Shake the Box CL360/378 - The Hedgehog - Done

[crazypj]

LOL, couldn't justify a lithium battery (it would probably blow up anyway?) but spent way too much on hidden fork clamps. I'm kinda jealous though, I would use them if they were not so damn expensive. Maybe I should buy a smaller (cheaper) one to use as pattern? (along with all the other stuff I'm still planning doing? : )

 

[ridesolo]

LOL, couldn't justify a lithium battery (it would probably blow up anyway?) but spent way too much on hidden fork clamps. I'm kinda jealous though, I would use them if they were not so damn expensive. Maybe I should buy a smaller (cheaper) one to use as pattern? (along with all the other stuff I'm still planning doing? : )

It's the benefit of being the brother of The Mad Scientist. He probably had them in a parts bin or something. I did pay him for the chunk of Alu he got for that top triple, though.

EDIT: Thinking more about this, I really don't want to know how much $$ I'm going to have in this stupid little beast. There have been years of trickling cash; the Kawi parts, the tires, PJ's carb refurb, 500T tank, R-1 foot pegs, seat (actually, SEATS! ), clip-ons, Danmoto, 378 rebuild, machined top triple, scads of stainless nutz n boltz, probably more that I've forgotten. It's all just been "a little here and a little there" for YEARS! Now, in the final push to get it finished it's been battery, headlight, fairing, chain/sprockets, artwork, brake lines, more stainless hardware, and on and on all at once so I've been feeling a bit pinched. Don't misunderstand, I'm not being a whiner, this can certainly be one of those hobbies that falls into the "if you have to ask what it costs you can't afford it" category. Oh well, as long as it gets done and runs and rides I'm going to enjoy it.

 

[ridesolo]

Work continues. I've got a start on the wiring but forgot to take pix. Will get a couple tomorrow.

I got into a HF today and picked up a pit stand. The store I usually go to doesn't seem to stock this one but another one in a larger market had a couple on the shelf. A 25% off coupon later and I was on my way w/ it tucked under my arm. As it sits it's JUST tall enough and had I known I might have put the bobbin a little lower on the swing arm to gain a little height, but it's fine as-is.

 

[ridesolo]

I promised pix of wiring in the last post so while I was working today I made sure to snap a couple of progress shots.

I acquired my box of assorted connectors and it's turning out to be invaluable. I'm finding that having a decent collection of connectors available has allowed me to be more organized, thoughtful, and deliberate about the whole task. Yeah, it's probably slowing things down but this poor little build has certainly been much more of a marathon than a sprint anyway. A VERY s l o w and long marathon.

The Mad Scientist and I worked together to determine how we wanted things set up and he came up w/ a workable schematic. Fortunately he's got a background in industry and went a step beyond the schematic and drew up a "Lead Table" that, literally step-by-step, sets out the connections:

1. Ong wire from Danmoto to T-Block #1 out
2. LGrn/Rd wire from Danmoto to T-block #10 out
(and etc.)

I could connect up from the schematic but doing it this way sure makes it easier.

First I got the pigtail for the Danmoto done up except for the connectors for the terminal block. I was very pleased to harvest appropriately colored wires from the old, original wiring harness. The K&S came w/ a pigtail and working with it made the process easier so making one for the Danmoto seemed like a no brainer.

A couple hours later I had a few more connections in place. It's encouraging that it isn't really all that difficult... so far. Perhaps the difficult part will be to get it all looking organized and professional when it's done.

The old wiring harness is close to being tapped out for donor wire but there's probably enough to set up the rear lights & turns as well as the rear brake light switch.

 

[ridesolo]

Things are coming along. I've now got a working neutral light and high beam indicators. Horn button works to a meter, no horn actually connected yet. The dash powers up w/ light and 0s indicated for the speed and RPM. Haven't put the meter on the flasher circuits but that's the next test. I've got one wire that suppose to go to the coils and have a 10k, 1/2 watt resistor in line for the tach. Not sure which wires on the coils that goes to but I'm sure I'll figure it out. Still have to run the lighting wires, brake switch wires, horn wires, flasher wires. I'd say it's coming along though.

 

[Kunphushun]

Such an awesome build. I love the riveted fenders, especially the hugger.

 

[ridesolo]

Such an awesome build. I love the riveted fenders, especially the hugger.

Thank you, very kind.

 

[ridesolo]

More work on the wiring and a few frustrations but nothing that wasn't too difficult to correct. I don't know if it was a printing error or a factory assembly error w/ my particular switch but the described wire colors for the high and low beam leads were reversed. Also the color description for on the the dashboard wires was off. I got those figured out and everything except the tach wire is hooked up and works. Flashers, horn, hi/lo beam, neutral lite, hi beam lite. They are all working to the terminal block, still have to run wires to the lights, flashers, horn, etc. but that's the easy part, as long as it's working at the block. Yay!!!

The pix may be a bit repetitious of similar shots unless you look closely, but it's as things sit at the moment.

And shots show that the neutral light, high beam indicator, and turn signal indicators work.

Also got started on the mount for the tail/brake/turn light strip.

 

[crazypj]

Reading through some earlier posts, totally true, if you have to ask price you can't afford it. Trickling money into a bike over many years you don't notice just how much you spend. I know I could never get full value for any of my 378's, would have to start at a minimum of $7K so I don't lose too much. In all probability it's closer to the $15,000 that was mentioned 8~9 years ago ??? 8) ;D

 

[ridesolo]

Reading through some earlier posts, totally true, if you have to ask price you can't afford it. Trickling money into a bike over many years you don't notice just how much you spend. I know I could never get full value for any of my 378's, would have to start at a minimum of $7K so I don't lose too much. In all probability it's closer to the $15,000 that was mentioned 8~9 years ago ??? 8) ;D

I was back home this weekend and my buddy back there was looking at the pictures of the beast on my phone. He asked how much money I have in it. I told him that I have a general idea in my head but that I haven't been really keeping track; don't want to know at this point. Or maybe I shouldn't know at this point.

 

[teazer]

There's an old saying that goes something like this: If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, did it really fall.

So in motorcycle cost terms,
If you don't look, it didn't happen.

Right PJ?

 

[irk miller]

We have a friend that has an interesting formula for his build budgets. Every $1000 he claims is usually around $1500 in real money. Ask Levi about it, Corey. He can give you the mix.

 

[ridesolo]

We have a friend that has an interesting formula for his build budgets. Every $1000 he claims is usually around $1500 in real money. Ask Levi about it, Corey. He can give you the mix.

Yes, the public number and the private number. The private number you keep to yourself and the public number you use so your friends don't think you have completely lost it and your spouse doesn't kick you out.

 

[crazypj]

There's an old saying that goes something like this: If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, did it really fall.

So in motorcycle cost terms,
If you don't look, it didn't happen.

Right PJ?

No idea what your talking about

 

[ridesolo]

So, work progresses. Had to go out of town for the weekend but otherwise I keep plugging away. Hurco550 has reminded me that there's a general belief that the last 10% of the build takes 90% of the time and maybe I'm just being impatient, but little frustrations keep popping up... oh well, they build character, right?

So here it sits. All in all the wiring is going well. Once in a while a question pops up and I have to think it through a little but I've been able to work them through and carry on.

The latest little stand-still is an oddity w/ the headlight I bought. It's an LED w/ integrated turns. In w/ the turns is a running light that is around the top hemisphere of the light and is suppose to be powered when the key is on. When you put power to one of the turns the left or right top half of the lights change from white to amber. Since I always ride w/ the headlight on I wouldn't care about the running light, but the turns will not work w/o it being powered as well. OK, fine. I get things all hooked up and discover that this hook-up causes a back flow of +12v (for lack of a better term) through the headlight system. The running light and turns don't work and the turn indicators in the dash come on dim. I'm thinking that putting a diode into the turn leads into the headlight should make the power flow through them one-directional, but I'm not sure about this and not sure what diodes to use to give it a try. Suggestions?

 

[teazer]

Hurco is right. I use a "90% done" means you are half way there. It takes little time to do big things like bolt in a motor, and lots of time to get the details right. Trouble is that changing wiring slightly or moving a part is hard to see and takes time but it's worth the effort

 

[ridesolo]

Hurco is right. I use a "90% done" means you are half way there. It takes little time to do big things like bolt in a motor, and lots of time to get the details right. Trouble is that changing wiring slightly or moving a part is hard to see and takes time but it's worth the effort

You are correct. I've discovered that I do enjoy it, though, so that's at least one good thing. If I hated it I suppose it either wouldn't get done or at least not get done right.

 

[ridesolo]

Got the new remote brake fluid reservoirs installed today. I needed one for the front so, of course, I got a matching one for the rear so they'd be the same.

More wiring done. That's almost complete now; just need to run to the brake light switches, the horn, and figure out the front turn signals.

 

[ridesolo]

The latest little stand-still is an oddity w/ the headlight I bought. It's an LED w/ integrated turns. In w/ the turns is a running light that is around the top hemisphere of the light and is suppose to be powered when the key is on. When you put power to one of the turns the left or right top half of the lights change from white to amber. Since I always ride w/ the headlight on I wouldn't care about the running light, but the turns will not work w/o it being powered as well. OK, fine. I get things all hooked up and discover that this hook-up causes a back flow of +12v (for lack of a better term) through the headlight system. The running light and turns don't work and the turn indicators in the dash come on dim. I'm thinking that putting a diode into the turn leads into the headlight should make the power flow through them one-directional, but I'm not sure about this and not sure what diodes to use to give it a try. Suggestions?

AND if I can't get this issue worked out I'm getting bar-end mirrors that have a LED turn signal in them so I'll just abandon the turns in the light and use only the mirrors.

 

[teazer]

Sonrier would know the answer. He's more electrically oriented than I'll ever be. When I needed diodes for a Motoplat kill switch and I needed a pair to use in a single idiot light with LED blinkers, I just ordered a fairly large unit that seems to work. If you need a few to try, PM me and I'll mail you a couple.

If you have a singe idiot light for both indicators, check this out http://pinkpossum.com/Lights.htm