My MKIII rebuild

Coco · May 22, 2009

I got the tranny in and a few other things done. Another delay due to some scum bags trying to break into my garage the night before last so I've been boarding up windows ect for the last day or so. They didn't manage to get in so that's good but I'm getting an alarm installed in my garage next week now. Bastards!

grandpaul · May 22, 2009

I'm guessing the masking at the swingarm pivot point follows the fabrication lines already on the tranny frame, so as not to have two disruptions of the area...

Cookie · May 22, 2009

Sorry to hear there are rats up there too Coco.

You are certainly doing a lovely job.

Coco · May 22, 2009

Cookie said:
Sorry to hear there are rats up there too Coco.

You are certainly doing a lovely job.

Yup. Giant rats that wear their baseball caps on sideways. I'd buy a man-eating dog but I'm allergic so I keep a nice baseball bat near the back door incase I hear any funny business going on outside. I dubbed the bat "the hippy killer" as I used to live in a crappy neighbourhood next to a pair of over zealous, neo-hippies that drove me crazy.

Cookie · May 22, 2009

I take it you live in the city? I'm lucky I guess as the only thing we've ever had stolen were a few tomatoes. Right now both garages are open out back with a lot of tools and six bikes.

When I lived in SF it was different, if I had the garage door open I'd get hustled by winos. You would never leave it open and go upstairs.

Coco · May 23, 2009

My neighbourhood I'm in now is ok. It's super quiet and mellow but I'm on the far, outter edge of a really sketchy section. Anything that is not bolted down will disappear but nothing crazy. It's probably teen age hoodlums just stealing stuff to pawn for beer and weed as I'm sure someone could really get in my garage if they wanted to. They just used a pry bar to try to get in but a few hefty kicks would have done better on my ratty garage door. With a mega realestate boom up here where I live, this is all I could afford as my girlfriend and I refused to pay more than 150,000 for a house. If I bought this house 2 years ago, I would have only paid $60,000. I'm just happy I have a garage as I was trying to build this bike in the furnace room of my old house.

debby · May 23, 2009

Always a good idea to keep the garage door closed. When I lived in Colorado Springs theft was a big problem. One of my coworkers was working on his car one day. He finished up and went inside to clean up, leaving the door open. While he was taking his shower, one of the neighbors came over and stole his custom mountain bike and a toolbox. That sort of thing was very common down there. Apparently those nice conservative Christian military people down there have sticky fingers.

Here in leftie Boulder County it's not so bad, but I still keep the garage closed up all the time and try to keep a low profile (well, as much as a single girl with six motorcycles can :!: )

I hope you get the rat infestation under control, Coco!

Debby

Hortons Norton · May 23, 2009

WOW!!!!!

Cookie · May 23, 2009

Suburban teens can be pretty bad, I won't even tell you stories.

It can be a heart breaker to have somebody steal or trash your hard work. Best of luck.

swooshdave · May 23, 2009

I'm sure if someone broke into my garage they would get a severe case of lead poisoning, and not from some Chinese paint...

Coco · Jun 16, 2009

Waiting for parts has eaten up a lot of time so not much progress has been made. Still waiting for a piece or three but that's the way it goes.

Oil lines mocked up to check for binding or length. I need to get new hose clamps before I button everything down as the old ones are ratty and dirty. This bike deserves some new ones me thinks. Hyde brace didn't work out so I sold it off and went back to stock.

Hortons Norton · Jun 16, 2009

I know what you mean about waiting for parts, Bike is looking very sharp and clean. Kinda fun redoing these bikes and bringing them back. How long till ya start it up? Keep up the great work.

Cookie · Jun 16, 2009

Living near Rabers has its joys, so far I have found stuff about as easy to get as at my dealer years ago.

Coco · Jun 16, 2009

Hortons Norton said:
I know what you mean about waiting for parts, Bike is looking very sharp and clean. Kinda fun redoing these bikes and bringing them back. How long till ya start it up? Keep up the great work.

I'm hoping for mid July. I learn as I go so I take things slow. Check and recheck then check again as I don't want to screw around and mess something up. I'm too impatient for the wait but I'm forcing myself to take things slow, ask questions and do things right.

Electrical is next and I'm freaking out a bit as I'm attempting to make a complete new harness from scratch. Trial by fire. I'm confident I can do it and I just need to think about it and take my time with it.

Coco · Jun 16, 2009

Cookie said:
Living near Rabers has its joys, so far I have found stuff about as easy to get as at my dealer years ago.

I have to mail order everything and when certain places that will remain unnamed send items to wrong addresses (more than once) or crappy repro parts show up and are deemed unuseable sure takes a lot of time. I basically stared at my bike last week as I couldn't do anything without some spacers that I needed.

The more I dig in, the more parts I find have "disappered" since the bike was taken apart. For the life of me I can't find one of my ear fender mounts and a little spacer for it. Time to order some parts........AGAIN! :evil:

Cookie · Jun 16, 2009

That is tough I know. I put one together last year that I had boxed and labeled everything on and it was easy. Last winter I rebuilt my garage and moved bits from a Golwing I have apart. I have three storage areas bits for that bike could be in, I'm not looking forward to that one after I get the Norton back together.

pelican · Jun 16, 2009

It's looking beautiful though, and when you're done you'll be done...no messing about every few hundred miles

grandpaul · Jun 16, 2009

Looking mighty fine!

Remember to use protected bullet slip connectors (I dislike the flat spade type) on all wires that connect inside the headlight shell, tail light, etc., so that they can be easily removed without having to re-splice or disconnect hard connections. I made a small electrical panel inside the left sidecover with a 6-point fuse panel and one big hot wire so that all the4 various circuits could be fused separately.

Coco · Jun 16, 2009

grandpaul said:
Looking mighty fine!

Remember to use protected bullet slip connectors (I dislike the flat spade type) on all wires that connect inside the headlight shell, tail light, etc., so that they can be easily removed without having to re-splice or disconnect hard connections. I made a small electrical panel inside the left sidecover with a 6-point fuse panel and one big hot wire so that all the4 various circuits could be fused separately.

I'm using the KISS method for a harness. Keep It Simple Stupid. Horn, headlight (high and low beam), electronic ignition, tail light, brake light switch and instrument lights. I'll mount a toggle (on-off-high beam) switch for the headlights on the coil bracket. No signals, zener, ect....

I've got a bunch of fancy schmancy heat shrinkable bullet connectors I got from CNW so I should be good there. I'm sure I'll be crying when it comes time to do the electrical so be prepared for a ton of stupid questions.

swooshdave · Jun 16, 2009

grandpaul said:
Looking mighty fine!

Remember to use protected bullet slip connectors (I dislike the flat spade type) on all wires that connect inside the headlight shell, tail light, etc., so that they can be easily removed without having to re-splice or disconnect hard connections. I made a small electrical panel inside the left sidecover with a 6-point fuse panel and one big hot wire so that all the4 various circuits could be fused separately.

Diagram to share?

My MKIII rebuild

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