Current Project Condition

Current Project Condition

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Waiting and Wondering

I am just sitting here waiting for parts. And while I am waiting I am doing what I often do, and that is wondering. I wonder why I wonder while I wait? I guess there is no point to wondering about the wondering I do while waiting and wondering. But I do wonder one thing while waiting for parts and that is I wonder (while I am waiting) why my UPS person looks nothing like this…..

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Hmmm I wonder:)

Friday, May 29, 2009

3rd to last order

Theoretically if the money runs the way I think it will. I placed my 3rd to last order this morning. I was going to order a lot more but they seemed to be out out more than half of what I wanted. But I did manage to order the following goodies...rear brake light switch, ignition switch, the wiring harness, the top motor mount/coil mount, and the coil. I know it does not seem like a lot but the wiring will keep me busy for several days. Also I set aside the money for the oil lines and clamps that I can buy at the auto parts store.
So there won't be a lot of big visible changes but a lot will be getting done.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

The Phone of Doom!

Sorry everyone a little inside joke between myself and a friend.

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Saturday, May 23, 2009

Leather Ass Gasket

Or in other words the seat has been redone. And I can say that it is the last time I will do it. Next time a pro will have a shot at it. Probably around the time she gets new paint and engine work!

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Friday, May 22, 2009

Almost every one of these has been done, for me and by me.

FRIENDS VS. BIKER FRIENDS


FRIENDS: Never ask for food.
BIKER FRIENDS: Are the reason you have no food.

FRIENDS: Will say "hello".
BIKER FRIENDS: Will give you a big hug and a kiss.

FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. and Mrs.
BIKER FRIENDS: Call your parents mom and dad.

FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
BIKER FRIENDS: Cry with you.

FRIENDS: Will eat at your dinner table and leave.
BIKER FRIENDS: Will spend hours there, talking, laughing and just being together.

FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
BIKER FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it's yours.

FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
BIKER FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.

FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.
BIKER FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds' ••• that left you.

FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.
BIKER FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, "I'm home!".

Don't Like Him But He Is Right

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, 'Wow! What a Ride! ~Hunter S. Thompson

Wise words....

Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle.

Ok I give, leather it is!

I keep looking at the seat and the couple of opinions I have gotten have lead me to the decision that I am going to switch to leather. The denim is unique but it looks unfinished and a little to ratty so tomorrow I am off to the store to get some leather and recover it. I am also going to cut off some of the front under the rear point of the gas tank.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Headlights and Hand Controls

Well that about sums it up. The headlight is mounted. The hand controls are mounted. The clutch and throttle cables have been adjusted. Nothing left to say but look at the pictures!

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Please excuse the finger prints all over the chrome. And for those of you I talked to about the flat spot on the handle bars I brought in my bench grinder from the garage and ground it down. I didn’t have to take off nearly as much as I thought. So that worked out well!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Steamboat Willy

Ok so he’s no Mickey Mouse that’s fine I aint Walt Disney. Not bad for the first go around. I am sure I will go around and around trying to get the black lines the same thickness. But that’s fine I don’t have anything else to do and its kind of fun. Remember this isn’t supposed to be fine art. It’s rat rod/bomber nose art type stuff

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Friday, May 15, 2009

Just Because

Just because it was a never ending 12 hour day and it strikes me as funny. Don’t forget you can click on the picture and make it bigger; for those ocularily challenged people out there.

cameltoads

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Rat Rod

Since this paint is only temporary it gives me the liberty of screwing around with it without fear. So keeping in the rat rod theme, here is Da Rat. Right now its just a permanent marker outline that won’t last a week in the sun.

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The neat thing is its almost invisible except in direct light and even then you have to look at it at an angle to see it. So I can’t decide if I should just outline it in black paint and leave it or if I should color it in like I originally planned.

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And one more

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Monday, May 11, 2009

Latest Order

I placed my first parts order in a while. I got the hand controls, the switches, the throttle and idle cables and the clutch cable. Also the tail light and headlight and the oil pressure gauge and switch. Should be here in 5 to 7 working days. So on my 5 days off next week I will have some things to do to keep me busy!!!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

The Cover Coverage Continues

Well the seat is covered, I went with school of thought number 1. Take a piece of material and just stretch it around. Worked out pretty well. The spray adhesive set up pretty fast so there is that one wrinkle but I can live with it. As easy at this turned out to be I may pull it all off before long and go to leather anyway.

She is surprisingly comfortable for being so thin. I am very pleased with the outcome for my first attempt.

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In the bottom picture you can see the difference in the two sides of the seat pan. I will have to correct that also in the next go around. It’s not all that noticeable so I am not to worried.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Cover Coverage

Well I didn’t get anything done on the seat today. Tomorrow will be the day for that. Right now I am trying to decide how I want to do it. When it comes to covering something there are 2 schools of thought. The first is you take one big piece of fabric or leather or whatever you are using and lay it over the top and then begin pulling it tight around the side to the bottom and rivet or screw it or attach it by some means. The other is to cut out a piece of the material the same shape as the top only a little bigger for seam allowance and then you sew a strip around the outside whatever width you need to give it a 3d shape then pull it over the seat and attach it to the bottom.

The first method is much easier to get started but pulling the material down around the sides all the way around a complex shape without a whole lot of wrinkles is not easy. The second method requires a sewing machine, and mine is buried in storage somewhere. Also the chance of cutting the top shape just right so you don’t have any sports to small or any spots to large is a million to one especially having never done this before.

So I will be making that decision tonight and will get started tomorrow.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Hot Seat!

Well here is the seat pan all foamed up.

First  2 layers.

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Then 4 layers.

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And now shaped up and sitting in frame for a test fit.

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And that’s all for tonight. Since none of you would do the decent thing and call out so I can get called in, I am going to watch The Unit! Tomorrow we shall cover it! Good Night!

Grab Your Seats

Well I got bored this afternoon so I started another project I have been putting off…the seat. As you can imagine there is no off the shelf seat that is going to fit this frame and there is no room in budget for a custom made seat. So, the only answer is make it myself.

Here is the template out of a soda case

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And the seat pan out of 18 ga steel. I know that’s not very thick but remember this is all by hand .

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And another.

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Now I am off to find suitable padding and a old pair of jeans for the cover. Since this is my first seat I am not going to sacrifice a piece of expensive leather.

Overdue Update

My apologies to those of you who check in on me on a regular basis. The lapse in posting was unintentional. This New York trip is eating up all my attention and funds for the next couple checks so I haven’t been doing a lot. Just little odds and ends as I think of them. She is as far together as she can be right now. Everything is bolted in and adjusted as it will be when she is done.

By way of apology I wheeled her out into the daylight for the first time fully clothed.

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Fatty fat fat, damn oil bag still not sitting level!

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Pretty sprotor and my $100 dollar fender supports I managed to engineer to fit!

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I will do my best not to lapse anymore but things will be slow for the next few weeks. I may attempt the seat in the near future, I am tired of looking at the obvious empty space. It really draws your eye and ruins the lines of the bike!