Am I the Pontius Pilate of this CX500?

Neat mirror mount, you could slide grips in and mount them outboard so you can actually see whats behind you ;)
 
Rear Brake Light Switch on Slipstream Cycleworks Rearsets.

This thing has been bugging me for a long time now, and today was the day.

Jarrod at Slipstream Cycleworks does very neat rearsets for the CX500, and he has an option of ordering with or without brake switch assembly. For some reason I ordered the "without" option.....more likely than not because I didn't know at the time that one belonged there!

Anyway, he will do a retrofit if you send him the components at your expense, and he will charge for the retrofit, which is a fair thing. Thing is that the postage from Australia to the US and back was way more than the cost of the addition, so there I was...stewing over how to do it myself.

This is my answer....

I did it in cardboard first but it was a trial and error thing to get it just right.

Pedal removed showing the mounting plate......

111030-270419045643.jpeg


I went with the type of switch commonly found on brake and clutch hand levers. It's a "normally closed" switch and it has one mounting hole (4mm), a right angle cut-out to engage with mounting bracket, and small round lug sticking out to the mounting side to also engage with mounting bracket and provide stability to the switch housing.

111030-270419045709.jpeg


With the help of some cardboard, and some trial fitting, I made a mounting bracket from a piece of 3mm aluminium, and the right angle locking piece is 5mm aluminium welded on.

111030-270419045735.jpeg


There are 3 holes (below).
The bottom one is a blind 4mm hole to allow the lug to sit in.
The middle one is a 3mm countersunk hole to allow fixing bracket to rearset mounting plate with a countersunk 3mm screw leaving a flush surface for the switch housing.
The top one is 4mm hole that lines up with the mounting hole in the switch housing.

111030-270419045758.jpeg


Again, through trial fitting, 2 tapped holes on the rearset mounting plate....3mm on left for the aluminium bracket, and 4mm on right for the switch mount (and through bracket also).

111030-270419045823.jpeg


Pedal mounted as well as the aluminium bracket via the 3mm countersunk screw. Note also the outside shape of aluminium bracket wraps around mounting plate components for anti-rotation effect ( file a bit...try a bit).

111030-270419045846.jpeg


The pedal has a large connecting that you can't see, under the switch, which also acts as a stop for the pedal travel. At rest position, that connector is pressing on the switch button on the bottom of the switch, and breaking the circuit. The 4mm Allen head screw I used in the photo below is too big and interferes with the full travel of the pedal. I will need to replace it with a flatter head screw and it should clear nicely. I did test it and it works.

111030-270419045911.jpeg


I could have welded the aluminium bracket onto the mounting plate, but this way, if it doesn't work, I can easily remove it and go back to the drawing board.

Now I only hope 2 things...that I DID get a "NC" switch, and that it's waterproof.
 
4mm button head are also used for windshield and fairing screws on sport-bikes, if it's low stress you could probably get anodized alloy ones
 
Our local Ace hardware has a good selection of metric button head Allens along with other hardware useful on Japanese bikes.
 
Haha, feel like a trip?
I use Illawarra Fasteners for all my S/S bolts, I'm sure you'd have something similar up there.
 
FIRST START

Still have to shorten throttle, clutch and choke cables, but I filled up all the fluids, oil in the cylinders, checked for spark on both sides, hooked up a temporary fuel supply, and got ready for a first start.
I was under pressure....the Missus wanted to witness it, and I prepared her for the worst....a non starter.

Well....it blew me away.

18 months since I started, and after a virgin full rebuild - I still haven't been able to wipe the grin off my face :) :) :) ;D

https://youtu.be/oy0RBjLUbE8
 
Odontologist said:
The nearest one to me would be Hawaii...some 8000 km
Grandson just came in to see what I was laughing at. ;D Great to hear it running. Sounds like an air leak somewhere with left side spitting? Oh, get some full synthetic gear oil on the carb pivots. messy but better than the squeak when you pulled cable ;)
 
Not wrong Sonreir. I never thought, being my first rebuild, rewire, re everything, that it would fire up just like that.
 
Odontologist said:
Rear Brake Light Switch on Slipstream Cycleworks Rearsets.

This thing has been bugging me for a long time now, and today was the day.

Jarrod at Slipstream Cycleworks does very neat rearsets for the CX500, and he has an option of ordering with or without brake switch assembly. For some reason I ordered the "without" option.....more likely than not because I didn't know at the time that one belonged there!

Anyway, he will do a retrofit if you send him the components at your expense, and he will charge for the retrofit, which is a fair thing. Thing is that the postage from Australia to the US and back was way more than the cost of the addition, so there I was...stewing over how to do it myself.

This is my answer....

I did it in cardboard first but it was a trial and error thing to get it just right.

Pedal removed showing the mounting plate......

111030-270419045643.jpeg


I went with the type of switch commonly found on brake and clutch hand levers. It's a "normally closed" switch and it has one mounting hole (4mm), a right angle cut-out to engage with mounting bracket, and small round lug sticking out to the mounting side to also engage with mounting bracket and provide stability to the switch housing.

111030-270419045709.jpeg


With the help of some cardboard, and some trial fitting, I made a mounting bracket from a piece of 3mm aluminium, and the right angle locking piece is 5mm aluminium welded on.

111030-270419045735.jpeg


There are 3 holes (below).
The bottom one is a blind 4mm hole to allow the lug to sit in.
The middle one is a 3mm countersunk hole to allow fixing bracket to rearset mounting plate with a countersunk 3mm screw leaving a flush surface for the switch housing.
The top one is 4mm hole that lines up with the mounting hole in the switch housing.

111030-270419045758.jpeg


Again, through trial fitting, 2 tapped holes on the rearset mounting plate....3mm on left for the aluminium bracket, and 4mm on right for the switch mount (and through bracket also).

111030-270419045823.jpeg


Pedal mounted as well as the aluminium bracket via the 3mm countersunk screw. Note also the outside shape of aluminium bracket wraps around mounting plate components for anti-rotation effect ( file a bit...try a bit).

111030-270419045846.jpeg


The pedal has a large connecting that you can't see, under the switch, which also acts as a stop for the pedal travel. At rest position, that connector is pressing on the switch button on the bottom of the switch, and breaking the circuit. The 4mm Allen head screw I used in the photo below is too big and interferes with the full travel of the pedal. I will need to replace it with a flatter head screw and it should clear nicely. I did test it and it works.

111030-270419045911.jpeg


I could have welded the aluminium bracket onto the mounting plate, but this way, if it doesn't work, I can easily remove it and go back to the drawing board.

Now I only hope 2 things...that I DID get a "NC" switch, and that it's waterproof.
Not terribly different from how I send them out. Nice work.

Those switches work well.
e24c96442ca4a29fa608c5e12505eb6a.jpg


Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
 
You could say that.

With the conversion to a GSXR front end, all my cables for the CX are too long.

111030-090619031522.jpeg


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Measured twice, and cut once. Refitted the ferrules, and got some brass (?) nipples to fit. Drilled a 3mm hole at one end that connected to the through-hole for the cable. Threaded cable and wrinkled the cable end.

111030-090619031638.jpeg


Fitted the nipple into a large bolt with a 6mm thru hole, and an M6 bolt coming in from the head end to stop the nipple sinking in. The cable exits via a slot on the side of the bolt.

111030-090619031703.jpeg


Plenty of flux, heated up bolt, and flowed some unfluxed lead/tin solder down the hole.

111030-090619031730.jpeg


The M6 bolt keeps the nipple in place, and also acts as a drift to knock the nipple out.

111030-090619031754.jpeg


Solder flowed to all exits. Nipple secure. I made another one for the 8mm clutch nipple.

111030-090619031818.jpeg


I have seen a video where the nipple and cable are dipped into a solder pot. I tried it. It does not work. It's hard, almost impossible, getting the solder to wet the cold stainless cable by dipping it, and if the cable is heated directly with a flame, it is ruined. But then, what do I know?
 
Never really liked the seat I got from Cafe Racer Kits. Too bulky and high. But I had it, and my budget was closed a while ago. My acquired skill-set does not include making a seat from scratch, so I tried to make the seat a little easier on the eye.

111030-070719075011.jpeg


I cut the plastic pan so it would not overlap the base.

111030-070719073336.jpeg


Trimmed the foam with the electric knife that my wife never knew we had.

111030-070719073418.jpeg


And I got some help from an upholsterer mate to adapt the vinyl cover. He used some staples to hold it in place and contact adhesive to secure it. I think it looks much better.

111030-070719073446.jpeg
 
It's painting time. Armed with a fistful of youtube lore, and unbridled enthusiasm, I finally got the courage to embark on this most sensitive part of the build.

Some Aussie branded pint stripper.

111030-080719022823.jpeg


It took a lot longer than what it said on the can, but work it did.

111030-080719022853.jpeg


What the paint stripper didn't take, some 80 grit dry paper did.

111030-080719022929.jpeg


Guide coat to detect the bumps and low spots the naked eye just doesn't pick up.

111030-080719023002.jpeg


After working up through the grits to 240, a clean and some filler.

111030-080719023025.jpeg


Back through the lower grits all the way up to 360. Had to top up areas where the filler shrank. Did Michaelangelo fill this good? Nah....it was just marble.

111030-080719023054.jpeg


A makeshift spray room from a 3mx3m gazebo.

111030-080719023120.jpeg


Another Aussie plug. Local auto 2K paints.....a high build primer, basecoat and clear system.

111030-080719023143.jpeg


3 coats of primer and.....

111030-080719023215.jpeg


hang on....WTF? My compressor tripped out, and although there was air in the tank, the pressure kept dropping, so my final coat was Orange Peel deluxe. I also went too early to start blocking and paint was peeling off. Yeah....40 minutes is way to early. Let it dry overnight, went back to the sandpaper...wet'n'dry 180 then 240, and ready to start again.

111030-080719023240.jpeg


Here we go again, another 3 coats, and let dry 24 hours....to be sure to be sure!

111030-080719023304.jpeg


3 coats of some random gold basecoat out of a catalogue to match my wheel colour, wait 30 minutes, and start taping up outlines. Between the tank and seat cowle, anothe 45 minutes.

111030-080719023335.jpeg


3 coats of Subaru Black Pearl or Obsidion as it's called here. Wait 30 minutes, peel off tape, and 3 coats of clear. Photos are hazy. It takes a long time for the clear cloud to settle, not to mention what it does to your glasses.

111030-080719023403.jpeg


Lots of opportunities to f#@% up here. I managed to keep it down to an acceptable level. My first attempt at the gold basecoat was a distater. Had the gun paint needle way too open, and the runs were reminiscent of a day after beef vindaloo. Had to let it dry and go again. Probably the trickiest skill to learn so far.
 
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