Not Ranked
I would strongly endorse the recommendations of others to check everything. Make assumptions that the worst will happen on your first drives and work like hell to disprove your assumptions.
I bought a high dollar motor from a reputable constructor and paid for the installation. Here's what happened to me:
1.) Gas line was leaking at the carburetor....ever so slightly but would have gone undetected had I not at least lifted the hood to look for obvious leaks. It was quickly fixed but had I not double checked it could have resulted in a very expensive and dangerous fire.
2.) Throttle return stuck on first time wide-open throttle. The bolt in the bell crank was installed backward and the threads caught on the spark plug wires. Fortunately I had plenty of road in front of me and was able to depress the clutch and switch the ignition off. If I hadn't had previous experience with dirt bikes I don't know that I would have been able to think quickly enough to avoid a serious wreck.
3.) Engine constructor didn't install the rev limiter in the MSD box. This became obvious when #2 occurred.
4.) Engine constructor didn't tighten the spinner on the right rear wheel. The car got squirrely on a slow left hand sweeper. It wandered just like my 4 wheel steer lawn tractor when the steering wheel is just off of center. The spinner moved by hand. I tightened it using techniques recommended on this site by others and it has since loosened again. I am in the process of safety wiring them as recommended elsewhere on this site.
Bottom line, assume Murphy's law is alive and well in your build. I was complacent and should have done a much better job double checking work done by others. I didn't, but fortunately everything turned out all right. I hope my near misses and misfortune save you the same headaches.
Good luck!
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