CX500 "Bastardwing" - 24th June - It caught fire!!

Staffy

It's not yours 'til you cut it up.
Ok i thought i'd throw up a bit on my current project. I've had it a month or so now and the first step is to get the thing running right and get it inspected for registration.
I've been updating a thread on the australian CX froum for a while now. Here's the link for anyone interested http://australiancx.asn.au/forum/index.php?topic=4864.0
I'll just pop up a bit of a pictorial history now and i'll update it here also form now on. I'n not too sure exactly what will happen with this bike but i have a few ideas, many of which might change. originally i was going to bob the crap out of it an drop the back right down but i've changed my mind. I've put it under the bobbers section but it will be more of a full faired touring bob-cafe if that makes any sense.
So far i've replaced, repaired or cleaned and tidied the brake master, differential, tyres, complete electricals (including about 12 bulbs) and countless other stuff. I've fabricated some indicator mounts both front and rear and am currently trying to sort out a replacement radiator and am waiting on braided front hoses.
I'll pop up a thread for the SR500 when i get back into working with that bike also, but that'll be a while yet.
Here's a bit of a pictorial history and a few youtube vids.
Bike arrives
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Progress being made (yes that is a plant pot holding the bike up)
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The streamliner fairing
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Fabricated indicator bracket which will be hidden behind the licence plate (tag). Has since been painted black.
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New master cylinder
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A very worn differential spline. Those splines are supposed to be square, and as wide as the gaps between them!!
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Re: CX500 project (Pic heavy)

...and some videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYnQU6IXHJM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KDv9dqO7r4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti_NSGYm_YM
 
Re: CX500 project (Pic heavy)

Cheers JRK. It was about time i got a thread going on here anyway ;)
 
Re: CX500 project (Pic heavy)

Radiator is sorted. Will put that on this weekend and have a go at freeing up the clutch. I've also been told the braided hoses will be sent soon.
 
Re: CX500 project (Pic heavy)

Damn i haven't updated this in a while! I've been riding this thing to work and back for over a month now. I'm all grins. Heres another video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZMdi1dGpQo

So the bastard tourer is back on the road and i can still get to work this week. Unfortunately it seems that it's just too cold and miserable for a helmet, boots and a jacket so i'm gonna sand some more of my fairing methinks. It's coming along a bit at a time, slowly sanding it back and getting it ready for paint. The final design for the framework's attachment is still eluding me. If anyone has any ideas let me know. It originally had a bolt running through a hole in the gusset as you can see in this photo.
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I don't want to drill into my frame though so i'm trying to think how to modify this fairing bracket to suit.
Here's a of shot of the fairing mocked up to the frame.
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This is the height i want it to sit which i think is lower than where the frame had it sitting originally. It's difficult to tell really, maybe i'm just picking nits.
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Whatever i do with it I'll need to take into account the exhaust etc so it will be a compromise in the end.
Here's the cockpit. This is where the old smiths style gauges (if i can find ones i need to suit this bike) and the gps will sit.
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As you can see this bike will not be a bobber or a cafe so i banged it in any old category just cause. She's to be named "The Bastard Tourer La Pecora Nera". Final colours will be black (gloss, not satin or matte) with pinstripe work. It'll possibly have a solid flame job but I'm undecided on that. It's gonna get whitewalls eventually. Highlight colours will depend on what the pinstriping is going to be but it'll be used on wheels, parts of the engine and diff, and inside the panniers (yes panniers) and underseat storage. I guess the idea that's in my head is if you took a Goldwing and it had a baby with a fifties style hot rod but it later found out it wasn't the real father and in fact she'd been having some dirty time with the rat bike down the road and the baby was his instead, the baby would be this bike....if that makes any sense.
 
Re: CX500 project (Pic heavy)

Well the stator has shit itself. The high speed windings have finally failed and the bike is laid up for the time being. There is a box from an aussie CX rider that plugs in to replace the stator that i may be getting soon but i may have to wait a while until a new batch is made up. We'll see. In the meantime i'm gonna get into sorting out the front forks and popping new seals and fluid in there plus i'm gonna look into getting some reverse comstars in black with white outlines and there's a whitewalling fella i'm gonna give a phone call to.
 
Re: CX500 project (Pic heavy)

Well i'm not sleeping much at the moment so i'm busy busy doing whatever i can't to the bike as my broke a** can't afford to buy anything right now for it. I figure that she needs a raymodule, fork rebuild, cam chain needs looking at (probably) so i guess i may as well look at the water pump... I'll be cancelling the rego this week i think. This means i'm back in a cage until i get the Bastard Tourer up and running again...
So tonight i got in the garage and mucked about with the panniers. Here they are kinda mocked up:
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I think the front of the panniers may be a little high:
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There's no seat fitted as it doesn't fit betwwen the panniers. I'll be looking to butcher a seat base in the future to get it narrow enough to fit plus incorporate some storage where the pillion seat would be or maybe i'll just sling a cafe style seat on. Not sure yet:
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The fairing is 98% sanded as are two of the fingers on my right hand. This was about 4 or 5 hours work finishing off tonight with a bucket of water and 80 grit from where it was previous:
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The mold lines need the paint pulled out then i'll be bogging them to smooth them out prior to primer and paint.
 
Re: CX500 project (Pic heavy)

Ok folks, take a seat. Today is the unveiling of "What's in Staffy's head". It'll be messy in my head but bear with me. :p
I was a bit mopy about losing my job today and i thought stuff it, time to finish sanding the fairing, which i have. It's ready for filler now. I then got a bee in my bonnet and pulled everything off, got out the occy straps and here we are. I threw on a spare SR500 seat base i had lying around but eventually i'll be putting on a cafe seat kinda thing, maybe a bit like Steve F's CX cafe but maybe nothing like it. Stuff storage space, i'll use a backpack. Here we go.
The only changes from here are Older style Ducati bar end mirrors which i have here and black reverse comstar with white highlights.
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I love the profile. I'm considering ditching the airbox but i don't reckon i will. I want to keep day to day rideability intact (sort of). Rear wheel also reverse comstar in black with white highlights. Paint will be gloss black, engine colour natural aluminium. White pinstriping work all over with a secong colour (maybe red or orange) to compliment, but that's down the track.
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The back will have a flat topped steel reinforced cowl on it behind a solo seat. The flat top will allow for soft panniers and a bivvy bag and mattress to be chucked on.
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I wanted to see how the Landrover defender light would work. I think it's good but i'll probably change my mind.
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Thus ends "What's in Staffy's head". I hope it wasn't too scary.
 
Re: CX500 project (Pic heavy)

Digging the fairing...not overwhelmingly gigantic like the common windjammer fairings (no offense to the windjammer crowd). I think I'm gonna start looking for one myself now ;D
 
Re: CX500 project (Pic heavy)

Yeah that fairing isn't too bad. I dont dig windjammers but this one isn't as swoopy or big. If you could lower it some and chop down the windscreen it would look cooler. But I suppose the windscreen would help on long distances. With that said I think it would still be functional at a lower height.Keep it up.
 
Re: CX500 project (Pic heavy)

Thanks guys. I did want to mount it lower but the base of the fairing is sitting level with the lower triple clamp so if i "bottom out" the forks it won't hit the fairing. I really don't want to modify this one as i've only heard of one other like this in australia. Not to say there aren't others just that they aren't as common as the square headlight type. his fairing is known as the Streamliner. I don't know if it was an australia only thing or not but surely there'd be similar stuff kicking around. By the way gobears, i'm enjoying watching your build, keep it up. I love seeing CX's reaching their potential.
A mate from the aussie CX forum came round today and after a cup o' tea and a bit of tentative umming and ahhing we bit the bullet and got into mounting the fairing.
I reckon the pics tell the story:
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Both sides are marked out for spots needing resin, sanding or filler.
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A couple of struts are gonna be made up to go from the top radiator shroud support bolts to the bottom of the fairing frame also, to provide a "triangulation of rigidity". The bottom holes on the fairing will be braced to each other and then to the bottom radiator shroud support bolts.
This thing's becoming a bobber racer in a way. I'm even thinking of rearsets...maybe...no not on a touring bike. Pity there's not a cafbob section in this forum.
 
Re: CX500 project "The Bastard Tourer" (Pic heavy)

Ya know, for a "touring fairing" that isn't bad at all. Kinda reminds me of a few late 80's early 90's BMWs.
 
Re: CX500 project "The Bastard Tourer" (Pic heavy)

The indicators themselves are actually BMW items, which might explain the resemblance. They're a prick to find nowdays too. One of the lenses has been plastic welded already, probably for that reason.
 
Re: CX500 project "The Bastard Tourer" (Pic heavy)

Staffy said:
The indicators themselves are actually BMW items, which might explain the resemblance. They're a prick to find nowdays too. One of the lenses has been plastic welded already, probably for that reason.

Perhaps, but the whole thing has a certain Teutonic crispness that I really like on your CX. I put that one firmly in the 'Sport Touring' category.
Very nice. You may have mentioned it, but have you made a final color choice? Going with the blue in the photos or something else?
 
Re: CX500 project "The Bastard Tourer" (Pic heavy)

No the blue was how i bought it. It'll be black frame, tank, fairing and cowl. Black reverse comstars with white highlights. White pinstriping elsewhere too with maybe some red or orange for highlights. I'm not going down to the frame yet as it was my daily rider and i want it back on the road asap but i do need to take the engine out soon so it may just happen anyway. I'm going to look at some bags today that'll be the everyday panniers to suit the overall style of the bike, but i'll grab something else for long range stuff later. Gaiters on the forks, chrome or painted front fender? I'm undecided on that, possibly chrome.
Front fork oil should be done in the next few days and the forks will be dropped through the triples 3/4 inch with air caps fitted. Rear shock will be marzocchis if i can find a god second hand set to suit to rebuild.
 
Re: CX500 project "The Bastard Tourer" (Pic heavy)

staffy. this post is funny. you just keep writing. no one even responds and you keep writing. anyway, keep it up. this is going to be great. one day i hope to have a cool bike to tour on.
 
Re: CX500 project "The Bastard Tourer" (Pic heavy)

dcmspikes said:
staffy. this post is funny. you just keep writing. no one even responds and you keep writing. anyway, keep it up. this is going to be great. one day i hope to have a cool bike to tour on.
:D That's the way i roll.
 
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