Kimjon

Just realized anyone younger than 40 probably doesn't get jokes from 1980's movies.

Yeah, something like that looks like the answer. It's fine line at this point. The risk of ending up here is only a few bad styling decisions away from happening.

Google searching and I found my theory confirmed. This is what happens when the fender is mounted on the springer arms and set to low.

Here's the problem. Without actually measuring it, it looks like a 2/3rds ratio. The rocker is attached to the fork legs on a fixed pivot. The wheel axle is right on the end. The spring forks are about 2/3 the way on the rocker. So example: Say the front tyre hits a huge 100mm bump in the road, the front axle goes up 100mm. The fork tubes go up 0mm The springer tubes go up 2/3 of 100mm = 66mm. Problem: The fender mounts to the Springer tubes. So if you have a nice tidy 15mm gap set between the fender and tyre at normal ride hight, then you hit this hypothetical 100mm giant bump in the road, the fender only moves up 66mm, but the tyre moves up 100mm. Maths is fun: 100mm tyre movement - 66mm fender movement - 15mm true fender gap = 19mm of interference between tyre and fender resulting in killing the rider (me). Sad face!!! Solutions: 1) mount the fender a mile higher than the tyre and look like a total cunt. 2) create a pivot point off the axle, so the fender moves with the axle and maintains constant gap between the tyre and fender irrespective of travel. I like solution No2. But that means heaps of work. Hmmm???? Balls!!!!....

Arghhhh my eyes...my eyes...it hurts so much! Ugly as fuck front fender. I paid $30 for it at a swap meet, possibly around $28 too much? God its ugly. But some dumb law in NZ about needing one apparently exist? I'll give it some time to grow on me, but yeah/nah I'm not a fan.

Got sick of working in the shed, so fucked around on this for 20 minutes. Its amazing how you don't think of much else - just live in the moment when there's a slight element of risk associated with an activity...love it! Will get back on track with the harley build soon. But nice to have a distraction for a while.

And finished the LED rear lights hidden in the seat. And from a few paces back you'd hardly even notice it when it's not turned on. This performs a heap of functions like: • Dim red when lights are on • Bright red when brakes are used • Left and right turn signals • Hazard lights. My certifier will have the final say: if it's okay...its staying - If it's not enough, then I'll go to plan B.

Got the sheetmetal hidy-hole seat pan thingy finished off and painted. I hammered a recess in it to allow the cord to go through. The seat needs to hinge forward so I can access the oil tank, so bringing the wires out the front by the pivot point will allow for this to happen.

After smashing out that sheetmetal, I wanted one more quick win to finish the day. So I solved an issue that arises when the handlebars are on full lock. The paint on the frame will get chipped by the fork stops hitting the painted frame. Easy solution: And the other side Testing it out: Fuck yeah, perfect! Time for beer...

Next up I built this hidden space underneath the seat to hold an LED rear brake, lights, indicator light strip. Cardboard goodness. Metal shaping up. Bit of a cunty compound curve going on...but got there in the end. Taped in place for a dry fit. Couldn't help myself...powered up. Bright as fuck! So yeah, I'm pretty stoked with that. Be a good back up to the other lights, but subtle enough to not subtract from the looks of the bike.

Running out of things to do, so I redid my exhaust bracket for the 3rd time. Looks no different...but it's much better/stronger now. Then I found myself in a dilemma. Left or right? All the bikes in magazines have the license plate on the left...by they're mostly American, so I figure we drive on the opposite side of the road here in NZ, so I'd put it on the opposite side to. I think it balances the black on the exhausts. But in an ideal world I'd rather not have it at all. But yeah, apparently for wofs and shit you need one...

Wiring, done.

Redid my headlight mount. Longer, sexier and has a step in it to index the parts so nothing can rotate by itself under any vibration. Small things, but keeping me occupied.

Okay, my first attempt at installing a remote oil filter/cooler was in risk of getting a friendly love slap from the drive belt. It looked okay and ticked most boxes, but its placement put the hoses way to close to the rear belt...as in pretty much on it with only 5mm gap, so on deceleration it could slap the oil lines, which would not be good. So I made V1.2: But I wasn't in love with it. It seemed a bit back to front to me. Plus the aluminum was a bit thin and I wasn't too sure about its resistance to fatiguing? So on to V1.3: And I'm calling it a win. It now has the maximum amount of clearance required and still sits outside of the frame, so when I dump the oil...it wont spill all over the nice bits. Here's V1.0 and 1.2 about to be archived:

Needs wheelie bars!

Did the other side, but I don't think it really needed doing...gaskets looked okay. But at least that's one thing to not worry about eh?

Solving a truly 1st world problem, cup holders (lack of). Not totally in love with it. Mainly the fact the radio and temperature gauge was already there, but I never would've put it there...but because it is, it may as well stay. Additional ugliness of the cup holders...mmmm...not sure. Will slap it in and remove later if it really annoys me?

My head hurts... I'm sure I can work through this one step at a time. But right now, my heads not in the game...can't be fucked...

Installed a fully programmable electronic ignition system. It has a myriad of torque curves to choose from already pre mapped in the system. Just select your parts and riding style and compare with the selection on offer and dial it in. Had to install a new rotor behind it, then this just popped in. I put timing in the middle and will fiddle with it later. Timing cover back on, looking sweet! I've got a big lumpy cam in this motor, so may take a bit of trial and error to find the right ignition program...but I'm not going to over think it right now.

If I wasn't a brokearse...

Tig welding like a boss! Doing this because everything shifted over by fucking around with the wheel spacers to centre the rear end perfectly. Unfortunately my fender strut had to shrink a bit. So I cut and welded it with the tig. I'll get it chromed again. Bit sad, as I made these 4 years ago and was quite proud of how they turned out. Back then I arc welded them. Clearance for spinning bits is now all mint! Brake tab is perfectly positioned thanks to my new hub and rotor centric spacer block I made yesterday. Fender sitting just right. Needs a little hammer and dolly love...but good enough for now. Stoked!!!

Those machine screws offended me so much, I hunted through every container of random bolts I have until finally finding some 6/88875" or whatever the fuck they are cap head screws. Thank fuck for that.

No fucking around then... First thing I noticed was cheap Philips head machine screws. Wtf...who does that. You would think there's something in here that would fit. But no, not only are they cheap shitty Philips heads, they are cheap shitty god dam imperial Philips heads...cunts! Fuck you America...fuck you and you cunty perseverance with an antiquated measurement system... Anyways, rant over. And installation was reasonably straightforward. I had to drill out the shoulder on one of the cable bosses to get it to fit, but other than that it basically bolted on like you'd expect it too. Looks okay, probably preferred the brown grips? But not losing sleep over it.

The mail just keeps turning up. Ordered this a week ago from the USA and boom, in my letterbox today. Not 100% sure on the black, I kind of like my oldschool "coke bottle" grips. But it's an easy thing to change.