31 year old bike, 21 year old kid

This last weekend I was pretty busy helping my dad so I didn't get much one on one time with the bike while I was home. I did get the wheels taken off and in to the local bike shop for some new rubber. I'll have them back next weekend and be ready to get it tagged and ride! While I had the wheels off I decided to go ahead and change the fork oil and look into lowering the headlight. My headlight hangs on the fork covers, so with the forks removed I simply flipped the fork covers dropping the headlight mounts a couple of inches.

Here is a pic before... It appears I forgot to take an after :blush: , oh well, that will be next weekend...


This brings me to my next question. I want to lower the gauges to achieve similar to stock distance between the gauges and headlight. I think I'm going to attempt a fabricated sheet metal part made from some stainless steel we have laying around. I'm picturing something like a box without a top, but we'll see what happens. If I get bored this week I'll try to mock something up in solidworks and see if I can post a screen shot here. do you guys have any ideas?

On another front (or back he he) I received a zx6 taillight for an eventual undertail treatment. I will hopefully be using stainless for that also. However; I'm going to ride it for a while first, I just have to figure something out for my campus parking permit, I don't want anything adhesive to touch my paint!

I know some members won't like the idea of any of this. I'm not trying to make this a race bike, I'm just trying to update a sport bike from the late '70s a little bit. Nothing about it will be completely custom, but of all the guys I will be riding will I think the oldest bike is an 06, so I will be unique enough as it is.

My ears are still wide open, looking for education!

Justin, it's your bike plain and simple. Lots of people will tell you what you should and shouldn't do to her. I've done lot's of stupid crap to my bikes and cars since I was a teenager. Lots of older and wiser men advised me not to, but I wasn't very good at listening. Were they right? Most often they were. But had I listened, I wouldn't have the experience I carry with me today. The kind that you only get by royaly screwing up your stuff, or at least healping a real good friend screw up his stuff

Bottom line: Do what will make YOU happy

well, I got bored, so here is a very rough mock up of my idea.

edit: well, I have it saved as a pdf... I need to figure out how to change the file somehow... work in progress.

Here we go. The holes with the rounds will be where the gauges mound with some sort of spacer, the upper holes will be bolted on top of the existing gauge mount. I will possibly add some gussets depending on how flexible it is, we shall see...

Here is a slightly better representation of a real sheet metal part. It took me a while to get used to solidworks... I'm used to pro-e at my internship... Here ya go.

How about some dimensions to go along with your design there big guy

Sorry about that, the measurements were taken last weekend and jotted down in my memory, so when I went to model the part I didn't really remember...

The overall width of the part is 3" in the drawing, which I think is close to the outside to outside distance of the gauge mounts. I just S.W.A.G.ed the drop, in my mind the top of the gauge is 1/8th in. or so from the bottom of the stock mount. The gauges will be tucked back as far as possible because I want to stay as close to the stock distance from the bars as possible.

Also, I'm not sure if the middle piece I have in there will fit as it is or if I will just weld a brace somewhere, I just don't want there to be much flex in the bracket itself.

There will also be some type of square tube, or spacers or something underneath the bottom so that I can use the original threads on the gauges... I don't know how it will look, hopefully the headlight will mostly hide it. If it's too hideous for me I will just switch back to normal, that's the beauty. Mind you this won't come until late August or later.

This weekend the plan is to polish all of the chrome, especially the wheels and exhaust while they are off, then get everything back together so that I can get it tagged next week hopefully.

Just curious, what are you guys' favorite polishing methods? I have chrome and aluminum polishes, a powerball, and lots of micro fiber cloths. I just got the powerball and am exited to use in on the rims, any suggestions?

Thanks again!!

Hey,you might get some new exhaust gaskets b4 you re-install it,the old ones might work but they are cheep enough.and hey give me a call if you want to ride!

Yeah, hopefully Topeka Power Sports has them when I pick up my tires...

I'm up for a ride as soon as I get her running good! But it will have to be a weekend probably like late August into September. If you have a weekend that would be good let me know and I can make plans.

Update, I am now the owner of a 4 to 1 header. I have no idea what brand, I got it for 95 bucks shipped off of ebay. It looks pretty rough, but I was planning on basically building my own anyway, so it's a good start.

On the other hand, electronic ignition is going to have to wait until mid winter now.... Or at least until I have a rent paying job in Manhattan!!!

Does anyone have an idea of what this pipe could be?

Well, this weekend didn't go so well... I called the motorcycle shop Saturday morning and they didn't even have the new tires in yet. I took my rims in last weekend expecting them to be done by now...

But, it's okay, it gave me an opportunity to do lots of polishing... I can post some pics tomorrow, but it's getting late. I also took the opportunity to see about fitting my new master cylinder, It's going to work great. I ordered new stainless brake line and shorter throttle cables to match the drag bars.

The delay with the tires really annoyed me, this puts getting the bike tagged back another week. But hopefully that means I will have everything else ready so I can get the wheels back slap them in and be ready to rock!

Waiting on parts, just for your supplier to underdeliver I think we've all been there :laugh: