He kept the battery charged and would start it periodically while it sat in his NY garage, waiting for weather conducive to riding 1300 miles to Louisiana. Finally, spring arrived with Skye eagerly anticipating the trip!
Caught in a rain storm while getting to know her new Rebel, it sputtered. It didn't like rain. So began the chain reaction ... and Skye's completion of her Maintenance Achievement Patch!
Disassembling the air box not only revealed a clogged "puke" (oil overflow breather) tube, but melted wires and a badly leaking head gasket. While replacing the head gasket, it was discovered that one cylinder stud was stripped and the others over tightened in attempt to compensate. This engine had been apart before! Parts for a 30 year old bike that was only in production for two years are not easy to come by and took a bit of searching to obtain. With Uncle Alec's mechanical assistance, these issues were corrected, only to find the K&N she was sold didn't fit! K&N does not make a filter for this bike.