Thanks Moz.

 

I took a short video of the bike show using my newly acquired 808 #16 720p HD "key chain" camera.

 

Haven't checked in for awhile, but had vent after seeing the "winner"and runner up. They neither one impressed me - not rideable, and overdone to the point of being a joke as scoots go. Live and learn brother...

 

At least one of those bikes looked like it had a car tire on the front; don't think I'd want to try any hard corners on that... Looked like an interesting show. I like looking at the "Deere" bike, but don't think that seat would like me much. I picked up an 04 1200 Custom last month, won't do near as much to it as you've done, but I'm going back over some of your work, might be a couple things there I'd like to try - I don't like that massive chromed handlebar riser on the custom in particular. Thanks for spending hours putting your efforts on here, not just interesting, but may end up being very helpful.

 

Ya man. My first experience with entering a show like that and I phuked up. Next time...

 

Hey, my pleasure man. That is really the point of forums like this...or at least one of the main points - to share info that can be helpful or inspiring or just plain interesting to others. I learned a lot about Sportsters and modifying them by reading all the great threads here before I started the makeover. Many of the ideas I had for my bike came straight from people like mreed, joebotics, streetfighter, bmx, Jackal, rickss, you Imold, and a hundred other guys who are willing to share their modifications and thoughts and ideas and advice with everyone else. Nice to be a small part of that.

Good luck with your mods!

 

Hey ergo dont know if you figures out you license plate light (didnt read all the way back) but here is an idea put a little hole in the battery cover run a small LED pointed right at it should be perfect and if tucked away enough not seen at all during the day

 

Ya man, exactly. We talked about doing just that back when we were mounting the plate bracket. It just got to the point in July where I wanted to ride and so I decided not to spend the extra time messing with the light. It'll be part of this winter's makeover. That, and replacing the rear tube. Took a nail through the tire a week ago Friday when I rode it to work. I put air in it and managed to get home without a problem but it's flat now.


Saturday I loaded the bike onto the truck and took it over to the shop for the winter. It's getting too cold to ride around here anyway and I didn't feel like trying to screw around repairing the tire with maybe a couple of good riding days left. I put over 1600 miles on it since July so I'm happy.

There are a few other small things I need to do to it over the next 6 months - minor tweaks. Nothing significant. I'll throw out some pictures every so often to keep this thread alive. I gotta tell you though, it is a nice feeling knowing that my biggest pending "mods" for this winter are replacing a tube and installing a single LED in the side cover.

 

Ergo,

As the owner of 2 touring bike and a soft tail, I don't often make it to this part of the forum. I came across this thread yesterday and wound up reading the entire 110 pages.
My age and past riding history are similar to yours, so I can relate to the excitement of getting back into riding and more importantly having a bike to suck your wallet dry as you make it your own.
IMHO this is the best thread I have found on this forum. I commend you- not only for an outstanding job on the build but the text, photos and detailed explanation you provided. I also admire your replies to those few negative post that were submitted to the thread. Very professional and very matter of fact.
Winter is upon you again- What's next ?
Great job, Great read. Thanks

 

Thanks very much jl. Appreciate your comments.


I had a great time doing this project and documenting it all here. And I absolutely love the finished product. I love riding it. The bike turned out far better than I imagined it would when I started the project in October of last year. And despite the long wait to complete it I'm so glad we did what we did, took the time and spent the money. I'm not riding a Harley anymore. It's more than that. This is a unique bike that I created, unlike any other bike on the road. I love the way it looks and handles and sounds. I love the way I feel when I'm riding it. Riding a Harley...great. Riding a Harley that you chopped, modified and customized to get it just the way you want it...priceless. I feel that way every time I throw a leg over and hit the start button. Priceless.

So, what's next? Well, I already fixed the flat. Pulled the nail and replaced the tube.


Another issue I've been dealing with are replacing the front two engine stabilizer links.



I'm not sure why but the two ends on each link where the bolts attach it to the frame mount and the engine developed some severe slop. Maybe the heat from the powder coating process??...I don't know, but both of them are so sloppy now that they rattle at high speed. I bought couple of new ones off ebay and installed the top one in 5 minutes. The bottom one...ugh. To remove it you actually have to unbolt the mount that attaches the link to the frame and then you can remove the stabilizer link
from that mount.


When it's attached to the frame the bolt is too close to the cylinder to get a wrench in there to loosen it.


Here's the real problem - When I reassembled the bike back in the Spring I replaced a lot of the standard crap Harley button head torx bolts with some nice button head stainless bolts that have an allen head recess instead of the torx recess like the one pictured above. The stainless bolts apparently aren't as hard as regular steel and when I was tightening the stabilizer mount to the frame the allen head started to strip out before I got it to the proper torque. I was loctiting everything and it was good and snug so I backed the wrench off and left it at that. Well, it was plenty snug because when I tried to remove that particular bolt to replace the stabilizer link the damn head stripped out completely. And being a button head there's no way to get a grip on it with vice grips to try and back it out. And the location on the frame makes it impossible to drill it. I'll have to get Ozzie to tack something to the bolt head so I can get a grip on it...I think. Anyway, that 5 minute swap out turned into a minor headache. Not a huge deal and I got all winter to fix it.

Oh, and my nice little Alien Motion battery went bad. Tried to start the bike one cold morning (after the flat tire) and got nothing. Put it on the charger for an entire day and still nothing. They had me send it back to them and they tested it. Apparently a bank of cells went bad and they are sending me a new one. Delivery is a little slow...but again, at this point I've got all winter so, whatever.

Other than that there's really nothing I want to change right now. Ya, I'll probably add that little LED on the side cover over the plate. Other than that I'm just dying to ride it again when the weather warms up.

Thanks for asking.