This is a '73 Rally 200 that, as far as I can ascertain, has been off the road since '77. It was registered to Westminster Motorcycles, Chester, initially but the guy who bought it lived a few miles outside. The plate is a Chester number.
I got hold of it a couple of months ago for a pretty reasonable price it has to be said. The speedo says it's only done 1500 miles, however, the amount of dirt in the wheel arches and on the engine indicates more. It's far from pristine.
I have replaced the wheel rims and tyres (Michelin ACS with a new 4 ply Dunlop as the spare) but I'm keeping hold of them. There is surface rust through the paint at points but, most importantly, the frame is completely solid and in keeping with it being in a damp shed or garage since the late '70s. I've just spread ankor wax everywhere to stop the rust getting worse. I've also had the carb ultrasonically cleaned and replaced the exhaust with a Sitoplus as the original, I think, was rusted inside and was stopping the engine revving properly. The inside of the petrol tank took a serious amount of work and acid to get clean.
Plans? Paint and rusty bits are staying exactly as they are. Get it running properly (clutch issues and still petrol coming out of carb box despite cleaning and replacement of float and needle) and trundle around it for a bit. I can then decide whether it does need a full engine rebuild (hard to believe the seals would have survived so long??).
I'll post up some more pics in the weeks ahead when it's properly finished and on the road.
Paul
are there any panels with it ?
