No kidding about the tire! The sellers were a couple of young guys. Seemed like nice enough guys, but they were pretty optimistic about the condition of the bike.
I talked to them on the phone before I drove the 2 hours to look at it, because there was a local one in good shape for $1500. I specifically asked about tire condition, (they said it still has some wear left), any frame damage (they said great, I count 9 welds that will have to be repaired) and wheel / rim condition (they said great, the rear wheel is completely missing a spoke).
The engine feels sound though, and all the really expensive bits are there and mostly intact, and they took my offer for $850. I'll no doubt be up to $1300 before I get the thing to a functional restoration, but I enjoy getting to know a bike, and I am sidelined from riding for the season for an ACL tear anyway. If I can't be riding, I might as well be wrenching.
Those pictures are really helpful... that will actually be a pretty easy piece to fabricate. I'm glad you posted it, the part that I had created based on my interpretation of the factory parts diagram was nowhere close to that.