A couple of things stick out as being a bigger deal than others:

1. The clocks, headlight & indicators are missing. This isn't so big a deal as I intend the bike to be used offroad/field to begin with. The state of the wiring, however, is a bigger concern:
   
   
   
   
2. The battery is missing (no big deal - easy  to get another) and so is the battery case (bigger deal - c. 150 euros to replace!):
   
   
3. The exhaust system is totally shot - no link pipe, rotten header, the silencer is held together by rust and there are no heat shields:
   
   
   
   
4. Shocks are dead - no movement at all. Luckily, new ones are quite cheap.
   
   
   
5. Some panels missing - right side, nose fairing, but over all, plastics in quite decent nick for a bike this age. Tank a bit battered, but that's to be expected for a dirt bike...
   
   
   
So, a little bit of budgeting to do to see if it's worthwhile. No barrel/keys either. What next - battery, plug & try engine start, or strip it right down? Hmmmm.

Here it begins

So, I bought a "pre-loved" 1980 Honda XL185 dirt bike from a colleague, Anne. She informed me that it had been "washed twice in 25 years" - and she wasn't joking.

So it sat for a year or so under a cover at the bottom of my garden until a friend bought an XT600 & I got "inspired" to begin.

The cover came off - it went up on the ramp and , well you can see the pictures: