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Curmudgeon
Curmudgeon SuperDork
3/20/11 7:39 p.m.

It runs great. The number plates need to be made and mounted, the brakes need a little bedding still, the hydraulic brake light switch for the rear brakes sticks in the 'on' position and on one test ride the engine appeared to spring an oil leak from the front center of the head gasket. Dammit. But man it's getting close to done!

nicksta43
nicksta43 Reader
3/20/11 7:42 p.m.

Looks great!!! Need more pics!!!

nicksta43
nicksta43 Reader
3/20/11 8:26 p.m.

Guess I posted before you finished. How long have you been working on this?

Curmudgeon
Curmudgeon SuperDork
3/20/11 8:29 p.m.

About three years. It seems like forever.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/sprockets/street-tracker-progress/31322/page1/

Toyman01
Toyman01 GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
3/20/11 8:29 p.m.

Wow!! You got skills. Looking good. I got some stuff I need painted. Tomorrow work for you?

minimac
minimac SuperDork
3/21/11 10:05 a.m.

I absolutely love those pipes! It looks well worth the time and effort. Too bad they don't make a different designed reservoir for the front brakes- something that could be hidden. I'm having an issue trying to clean up my bars. How about a pic of your gauges? Can you see them well enough while riding? Any plans for a small fairing or no? That looks very well thought out and everything flows nicely! What did you end up using for the rear shocks? Oh yeah, your bars look perfect!

ClemSparks
ClemSparks SuperDork
3/21/11 10:12 a.m.

Looking great! Thanks for sharing!

alex
alex SuperDork
3/21/11 11:30 a.m.

Man, I dig that. And I love old machines that will give the fancy boys on supersports the what-for in the twisties, which this looks entirely capable of doing. Well done!

Curmudgeon
Curmudgeon SuperDork
3/21/11 6:22 p.m.
minimac wrote: I absolutely love those pipes! It looks well worth the time and effort. Too bad they don't make a different designed reservoir for the front brakes- something that could be hidden. I'm having an issue trying to clean up my bars.

Thanks! I don't know of a hidden reservoir M/C (actually there was a cable operated one available some time back but reports were they sucked badly) but Magura makes some with really small reservoirs. It's even possible to convert these to hydraulic clutch. Maybe after I hit the lottery...

minimac wrote: How about a pic of your gauges? Can you see them well enough while riding?

The gauges are 1.9" diameter, easily read. I'll post a closer pic of them later. I got them from mikesxs.com they are very reasonably priced. Stainless steel housings and LED backlighting.

minimac wrote: Any plans for a small fairing or no?

I thought about it at one point but have pretty much decided against that. Ya never know, I might change my mind and I have paint left over.

minimac wrote: That looks very well thought out and everything flows nicely! What did you end up using for the rear shocks? Oh yeah, your bars look perfect!

The shocks are from Mike's XS also, 12.5" eye to eye. The bars are the stock ones that came off my WR400, they are the right height and bend but I need to bring them back just a bit.

Curmudgeon
Curmudgeon SuperDork
3/21/11 6:27 p.m.
Toyman01 wrote: Wow!! You got skills. Looking good. I got some stuff I need painted. Tomorrow work for you?

Remember I ain't taking your phone calls any more. [click]

Xceler8x
Xceler8x GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
3/21/11 8:04 p.m.

Looking great! You done good!

Slyp_Dawg
Slyp_Dawg GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
3/21/11 8:44 p.m.

you have no idea how much I wish my dad's '04 Sportster 1200XL was whatever bike that started off life as. seriously, that thing looks so obnoxiously fun to ride

thatsnowinnebago
thatsnowinnebago GRM+ Memberand Dork
3/21/11 9:23 p.m.

Wow, that looks great. Nice work

skierd
skierd Dork
3/22/11 1:32 a.m.

That looks like a ton of fun to ride!

Mental
Mental SuperDork
3/22/11 9:07 a.m.

wow, that is cool.

Curmudgeon
Curmudgeon SuperDork
3/22/11 8:30 p.m.

Thanks, guys! It's been a long haul and I learned a lot. It's a blast to ride, sorta like an oversized dirt bike and that's a good thing. I find myself wondering how easy it will be to wheelie. Hoonage is on my mind.

minimac, here's pix of the instruments:

Close up:

From normal riding position. They are easily read, if the white pointers were orange that would probably be nice at night but whaddya expect for $45 each? Yeah, killer price! Steady pointers, nice backlighting. The fit, finish and workmanship are very nice. From the front:

They have 2.25" available also. Those have room for indicators (turn signal, high beam, neutral etc) in the face.

huge-O-chavez
huge-O-chavez SuperDork
3/25/11 7:12 a.m.

That thing is awesome. Nice work as always. Super Envious.

Graefin10
Graefin10 New Reader
4/1/11 8:46 p.m.

In reply to Curmudgeon: Beautiful bike Curm. You do nice work.

vazbmw
vazbmw Reader
4/1/11 9:11 p.m.

In reply to Curmudgeon:

Like button (clicking it now)

minimac
minimac SuperDork
4/2/11 6:30 a.m.

I really like the looks of the gauges. They look a lot nicer than the normal big booby looking monstrosities we normally see. Very clean installation!

Curmudgeon
Curmudgeon SuperDork
4/2/11 7:58 p.m.

Thanks! The original gauges stick out like the bumper overriders on a '80 Spitfire, it makes the bike look really nose heavy. I'm sure there is some obscure DOT regulation governing the size of bike instruments that's to blame.

The headlight was a quickie decision, it's actually larger than I had planned (6 1/4 as opposed to 5 3/4) but the longer it's there the more I like it.

That horn has to go, it is louder than stock but looks awful. I'm looking around for car horns that might fit.

minimac
minimac SuperDork
4/3/11 7:00 a.m.
Curmudgeon wrote: That horn has to go, it is louder than stock but looks awful.

Just turn it around and a little lower! I 've got a chrome one, if you want it.

Curmudgeon
Curmudgeon SuperDork
4/20/11 6:11 p.m.

Fixed my horn situmatation.

I still had the original J-H 'windtone' horns, they needed a relay to get enough power to them so they worked properly. So I did that and I wound up swiping one of the aftermarket horns that were on the J-H and mounting it on the bike, using a spring strap so it could vibrate freely. I added a relay so it could get plenty of amperage and man that sucker is LOUD.

Curmudgeon
Curmudgeon SuperDork
6/24/11 6:49 p.m.

Finally made my side number plates:

I made several different size patterns out of poster paper and taped them in place, when I got the size I wanted I cut a pair of plates out of an old aluminum gas tank from a boat, wet sanded the crap out of them with 220 grit, then washed them down good and shot some clear.

I also pulled the motor and fixed the oil leaks which involved replacing the cylinder. I used a Mike's XS big fin kit, I fixed the rear brake light switch etc. It's ready for prime time!!!

triumph5
triumph5 Dork
6/24/11 6:59 p.m.

Very, very well done. Love the pipes, too! Now, are you going to ride it or admire it? Nice mix of flat, chrome, "in your face" rawness and refinement. You know your stuff.

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