
I've gone over to the dark side (well, at least its a Yamaha)

Off Gumtree for $100 and a 2 hour turn around - as close to free as you are likely to get.

The first thing done was to give the poor thing a tubs - it was encrusted. I think its history is that it has been used as a commuter for the last 25 years and has never seen the inside of a garage. Some crud, like chain lube and brake dust on the wheels, will never be cleaned up but generally the finish is testimony of Yamaha's original OEM standards. The worst damage is the rust pitting on the forks although two rust bubbles under the paint work on the tank don't bide well. Front brakes work, the rear doesn't. A quick check of the electrics with a flattish battery shows most working but not enough charge to kick over the motor (I hope that was the case - batt on charge at the mo).

The before and after.
There is white over spray all over the bike. Some determined rubbing with finger, cloth and cutting compound got the desired results - shows promise but lots of work.