Rotate rims & hubs correctly

While the scoot lived in Ted's garage, he was kind enough to tackle a bit of the reassembly. One item he took care of for me was to purchase the new tubes and put the tires on the rim. I hadn't noticed until a reader pointed out, but the tube came through the rim wrong and the rims were connected to the hubs backwards.It was an easy change for me and just one more item that needed to be done. So I tackled the front tire a week ago and the rear tire today. An item worth investing in for me is a torque wrench -- a nice Craftsman for $90. I purchased mine on sale at Harbor Freight for $12 or $20 or something like that. I figured since it is a hand tool I should be safe. I was wrong. I just pulled it out and I can't remember, but I am not sure the last time I used it if I put it on the lowest setting so to preserve the intricate mechanisms. All I know is it no longer works and I now need to invest in a quality one.

I did not fix the spare tire set up yet, as the tube inside it was pinched between the rim halves when put together (make sure to pump up with air before sealing the halves) and I figure I will fix that when I put a new tube in. No rush as the visible tires are now correct.

Replace Rim Studs

Stop! Don't bang out your old studs. They are welded in place with a tack weld. You will damage them on the way out. Try and reuse what you have first. My shop guy Ted was tapping one out for me to bring with me to the hardware store to buy stainless steel split washers and nuts and low and behold we stopped tapping out the stud right away after we made a little mess of the powder coat. Crap!

MOST IMPORTANT:
There are two important characteristics in a restorer: experience and patience. For what I lack in experience I try to make up for with patience. When hammering out a stud or some metal on your bike (other than body) ALWAYS use a block of wood or copper hammer (use a hammer with metal softer than what you are hitting) and save yourself from stripping threads or causing permanent damage. Take your time! Sometimes commonsense goes by the wayside when we get excited. Patience is a virtue and pays itself back time and time again.