I finally got around to wrapping the 2-inch drag pipes in the fiberglass heat wrap I bought a month or so ago on eBay. I couldn't wait to put them on and hear how they sound! And, turns out they are MUSIC to my ears! What an amazing sound! There is only ONE motorcycle that can sound like that! I still need to clamp on some additional support for them so they don't slip off I couldn't get the the carb set just right with the old mufflers, but these pipes act like they were MADE for this setup! The bike won't be fast; drag pipes rob high-end horsepower. But I don't care. I don't want to go fast. And that sound is WELL worth it!

On the parts front, I sold the old rusty gas tank on eBay for $72, about $13 less than the NEW tank cost me! I was totally up front about the rust and sludge inside that tank, and still somebody wanted it THAT badly. I also sold the new chrome fender struts that came with the bike for $40. I'm going to chop this rear fender way back and have NO desire for additional chrome! This bike is ALMOST paying for itself!

I bought a new braided brake line for the front and it looks great. Now I'm afraid the master cylinder is shot beyond repair. I've tried a rebuild kit in it, even tried lightly honing the inner cylinder wall to get the crud out, but no luck. It won't hold pressure and it sticks. A new one is $70. It's kind of an important part, so I shouldn't scrimp on it. I don't need it failing on me.

I went to Wayne's last week and bought a new seat mounting bracket. Installed, it's FAR better than the old one in fit and function! Wayne's also sold me enough used parts to build a pretty nice side-mount tail light/license plate unit. Totally old-skool complete with a vintage Lucas lens! Very cool! I had to have the mounting hole drilled out at Layne Machine Works in the east bottoms, but that was MUCH cheaper then buying a new 5/8 drill bit!

In all, I'm a master cylinder away from riding it! I still want to modify the rear fender and finish painting the rest of the bike black, but I'm VERY close!