Over the course of the last few weeks, it became apparent that less and less was standing in our way of getting the bike actually up and running. This past Tuesday approached with only a wee bit wiring to finish, and some oil to be added to the engine. A fuel and a spark and by all accounts, it should go...
Step one was finishing off the wiring. With adding fuel to the mix, we didn't want any exposed wires causing a short or a spark. Heat shrink connectors are a wonderful thing...
A final check of connectors, some fuel added to the tank (the kids did a great job rebuilding the petcocks as there were no leaks!). And we gave it a few kicks, hoping for the best. To our enjoyment (and with some surprise) the bike fired up. However a noticeable leak presented itself behind the oil filter cover. The bike was shut off and the issue addressed. We fired up the camera for start #2, and trained it on the suspect cover to detect any leaks. The (second) moment of truth...
It is alive! Nice to know that at least it runs. While there still is a weep, and a million things left to do before it can be raffled off, this is a huge step forward for us!