Leaving Big Dog out in weather for years

Energy One
Roscoe Martin

Roscoe Martin

Master Chief
Recently completed and interesting project on 2004 Bug Dog chopper. Contacted by an old friend about his sons bike. The bike quit on him and sat parked in weather for period of years. Told me he couldnt find anyone in his area willing to work on the bike and asked if I would be will take a look at it. Knew then that this bike might be a challenge and told him bring it to me. Sad when I seen the bike, the top portion of seat cover had rotted away,etc. Put bike on charger and started in on the electrical system diagnosis. First thing I found was circuit breaker failure, next was the Thunder Heart dead, bike wouldn't crank over, so connected remote starter and starter engaged. Found that wiring harness was installed at factory too tight lower frame area and the wire to oil pressure sensor had broken. Pulled plugs and gave it a drink of marvel mystery oil. Gas capped was froze in place, had use pipe wrench get it off. Amazed find how clean inside tank was, drained fuel and flushed tank. removed checked and clean carb ,it too was in good condition Replaced PCB control board switches on bars. Wanted reduce the odds of another future ignition problem and at same time increase engine performance, so installed S&S Ignition kit ( refer pic). Love this ignition system !! Easy set static timing and modes are easily set with screwdriver. Changed engine oil, fresh set spark plugs, new battery,fresh gas, primed it with couple squirts gas and time start it up. This thing fired up like it was sitting on showroom floor !!. Would set and idle perfectly. Wont bore you with further details of bike service,fluid changes ect. Provided a list of recommendations to owner and number was not let bike set in weather. Sure all Dog owners know that they dont like being exposed for extended periods tome to water and I go so far as to recommend NOT to power wash the bike. Moral to my story these bikes are made of top quality parts ( well, maybe except for electrical systems) and they seem to withstand some really horrible conditions. Love these bikes, great frames, engines and gearbox's
 
Dispatch

Dispatch

Active Member
Roscoe Martin said:
Recently completed and interesting project on 2004 Bug Dog chopper. Contacted by an old friend about his sons bike. The bike quit on him and sat parked in weather for period of years. Told me he couldnt find anyone in his area willing to work on the bike and asked if I would be will take a look at it. Knew then that this bike might be a challenge and told him bring it to me. Sad when I seen the bike, the top portion of seat cover had rotted away,etc. Put bike on charger and started in on the electrical system diagnosis. First thing I found was circuit breaker failure, next was the Thunder Heart dead, bike wouldn't crank over, so connected remote starter and starter engaged. Found that wiring harness was installed at factory too tight lower frame area and the wire to oil pressure sensor had broken. Pulled plugs and gave it a drink of marvel mystery oil. Gas capped was froze in place, had use pipe wrench get it off. Amazed find how clean inside tank was, drained fuel and flushed tank. removed checked and clean carb ,it too was in good condition Replaced PCB control board switches on bars. Wanted reduce the odds of another future ignition problem and at same time increase engine performance, so installed S&S Ignition kit ( refer pic). Love this ignition system !! Easy set static timing and modes are easily set with screwdriver. Changed engine oil, fresh set spark plugs, new battery,fresh gas, primed it with couple squirts gas and time start it up. This thing fired up like it was sitting on showroom floor !!. Would set and idle perfectly. Wont bore you with further details of bike service,fluid changes ect. Provided a list of recommendations to owner and number was not let bike set in weather. Sure all Dog owners know that they dont like being exposed for extended periods tome to water and I go so far as to recommend NOT to power wash the bike. Moral to my story these bikes are made of top quality parts ( well, maybe except for electrical systems) and they seem to withstand some really horrible conditions. Love these bikes, great frames, engines and gearbox's
Click to expand...
 
Roscoe Martin

Roscoe Martin

Master Chief
I didnt buy the bike,just did the repairs. He just wanted get it running again. I dont get folks who will abandon bikes and leave em exposed weather. Happens to alot of motorcycles,they stop running and get parked outdoors rot away. Have saved alot of bikes this has happened too,many are on display in Tulsa museum after restoration.Have attached few pics,stock ignition, Installed S&S, bike up on lift during repair and bike running condition waiting on pickup by owner. Hopefully it will get a new seat cover. Shop was full so had do repair outside.
 

Attachments

Dispatch

Dispatch

Active Member
Roscoe Martin said:
I didnt buy the bike,just did the repairs. He just wanted get it running again. I dont get folks who will abandon bikes and leave em exposed weather. Happens to alot of motorcycles,they stop running and get parked outdoors rot away. Have saved alot of bikes this has happened too,many are on display in Tulsa museum after restoration.Have attached few pics,stock ignition, Installed S&S, bike up on lift during repair and bike running condition waiting on pickup by owner. Hopefully it will get a new seat cover. Shop was full so had do repair outside.
Click to expand...
Absolutely right, like you see on that TV show American Pickers, how many times have they shown someone with a barn full of cars and motorcycles wasting away, covered in dust and dirt for 'decades' just rotting away, a downright sin especially when someone could be taking care of and enjoying them.

Myself, I remember being on a trip to Wisconsin about 4 years ago when we came across a small mom and pop grocery store, the owner had a Harley Davidson 1915, model 11f on the roof of the establishment, being used as a weathervane.


I couldn't believe my eyes, it looked solid, complete and everything, missing no parts.

I asked the guy behind the counter why in the hell this was and explained how sacrilegious it was to do so, he told me he agreed but wasn't the owner and that it had been there for years, longer than he worked there.

I couldn't believe it, I would have killed to own an original HD from that time period.

I was almost tempted to write the owner a letter to let him him know how asinine it was to do such a thing with something so rare and one of a kind.

I see things like this all the time, morons, absolute morons who don't appreciate nor deserve such extraordinary possessions...
 
Roscoe Martin

Roscoe Martin

Master Chief
Dispatch said:
Absolutely right, like you see on that TV show American Pickers, how many times have they shown someone with a barn full of cars and motorcycles wasting away, covered in dust and dirt for 'decades' just rotting away, a downright sin especially when someone could be taking care of and enjoying them.

Myself, I remember being on a trip to Wisconsin about 4 years ago when we came across a small mom and pop grocery store, the owner had a Harley Davidson 1915, model 11f on the roof of the establishment, being used as a weathervane.


I couldn't believe my eyes, it looked solid, complete and everything, missing no parts.

I asked the guy behind the counter why in the hell this was and explained how sacrilegious it was to do so, he told me he agreed but wasn't the owner and that it had been there for years, longer than he worked there.

I couldn't believe it, I would have killed to own an original HD from that time period.

I was almost tempted to write the owner a letter to let him him know how asinine it was to do such a thing with something so rare and one of a kind.

I see things like this all the time, morons, absolute morons who don't appreciate nor deserve such extraordinary possessions...
Click to expand...
Found out that American Pickers is scripted, producers find the stuff and set up the visits and buys. I watch the show to see the old bikes that are found. I have had alot of fun locating,buying and restoring old bikes. Found an old Honda Fat CAT in Ft. Smith,leaning against outside storage shed, green moss growing on it, holes rusted thru gas tank etc. Never worked on one of those so asked How Much ?? Gave 100 bucks. Amazing that the engine wasnt froze up. Took it down to frame and started the restoration. This was a bike that wanted to be fixed. Took the starter apart and handfull of rust fell out. I disassembled it cleaned it all up and put it together and it worked fine. Engine,checked bore, honed cylinder and new piston. Found a a gas tank for it, cleaned sealed it, new tires. That thing ran flawlessly. When building choppers for folks, go by the Big Dog dealer here soon as it went into operation. Super nice folks and they would come outside and comment on what I was riding. I would see the bikes on showroom floor and owner would take me in back and show me the customer special order bikes. I would compare the paint,etc to bikes I was building from the Harley insurance totals I was buying for parts. I was never pressured buy a Big Dog, but always thought day come when I will get one of those choppers,something super nice that I dont have start from frame up.Seen one up for sale few weeks ago and bought it and also made good friend too. He goes by Mohawk and he wanted get a K9. He found a K9 and needing sell his bike get it. He wanted bust a move on the K9 quick before it was gone but never changed title over on Chopper. I gave him the cash for the chopper, he gave me a bill of sale and he hauled butt driving like 5 hours get the K9. Title cam for my K9 he rode over and gave it to me. Well,we both ended up getting exactly what we wanted and his K9,has 11K miles on it and is in immaculate condition. Guess the moral to my story is that I didnt want to pay 24 K or over for a new BDM when they were new. The 2004 BDM I repaired had died on road with rider and he tried find someone in his area who would work on it, gave up I think and just let it sit. His Father had been previous owner and I hadnt talked at length with him for many years, like 34 years. I was posting since retirement on my Facebook, now retired have time do things I enjoy, bikes I would find and restore. I had posted a simple wiring diagram for a chopper. He seen it and gave me a call, told me about the bike and condition. I was apprehensive about it being exposed from weather so long and didnt know about availability of parts.Worked on bike about 5 hours a day for two week period of time. My wife,was upset about the condition of bike ( she drives a 2012 Camaro SS which she keeps in show room floor condition24/7),for some reason she was really most upset about the seat.lol We washed it when bike arrived and being on patio,clean and on the lift, she would come out in morning before she go to work and clean and polish on the bike. She gets a big kick out of hearing bikes start after they have been restored/ repaired. She was all smiles when she heard the bike start up on the lift. Yeah seeing something that was as expensive as that chopper,especially when you have such a high opinion of them as I do was painfull, but I knew after that young man got the bike back in running condition. Dont think that it would happen again. He didnt know that I had the bike for repair, his Dad didnt tell him. Son thought it was in his fathers garage. He called his Dad and asked it if their was anyway to get the bike running cause he had a brother club member pass and wanted to ride the bike for his memorial. Dad told him that he didnt have have the bike, I did and it was running and ready be picked up. He was able to go on the ride with bike and used the seat of his brothers BDM. Gotta love stories with a happy ending.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top