bracket and bits

I've spent a bit of time over the last two or three days making up a new bracket for the coils.

The way I had them mounted was with a bracket holding the choke cable above the coils which were mounted onto the top engine mount on a bracket I had made up from a stock engine mount with the horn bracket cut off.

As I'm getting rid of the dash, I need somewhere to place an ignition switch. After a bit of trial and error attempting to fit a switch on the front, top engine mount I decided that beneath the coils would be a better place.

I had a look through some of the "shiny stuff" catalogues and could have bought an engine top mount with a bracket as an integral part. Or I could have bought bits of brackets and tried to make them fit onto my existing top mount. The cheapest route, I could see, would have worked out at nearly a hundred pounds, without a guarantee that it would fit.
So, after reading an article in BSH, I decided to have a go at making a bracket myself. 

I started by ordering a sheet of 6mm thick aluminium plate from e-bay. I've no power for a bench grinder so all the cutting and shaping had to be done by hand, using a hack-saw and files. That's why it has taken me so long. It fits well and, in my opinion, looks good. 

So, all I have to do now is do some cosmetic shaping. I was going to cut a triangular shape out of the centre but may just drill a pattern in holes. I'll decide after I've finished and fitted it, whether to get it powder-coated black or leave it polished.

I've also ordered a new set of bars. I decided on black bonanza bars which I will mount on 2" black Biltwell risers.

All I need to do now is to save hard for a couple of months to get a front wheel and then take the plunge on the re-wiring. (although I'm still toying with the idea of paying for a professional job there!)

December and nothing's stirring ....

... except Christmas which is racing towards us.

I've not got much done to the bike at all. I've taken the tank off, removed the rear mudguard and pulled as much of the wiring loom out from under the oil tank as I can. This is in order to get as good a view as possible so I can work out what has to stay and what i can get rid of.
As you can see from the photo it looks like a mess of multi-coloured spaghetti.
I'm seriously thinking that re-wiring it will be beyond me and that I should pay a professional to do it properly.

I have decided to change the bars and will order new ones soon. The "sons" fairing and t-bars look is going to go and will be replaced by some sort of apes. The height has still to be worked out. I doubt if I'm going to wire them internally this time as they're going to be a pain to "dewire". (I know that's not a word but I'm sure you know what I mean with-out a longer explanation!)

My new wheels are the other thing that's holding me up. I just can't afford the front wheel I want for now. Hopefully, after the holidays I'll be a bit more flush and be able to buy the front one and get the forks fitted. The rear will need to wait although I need to buy a tyre before I'm back on the road.

getting ready

I went out and spent a couple of hours tidying up my garage today.

God knows where all the junk comes from! But, it's now a lot tidier and I will have the room to start pulling the bike apart to get the work done over the winter.

winter planning

I've just come back from what will be the last weekend away on the bike for this riding season.

Not that I really like the idea of a time of year when I should automatically take the bike off the road and lay it up for the winter but this year I want to get on with the plans I have been putting off for a while.

But, first to the weekend. The riders' club had the "end of seasoner" planned since way back in April / May. Fifteen of us booked into a bunkhouse in Newtonmore. The ride up there from Glasgow was cold and wet but the stunning scenery entirely made up for that. I decided to steer clear of the A9 and ride up Loch Lomondside to Glencoe and Fort William then cut off at Spean Bridge and the Lagganside road to Newtonmore.

Reversing the route on Sunday was not quite as wet and was even mild without the wind. These are some of the best biking roads I know.

I managed to get home on the tank of fuel I filled the bike with at Fort William on the way up. Not only was my petrol tank conveniently empty, the road tax ran out at the end of September, the front tyre is also at the stage of needing replacing so the SORN certificate can start just in time for me to take the bike off the road to start all the work I'm planning.

As for that work. The main thing I want to get done is the front end. I've had the forks in the garage for well over a year now. I need to order brake lines and will get the read ones in stainless to match the front while I'm at it, but the big expenditure is going to be the wheels. I very much doubt that I will be able to afford to do both wheels so I'll concentrate on putting the cash together for the front one for now. There are still a couple of options I'm considering, each of which has it's up and downsides. 

I want polished stainless spokes on a black rim.

Performance Machine wheels are expensive but are totally the look I want. Their merc wheel in black ops finish would really complete the black and mean look I want. The negative with buying them is that I will be restricted in the size of the rear wheel I can get. They manufacture wheels for Harleys as model specific so I would need to buy a front one for a fatbob and a rear for the night train. I am considering going down to a sixteen inch for the rear and to go that way I would need to go for another manufacturer like TTS or even buying hubs and getting them built to the specs I want.

I'll do a final bit of research on the internet then go for whichever can give me the combination of looks, sizes and price I'm looking for.

As well as replacing the forks and brakes, I'm thinking of swapping the bars too, just to complete the look. I may remove the "sons of anarchy" fairing and go for some sort of apes. The fairing does give me some protection from the weather but not enough to make it indispensable.

Apart from the front end there are also a few jobs which I didn't complete at the beginning of the year. I've got the speedo to fit which will include removing the rest of the redundant wiring from the carb conversion. I still need to finish the filling on the new tank. Then, cash flow allowing I can think about the paint work.

So, I've got a lot of work in front of me. Fingers crossed I'm going to get through it this time.

lesson learned

After a really glorious weekend, Sunday morning was looking as though the good weather was going to last.

The sun was shining, the forecast was fine and I had arranged to meet up with one of the guys from the riders' club somewhere along the route I was planning to take.

I set off about half eleven and went up Loch Lomond side to Tarbet and then headed off to Inverary. From there I headed through Dalmally to Crianlarich and then back towards Callander.

I passed Don going the opposite direction and we turned around and stopped for a gab.

Then I set off once more to head for home via Aberfoyle.

A round trip of about a hundred and sixty miles and sunny all the way.

That was until I got ten miles from Glasgow and the heavens opened. I was absolutely soaked.

I knew I should have packed my waterproofs as there was no way the hundred percent record of wet rides this summer was going to change!

Talking about the wet summer, I'm actually already planning to take the bike off the road for the winter. I've got a weekend away at the end of September and for now am looking at SORNing the bike after that. It's been such a wet summer and I've got plans for what I want to do to the bike this winter so it looks as good a date as any.
The plans will be for a further post soon.

Custom show

Eight of us (on 7 bikes) took a wee run down to Kendal for the first ever Cumbria Custom show. Wasn't too bad for their first go but there were nicer chops not in the show.

Wasn't a bad wee run of about three hundred miles. I don't think I've been any distance at all this "summer" and not been rained on at some time.

fuel consumption

I finally managed to run the bike until the fuel ran out. 

I got 208 miles before I had to switch over to the reserve tank. I then ran it for a further 20 miles and as I was near a filling station I filled up. 

At least I now know that I can run for a fair distance on reserve.

Lakes Rally and getting old

I'm not long back from the region 4 rally in Kirkby Lonsdale. I'll write that report later with some photos.

I've never felt so stiff and tired after a rally before. The ride home of about 150 miles wasn't even through rain, though it was a bit windy. The camp site was dry and in great condition, the weather was good (most of the time) and I didn't even drink that much over the weekend.

I found myself asking questions about whether I'm getting too old for camping. Especially on the bike when I cant take too many luxuries like an inflatable mattress as opposed to the self inflating mat I'm using.

Then when I think back over the weekend I realise that I enjoyed myself so much there is no way I could give up. So I'm looking forward to the next one at the beginning of August.

There is a PS to this. I ended up in bed for three days with flu, so it wasn't really my age.
Roll on the next rally!

rainy days but no dry tank

I've only been getting out for short rides this past week or two.

Today, I went out between showers and did about thirty miles. I timed it nicely though, as the rain was just coming on when I turned into the lane where my garage is. My neighbour with the Triumph wasn't so lucky as he was just on his way out.

That's me put up 120 miles on this tank of petrol. So, next weekend (fingers crossed that it's not too wet) I'll take some spare fuel out with me and run the bike until I have to go on to reserve. Then I can drive around between petrol stations 'till I run out.

It will be interesting to know how far I can get on a tank of gas. I'll need to know before I head off to the Lakes rally in a couple of weeks time.

demos and meetings

I went on the Scotland demo for the MAG Hands off Biking day of action.

It was probably the most boring hours ride I've ever done to be honest but well worth it for a good cause. About 200 bikes set off from Cheapside in Glasgow to ride along the M8. It was a disappointing turn out but only to be expected as the details had been changed at the last minute.

Considering what the European Parliament is looking to to with biking anything we can do should be worth a bit of effort.

From there, I headed off to the Rider's Club Region 2 AGM. Luckily the rain fell while we were in the meeting so although the bike was wet, my waterproofs, which I had left on the bike, didn't get too wet.

So, talking business aside, it was good to meet up with the guys and look forward to the next rally.

That will be the Lakes in July.

what's next?

The region 2 rally in Bute has come and gone.

I'll post some tales and pictures here soon. After such a great weekend in the sun, getting on with work and everyday seems a bit of an anti-climax.
I haven't got any big rides planned but no doubt I'll get out for a few miles this weekend. I really must work out how much I get to a tank of fuel and how many miles I have in reserve.
To do this I've bought a 2 litre fuel can which I'll fill and carry with me. Then I can run the tank dry and have a reserve to get me home.

It's time to start to look forward to the Lakes Rally in July. I plan to head straight off from there to Ireland for a weeks touring on the bike down the west coast.

Just a few things to prepare first.

I'll need to plan my route as I wont be able to carry too much in the way of maps and brochures. The last time I was over there, in the car,, I ended up driving loads of miles almost aimlessly. This time I will decide in advance where I'm going to visit. 

too hot ...

...for riding?

No but it was getting there today. I met up with a mate at Dumgoyne distillery and from there we headed over to Stirling. A couple of miles down the motorway to the services to see if anyone else was up for a wee run.

As there were no takers, we set off after a drink and headed up towards Aberfoyle.

Lunch and ice cream there then back to Glasgow. Nice wee, sunny 85 miles.

reserves

When I was out last weekend I put off filling the tank. I need to work out how much I will get to a full tank now that I've fitted the carburettor. The electronic fuel gauge, which tells me the mileage I've got left, is not functioning now that I'm only using part of the engine management unit. Sometimes it shows that I've got over seven hundred miles remaining. (Wouldn't that be great? Were it true!)
I also need to know how much I've got when I switch to reserve. It gets a bit scary riding and not knowing where the next fuel stop is, when you don't know when you're going to run out. So far I've not had the courage to push it too far.
I've spoken to mates who have got about another twenty miles on reserve. Then again, others say they've got about twenty yards. It's all to do with the height of the threaded part of the petrol switch - apparently.

So, I guess the best way to do it will be to carry enough petrol in a can to do me to a fuel station once it has completely run out. I've got a 5 litre can but don't really fancy running around for god knows how long with that strapped to my rack.

I'll beg, borrow or, at a last resort, buy a smaller one.

summer at last?

Tried out something I read on the web, when I was starting the bike this morning.

I gave the throttle a couple twists before hitting the start button. It fired up right away. Now I don't know if it was that or just that when I fiddled about with the choke cable I sorted something out with the way it was routed. Whatever it was, it worked.

I then headed off to Lanark Loch to meet up with a mate for lunch. 

I nice wee run of about forty miles which turned into a hundred and twenty after I got lost and just kept taking what looked liked interesting roads.

And. the sun shone!

a nice wee test run

Well, I did 222 miles over the weekend and the bike is running well.

At least it is once it has warmed up. I've still got the problem of having to open the throttle to get it to fire up at first. 

This could still be the choke cable routing. I'll have a look at it at the weekend to see if I can sort it out.

camping

Getting packed for my first camping weekend of this year and I'm going through the same old debates, with myself, over what I need to take and what should get left out. The bare minimum will win out as usual. I'm taking my bigger tent as the weather doesn't look as if it will be dry and I will need a bit more space to move around in.

So, first thing tomorrow morning I'm heading off towards Berwick. 

Report here when I get back.

the best medicine

I got up this morning feeling really flat. I still haven't fully recovered from the bout of flu I was suffering from a couple of weeks back.

I went out to the garage for a while, just to fit the new master cylinder cap. That took me half an hour or so as I had to try out a gasket I had bought for it. It didn't work properly and was leaking fluid. So then, I had to use the stock one from the old cap. That fitted OK once I had worked out how to remove the sight glass.
I've decided to leave the RSD logo off the cap. The bronze coloured one actually looks quite cool but I'd rather have it plain black. If I can do without Harley logos on my bike I don't really want any other ones.
I though about starting the bike up but, as I didn't have my helmet or jacket out with me, there wasn't much point as I couldn't go anywhere. Plus, as I tried to convince myself, I wasn't feeling too well and probably wouldn't enjoy it.
But, as soon as I got back into the house I really felt I should go for a ride.

So, I headed off out and when I came back, after about forty miles, I felt so much better.

I'm so glad I did. It really was a pick-me-up.

cool running

Got out for a run today. 

I needed to get out and check how the adjustments to the carburettor were, as I had re-adjusted the throttle cables after the last run.

Once the bike had warmed up, it was running as sweet as you like. The tick-over is slow and at all throttle settings the engine is pulling well. It's definitely running a lot cooler too.

I'm tempted to replace the tank soon but as that will require me to wire in the speedo and do something about the ignition switch, I will resist that temptation for now and concentrate on getting some miles done.

So, I'm all ready for the first weekend away with the Riders' Club. We're heading down to a pub near Berwick on Tweed for a couple of nights the weekend after next.

weather dependant?

While it was still dry this morning, I headed out to get some fuel. 

After about ten miles the rain started to come on so, as I didn't have any waterproofs on, I headed back home. (I was just out for fuel after all!)

The bike is running well and is pulling a lot better in the lower rev range. It also seems to be running a bit cooler too. The engine just didn't seem as hot when I came back as I would previously expected.

Once I got back and with the engine warmed up I spent a bit of time re-adjusting the idle speed. I managed to sort out the idle speed and it now ticks over slowly but without cutting out. The only thing was that I had to re-adjust the throttle cables as the twist grip felt a bit stiff and wasn't returning at all. Hopefully, that wont have thrown the idle out again.

Next time out should see it right. Just two more weekends before the first weekend away and I would like everything to be just so then.

cosmetics

I'm waiting for a couple of things to come dropping through the letterbox.

One's a front master cylinder cap. I've ordered a Roland Sands "black ops" one. It's two tone black and was a bit more expensive than the Arlen Ness one I was originally looking at. That one was engraved and contrast cut. I much prefer the all black one and I can leave the RSD logo off. It's a way I can get round the issue of having the wrong DOT brake fluid written on the top of the brake (as well as looking good).

The other item is the rear axle cover to replace the one I lost last autumn. 

I'll make sure this one's fastened correctly!

Apart from that, I don't think I'll be out on the bike much this weekend. I'm still suffering, a week after first coming down with the flu and until I get over feeling so weak, will not be going too far from the couch.

F'in flu

Been in bed most of the last four days, including all weekend,  so didn't even manage to get out for fuel never mind fix the idle (yes that's still not right!). 

Going for a decent ride was just out of the question.

is this a test or what?

Some of the guys in the riders' club are planning a "wee" run to the Lake District on Sunday. I'm really tempted but am not too sure if a round trip of 300 miles is a good idea for my first proper run on the bike since the carb conversion.

Or is it just that I'm scared?

sorted

Just been out for a run. After about ten miles there was no sign of the carburettion problems so it looks like the fault was with the vacuum take-off.

Bike's running sweetly now.

another day, trying

I pulled off the carburettor again today to try, once again, to get the choke cable sorted. I've adjusted the outer cable so that it is as short as it can be. I've also moved the bracket to the outside of the coil bracket to give it a straighter run.

Hopefully that will do the trick. It's looking a bit makeshift for now as the screws I had used to hold it all together weren't long enough for the new set-up and I had to do a bodge-up with some allen screws I had lying about and over-size nuts as packing.

The coil is now without the wrinkle black cover so I may look at replacing it with one that look a bit better but as that's purely for cosmetic reasons it can wait and most likely will!

While I had the carb off I noticed in the tuning manual I down-loaded that there is a nozzle for a vacuum petrol tap. This should be blanked off if it's not needed. I hadn't noticed this before so now I have fitted a cap on it, maybe that will make some difference.
Trying to start the bike took a lot out of the battery so I've got it on charge. But, at least while that was getting done I had the time to do an oil and filter change.
I need to get out and ride!

frustrating

I had another attempt, this morning, to get the choke cable routed correctly. I eventually took it out of the bracket I made and cable tied the cable to the top of the coil cover.
The bike is still coughing a bit as I open up the throttle. It's not as bad as it was with the cable secured. It's still not quite right so I'll need to think of something else. There's still not enough free play in the cable so the business end is probably not sitting correctly in the carb body. I've got the feeling that the best way to sort it out would be to shorten the outer cable. But, just in case that doesn't work, I think I'll order a new cable. Then if that is not the answer, I'll at least have a stock cable to try other solutions.

done but not dusted

Got the bike through the MOT without a hitch. I guess I was worrying needlessly. Now I just need to fork out for road tax!

I still need to sort out the tuning on the carb. The idle speed is OK but there is a bit of "coughing" early throttle opening. I'm guessing this is the free play (or lack of it) at the choke cable. I had the carb off yesterday and there wasn't much adjustment in the cable so I think I may have to look at the mounting and see if I can do something there.

Here's a pic of how the bike will look for (some) of this season.

ticking over

I spent a bit of time today getting the idle speed set right. 

So much time in fact that someone from offices adjacent to my garage, came out and asked me to stop making so much noise. Fair enough, but if they hadn't been working with the windows open they would never have heard the bike. Or at least, it wouldn't have been so annoying.

So I blame the sunny weather.

I wont know if I need to do any more tuning to the carb until I get out for a run, after I've got a MOT certificate and am fully legal. I did take a short run round the block but don't want to chance that too much.

getting nervous

The MOT is just two days away. I'm pretty sure that it's going to get through no bother but there is always that nagging doubt in the back of your mind.

I've fitted the stock number-plate and the reflectors are there. The only thing I can see which may be a problem is the alignment of the headlamp and the loudness of the pipes. The headlamp, I'll measure up tomorrow.
As for the pipes?  Well, it's fingers crossed.

running

I charged the battery up for a few days, went out to the garage this morning, fitted the battery and fired up the engine.

I'll spend a bit of time tomorrow fine tuning the carburettor and get the tick-over right. Then it will just be getting the few odds and sods done before taking it in for a MOT. I couldn't get it booked in for an MOT before Thursday so I've got plenty time to get everything done. Then it's back on the road.
Will need to wait for next week-end to get a run.

done

But still not quite there.

I've got the bike together put some fuel in the tank and tried firing it up. It's almost catching but there is just something not quite right. So although it's turning over and even firing it's not yet running.

I don't have much free time any evening this week so next weekend will be time to go through everything to eliminate what's not wrong and get it sorted.

two steps forward ...

... and a big leap back!

Today is St Patrick's day and it's exactly three years since I picked up my new Harley. So, not having it on the road is getting a bit depressing.

 I have decided that doing all the work I was hoping to get done is just taking too long and may be a step beyond my capabilities. Even if I could do all the work myself, I am getting desperate to get the bike through the MOT and get back on the road.

So, I've wired the altmann ignition unit into the bike and re-fitted the old tank. That way I can run the bike with the carb but keep the ECU to operate the speedo.

Fitting the pingel fuel tap to the stock tank was actually straight forward. It was easy enough to remove the petrol pipe from the top of the tank once I had opened up the dash and then it just needed the original fitting removed and the adapter screwed in its place. 

After that the speedo, warning lights and ignition switch just needing re-connecting to work. I may have to cut the wire to the engine warning light as the ECU will show that something is not working . Yes about ten electronic gizmos and sensors which are now in a box in my garage!

So, I've now got the battery on charge and tomorrow I'll fit it and, fingers crossed, fire it up.
One of my stumbling blocks was trying to find somewhere to fix the new ignition switch. at the end of this summer look at getting a  mount manufactured on the back of the tank for the stock ignition switch. I'll also keep the new speedo and fit that when I put on the new tank. I still want to go for the cleaner look of the tank without the dash.
I may also consider re-wiring the bike completely.

But for now I'm hoping to get back on the road by the end of the month.

more waiting

Everything seems to have slowed down. A lot.

I was about to fit the speedo when I opened up the back and realised it wasn't the one I had expected it to be. I had been sent an old style. This one, which is no longer available, does not have the indicator or warning  lights. It's just a speedo, plain and simple.

So a few phone calls later, I've sent it back and am now waiting for the one I should have got  initially.

Bloody annoying.

Not nearly as annoying as the crap I'm going through with my insurance renewal. I went online, filled in the forms only to be sent an e-mail saying I'd need to phone to get the best deal.

That's what I did, then nothing. Took another e-mail to get a policy document sent through. 

That was wrong. They got the registration wrong. So now I'm waiting for it to be sent again.

God knows what it will be like if I have to make a claim.

good days tinkering

It was a day to get some of the little jobs out of the way. So, I fitted the fuel tap to the tank and cut the fuel lines (both from tank to tap and the balance pipes), got the air cleaner fitted to the carb and have fitted the speedo to the bars. I placed the tank on the frame to measure the lines and it's looking quite good. The chrome on the fuel cap and the speedo bracket are providing a bit of contrast to the black of the bike. This will be even more noticeable when I get round to fitting the black yokes. So maybe I wont have to get the speedo and bracket powder coated.

And I still haven't started cutting wires yet.

Maybe tomorrow!

insurance

I've just spent twenty five minutes on the phone getting my bike insured. And, that was after having a quote from about the same time filling in details on-line.

Remember the good old days when you could go into insurance offices on any high street?

What I have got is my speedo so next weekend I'm going to start cutting wires. Fingers crossed.

paint job

I've finished painting the tank.

It was just a quick rattle-can spray with some satin black over grey primer. One day I'll get a proper paint-job done but this will do for the meantime.

I'm away this weekend so I'll need to wait 'till next week to see what it looks like on the bike.

this is slow going

Well, I didn't get as much done as I had hoped to yesterday.

I finished off sanding down the tank. It's smooth, though probably not smooth enough for a professional paint job, but will do for my temporary mat black paint scheme. I'll work out how I'm going to screen an area off in the garage then get on with spraying the primer coats.

I had a look at the wiring and have decided that the best thing to do is to work through it systematically, replacing components as I go along. That way I shouldn't need to worry about which wires go where. The ones from the original ignition go into the new one, etc. Simple! Will be able to move that forward when I get the speedo next weekend.
The choke cable will fit above the coil so I can get on with drilling the bracket. The mounting of the ignition switch may be a bit more problematical. I haven't quite finalised where that's going to be mounted.

I got a shock in the post yesterday too. The renewal for my insurance came in and it's gone up from £330 to £890. I'm hoping that there's a typing error in there. The rider's club has a special scheme going with the broker so I got on to them and the rep is going to get them to sort it out for me. Failing that I will go look elsewhere.

this weekend ....

... is really going to be the big one as far as working on my bike is concerned.

I need to get the tank finished. That is sanded down and primed. I also should do the wiring to the ignition unit. I'm going to order the speedo so when that comes I want to be ready to fit that.
So, what I want is to have all the other wiring sorted out. Then I will just need to solder the speedo into the wiring loom. That includes wiring the new ignition switch and removing, or at least hiding, some of the redundant wiring. (I'll consider doing a complete rewire next winter.
I also want to fit the carburettor and the air filter, make a bracket for the choke cable and refit the exhausts.
So, not a lot really!

I've also got a loan of a road king front wheel so I will also spend some time seeing if that will fit into the big front end and if the brakes I've got are useable.

The following weekend I'm away for a rally planning meeting with the riders club so there will only be a couple of weekends free before the end of March and time to get the bike's first MOT. I'm wondering if I'll be able to get everything done before the road tax runs out and I need to SORN the bike.

I'll be spending a lot of time with my fingers crossed.

still progressing ... slowly

The weather is getting a bit better. Well brighter at least. So, I've been able to get out and on with the work. 

I've completed the filling on the tank and hopefully I'll get it rubbed down and then I can start on the painting. I've got some primer which I'll spray today then, next weekend I can get some mat black. I'm just going to rattle-can it for this season. Then the next two big spends will be the wheels and a paint job.

Hopefully, this week I'll be able to get into House of Custom and order the speedo. Without that I'd need to keep the original tank and the engine management unit so I really need to get one sooner rather than later.

Then it will be time to bite the bullet and snip some wires. It's not really as complicated as I've been building it up to be. I will leave a lot of the redundant wires in place for now. Then sometime in the future I can rewire the bike completely. It should be possible for me to do this myself as I'll be just replacing wires and not fitting many new components. 

That's what I'm going to keep telling myself at least.

Well, by the time I had sanded down the tank, I realised that it still wasn't level so I had to re-fill parts again to raise the surface. It will be next weekend before I can get it sanded so here's hoping for some bright weather so I can get the primer coat done.
I did fit the manifold to check that the carb will fit  without filing any of the engine fins. It does so as soon as I get the fasteners and hose clip I'll fit that and the throttle cables. Then I can work out how I'm going to fasten the choke cable. I've got an idea that I could use the bracket I took off the Altmann P3 ignition unit,
We'll see next weekend.
Meanwhile here's a couple of pics:-

   

wannabe!

I was in my local B&Q yesterday, buying some extra bolts and padlocks for my garage door. Coming along one of the aisles was what I took to be a biker. He was in his forties, I would guess. Dressed in jeans, a sweatshirt and wearing a leather waistcoat with patches on the front.

From a distance I couldn't make out if they were HOG, Legion biker or some other club. Then as he approached I could see that there were rank and chapter badges too. On the front I could read "men of mayhem" and my heart sunk.

As he passed me and I looked at the back there was the confirmation. He was wearing the full Sons of Anarchy colours, including the California bottom rocker. 

I wonder if he even has a bike. Or what he will do if the Blue Angels ever see him.

Oh, by the way, the reason for the extra security is because more people are noticing I've got a Harley in there. I don't think I can be too careful.

tentative

I'm just not quite ready to start snipping wires and cutting up the wiring loom.

I have decided that I will spend just a bit more time looking at the diagrams before cutting the wires that go into the EFI control unit. By the time I'm ready the weather should be a bit better and there will be more daylight so I can get a few hours together in the garage. Once I remove the unit I will be committed to buying a digital speedo so delaying will also give me more time to get that money together.

Meantime I'll carry on filling the tank before priming it. I've also got lots of smaller jobs to do.

This afternoon I removed the pillion footrests. I have decided that they can go on if I ever need to carry a passenger.

diversification

I'm just about to teach myself body filling.

The new tank I bought has grooves where the stretched sides were welded on. So that needs filling and sanding before I start to paint it. I intend to prime it then brush paint it mat black. This is mainly because I can't afford to get a proper paint job done on the "tins". (Another americanism sneaking in to the language of Brit custom bikes?)

I'd like to get a full custom paint job done. Matching tank, mudguards and fairing but as I've got so many other things to spend dosh on that will definitely have to wait 'till next season.

I have actually filled in dents in vehicle bodywork before but so long ago I've forgotten if I'm any good at it!

more technical difficulties

Keeping this blog going is a bit like working on my bike!

Every time I get something new done, something else goes wrong. I haven't a clue why the previous posts are not on the front page. And then there's the layout of the pics on the second page. I just can't seem to be able to position them without deleting them all and reposting every time I want to put another one up. Frustrating to say the least.

At least with my bike I'm the one in control!

Having just spent an hour tinkering, I am now leaning towards saving up for the DNA wheels I mentioned in my previous post.

Despite what I had read, or maybe just convinced myself that it would work, the wheel hub will not take the bearings I've been wanting to fit. I am almost positive that I read somewhere that the outer diameter of all the bearings was the same. Well, that just isn't the case. There is no way that the 25mm bearings will fit into the hub.

So, unless I want to go down the route of changing the axle which may involve getting sleeves for the fork leg made. Then there's the disc and axle spacers which I'd need to get manufactured or at least get the spacers I've got turned down to fit. Add to that the cost of powder coating the hub, rim and spacers and it may well be not a lot more expensive forking out for a new wheel. 

Looks like I'll be concentrating on the carb conversion!

on the move again

I picked up my hub on the way home from work.

Tomorrow, I'll try out the hub in the forks and see how much work will still need to be done to make them fit together. I've been given the phone number of someone in Scotland, who does wheel building. That would save me posting them down south.
But, on the other hand I've seen a wheel which I really would like on my bike. It's a mammoth-spoked DNA wheel which will cost me a fair bit but will look the proverbial dog's danglies. I know someone who has just fitted them to his road king. Maybe, once I've had a look at his and worked out if I can fit them in the forks I've got, my plans will change once more!
Choices! choices! choices!

So, if I can get my finances sorted in the next few days, I should have a clearer idea of where I'm going next.
It's all costing money but once it starts to come together I'm sure it's going to be worth it.