blackvisor
02-09-2013, 11:21 PM
I don't call this a streetfighter, but I'm drawing more and more on ratfighter styling cues for this bike.
Last time I posted any photos my bike looked like this:
http://imageshack.us/a/img248/3130/madmaxweek2013305.jpg
Then it got photoshopped, and I really dig this
http://imageshack.us/a/img607/6016/c7gf.jpg
So the first step towards that particular Nirvana has been the seat.
For those who haven't met me I am 6'5" and the stock riding position is far too cramped for me, hence the bars being 200mm higher due to a custom riser I designed and the seat is 100mm above the standard seat rails
I still want the raised height, so the new seat unit was to be a similar design as before, but shorter and squatter and stubbier. This is my only bike, so I want to be able to carry foxy laydeeez as pillion. Fortunately the last 200mm of the transalp frame is a bolted on rear loop. So I bolted it off, which rather conveniently leaves 4 useful 8mm captive nuts on reinforced sections of frame. When I get round to it I shall make a bolton-boltoff rack for luggage purposes.
I got 2 new bits of right angle alooominum as they say in the US. Did my usual drilling & filing so they'd sit on the same raiser spacers as before. You can see that I have marked where I later cut away teh surplus alloy to give easier access to the storage bin
http://imageshack.us/a/img23/3907/axo9.jpg
Here's a shot of the "spacer & Captive nut" setup (which has survived under my weight for more than 2 years now)
http://imageshack.us/a/img14/6271/degf.jpg
There's nowhere at the back to weld on anotehr captive nut so I made up this support bracket to support the tail end of the aluminium. I'm going to put a rubber pad between bracket and aluminium. There's a plate now welded to this bracket which seals up the tailpiece and has lights and no plate bolted to it
http://imageshack.us/a/img600/8227/lvra.jpg
And yes, I'm aware my welding is hardly neat, but I've never had a weld break....
Being a tightwad I re-used the same fireblade pillion seat locks as before
http://imageshack.us/a/img17/3127/aelo.jpg
And once it all lined up I took it indoors to paint it. Mini Roller is the best way to avoid brush marks. Note the working shots are taken in my alfresco garage (ie, all this was done in my back garden) and the painting was done on the floor of my bedroom. I slept at my girfriends until the fumes cleared). All you blokes with garages just don't know how lucky you are...bastids..
http://imageshack.us/a/img266/6527/i4ro.jpg
Back on the bike I made the seats. I like 2 separate seats so I can have luggage on the back and still get access to the storage by lifting the front. Also, the 3D shape of a stepped seat is a nightmare to cover neatly with a home made seat cover.
The seat bases are 19mm polyethylene board, bought from a skylight maker in Tullamarine. I forgot to ask him to machine a champfer on the back to give the diagonal angle, so I hackswaed it and whittled id with a stanley knife. It took hours and gave me a blister on my right hand to rival a 13 year old with his first porno mag. My excuse and I'm sticking to it. Last time I used this type of board it was weaker, and it needed to be 19mm, but was light weight so I didnt care. This time the boards are much better. I couldn't get a staple in so had to secure the cover with self tapping screws. Not sure how long it'll be until the holes stretch. The purpose of this redesign was to make the seat a lower profile. On top of the boards is 10mm of camping foam mat, with cutouts for the nuts holding the seat hinges (stainless from Bunnings) on. Then on top of that is a thin triangular wedge of foam to make the seat tops flat. I used campiong mat on the back seat. On the front I cut a wedge from the recon foam I had used on the old seats.(the only domestic tool to cut foam neatly is an electric carving knife) Then on top is a layer of 19mm thick gel, cut down from a wheelchair seat pad (much cheaper to buy that than a "motorbike gel seat insert". they're free if you dont mind nicking one from a wheelchair user...
THe gel is actually really uncomforatble, I might remake teh seats with thinner board and use recon foam again as a pad. Recon foam is the dogs danglers for bike seats, I have made several seats using it, it is waaay better than any other foam. Pity I couldn't get it in Oz, had to ship it from the UK. I alos use "vehicle wiring products" in the UK for electrical components like the hindicators and the wires. They stock stuff you just cant fid retail in Oz (like proper Jap factory style crimp connectors), and it arrives within a week.
http://imageshack.us/a/img545/1829/abvw.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img690/1668/fkl5.jpg
The seat cover is garden furniture vinyl cover from Clark Rubber. Screwed on.
The tailights: Middle one is a re-used truck/trailer LED on from Autobarn, tinted black with a lens spray from a drift car custom boy racer website. The outer 2 are flexi LED strips. LED strips come from radiantz in the US, they made the strip any length you like. They come as a single use light but after helping my mate convert one to be a stop and tail light I did the same. I soldered in a second power feed with a resistor and a diode to each one. The end result is it shines up like a Christmas tree, all 3 tailights are dual function stop and tailights. Some "LED bolt heads" from ebay as reg plate lights and some mini stick on reflectors and I'm done. See you on the road skags
http://imageshack.us/a/img818/4363/hfm5.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img22/2743/sx37.jpg
Last time I posted any photos my bike looked like this:
http://imageshack.us/a/img248/3130/madmaxweek2013305.jpg
Then it got photoshopped, and I really dig this
http://imageshack.us/a/img607/6016/c7gf.jpg
So the first step towards that particular Nirvana has been the seat.
For those who haven't met me I am 6'5" and the stock riding position is far too cramped for me, hence the bars being 200mm higher due to a custom riser I designed and the seat is 100mm above the standard seat rails
I still want the raised height, so the new seat unit was to be a similar design as before, but shorter and squatter and stubbier. This is my only bike, so I want to be able to carry foxy laydeeez as pillion. Fortunately the last 200mm of the transalp frame is a bolted on rear loop. So I bolted it off, which rather conveniently leaves 4 useful 8mm captive nuts on reinforced sections of frame. When I get round to it I shall make a bolton-boltoff rack for luggage purposes.
I got 2 new bits of right angle alooominum as they say in the US. Did my usual drilling & filing so they'd sit on the same raiser spacers as before. You can see that I have marked where I later cut away teh surplus alloy to give easier access to the storage bin
http://imageshack.us/a/img23/3907/axo9.jpg
Here's a shot of the "spacer & Captive nut" setup (which has survived under my weight for more than 2 years now)
http://imageshack.us/a/img14/6271/degf.jpg
There's nowhere at the back to weld on anotehr captive nut so I made up this support bracket to support the tail end of the aluminium. I'm going to put a rubber pad between bracket and aluminium. There's a plate now welded to this bracket which seals up the tailpiece and has lights and no plate bolted to it
http://imageshack.us/a/img600/8227/lvra.jpg
And yes, I'm aware my welding is hardly neat, but I've never had a weld break....
Being a tightwad I re-used the same fireblade pillion seat locks as before
http://imageshack.us/a/img17/3127/aelo.jpg
And once it all lined up I took it indoors to paint it. Mini Roller is the best way to avoid brush marks. Note the working shots are taken in my alfresco garage (ie, all this was done in my back garden) and the painting was done on the floor of my bedroom. I slept at my girfriends until the fumes cleared). All you blokes with garages just don't know how lucky you are...bastids..
http://imageshack.us/a/img266/6527/i4ro.jpg
Back on the bike I made the seats. I like 2 separate seats so I can have luggage on the back and still get access to the storage by lifting the front. Also, the 3D shape of a stepped seat is a nightmare to cover neatly with a home made seat cover.
The seat bases are 19mm polyethylene board, bought from a skylight maker in Tullamarine. I forgot to ask him to machine a champfer on the back to give the diagonal angle, so I hackswaed it and whittled id with a stanley knife. It took hours and gave me a blister on my right hand to rival a 13 year old with his first porno mag. My excuse and I'm sticking to it. Last time I used this type of board it was weaker, and it needed to be 19mm, but was light weight so I didnt care. This time the boards are much better. I couldn't get a staple in so had to secure the cover with self tapping screws. Not sure how long it'll be until the holes stretch. The purpose of this redesign was to make the seat a lower profile. On top of the boards is 10mm of camping foam mat, with cutouts for the nuts holding the seat hinges (stainless from Bunnings) on. Then on top of that is a thin triangular wedge of foam to make the seat tops flat. I used campiong mat on the back seat. On the front I cut a wedge from the recon foam I had used on the old seats.(the only domestic tool to cut foam neatly is an electric carving knife) Then on top is a layer of 19mm thick gel, cut down from a wheelchair seat pad (much cheaper to buy that than a "motorbike gel seat insert". they're free if you dont mind nicking one from a wheelchair user...
THe gel is actually really uncomforatble, I might remake teh seats with thinner board and use recon foam again as a pad. Recon foam is the dogs danglers for bike seats, I have made several seats using it, it is waaay better than any other foam. Pity I couldn't get it in Oz, had to ship it from the UK. I alos use "vehicle wiring products" in the UK for electrical components like the hindicators and the wires. They stock stuff you just cant fid retail in Oz (like proper Jap factory style crimp connectors), and it arrives within a week.
http://imageshack.us/a/img545/1829/abvw.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img690/1668/fkl5.jpg
The seat cover is garden furniture vinyl cover from Clark Rubber. Screwed on.
The tailights: Middle one is a re-used truck/trailer LED on from Autobarn, tinted black with a lens spray from a drift car custom boy racer website. The outer 2 are flexi LED strips. LED strips come from radiantz in the US, they made the strip any length you like. They come as a single use light but after helping my mate convert one to be a stop and tail light I did the same. I soldered in a second power feed with a resistor and a diode to each one. The end result is it shines up like a Christmas tree, all 3 tailights are dual function stop and tailights. Some "LED bolt heads" from ebay as reg plate lights and some mini stick on reflectors and I'm done. See you on the road skags
http://imageshack.us/a/img818/4363/hfm5.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img22/2743/sx37.jpg