what's a mind for but changeing?

I went out to the garage today fully prepared to extend the wiring on the horn and relocate it to the position I had decided on yesterday.

Before I did that, I removed the seat post which is only there to hold the coils and will now be redundant when I move the coils. That left a space between the rear cylinder and the oil tank. So, then I got to thinking that the horn may fit in that space.
The HD horn wont fit as it is too wide, it being a trumpet shape. I went on-line and found a suitable, narrow horn for less than £12, so I ordered one and will fit it to the top mounting bolt from the seat post.
Here's some pics of the bike as it is now, showing the space behind the rear cylinder.

As it looks as though I'll be running with the stock front end for the summer, (I am still trying to make my mind up how to proceed with the forks) I will spend the next couple of weekends doing some of the little things the bike needs. Then I will put it all back together again.
Should be ready for the road soon.

tinkerer or rider?

I'm beginning to wonder which I'm destined to be.
The weather outside is mild and sunny and I don't have a bike on the road! Even if I were to get my head down and put everything back together, my coils are away with the bracket so the bike wouldn't run anyway.

I've just renewed my insurance (need it for "insurance" in case of theft, even if the bike is off the road) so all I would have to do is get the bike taxed and I'd be ready to go. (I SORNed the bike for a month or two, to bring the tax cycle more into the times it's off the road.)

I'm coming round to the idea of keeping the bike as stock as it is at the moment and postponing any more customisation until next winter. That way I can continue to buy the parts I need but still get the full riding season. Then when I take the bike off the road next winter I will be able to get right down to the work needed.
Ideally I would like to have a bike which is ready to start and go any-time I feel like riding but the desire to make changes and individualise my ride is just too overpowering, so I somehow doubt if I'll ever get to that stage.

Just back in from some more "tinkering". Was going to move the horn to somewhere in front of the splash plate in front of the rear wheel. I had found out that it would fit in there, from some reports on-line, by guys who had done just that.
I then noticed that there was room on the strap that runs between the frame down-tubes. I have my tubular tax disc holder on there but was sure that the cow-bell horn cover would fit too. And it does. I didn't have time in the failing light to extend the wires but will do that tomorrow.
Will take pics then too.

deflated

That is indeed how I feel right now.
I went along to Area 51 this afternoon only to find out that they have stopped doing any fabrication. They've got rid of the CNC machine and lathe and are now contracting out any manufacturing work.
I'm getting the coil bracket done but the yokes are are different matter. As Area 51 can't do them and don't know anyone making billet yokes in Scotland, the only suggestion they offered was a set of off the shelf yokes or a set of upside down forks.
The only yokes that are made for 49mm fork tubes are designed for a Dyna so I don't know if they can be customised to fit the softail headstock. They almost certainly wont bolt on without some adjustment.
The other route, buying a complete front end with upside down forks will give me the beefy front end that I'm wanting but it is certainly a much more expensive route.
I will take a few days to mull over my choices before making a decision. Meanwhile I'm going to get on with relocating the coils and horn and fitting my V&H exhausts.

where is this going?

I've just re-read my previous post and realised how it could be taken as being, shall we say, a bit of an innuendo. But, if I change it now this post wont make any sense so I'll leave it and move on.

I'm off to Area 51 later this morning to see what they can do for me, about my front end. I'm also going to take the engine mounting bracket I just bought and ask them to adapt it to take the coils. The new bracket is from a softail but is plain metal and does not have the horn mount attached. Hopefully it will fit OK and prove to be a cheaper solution to cutting up the one that's already fitted.

Will post how I get on, later.

front end blues

My fairing arrived today.
The width of the fairing may determine how wide my yokes will be. I was thinking of getting really extra wide ones made but I think that twelve inches will be as wide as I can go and still be able to fit the Ness fairing.
Maybe just as well.

Je ne regrette rien

Well actually there is one thing.
I'm beginning to regret buying my night train new.
It's not the fact that it was new when I bought it, more that I wish I had bought an older model.
An older model wouldn't have had the EFI and all the electronic gizmos that come along with it. Most of which it seems can be done without. Things like oxygen sensors, throttle position sensors and active exhaust bl**dy valves!
So, had I bought an old bike in the first place, I wouldn't have to consider going retro with it. That way I wouldn't be facing the difficulties I keep coming across every time I start to do any work on the damn thing!

Today I decided to remove the stock exhaust pipes. I figured I could do that today and then I'd be able to get in to drain the transmission and replace the clutch cable with the longer one needed for the higher bars. I got the old mufflers removed and then went on to remove the pipes. The O2 sensors can remain and be fitted into the V&H pipes as they are made with ports. The bit I didn't take into account was the active exhaust system. This is a servo motor which opens and shuts a valve on the exhaust. Something to do with noise emissions, I believe. Well as it doesn't work with the V&H then I need a blanking adapter to fool the EFI into thinking it is still there to stop the computer throwing up an error message.
That's another twenty-five quid spent!