winter weather

It's been so dark these past few days I've just not been able to get anything done.

I've got a new seat and the spring seat mounting kit to fit. I bought a universal bracket which fits on the underside of the seat. The mounting bolts are different on the Harley seat which is typical, but I'll probably make a bracket to fit with the Harley front mounting bracket.

I also need to get the tank sealed so I can get prepared to paint it but that too will take a dry, bright day. 

They just don't seem to be happening right now!

gathering .....

...... bits 'n' pieces together so I'll have all the parts I need before I start the next phase.

I've got the seat mount as I said in my previous post and as soon as I've decided which one I want I'll buy a seat. I am actually leaning towards the Harley one although I have seen a plainer one on e-bay which I should be able to adapt to fit.

I've ordered the mounting brackets for the front indicators. I went for the Rebuffini ones. There were less expensive choices (almost half the price) available but the ones I've ordered are slim and will look much neater. Now I need to decide on which indicators I'm going to use. The ones out in front, for now, are the Kellerman ones. I can get the rear ones in a turn/stop light configuration for when I replace the rear mudguard.
I'll get the front mudguard ordered as soon as I have figured out how much I've got left when christmas shopping is out of the way.
It's all small bits and pieces but when they're all added up together they will still come to a tidy sum. The only good bit about it all is that I can get the bike back on the road at any time without doing all the work.
Except for filling and painting the tank, which I've already started so have to finish.

imagining

As the weather (and therefore the light) has been so poor I haven't been getting much work done on the bike but have been thinking a lot about where things are going.

I've more or less settled on how the rear end will be except for the width of the wheel. I was thinking about going wider, maybe to a 220 or 230 but that would mean having to replace the swing-arm. I'll need to decide before I buy the rear mudguard as it may not look right if I fit a wider guard then go for stock width wheel.

One change that I did make up my mind about was the seat.

I've decided to go for a slim leather sprung seat. The deciding factor was probably finding a mounting kit on e-bay for almost half the new price. Aftermarket ones are even more expensive than the HD ones, so I've got a real bargain. This is something I can fit even before I change the mudguard so wont be held up until I can afford the rest of the bits.

But, before I start that I'm going to re-line the tank using anything but Kreem. The stuff I spent ages doing, only a few months ago, peeled off as soon as I filled the tank with petrol. I'm then going to try doing a gloss and matte flame-job myself.
Fingers crossed!

looking familiar?

I finished connecting the clutch cable (I ran out of daylight yesterday), fitted the cover and exhaust then started to rub down the fuel tank. When I fitted and sprayed it last time, I only did a very basic job on the filler and there are a few pits I've still to sand out.

I'll do that over the next week or two but don't really know if I'll be able to afford a professional paint job on the tins as I'd rather spend the money buying front and rear mudguards, as well as all the other bits I want!

So it may be another rattle can job.

cheese and clutches

I got the new clutch cable in the post on Thursday and went out to the garage to fit it yesterday.

Is nothing straightforward on a Harley?

It is almost impossible to do as the manual says and screw the cable into the cover. It has to be done by turning the cover and screwing it down onto the cable while it is held in a vice. But, as the clutch cover seems to be made out of cheese, getting the thread started is frustratingly difficult. I thought I almost had it cracked at one point until I let the cover slip out of my hand. The clutch ramp mechanism dropped onto the floor of the garage and although three ball bearings fell out only two seem to have hit the floor!

Even after a comprehensive search, moving the bike and crawling around on all fours for half an hour with a torch, there was no sign of it.

What I did find, when I was down there, was the brass ferrule from the idle cable that had flown off when I was refitting that the other day. I've got half a dozen of them on order for future use.

I've now ordered three new ball bearings and will have another go at getting the thread started. If that fails I may buy a satin stainless steel one.

Harley really should put some type of hardened thread insert into their covers. (which gives me an idea)

 

I eventually managed to get the throttle cable screwed into the casing after a good few attempts. I was just about to give up and was measuring the thread, to order a helicoil kit, when I gave it one last go. It caught on a thread and from there went in no bother!

I then decided to tidy up the garage a bit. Mainly to kill time, as it was raining outside and I couldn't face getting soaked on the walk back to the flat. So, as I was moving things around to get the floor swept, I found the missing ball bearing. It had travelled all the way to the back wall so must have rolled about eight feet after it hit the floor. 

next steps

I've done the rewiring on the bars but will wait a bit to do the ignition switch.

I removed the connectors, rather than cut and solder joints as I did the last time. It all went a lot easier than I had expected. So now I've got the bars back on and am just waiting for the longer clutch cable which I had to buy to fit the higher, wider bars.
At least the throttle cables and the brake line fit.
The speedo, with the black mount, fits nicely below the bars and the top yoke. I'll need to find some where to mount the regulator for the power supply in order to get the stock speed sensor fitted.

Do I now go ahead and buy a black head lamp?

in bits once more ... (sigh)

So, now that autumn's here and winter is just around the corner, my bike has once again taken on that all too familiar look of an unfinished project!

I've removed the tank, taken off the t-bars and fairing. I really think the black billet yokes will look much better without the fairing. It was OK covering up the stock yokes.
Next I'm going to bring the bars indoors and rewire the hand controls internally over a couple of evenings.

When I had the bike started and running I noticed that I had made an error in wiring in the ignition switch. Instead of the first position, only switching on the side light and the indicators with the second position enabling the headlight and engine running, I can start the bike with the switch in both positions. It does work that way but I'll try to sort it out while I'm re-doing the rest of the wiring.

I've also bought a step down regulator which I'm going to wire in to the speedo loom in order to run the speedo off the stock speed sensor. That will save me the expense of buying another hall sensor to fit to the rear pulley or, even more expensive, if neater, option, buying an axle sensor. (Which I'm not even sure I can get for a 25mm axle!)

Then I'll just buy the bits I need as I can afford them and get the bike rebuilt over the winter. There is stuff I can get on with before the purchases though. Rubbing down and filling the tank is probably the biggest.

I'm setting myself a target of being ready for an MOT in March.

got there

Here's my bike as it should have been ridden this summer.

I went out on the road for a couple of hundred meters. Long enough to feel that all's well but not far enough to either check if the speedo's working or to attract any attention.

Running out of money has meant I've missed a load of riding and now it's probably a bit late, so should I start to strip it down to do the next lot of work?

I'm going to bin the fairing and fit the apes. That means rewiring the handlebar controls to run them internally. I've also decided to fit a different rear mudguard. I want to go with a shorter and flatter one with probably a side-mounted number-plate and stop/indicator lights. I'll also buy a front mudguard then decide what paint job I'm going to get.
More money!

I've got brakes!

I had made a decision to go with Brembo discs, ordered them from e-bay and they arrived this morning.

A couple of hours in the garage fitting them and sorting out the axle spacers and the shims for the calipers and now I'm ready to bleed them. It's been a long time since I've bled twin discs, so may take me longer than usual!
At least it would do if I was fit enough to get started. I got up this morning with an aching back and the work I did earlier hasn't helped.

So I may just wait 'till tomorrow.

Whatever, the discs are looking good and are much better than the Harley ones. They are lighter because, although the outer braking section is stainless steel, the inner carrier is a lighter alloy. I'm glad I spent the extra. When I replace the rear wheel I'll buy a matching one for the back end.

done

That's the bike SORN'd.

And yes! I had worked out that I couldn't tax the bike without an MOT so it had to be done. Just need to decide how long I'm going to keep it off the road.

looking forward

Hopefully I'll have my finances sorted in the next few weeks so I can start thinking about what I'm going to do to the bike next time around.

It's not that I want to be constantly changing things. More that I had an idea of how I wanted the night train to end up and spread it over a few winters with riding the bike when the weather was better.

This past summer has been an exception as other things got in the way.
From here on I've decided that I'll make sure I've got all the parts I need before starting the work. So, soon I'm going to be buying bits and storing them away for the time to come round that I'll be fitting them.

There's a couple of things I need to do to finish off the current stage. I still want to remove the fairing to get away from the SOA look. I'm going to fit the apes I've got in my garage but that needs to have the wiring run internally. I'll need a longer clutch cable to fit the apes but the throttle cables and wiring should be OK. I also want to buy a black headlight. Which one will depend on finding something which looks good and fits my budget. I'm also thinking about changing the front indicators but as that's purely for looks is not that important.

Then there's the rear end. I would like to fit a short mudguard with a side mounted plate. I'm considering going for stop/tail light and indicators in one to make the rear look more compact. it will all depend on whether I can combine that look with some luggage carrying capacity. I fully intend to get back rallying next season. It's one thing I have missed more than anything else.

I also want to match up the rear wheel with the front. I'm going to have to research how wide a tyre I can go with the stock frame. If I could I would like a 240/16 though I may just have to stick with the 200/17 which is the stock size. So far I haven't been able to find anyone who has tried the wider tyre with the stock swinging arm. To widen the swinging arm would be beyond my budget for now. So maybe I will stick with the stock rear wheel. Who knows?

Watch this space.

D-Day

It's fast approaching the day when I have to decide if I'm going to tax or SORN the bike. As I'm still no nearer getting the cash together to buy the front discs I want, it's looking more and more like I'll take the bike off the road. I suppose it doesn't need to be for the duration as I can always re-tax the bike and get a MOT at any time. I can also think about starting on the rear end too.

The greater pity is that the bike seems to be going great. At least it starts each time on the button and settles down to a nice slow tick-over when the choke is pushed in after warming up.

I even took it out of the garage today though that was a bit hairy as I was going backwards down a slope with no front brake.

Here's the latest pics

spot the bits missing

where the ECU used to be

not actually as clean as it looks

ignition and coils

little by little

As the bike is not going anywhere until I get the money together for new brake discs, I've spent the last few times in the garage, tinkering.

I removed the plastic insert which holds the wiring in place beneath the tank and cut a hole in it. That way I could feed the cross-over line for the fuel tank through the gap in the frame which makes the space under the tank and above the engine much neater.

I refilled the tank today and had another go at firing the engine up. Started right away and is running sweet.

So now I'll get all the little things done that I need to do before I go out on the road. 

Can't be sure when I'll be able to afford it but I've decided to wait until I've got enough money to buy brembo discs for the front.

I'm nearly ready to get riding (at long last!) but my latest dilemma is whether or not I should re-tax the bike at the end of this month. If I do tax the bike I should really get a MOT done as I won't be able to go on the road without one. But that will mean the cycle for the MOT will fall at the end of the riding season and may not give me time to do any work needed. On the other hand, if I take the bike off the road and there's a good autumn, it will be over a year between having ridden the thing! I will also be doing more work over this winter, so the bike is going to be laid up for part of the time anyway. Then again, if I do have the bike road legal and there's an early spring I'll be ready to go whenever.

What to do?

I could kick myself!

I've just completed, what should have been, the final stage in getting the Harley back on the road. Should have been is the operative state of affairs and one which almost sent me into a spiralling depression. (After I had castigated myself as the most incompetent human being ever!)

The problems I had with the alarm system were hopefully going to be sorted with the fitting of a TSM (turn signal module) to replace the TSSM (the same, with a security element). It didn't, but when I worked out where the problem was it turned out to be a loose connection in the ignition connector. That didn't take long to fix although it did mean removing the fuel tank to get at the wiring. While I was there I repositioned the spacers for the tank lift brackets.

That was the straightforward bit of the day's work.

I then went on to fit the front brake discs. They needed a bit of spacing behind the caliper bolts to bring them in line with the discs. All was going well, until I spun the wheel and there was an ominous rubbing noise coming from the discs. At first I hoped it was only the pads rubbing and some more adjustment to the bolts would fix that. Wasn't to be! Even when the pads were pushed back from the discs it was still there.

Eventually I marked the edge of the discs and spun them again. The left hand disc was OK but there was some signs of scuffing on the right one. I confirmed that they were rubbing on the discs by putting some tape on the rim's edge. This was rubbed off with in a couple of rotations.

So, after all the searching and ensuring I was getting the 300mm discs which should fit the Fat Bob front end, what I actually needed all along was the 11.5 inch discs. I think it may be because I'm not using fat bob calipers. 

Whatever, I've now got the expense of buying another set of discs though this time I've got much more choice and may even be able to pick up a second hand pair on e-bay. 

It just means another couple of weeks delay.

started ...

... and then stopped!

I fitted the battery and at first, there was nothing.  The side lights came on and the horn worked with the key turned to the first position but when I turned the key to run there was nothing. The indicators didn't work or speedo light up. I had a quick check of connections and fuses and the next time I turned the key all seemed well. So, I fired up the engine. It started after a couple of tries and ran.

Then, when I switched it off and turned off the ignition, the alarm started sounding. it just wouldn't go off even though I've got a new battery in the fob. I pulled the main fuse and disconnected the battery.

So now I'm going to junk the security module and replace it with a TSM. More money but when that's done it will be yet another piece of electronics less. It's just another set-back but at least i know the bike will run.

I may have to fit an after-market security system to keep the insurance sensible but that's for next year.

TSSM and Siren

and yet so far!

I hooked up the battery via a set of jump leads, put some fuel in the tank and turned it over. What I got was a rapid clicking from the starter solenoid, a couple of coughs as it tried hard to fire then a flat battery.

Having read up a bit since then (with the battery on charge) I reckon that the fact I had long leads meant there probably wasn't enough juice getting to the starter to turn it over enough.

So on Sunday I headed back out to the garage with a freshly charged battery. As I was opening the doors I could smell an ominous scent of petrol! One of the connections to the cross-over pipe hadn't been tightened fully and a load of the contents of my newly filled tank were spreading across the floor and a box of rags in the puddles way was nicely damp with unleaded.

Discretion, they say is the better part of valour so I left the doors open while I tidied up and then went off to watch the Wimbledon men's final. (well done Andy Murray)

So, it will be next weekend before I can try starting once more. After that set-back the e-mail I got in reply to my query about where my brake discs were didn't really come as a further surprise. A further six to eight weeks waiting time was enough for me to cancel that order and go googling again. I came across OEM floating discs which are cheaper than the original stock ones for the Fat Bob. So, they're now on order and all I can do now is re-cross my fingers and get ready to wait once more!

ever so close ...

... to finishing.

I'm getting all the little bits and pieces out of the way while I wait (still) for the front brake discs to arrive. As I wasn't going anywhere I decided to try to raise the tank slightly. This entailed cutting a couple of brackets and was actually a pretty straightforward exercise.
I've also aligned and torqued the rear wheel, Made a plate for under the seat to take the altmann ignition unit and another bit of electronicy thingy, bled the rear brake fitted the fuel pipes and filled the oily places with oil and replaced the filter.

The discs are all that's holding me up from getting a MOT booked. 

The delay means I'll miss the HDRCGB lakes rally this year. Pity, as that's the best one of the calendar!

two wheels again

I've finally got the rubber on the front wheel! The bike is now off the lift.

I picked up the front wheel on Saturday morning and then, with it fitted, I set forth on getting some of the little things which need doing. I tried wiring in the AMP connector I had bought for the ignition switch. It just wont go together and I don't know why. The wires are crimped to the pins but although the pins fit into the body of the connector they just wont click into place. I'll give it another go today but in case it doesn't go, I've ordered a three-way Deutsch connector.

I also had to spend a bit of time bending the bracket on the front mudguard. The spacers I had would have fitted but meant that the guard was sitting high above the tyre. It just didn't look right as the guard doesn't cover the full width of the tyre. So what I've done is cut one of the spacers lengthways and bent the supports out and more to a right angle where the fasteners bolt them onto the fork legs. Looks much better.

I feel as if I'm getting there at last. I'm just waiting for the discs to arrive.

Before that I've just got the oil changes to do then re-fit the pipes and fuel tank, tighten all the fasteners and I should be ready to go!

If it can go wrong ...

... it will!
I'm just back from the Ducati shop who had given me a half decent quote for my tyre and tube. They've got the tyre OK but the tube they were sent (not ordered, I hasten to add!) was the wrong type. They've got in a rubber valve one which won't fit through the hole in the rim.

To be fair to them, I wouldn't have known which one to ask for.

So now it will be next weekend before I get the wheel on. With a little bit of luck the discs and spacers will be here by then and I can get the wheel onto the bike. Though, with the way things have been with this wheel, I won't be holding my breath.

One thing I did see when I was in the ducati shop was a really nice matt black fuel cap which I think may just fit on my tank.

For now I'm going to have a go at fitting the deutsch connectors.

Amazingly the 8-way deutsch connector went together fairly easily and without a hitch. So now the speedo is wired up and mounted on the bars. I couldn't wire in the ignition switch as the only three way connector I had wont take the thicker wire that comes from the ignition. Got one on order so that will need to wait 'till next weekend. 
Tomorrow, after I wrap and fasten down all the wiring, I'll start to check all the fasteners are torqued up and maybe re-fit the exhausts.

Wheel's fitted ....

.... at long last. 

Now I just need a tyre and tube.

I put the disc on to see how it would fit on the calipers and have decided that the softail disc will work until I can afford to get the discs I want. So now I'm bidding on another on e-bay.

I've also wired up the ignition switch and the speedo, temporarily, to see if they, or at least the idiot lights, work. So, tomorrow I'm going to attach the battery.

Fingers crossed!

Will I ever ...

... ride my bike again?

I'm getting wee bits done at a time.

The trouble is, the big bits are holding things back although, if I'm really honest, in a way, I'm glad. I still haven't got the front wheel yet. I'm beginning to regret going for the one I did though it could well have happened had I gone for a different manufacturer. I also wouldn't have had the same choice in matching up the rear wheel when I get round to doing that.

What I have done (and it's maybe time to look on the positive and list my achievements): is re-fit the rear wheel, started to tidy up the wiring, fitted the t-bars and handlebar controls, finished off the ignition/coil bracket and started putting the bike back together rather than dismantling it!
The biggie that's worrying me, as it has been right from the start, is wiring in the dakota speedo. I've gone over the wiring diagrams time and time again and am just beginning to believe I understand what's needed. All it will take is a bit of courage and a leap of faith with the wire-cutters!
Then it's just the simple task of getting the money together to finish off the front end. I still don't know what route to go down with the discs. Should I go for the stock Harley ones? This would be one of the cheaper options but for looks something like the Performance Machine discs would be much more preferable. And, I've still got the tyre to buy!
That's not the only financial outlay I need to consider. Although I've bought new brake lines, I have had a second thought about how I'm going to fit the rear one. Originally, I was going to use a single line to the rear disc and fit a switch in one of the banjo bolts. I have since made up my mind that the better way to go would be to use a t-connector around the area where the line splits just now and fit the switch there. So a new connector and two lines will need to be ordered. That's another fifty quid onto my budget.
What I really need to think about is selling off some of the spare parts I'm amassing, to help fund this build.

Is there light at the end of this tunnel?

Time's passing and things are moving ever so slowly.

I've got the yokes fitted and the internal fork stop works. All I need is the front wheel. I'm still waiting for the black powder-coated one I ordered. I got sent a chrome wheel which was nice and shiny but just not what I wanted.

I've still to buy brake discs and lines but as money has become tight I'm waiting until I get the wheel before ordering new discs. That way I can keep on trawling through e-bay - just in case.

I've even decided that the fairing and the T-bars are going back on. The dimples on the apes are just not deep enough to allow me to fit the cables externally and I just cannot face cutting the wires again and feeding them internally.

Anyway that will save me having to buy another clutch cable!
Will get on refitting the rear wheel, with its new tyre and finish the wiring in of the dakota speedo. Should have some pics soon.

spring is in the air

A month's gone since I last posted and although things are moving, the bike looks much the same as it did in February.

I put the yokes together and found out that the fork stops are just too far away from the head-stock to work. I considered replacing the alloy stop with a larger one but it looks like it's the position and not just the size which is the important factor. 

So, there were two alternatives. The first was to get the holes filled and re-drilled in the correct position. It's something I can't do myself so would mean I'd need to find somewhere to get it done. Doing it that way would necessitate re-powder-coating the lower yoke so I would likely remove the tab for the lock which is redundant. The other was to go down the line of an internal fork stop. That's the way I decided to go. It took some time to source on from a UK supplier as I really didn't want the hassle of importing one from the states. Wasn't cheap and it will entail drilling the lower yoke but I'm hoping, as long as it works, it will turn out to be a much tidier solution. The lock tab can wait for a future strip down.

I've also ordered a front wheel. I've gone for a fat bob style, the fat, sixteen incher. It's got a black rim and stainless spokes. Just the look I want.  All I need now is discs to go with that. Then two tyres!

As I've taxed and insured the bike I'm beginning to feel the financial pinch so will have to reconsider paying to get the wiring done professionally. Will give it another go soon but for now I'm going to rewire the handlebar controls.

Learning as I go!

Got the front end off and suddenly things come back in a rush!

Like, remembering that the lower steering head bearing is press fitted onto the spindle and that because of the curve of the head there's no way I can easily drive out the inner bearing cup. That meant I had to order bearings and a tool to remove the cup. I'm going to go with just replacing the lower bearing for now as altogether I've had to spend nearly sixty quid I hadn't bargained for and I'm still no further towards getting the front end finished though I have got everything I need apart from the wheel, discs and brake lines! (isn't a lot if you say it quickly!)

 I've still to price tyres and buy oil and stuff for the 5,000 mile service. Then there's road tax and insurance not to mention a MOT.

Seems I'm slipping even further away from getting back on the road and I haven't even started on the wiring though I'm beginning to see what's needing done.

Hopefully it will just start to come together soon.

bits and pieces waiting to get put together to form a motorbike

changes

Got word from my supplier that the bars I ordered are out of stock with no date for them coming in again. I looked into it, in case I could get them elsewhere, and it seems the bar I ordered may have been recalled due to a fault in the weld. 

Oh well, time to start looking for an alternative. Will probably go for plain black apes.