Troubled Traveller update
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2016 3:13 pmI dropped in a couple months ago with some questions about my 1999 Skorpion Traveller. Dave Thompson, edfmaniac and others wrote back with some helpful information. Thanks to all.
First, a little background: I really have no information or history for this bike. I picked it up for a friend over a year ago. He had owned one years ago and always regretted letting it go. He lives about 2500 miles from me and found this one online relatively close that he wanted me to check out for him.
I drove the 3 hours to look at it, took it for a short test ride. knowing little about what it should be like, I picked it up, put it in my garage. planning to ship it to him. In the mean time his circumstances changed and it became clear that the bike would be mine, at least for the time being. I already have 2 big singles in my garage, a BMW F650 and an Aprilia Pegaso, along with multiple BMW Airheads and K-Bikes, an old Norton and a smattering of random J-Bikes.
Eventually, I started digging into it to see what I have. As mentioned earlier it had seen a lot of questionable work by previous owners.
I managed to get the tank off with plenty of twisting, pulling and prying along with an appropriate level of verbal abuse. As Dave recommended I left the horseshoe bracket attached to the tank. With it out of the way I removed the K&N Air cleaner and was met with a glop of Foreign Object Debris inside the carb bell. The carb turned out to be a Mikuni flat side unit of unknown origin, at least as of this point. The air cleaner was on tight and appears to be intact with no holes or tears so I don't know how the gunk got there. I haven't taken the carb off or gotten any deeper so I don't know how it looks inside yet.
If it eventually runs well enough with this setup I will probably stay with it rather than try to hunt down an original carb and airbox. I am including a couple pictures of what I have now. I am sure I will have more questions as time goes on. Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.
-Jim
First, a little background: I really have no information or history for this bike. I picked it up for a friend over a year ago. He had owned one years ago and always regretted letting it go. He lives about 2500 miles from me and found this one online relatively close that he wanted me to check out for him.
I drove the 3 hours to look at it, took it for a short test ride. knowing little about what it should be like, I picked it up, put it in my garage. planning to ship it to him. In the mean time his circumstances changed and it became clear that the bike would be mine, at least for the time being. I already have 2 big singles in my garage, a BMW F650 and an Aprilia Pegaso, along with multiple BMW Airheads and K-Bikes, an old Norton and a smattering of random J-Bikes.
Eventually, I started digging into it to see what I have. As mentioned earlier it had seen a lot of questionable work by previous owners.
I managed to get the tank off with plenty of twisting, pulling and prying along with an appropriate level of verbal abuse. As Dave recommended I left the horseshoe bracket attached to the tank. With it out of the way I removed the K&N Air cleaner and was met with a glop of Foreign Object Debris inside the carb bell. The carb turned out to be a Mikuni flat side unit of unknown origin, at least as of this point. The air cleaner was on tight and appears to be intact with no holes or tears so I don't know how the gunk got there. I haven't taken the carb off or gotten any deeper so I don't know how it looks inside yet.
If it eventually runs well enough with this setup I will probably stay with it rather than try to hunt down an original carb and airbox. I am including a couple pictures of what I have now. I am sure I will have more questions as time goes on. Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.
-Jim