All it needs is a battery and maybe a carb clean

[Easter]

It took a half day but I managed to adapt the front fender from a GL1000. The rear fender is also GL1000 that I bobbed a bit and the tail light is a Harley tombstone fixture that I have used several times before. I hoped my headlight would be here today but maybe Friday. Took the bike out for a ride around the neighborhood. Front brakes are satisfactory now but the rear still has some air, and maybe the fronts too for that matter, but they will pull it to a stop in a reasonable distance. Long pull but progressive action all the way to the grip. I haven't had a chance to really wring it out yet but it seems to be running good. The biggest surprise is the heavy front end at slow speed.

[Track T 2411]

It certainly looks like a beast (in a good way)!

[Easter]

Maybe I will call this build "Cyclops." My headlight arrived yesterday and I was able to get it installed. Wiring is to be done later today. I mounted it to the frame using a fairing mount turned upside down. It is different but I think I like it. Certainly a high quality item. I also mounted the bar end mirrors, have had them a while but didn't wan't to have to work around them.

Not much remains, the seat and the instruments. I plan to mount the speedo in the shelter lid along with idiot lights and possibly some other gauges. I played around with the idea of replacing the stock lids with a single aluminum panel but making it fit properly seems like more than I am prepared to take on. The actual shape can be traced out (I made a template) but the panel curves in several different ways, corners curve down slightly plus over all it arches from front to back. My fear is that if it isn't perfect it will be obvious. So stock panels stay.

[sunnbobb]

Very stout!

[BikeMaine]

I like it, thanks for all of the photos.

[Easter]

I put a few miles (50 or so) on the bike in this lovely fall Texas weather. Bike seems to be running very good. I enjoy riding it but it is definitely an open road bike. Somewhere along the way I acquired a small windshield that is not much more than a fly screen but seems to fit the bike nicely. No picture yet. Ordered my speedo but as it is coming from Oz it will be a bit before I can get it mounted. I will also install some idiot lights in the shelter lid but I don't want to drill the holes till I get the speedo mounted.

Meanwhile, my wife and I are off to the Texas hill country for a few days of camping and riding. I am tempted to take Cyclops but the tag is obviously not only expired but from another bike so I don't think I will risk it. GL1800 instead.

[Easter]

Lost my roll of solder and so ordered a new one, but after a week I finally found what was left of my old one and today I started on the indicator lights mounted in the shelter lid. Slow going but I should have them all wired by tomorrow. I am using a six pin connector so that removing the shelter will not be too involved. I decided to paint the shelter covers a dark metallic grey, (the same color as my February BOTM) The gloss clear coat and the slightly greenish dark grey make a nice contrast to the satin black.

I am also still waiting on my GPS speedo ordered from Australia. Hopefully it will arrive in the next day or so. That will leave the issue of the seat to resolve. At the moment I am thinking of having an upholsterer cut down the stock one a bit and install a nice tailored cover. I put a brown seat on the bike that I had laying around and have ruled out brown as a color. Guess I will stick with boring old black. But this will have to wait till I get a bike sold, the slush fund is empty.

Speaking of the empty slush fund, I stumbled on a CX500 that had been disassembled and appears to be cleaned up and comes complete with a title and extra parts. I plan to pick it up Thursday due to a special dispensation from the minister of the budget. It is Christmas after all. This will be my first CX500 build and I am looking forward to it.

[Shadowjack]

Had a couple of the Honda transverse twins. I like the 650s better than the 500s, but they're both fun. Only thing wrong with them is the near-unobtainability of engine parts.

[Easter]

I finished up the idiot lights this morning and as far as I can tell, they work. This is a California spec bike and it came equipped with a low fuel indicator light as well as a fuel gauge, unlike most of the 48 State bikes. Since I don't have a fuel gauge the indicator light should be a help, however, I can't test it with the tank full of gas so it will be a bit before I know for sure that it works and how much notice it gives before I run out of gas. The fuel indicator is the white LED on the right of the group.

I usually don't install turn indicators on the cafe and bobber style bikes I build as they are not required in Texas . However as this is more of a road bike/cruiser I will be installing turn signals. The wires are present, I just need to settle on the fixtures.

[Easter]

Just reminiscing.

[Easter]

The GPS speedometer arrived for Christmas and I got it installed and wired (turn signals, back light). That leaves the seat.
I took a few pictures with the camera (instead of the phone) after a brief ride in the fog. It will be a while for the seat but I will update it when I get it installed. For now it is on to the CX500 I picked up last week. Lots and lots of parts but where they go I don't know. Some of them say Honda and some say Suzuki, others say Yamaha or Harley. Major parts like the triple tree, fuel tank and the drive shaft seem to be missing but on the whole I think I got a good deal and a real interesting winter project.

[nelgaard]

Hi
were did you find the speedo? And was i difficult to install?
I have a 77 GL1000 and have a hard time to find New cafe like speedo and tach that i compatible with my ride.
Regards Nikolaj

[Easter]

The speedometer came from Australia via EBAY, just search "GPS speedometers" on ebay and you should find it. They offer two versions, one with the chrome case and one designed to be panel mounted. It is simple to install as the only wiring to connect is for back-lighting and turn signals if you choose. The GPS sensor is magnetic and can be mounted to any surface that will allow it to access the satellites that it takes its location and speed from. It can be glued to a windshield or fairing, I attached it to the flat panel on the ignition switch and then added a plastic cable tie for security. Instructions are not very clear and color coding of wires is typically Chinese, but installation is mostly self-evident. When you turn the key on, a clock-like count will begin while it searches for satellites. If it is outdoors it will locate itself in about a minute. Indoors it just keeps running. This "clock" is actually the window for the odometer and it will revert to miles driven after it locates.

[Easter]

It was a windy day with heavy clouds but surprisingly warm even for South Texas in January and I was able to get out with "Cyclops" for the first real ride. I put about 50 miles on with some of those at higher speeds. The bike ran great and seemed un-effected by the wind. I wasn't sure about the little windshield but it seemed to work well. About this time in a build I start wondering if this is one that I really would like to keep. Maybe.

[wingrider]

How is the angle of that Speedo? Seems like the bracket should be bent up a bit?

Bike is lookin’ good! What plans do you have for the seat?