• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

My Turn

Took Tom's advice and went back and added a small tab to keep the plate from swinging into the spokes in the event that the bolt comes loose. I'll get it primed and painted this weekend.

 
Been a while since I've worked on this thing but I started back at it the other week. First up are the new gauges. I like these much better. The lighting is easier to see and it incorporates the idiot lights which I was missing. Let the wiring fun begin.



Because the gauges are smaller, I had to come up with another mount for the ignition. So here it is.



The harness is in pretty bad shape with no shortage of questionable splices in it. I have gone through the entire thing and replaced all of the connections and added heat shrink (PO had none anywhere and all the electrical tape was coming off.

Here is the new switch I ordered. It has parking lights, headlights, low and hi beam, horn, blinkers, and kill switch.



So far, I have everything wired up but the kill switch and turn sigs as I haven't bought them yet. I still have a bit more repairs to make to the harness but that should be uneventful and I'll finish it up tomorrow.

 
Looking good!
What are you going to use for a oil level gauge? IIRC, because of the wet clutch, the level floats around quite a bit.

-Ron
 
I'm having an issue in that department right now Ron. All of my idiot lights work but the oil pressure one. I have verified that the led is working and wiring showed no resistance so I'm now looking at the switch. Not sure how to test it but still looking. I have seen them new/used so I know I can get one. I don't think I've ever seen anyone run an actual pressure gauge unless it's on a 750 model. There is a bung on the right side that I usually see them mounted to but there is not a spot on the 500/550 motor to do this. I guess my thought was just going to be to rely on the idiot light unless you have another idea.
 
Idiot lights are for those that don't do a good PMCS before going on a trip, you don't need those silly things. Check your oil level before heading out and you'll be fine. If you're already on the road and something happens to cause your oil level to drop to a point low enough to turn the light on its too late anyways. Whats next, TPMS?
 
Dutch what is TPMS?
 
I removed the entire wiring harness and started going through it. I found about a dozen areas where someone had spliced it with bubble gum and electrical tape. I re-soldered all of them and then checked for continuity. This connector was in really bad shape but it's better now.



I also replaced the oil switch and now that led works. I know idiot lights like oil only let you know when it's too late but I wanted them to work since I have them.
 
An LED for oil pressure is in the same league as a tire pressure monitoring system? Come on. :laugh:
 
It's a slippery slope...
 
riverfever said:
Dutch what is TPMS?
Click to expand...

riverfever said:
An LED for oil pressure is in the same league as a tire pressure monitoring system? Come on. :laugh:
Click to expand...


Its just further along the same lines. Electro-gizmos that take away a persons responsibility and ability to perform any kind of preventative maintenance on their vehicle. Next thing you'll be posting up is the bat-wing fairing and panniers you added, including a radio, gps, and other fancy gizmos you don't need on it.

And yes, I am aware that I ride a big fancy Bagger that has a fairing, radio, cruise control, hard bags, etc on it. I love that bike but I do miss the bare bones simplicity of my KTM and KLR. I actually find the gutless wonder that is my wife's 750cc Honda Shadow Spirit to be a lot more fun bike to ride then my big Vulcan. I got the big Vulcan for the sole purpose to eat up the miles and work up to Iron-Butt runs. When money permits I want to get myself a more stripped down Hooligan I might just pick up one of these little metric bikes and do a similar build to yours.
 
I think the fact that I've gone through as much as I already have with this bike and the plans for the future prove that I'm not that guy who doesn't do preventative maintenance. I just also happen to be that guy who doesn't do things half assed either. If gauges came with led's then why not actually hook them all up the right way? If you're gonna do something then why not do it right?
 
No argument here, although I still vote for the retro green gauges. :D

I think the bike is turning out great, keep it up. Its your bike so do what you want to it, in the end it only has to make you happy. If I ever actually get around to building a café bike of my own I'm sure I'll be hitting you up for info/advice.

BTW, I really dig those handle bars. Very nice choice.
 
I knew it. You're comments all along about adding tire pressure monitoring systems, fairings, and neon lights is all fueled by your angst that I have removed the green gauges. I did manage to find a buyer for those things though. Flavor Flav.
 
Yep, you got me. Actually it was kind of spill over from a discussion I had at work about all the stupid crap they have on cars these days, combine that with my utter disappointment in the removal of the super sweet and retro green gauges and there you go. :D

Oh and thanks btw, I spent most of the night researching KZ750's and their potential as a café racer project.
 
Thank you. Thank you.

Welp the body work on the tank is done. No pics to speak of. I haven't even seen it myself yet. It should be here Tuesday. Pretty excited to see it. Today I was able to find a rubber bushing of sorts that had a metal washer secured to one side (thank you Mike). It was a little large but I ground a bit of the washer off on one side and it fits fine under the gauge and on top of the triple tree. Should work much better than what I had going on.
 
I got some cleaning done today. I'd love to cut these hubs out, either polish them to a mirror finish or have them powder coated black and then re-lace them to new black rims but these wheels are in surprisingly good shape and I've got other things I need to put the money towards so...I went OCD on them.



I also figured I'd paint the rotor while I had it off.

 
If you strip down and relace they make all kinds of colored spoked and nipple kits so you get get as fancy as you want to tie in different colors.
 
Back in the mid 60 i bent a wheel on my huskvarna and bought just the rim and relaxed it use a polaroid camera to remember how the crossed and spacing , so if you do it take lots of photos , cause it is a pita .
 
I can't imagine lacing up one of these is all that much different than a bicycle wheel and I've done plenty of those in my life while working as a mechanic.

Yesterday when I got home I saw a box on the front porch. It was destroyed. The tank was hanging out of it and there was a sticker on the box that read, "possibly damaged upon delivery". It looked bad. I took it out of the box and was amazed to find no dents other than the ones I initially wanted. Here it is. The guy who helped me out did a super nice job on the knee dents.



There are two issues that I will have to address. One is visible in this pic (minor crack in the filler that I applied). There's another spot at the opposite end of the tank. Both areas don't have much filler in them. He said it wasn't like that when it left his place so maybe it was just temp changes? I'm sure I did something wrong so he gave me some instructions last night and I'll start on that in probably a fews weeks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

WGxj
please delete
Replies
2
Views
150
DirtySouthXJ
D
B
1990 turn and parking light issue left front and dash
Replies
13
Views
685
RCP Phx
R
X
Making the frame purdy
2 3
Replies
53
Views
1K
RCP Phx
R
D
1996 4.0 No Crank, Starter Works When Jumped
2
Replies
26
Views
491
ehall
ehall
ZomBrady
Gotta bitch for a minute
Replies
3
Views
105
RCP Phx
R
Back
Top