looking back

Thought I'd spend just a little time to look back over my biking 2011.

I met up with the guys in the Rider's Club for the first time and started going to rallies. This increased my mileage this year as well as introducing me to some of the best company and funniest Harley riders I could ever hope to meet.

I spent a fair bit of money on my bike but didn't do much work to it. So, I'll be starting the New Year with a garage full of bits and pieces and a load of tinkering to do. At least I have waited 'till I'm sure just what I do want for my bike.

The changes I did make made a bit of difference in the way the night train looks. I moved the coils and horn, swapping their positions. I replaced the stock exhausts with black short shocks. (Makes the bike sound better too.) I fitted a small fairing with front bullet indicators to match the rear ones I already had fitted. As this was the "sons of anarchy" look, I expected it to be quite a common customisation but I have yet to come across another bike with the same look. Along with the fairing, I fitted higher black t-bars which not only look good, give me a more comfortable ride.

Well, tomorrow another year is starting and I've got a busy time getting the changes made to the bike. The front wheel needs sorting and then I can fit the wider forks. At the same time I'm going to be doing the switch from EFI to carb. 

Once those are done I've got a first MOT due in March then a good season's riding and rallying to look forward to. Hopefully that will include a trip top Sweden in the summer.

So, here's to the New Year.

nervous times

I've started stripping down the bike to get started on changing the EFI to carb.

So now it's time to get nervous and start doubting myself. Have I taken on too much? Are my skills with spanners and screwdrivers really up to the job in front of me? Am I going to be able to do it all and get the bike back on the road and running again?
Well there's only one way to find out!

surprise

I got home from work this evening and my workbench had been delivered.

So tomorrow, as it's christmas eve, I'll go out to the garage and put it together. Then, when I start the work, I'm definitely going to do, (though maybe not on christmas day) I'll have something to rest it on.

Wouldn't it be great if everything happened so quickly?
Like the wheel hub I've been waiting nearly two months for!

Christmas Break

And I'm planning to some work on my bike.

I'm off work for about ten days so I should (need) to get a fair bit done during that time. I picked up the tank but the wheel hub STILL isn't back from the  shop. So, I will start to work on removing the EFI and fitting the carb. Then when I get the hub back I can think about the front end.

I've just bought a wooden work bench on e-bay. I'll buy a vice and then at least I'll have some where to work that's steady and secure. Up 'till now I've been working on the top of my tool chest which is far from ideal.

Spending wise, I'm almost there. Just the front brake lines and the speedometer (which will be my last BIG purchase for a while) left to buy. Then, with just a few smaller items and some of those desirable but non necessary bits and pieces I will have everything I need to get back on the road with the bike just as I want it. 

For 2012 at least!

take your time, man

I started taking things apart yesterday.
Didn't get as far as removing the tank but what I did do was unplug all the connections. I stopped when I tried to disconnect the cross-over pipe at the front of the tank. I've got a quick release connector fitted so it should have been an easy job.
It started leaking fuel, so I quickly re-connected it and decided to try again the next time I'm out. Hopefully it will work and the valves will stop any more petrol escaping when I've got room to pull it apart completely. This time the two halves were still connected so I'm hoping that's the problem.
So, now I've disconnected all the wiring and guess what? I should have taken a picture (or even remembered what the reading was) of the odometer. When I fit a new speedo the mileage will be set at "0". So I should have some proof of what the bike has actually done.
Especially if I want a dealers stamp at the 5K service.

Oh, what to do?

Still no wheel hub.
But I've got the rim back at least so I guess I could take that and get it powder-coated along with the mud-guard brackets and the other small bits and bobs I want black. Then again, I really need to see how the hub will work out and if the spacers for the discs will fit as I'll want them coated too.
I'd rather get it all done at the same time. There will be another delay as I'll have to send the rim and hub away to get it relaced. Hopefully I'll be able to work out a timescale so I can get some bits done while others are getting prepared. Probably never work out like that though!

One thing has moved on at least. When I was in House of Custom, I ordered a tank and priced the Dakota speedo I'm going to fit.
The tank was as expensive as I thought it would be but I was pleasantly surprised as the speedo unit was a couple of hundred pounds less that I thought it would be. That's all I need to buy now to be able to complete the carb conversion as I want it. So, there's no reason I can't start to get the prep done.
That's the next half decent weekend booked up. I'm going to remove the tank and begin picking out the wiring loom so I can see what's needed.