The final two parts I needed for the engine arrived earlier today, the oil pump gasket and seal. So I got everything put together, put oil in the transmission, put the auto lube tank and exhaust back on, and tried to start it up. It started up well, but was smoking like crazy again, though it kept running if I kept goosing it. I assumed that it was probably burning off all of the transmission oil that had leaked into the crankcase, and it turned out I was right.

After a couple minutes of massive smoking, I turned it off and let it cool down for a few minutes, then switched over to the other spark plug, and started it up again. Finally it started idling, and putting out the right amount of smoke with the choke off.

I did make sure to prime the oil pump through the screw on the body, and I also primed it up through the fitting that goes to the cylinder before I connected it.

So this is the first time in some thirty years that this bike has been running like normal! I should have the tires and tubes by Saturday.

By the way, it's idling about 2,300 RPM, is that normal? I don't remember.

Around 1,500 is standard idle, though if you ride trails a bit higher is nice.

Thanks for the reply Darinm. It's been so long since I've worked on one of these, I'd forgotten. I'll play around with the mixture and idle screws tomorrow, I think it's going to do just fine. It seemed to me that it originally was idling slower than 2,300.

Edit: this morning I found that it likes to idle at about 1,700 RPM real nice.

In advance nothing political about my response, but I was really good at registering motorcycles in CA but their constant attitude about "lets see how we can screw anyone or extract more money if possible" is why I now live in Arizona.  I felt like I could get anything registered in Simi Valley.  I have now become good at doing the same on registering non-titled motorcycles in Arizona, I have done two already.  Just read the rules, try it once and learn.  When I started registering all my bikes here, the MVD agent I worked with was also a CA refugee and he told me that in AZ I could make a skate board street legal if I really wanted.  I hate California...

I am happy to share and answer any questions anyone has about registering a bike in CA.  My instructions are out there, but knowing California, I know the rules can change from day to day, the politicians hate us (motorcycle riders) so they don't ever want us to be comfortable.
 

Except that I did get this old motorcycle, that's been out of the system for almost thirty years, registered, and without a motorcycle endorsement. I just had to do a little bit of homework, have a mobile Vin checker come out and give me the reg 31 form, call my agent and get it insured, and after that I made an appointment with the DMV for 3:00, and they called my number almost exactly at 3:00. Within a half-hour it was all done, and now it's registered to the old original license plate.

I'm a California native, and I appreciate all of you people that hate California, but often you came here from elsewhere, and never got into it. Enjoy Arizona. I love Arizona as well, it's a nice place to visit.

I'm with Tom here, if it has a title, registration in CA is almost guaranteed - provided you pay the fees. The back fees can certainly be obnoxious. On the other end of the spectrum it's rather comical that California issues permanent plates for trailers. When we got our little travel trailer, the DMV agent pointed out if it was 13' or less total length it got a PTI plate too, she whipped out the tape measure and sure enough, one time registration which I didn't even know was possible.

I'm surprised you even had to have the VIN checked if it was a CA title. But DMV agents are like airline agents, it's really all about their attitude regarding the rules, and their attitude is typically more about your attitude

I actually can understand the VIN check after 30 years. Even though I had the title, it could have been a different frame, a different engine, who knows? In fact if you think about it, they're just trying to look out after people that have had their motorcycles stolen.

So even though I know the motorcycle had been stored on the same property for all that time, and I knew the provenance, it didn't bother me.

Tom P, I lived in CA 47 years. I know every backroad in California. sorry if you took my post wrong. Enjoy paying $6 a gallon for gas and I was paying $10k a year in property tax. I am glad you can afford it. I could not. I live in Northern Arizona I have clean air, I don't sit in traffic for 3 hours a day like I did when I worked in LA and Hollywood and I don't have to listen to the constant drought, wildfire, earthquake frenzy news on KNX and TV. I not only enjoy living in Arizona, I will never leave. Sorry I offended you.

I wasn't offended at all. I know many people that have moved from CA to Prescott Arizona. I pay $1,500 a year in property taxes for a 1.5 million dollar home. Prop 13... if you stay put, it helps.

California is an amazing state. It has so much diversity, and so many microclimates. I know it's popular for people to bag on it, for current political leadership, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I used to go surfing in the morning, and snow skiing in the afternoon.

I also live in Orange County, and have been self-employed for 40 years. I don't sit in traffic, and LA is just a place I drive through to get to Santa Barbara. However I usually love to travel south down to San Diego County, or inland to Joshua Tree.

But I was serious, I do love visiting Arizona.

Funny I'm on the other end end of the state, majority of land up near the Oregon border is National Forest, so much space to ride, ski, mountain bike and kayak it's hard to imagine being anywhere else when you combine the activities with the access. Oregon is nice too but if you work for the state the cost of living is similar but the pay is 60% less.