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April 16, 2009
Blog Neglect
So much and so little has happened since last post. I took the F1 up to Madrid, where she would not start due to some wires pulling loose. Also, the tail light had rattled completely loose and was hanging by its wires. In the midst of fettling with the wires, the headlight switch broke. After much tweaking of said wires with duct tape and some borrowed tools, the F1 came back to life and ran fitfully down the hill as far as Tijeras. I then called for help in the form of Roomie with Iris.
Clue to a "House"-style differential diagnosis: The battery had a charge when it began to not start in Madrid, for the headlight and tail light were how we could tell whether we were getting juice. That being said, the battery was not strong enough to turn over the motor.
I have heard tell that on old Italian bikes, most charging and ignition troubles can be traced to poor connections, and I would be surprised if the F1 did not have more than its share of bum wiring. In fact I know that it does and I have been responsible for some of it!
I knew since the bike arrived that it needed to be wired; now wiring is on the front burner. First thing to do is replace whatever cooked wiring I find and update the connections with modern, waterproof types.
In other news, I am preparing to take on the Morini 500 restoration. One of my repeat Morini Ricambi customers has a beautiful black Morini 500. I have to replace the swing-arm bushings on the bike anyway, and the paint is looking pretty faded. Once the F1 is dialed-in (just using the term with that bike tells me that it may be a while), breaking down the Morini for a cosmetic makeover is next on the docket.
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