Fettling 500s

From Fettling 500s

From Fettling 500s

From Fettling 500s

From Fettling 500s

It is always very exciting seeing a bike finally on the road after a restoration, whether it be your own or someone elses. In the last couple of weeks a couple of the troops have done just that and after the initial first start up comes the fettling process. Don turned up for a ride with his very dazzling Suzuki GT500 that has just been through a whole restoration process from motor to running gear to tins. The fact that he and Sir Al were due to leave for Nelson and the Nelson Classic Motorcycle Club Rally in Collingwood gave the fettling some urgency. Oil feed issues seemed to be the most urgent as we looked for oil making its way down the opaque oil lines at our first stop at Raumai. After some discussion and application of tools we carried on to our next stop at the Ballance Bridge Cafe. The food and beverages were up to the usual standard and after much verbal fettling of Dons bike we then made our way back to Palmy over the Pahiatua track.
It was a great little ride in brilliant weather. It was great to have Alan De Lautour along for the ride on his Suzuki RG500. It certainly has a sound all of its own and nice to see Alan using it on the road. Alan has just about completed a full restoration of his Kawasaki H1500 and the photo above shows what a wonderful job hes done on it. He is still waiting for an exhaust to finish of the job.
Pleased to report that Dons GT500 made it down and back to Collingwood, but as can be expected with old bikes, still some issues to resolve!
Roll call
Kim De Lautour - Yamaha RZ250
Don Mardle - Suzuki GT500
Alan De Lautour- Suzuki RG500
Alan Clark - Kawasaki A7350
Gary Whiting - Kawasaki KH250