found the problem ...

 ... but not fixed it!

I eventually worked out which of the connectors was causing the fault with the headlight. Well at least I hope I did. I tried taking it apart and connected it up without the connector body and it worked. Then it didn't! Rebuilding the connector didn't seem to help any so I've ordered a new Deutsch connector and will fit that.

The wiring is getting so bitty, I really should rewire the bike completely next winter. If I do I'll replace all the connectors with appropriate Deutsch ones. They are much easier to work with than the AMP multi-lock which Harley also use. God knows why they used a mixture on the one bike. Cost no doubt.

After things had come to a halt with the wiring, I decided to adapt the seat bracket. I sawed off the seat posts which were angled to take the Harley specific springs which sit at an angle. I then drilled and tapped new holes to take the spring mounting bolts. It's all together but I've decided that I want to use a deeper bolt for security so will buy a helicoil kit and use inserts. That will save me from having to use my tap set which, being a cheepo, was extremely difficult to use as the handle for the taps kept slipping and I eventually had to improvise with a 1/4" ratchet handle. 

See buying cheap tools! It's never a good idea.

someone switched the light off at the end of the tunnel!

I went out today and bought a new headlight bulb. Then I came home and stripped down the headlight and looked at the old one. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it and when I fitted the new one and wired up the lamp again, there was nothing. The side light, or running light as Harley probably call it, is on but there's no full beam or dip. I checked the fuses and they are all intact. Everything else, indicators, horn and starter are working so the fault is just with the headlight wiring. The main beam lamp on the speedo isn't coming on either so I'll need to go through and check all the connections.

This will be a pain and means I cannot re-fit the tank 'till I've sorted it out.

on the home straight

I mocked up the side-mount plate this afternoon and didn't like it at all!

I was intending to mount the LED light to the bracket and then sit the number-plate below that but the bit of the bracket sitting above the plate just didn't look right.

So, what I've decided to do is make a backing plate from 2mm aluminium sheet, the shape of the light and mount the light on that. That will then be mounted onto the bracket using countersunk screws from the back. I will sandwich the cable between the plate and the bracket and out of the bottom near the swinging arm and from there to the electrical junctions under the seat. The only problem with that is, because I've got a slightly less than standard sized number-plate, it wont cover the whole bracket. I can't trim down the bracket so it looks like I will be buying a road-legal plate!

I finished painting the lacquer coat on the tank so will leave it a few days to cure then get it fitted. Just as I thought, the flame design hasn't stood up to covering in gloss lacquer so it will just have to do as it is. I've also started to spray the gloss coats on the rear mudguard so that shouldn't be too long before it's ready to get the tail-light fitted.

feels like standing still

I am getting a few bits done here and there but until I've finished painting the tank there's going to be no real progress. I've got the final gloss coat done. It's looking a bit rough where the contrasting bits are. The edges of the matt black flames are ropey where the gloss paint has seeped through a bit. Sanding it down for the lacquer coat should fix that though. I'm not even sure if it will work once the lacquer is on. I may well lose the contrast but if that happens - oh well. I'll know for the future, even though I doubt if I'll ever try something like this again. At least not under the conditions I have in my garage. 

the flames are not as grey as the photo suggests

I received a new number-plate in the post today so I'm going to have a go at mounting that, with a LED light on the side plate bracket.

 I had laid out the seat pan cover and the cover which will go over the electric box. It's actually where the engine management unit would be if I was still running EFI, but I'm going to mount the ignition unit and the LED control unit on it. I had a thought that I would need access to these components but the way I was going to set them up, I'd need to remove the mudguard to get to them. So what I did was to drill a hole with a slot to take one of the seat mounting fasteners which I had been using for the luggage rack on the old set-up.  This is a handy little threaded nut that is held on with a cir-clip to the mudguard. That will give me the ability to remove the electric box cover without having to fiddle underneath with a nut. I've also primed the rear mudguard and once that is dry and lightly sanded I'll give it the gloss treatment.
I'm going to use the wiring from the stock mudguard, so can't (as I had hoped) have it all ready to fit once the bike's been MOTd.

Can I finally see the end approaching?

ups and downs

I've managed to get the seat fitted. I don't want to tighten it all up before I connect the battery as that would mean having to dismantle it all once the tanks fitted. It's only a temporary solution I've come up with but will do for now. I used the silver coloured springs which came with the Harley seat kit and I don't particularly like them as they are extremely bulky. I'm going to order some two inch black springs from a company in Germany and when they arrive I'll take it from there.

There are a couple of options. One is to cut the the seat posts down. At the moment they are angled to take the shape of the Harley spring. I would need to cut the angled section off, drill and tap the hole again to enable it to support a spring which lies more parallel to the frame.

As this is all more than I had bargained for, I may leave things as they are for a while.

I also started to paint the gloss coat on the tank this morning. The rattle-can I'm using has developed a faulty nozzle and paint was dripping out of the base of the spray workings. So, I've now got black hands and spots of paint all over the floor of the garage.

And, besides that, I've got to stop and go buy some more paint!

P.S. It's five years today since I picked my bike up from the dealers. Another Happy St. Patrick's day!

seat woes

Like every custom build this one keeps throwing up new problems.

I finished drilling the strap for the seat mounts and tried to fit the whole thing to the frame. I am positive it lined up before, only needing the mounting bolts for the springs to be set wider than the ones for the underside of the seat.

Well, when I put it all together there's something just not right.

As it's raining again today and I doubt if I will get much painting done I'm going to spend a bit of time scratching my head and trying out different permutations but it looks like I may have to make another front bracket!

Is the end in sight?

I had to rub down and re-clearcoat the front mudguard as I had laid it down on the painted side before it had fully cured and ended up with a pattern from the towel it was lying on on the gloss. That's been re-sprayed and wont be touched for as long as I can leave it.

I bought a cobalt drill bit yesterday and it is amazing how easily it went through the stainless strap compared to the HSS ones. I've ordered a couple more from flea-bay and should be able to finish drilling and mount the seat next weekend. 

I should also get the tank painted and hopefully fitted. Then it's just a few little things to be sorted and a final check done before booking a MOT.  I may have to re-bleed the front brakes as they seem a little spongy. I'll do that before I fit the front mudguard.

Talking about mudguards, the rear one is coming on. I need to keep recharging my batteries for my drill as making the holes for the pannier supports takes more than one charge. As soon as that's done I'll take the guard off (once more) and start prepping for painting.

getting there

I've got the front mudguard finished, or at least the gloss coats on. All it needs now is sanded back, one final time and a couple of lacquer coats applied before I paint the underside with waxoyl coating. Then that can be fitted.

I still haven't started doing the colour on the tank and , as we're now into March I may have to put off the MOT. I've got a week off work later in March and was hoping to get it done then but if all the painting isn't finished by then I may just delay it by a week or two.

I got the rear indicators through the post this weekend and now I've drilled and attached the brackets the tail light unit is looking good. The only thing that I've realised I should have done and forgot, was to line up the pannier supports when I had the new rear guard fitted. It's going to need doing before I paint the rear guard but I don't know if I can be bothered doing it before the MOT as that will mean stripping it down and rebuilding yet again!