Work continued on the wiring but before I went too far I wanted to make sure everything was hunky dorey. I had wired enough bits to see if the starter turned the engine ok and also to see if I got a spark. I simulated the start button and ignition switch out of pure laziness and gave it a whirl. The battery I thought was ok turned it over slowly a couple of times and then gave up. It was only a 9 amp one so I changed it for a 14 and gave it another go – much better now so I will change the position of the retaining strap bracket to suit and will use that instead. A new battery of smaller capacity would probably be ok but that paltry budget prohibits such extravagance.
I’m glad to say I got a good healthy spark so I can carry on and finish the wiring at least to the point where I should be able to start the beast.
First I had to make a blanking panel for the ammo box battery holder – the chain runs through it and I don’t want grease all over my sensitive parts. An unused piece of industrial shelving sacrificed a piece of steel sheet, which was bent, painted and riveted in to position.
While waiting for the paint to dry I needed a job so I polished the exhausts that I “borrowed” from Ian without his knowledge last time I rifled through his possessions. They ain’t perfect but they were free so that’s the next best thing, they have polished up,I had done a photo but it didn’t come out, sorry. I just need to make a couple of brackets but I can’t find any suitable material, I shall have a look in my metal bin or go to Craven and Nicholas, my preferred source of bits of metal of all shapes and sizes.
With two brackets made it was a simple task to bolt it all together and put the whole caboodle on the bike, I am rather pleased with the look of them, all I now have to do to complete the system is get a couple of y joints and a link pipe. I suspect I may have to make up some spacers or reducers but I don’t think that will be too hard. Finding the right 2 in to 1 joiners could be interesting though.
Now we come to the rather tiresome issue of the seat. Yes, that bloody, bastard, sole destroying, vicious sodding thing that I just can’t get right. I am going to have to have a chat with my next door neighbour, she did the seat on my project Aprilia and it came out brilliantly, I am not happy with the shape of this or the material or anything about it really. I also think the rear mud guard needs to be in red.
Oh well, nobody said it would be easy, it’s another one of those things that can be brought for not too many quids if you have the budget but if it’s not right it ruins the whole bike.
I think I will carry on with the wiring for now and come back to the seat a bit later – there is still the small matter of getting the engine running, I am still hoping that will spur me on with all the other bits.
My neighbour Nathan came round the other day clutching a rather nice looking speedo. It turns out it was a Chinese multi function thing that incorporates a tacho, speedo, fuel and temp gauges and a full set of warning lights. He only wanted a pittance for it so a crispy new 10 pound note was handed over and then I realised there was no wiring diagram for it. Nathan had taken it off a Pan European and had marked up what wires he could, a quick internet search lead me to a web site that completed the vital information. Wiring it in should be pretty straightforward, it even has a gear indicator although my engine doesn’t have the switch to suit so that will be left inoperative.
To start the beast I just need the solenoid, neutral switch, starter switch and kill switch as well as the CDI, pick up coils and ignition coils wired so I will deal with them first. I will wire in the appropriate fuses just in case I have a senior moment and do something stupid.
It is at this point that I would like to tell you it started first time, indeed I could tell you that but I would be lying. The wiring was alright first time but all I got out of the engine were a few pops, it really didn’t want to start and the battery sounded a bit tired – not too surprising it is an old one and the starter takes a hell of a lot of juice.
I charged the battery and tried again but it still didn’t want to catch. I felt the exhaust pipes – 3 and 4 were slightly warm but one and two were at ambient – I quickly realised why. In a senior moment I had only been trying to fill the carbs via the overflows – idiot 🙂
I moved the petrol pipe to the inlet, filled the carbs and number one peed itself all over the engine – Doooohh, oh well I never said it would be easy.
Off they came, clean em again, put em back, good now all four are full and there are no leaks. While I was at it I plugged the vacuum outlet from number 3 – the one that does the vacuum for the petrol tap.
I tried it again and guess what happened? Not telling, you will have to see the vid on youtube. Sorry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hhtNL1SFUg
Article provided by David Powell of Boston Bike Bits.
