Just came back from a day of road testing. There are still some things to do, but this is what we've found out thus far:
The NOVA 5 speed transmission is awesome. The shifting is so effortless and spot-on, and locating neutral is finally a cinch. No more false neutrals, and oftentimes when I thought I was in 3rd gear, I was really in 2nd. 70mph in 3rd gear was a revelation, and I am very glad I chose this transmission option. Definitely worth the effort.
I did about 6 hot runs today, and John's determined that the bike is running lean. We started with 150 mains (what were already in the carbs before all the work was done), and then went to 170's, and then 190's, and the plugs were still light. At full throttle the bike got up to about 95mph (indicated) and just sat there (at about 7500rpm indicated). Smooth acceleration throughout the entire range, but John's going to try 220 mains and ride it himself and see what happens.
The bike might also be having a problem with the starter motor clutch (don't know if that's the proper name for it), but sometimes when we tried the starter it would just spin and not engage. John's going to look into that.
Other than that, it's interesting to see how these three different procedures (big bore kit, head work, 5 speed transmission) seem to work pretty well together. Hopefully nailing down the jetting won't be too much of a problem. The welder has that new engine side cover, and hopefully I'll bring the finished product to the powder coater next week. Lee should have the gas tank done by the end of this week. Stay tuned for more excitement!
The current side cover -- the 'new' one will eliminate those two plugged holes and smooth that entire area out.
The test pilot!
The old tank is presently on the bike while the new tank is being fixed.