IT LIVES.

Friday I got home and we got to work right away. I cleaned the frame and prepped it a bit. We mostly did some tinkering and poking and prodding, but got up at 8 the next morning and started working again.

We put the engine back together (missing some parts- had to make our own washers!) and hauled it off to the car wash to get a good cleaning. The road gunk was awfully hard to get off, but we did the best we could and got most of it off. After putting it back in the frame, we looked at the carbs a little bit (could use some work, but not terribly bad) and hooked them to the intake boots on the engine. Mounted the oil tank and filled it up with CCI oil, and filled the carbs with fuel donated from the Water Buffalo; just enough to let it run a little. Hooked up the Water Buffalo's battery, cleaned the contacts and we were ready to go.

Four pumps on the hand crank to give it a little compression, five kicks on the starter, a cough and BRAMMMMMMMM!

After 30 years of sitting idle, the Suzuki roared to life. It sure was great to hear it actually make a noise other than the old tires squeaking across the garage floor. We tried it another two times and each time required less and less kicking. By the time that happened, it was 10:30 at night and we had worked the entire day on it, so we called it quits for the night.

Sunday I had no time to work on the bike, but today after I left to go back to school, Dad hooked up the exhaust and the gas tank and ran it through the gears and it sounded fantastic. I heard it over the phone, but it still sounded right. It sounds a lot like the Buffalo, but I guess all two strokes sound that way.

I got the green light to go and order/find parts. This thing's really gonna happen!