TOPIC:

Today I had some work to do on the bike. My clutch cable came in a few days ago, but the temperature in the garage was a little nippy for sitting on the floor.

I also had some suggestions to remove the faring as a style change to go with my new paint/seat/tail/bars project. So I did. While I was at it, I rotated the bars downward, and repositioned the controls. Tomorrow, i'll make a spacer to reposition the master cylinder so it clears my right fork (raised in the trees to drop the front). I ground the nub off the right side control, leaving a very small amount to be compressed by screwing it back together. It worked great! No rotation, no gaps in the two pieces. I lubed the throttle cables while I was in there.

Here's the before pic...

After...


To make this possible with the forks up an inch in the trees, I had to commit kz defilement. You see, I am unwilling to give up the handling I gained from that mod, in order to drop the bars. The end might be worse than the beginning. So, realizing there is more handling yet to be gained with the lowered bars...I ground the fork cap hex nuts on the side next to the bars. A socket still works, and I use a six point so it won't slip. This enabled the bars to clear the fork caps, and rotate into the second position shown. This is the position I have wanted since i put them on. I am glad to have ridden awhile the other way, as it eases the transition forward from my old superbike bars. I think the clubman bars may be too far for me, but this feels great! I sat on KZBILLY's bike, and felt a little too stretched with his clubmans. Also, the pulback on most clubmans is an unnatural wrist position for me, in my arthritic middle age .

The brake lever is still usable, but I want to rotate it down a little more. My light burned out in the garage, so it'll have to wait until tomorrow. It requires a spacer in the front to space it out forward of the fork, and longer bolts to make it clamp. yes there is a space in the clamp when you do this. Function over form in this case. If I ever get sick of looking at it, I'll get a round master cylinder when money permits again. For now...zero budget requires zero cost ( I can afford two metric bolts ) , and the new position is well worth the ugly.

As for the faring, It really has to stay on. I designed the whole project with it on, and it really looks odd to me off. So, it's back on. It's no cafe' look with the mag wheels, and the tank, so there's no point in trying to make it cafe'. That will just have to wait for another bike. I thought it might work..it just doesn't. Stealth is the real theme, with just enough shiney to bring the mechanicals forward in the picture. It just never ends....

No pesky little "control-cables-thump-tank" issues, I take it?? That why I hadda get rid of drag bars and went with the superbike bars.
Once we get moved (BOUGHT A HOUSE!!!!!! YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!), am thinking of gambling $35 and getting a set of adj clubmans. Had a line on rearsets, as well....but that hasnt panned out just yet.
Yer ride looks good man.

Thanks,Pat! No, no controls hitting. The turn signal switch, only in the center postition, does what I could best describe as "touches the tank at full lock left. In the left turn position, it's clear. The touch is so slight, it pushed the switch in a little and doesn't even mark the paint...pretty close, eh? On the right there are no clearance issues at all.