Last Sunday I drove up to Appleton to pick up a 1967 Dnepr K750 that was pulled from a barn in Manitowoc. The gentleman that I picked it up from explained to me that he was known in the area for purchasing old motorcycles in any condition. This bike was no exception. An old guy called him and told him that he had this old bike that was dismantled laying around his barn.
I picked up this bike for my friend Frankie because I knew he loved these old Russian bikes. Not to mention that if there is anyone that could get this bike on the road again, Frankie is the man to do it.
The frame is mostly intact.
The motor I was told was seized.
And everything else that came with the bike was in one box. Most people would look at this and throw in the towel, but both Frankie and I look at boxes of rusty, neglected parts as opportunities and possibilities to build the bike the way WE want to.
Camel Trophy Cigarette stickers that were placed on the knee covers.
As soon as I got back to Milwaukee Frankie and I started dismantling the engine to discover what was causing the motor to be seized. The motor was really stuck no hope of budging just by putting some weight on the kick starter.
We took both the heads off and tried to turn the engine over again but still nothing.
The Piston was massive. You have to remember that I have dealt with single cylinder bikes where the piston is quite a bit smaller.
After about three hours of working on the motor I said my goodbyes to Frankie for the night and went home to Brookfield.
Not even 5 minutes after I arrived at my parents house, Frankie texted me:
"Crank is free; clutch was stuck. Took the Tranny off and was able to break clutch free"
*Facepalm*
The deal that Frankie got on this bike seems to just be getting better and better.
I am happy that this motorcycle is in Frankie's hands now, after only 4 hours into ownership he was able to free up the engine. If it was me, add those four hours to four weeks and I still might be trying to get the engine free!
Stay tuned to check out how this bike turns out, and be sure to check out Frankie's blog!
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