Cheap and easy modern naked bike makeover BLACK WHEELS!!

[bradleymaynar]

One of the big things I noticed with the Yosh Katana project is that the ignition electrionics are mounted under the seat, instead of on the side. Has anyone tried doing that? seems liked it'd be a simple project of extending the stock wiring harness. It looks amazing though. I just don't like that whole panel that's sitting there on the side, exposed as it is.

Ryan (firsttimer) has done that to his 550. I believe it's in the Yosh Katana thread. You'd have to PM him for the specifics.

Brad tt

[bgmart450]

Brent and Q, great stuff. I'm definitely interested in the bicycle computer idea - thats frickin brilliant. I wonder if there's one that has a backlight? That's what I'd need since I frequently ride at night. If I did that, I could just use the solo tach and have the bike speedo below it. That'd be sweet!

About the tail: Q - as mentioned I've already custom made a plexi panel to fit, but am also considering cutting the shape out of a very large brake lens and using that instead to gain the red. About the integrated taillight idea: Bingo.

I did that tonight. After test fitting the flush turn signals in several places on the rear (taped on) I decided none of them looked very good, so I'm going to mount those signals to the front on the "ears" of the front turn signal/headlight mount, and will remove the huge stock turn signal stalks.

For turn signals I mounted two spare bulb housings from my Volvo to the same plastic inside the tail cowl that I'd already mounted the brake light to. Now it's a cluster of three back there. They'll all be under the same panel in the tail, thus giving an integrated look. I've got them hooked up as stock right now. The right bulb is the right blinker, the left is the left, and the center is the running light/brake light. It should come out fantastic, and really clean up the tail. I'll put up pics soon.

I got one of these

Seems to work so far. It applies with a rubberband, so when I am not using it it sits in my jacket pocket.

I picked this model as Sigma was pretty highly recommended and this one had the largest numbers as far as I could tell.



I am fairly certain that there are backlit models, but I am wondering if they are closer to the way watches work where you press for a few seconds of illumination. Always worth a few min (or more) of investigation. I would steer away from the wireless options as they need a direct line of sight between the pickup and the display unit.

One of the things I still need to do is keep a monthly total on my total odo... they are battery operated.

Here is a link to my inspiration to get this done on my bike.

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/billingsley/sigma.htm

I'd love to see what you did with the tail section. I am thinking about a fender elimination for my E.

[isaac]

I'll be looking into a bike speedo. So far I've only found one that's lit, and that's $50. At that price I'd rather just make my own. I'll probably get a cheap one and rig up a light system somehow. It'd be pretty easy: Just use some sheet metal to build a trim bezel 1/2" above the screen, then place some LEDs underneath the bezel so that it lights the speedo without light shining in my eyes.

Oooo! a better idea: Since I was planning on using a flat piece of sheet metal to mount the guages and dummy lights, I could just mount the speedo 1/2" sunk under the sheet metal for a fully integrated look! Excellent.

Anyway, here are the new pics of the tail and the bike in general:





With the tail plastic I've slightly modified plans and will be chopping off that protruding bottom edge, laying sheet steel over it so that it extends to the bottom of the tail cowl and acts as a reflector for the lights. I'll be mounting the license plate to two holes drilled at the bottom of the sheet steel.

In case a fourth explanation of it is necessary in this thread: I will be putting a custom cut plexi or colored plastic panel over the lights.

BTW: Does anybody know how to remove turn signals from their mounting stalks without having to destroy them? The threaded shafts on them just turn in their bores when I try to undo the mounting nuts. There's seemingly no way to hold the shaft from spinning at the bulb end. There's gotta be some way to undo them.

[Doze]

Isaac, try using a pieceof inner tube or chamois around the stalk, then grip it with a channel lock pliers or vise grips to keep it from spinning while you break the nut loose.
Doze.

[ard]

katana

by the way Isaac where do you think they have put the battery on that katana? i couldnt find it

ard :? :?

[isaac]

ard, still haven't found the battery. I'm guessing it's in one of the tires.

Doze, unfortunately that trick didn't work, but I found one that did: Take a flatblade screwdriver that's just small enough to jam into the inner end of the turn signal shaft (the end with wires poking out) hammer it in good, then hold onto the screwdriver handle while you break the nut free with a wrench. It worked great for me. I'll post that up in tips and tricks.

Anyway: I did the turn signal mod on the front today. My bike is officially shaved of those enormous OEM signals.

[bobo]

isaac, your bikes' looking real nice but man you have to do something about the colour!!!...b.b.

[solo suzuki]

keep on keepin' on!

lookin' better all the time...

[dig dug mx6]

how did you lower the font when i slid my forks down it would hold the air pressure in the forks

[Anonymous]

I've done something similar to my '78 gs 750,here's a couple pics to ponder. I too use cycle computers on my bikes, they are awesome!!My front is dropped 2.5" and I run 11" shocks on the rear.[/img]

[Anonymous]

oops messed that up well try this[url]http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/fastisusracing/album

[crayonjota]

This is a beautiful thread, I love your bike and your attach on it. As it happens it is absolutely cats n dogs for some reason today, full on tropical downpour (you get that in the tropics I guess) and buy I into hacking the stupid big indicators (reminds me of a girl in school, great legs, great face but f&^% off great big lugs that spoiled an almost perfect image, yeah, she was sweet hearted too, but I was far to superficial for any of that). Lowering the light pays dividends too.. How cool is that.

I actually raised my instrument cluster about an inch and run bars that have allowed me to drop the forks in the yolks by an inch, though on full lock the throttle cable touches the tank now. The back is raised by the same amount thanks to the Marzochhi piggybacks. I like the way that when tucked in I can actually get my head more or less out of the wind behind the clockswithout resorting to a fairing, and I still have to climb all over the bike to get it to turn, horrific tank slapper cresting a hill the other day aside, it is planted and doesnt get nervous...

So keep everyone up to date with your work, especially the rear end, and leave the paint alone, even if some people dont like it, its unique... CJ

PS. Its stopped raining and the roads are already drying out nicely. Soon it will be too hot to walk barefoot on the concrete!

[isaac]

The tail is now very close to finished. As you can see here, the taillight has been replaced with a tinted black plexi panel. I've got red see through tape behind it now to give it a brakelight glow, but am probably going to settle on some manner of red sheeting to finish it off.



The license plate holder is a one-off by me, integrated into the zinc plate reflector used for the light. It's flexible so I can bend the plate any way I want it, or just tuck it under the tail.

For the light itself, I've got a 3 bulb setup working, and an integrated light actuation system. The center bulb is the running light and a brakelight. The side bulbs are integrated brake and turn signals. I used the broken tail's bulb housing plus two chrysler replacement bulb housings to get a dual filament integrated effect.

[bobo]

getting better all the time man !!!...b.b.

[crayonjota]

My wife [quote]: looks better than yours!

Thanks mate! Love the way bike is turning out.. Maybe I can get some money (doubt it though she freaked at the idea of a new chain that wasnt for use in the bedroom....) for a minimum of loosing the giant turn signals..as i dont use them anyway... Maybe I should wait till after inspection in June though..

I also want to paint the fork legs black, but I am afraid I will not like the look, and they are nice and easy to polish...

CJ