Pirate Bike

[GSBRY]

Hey Soloratov, Did you make your own mounting plate for the unit to sit on?  Made of metal or plastic?  Thanks

[Soloratov]

I cut an aluminum plate on the CNC to mount the Koso. As far as viewing angle, I found that my sitting position puts the screen directly in my line of sight so even in bright light the gauge is very easy to read. Only reason I would have angled it back more is if I rode in a more upright position.

One of the things I have never liked much about the side profile of the GS500E and more so on the GS500F was the clunky instrument cluster. Aesthetically, yours are way better. Curious if they are easy to see while riding.

This was the initial motivtion for finding something digital and small.

[Beehave]

Not sure if you will read Soloratov but I love what you did to your GS500. I am trying to achieve similar look apart from seat - mine has to be double. And my subframe is bent so will be fabricating new. I don't know if I missed photos of your electronics location - I want to tuck mine off the way and relocate as absolutely no firing goes on mine "baby" lol

[Soloratov]

Hey there Bee...I gotacha. I actually am just finishing up the last of the modifications. New seat, new exhaust, completely rewired the entire bike and relocated the bulk of the main harness behind the new lunchbox air filter. Put in a HID headlamp, chopped off more bits, added some pegs, more paint...THE WORKS. Pics in the next week or so once I finally get a test ride in.

[Beehave]

Looking forward to the pictures Soloratov - be generous with them😉 might help and inspire us further. My project has to stay low budget so I will stick with original harnes (for now at least😁)
There will be lots of recycling lol

[Soloratov]

Low budget!? LOL. That was exactly the whole way I did this entire transformation. 

I bought the bike as a "mostly" pile of parts for $500. I spent money on 3 things, headlight, and the digital gauges. Other than that, it's completely done with scrounged materials, hand me downs, and a couple $7 cans of spray on bed liner. In total, I maybe...MAYBE spent another $400 with all that. My goal was to never spend over 1K, and as my best guess, I haven't.

You have to get creative, but I went into this transformation with a goal, make it kind of ratty. Everything I did, I planned out to the finest detail...then just kind free handed a lot. Gave it the rough edges, left some gaps, eyeballed some bolt locations and let the paint scuff a bit as I worked on it. I don't like things being too pretty, it just has to feel and run right.

[Beehave]

Get you mate. Similar here. Doesn't have to be beautiful but I have to like it. But needs refreshing and will  get "ratty" with time lol. Be running and reliable is what matters most. I don't weld and don't have "facilities" and gear to do so otherwise I would learn by "try and error". Maintenance of any vehicle is never ending story so you won't probably ever stop pumping money in it lol. You might look one day on the bike and come with idea - "hmmmm I think if I did...... this shaZam! would look even better" lol

[Soloratov]

DONE! -ish...

The Pearl.



Some sanding and flat engine paint, she looks great in there!



New, simple clean control area. Windscreen is aimed nicely right over my forehead.






Everything is nice and flat, kinda angle-y...and you can see the hint of red coming through the side panels. Wanted just a hint of accent and I love how subtle it is. It's much more noticable in the daylight.



Simple thumb screws hold the seat on.



While the exhaust was pretty rigid as is, I wanted to make sure it would bounce and hit the swing arm, so I found that a simple exhaust bracket shoved through the center stand mount, does very nicely at locking things into a safe place.



This is the rear bits wiring, the rest of the harness is right in front of the battery in a box I made.



I needed to light up the plate, but didn't want wires hanging off the side...so...I figured this works!



At this point, i am down to testing out the jetting for the motor, and over time adding some over the top aesthetics just...because.

Total modifications done:

HID headlight kit - motorized high/low
Wiring harness moved to back of bike
K&N Lunchbox Filter
Harley Sportster Slip-on muffler
Rear frame removed after weld point
Single cafe seat
Koso digital speedo & tach
Iridium plugs
Bedliner paint
Custom bullet foot pegs
Tail light & mount
Tach cable plug
Speedo cable plug
Center stand removed
Windscreen reshaped from Triumph
Licence plate relocated
Ignition key relocated to rear
Ebay special bar end mirrors
New grips

[Beehave]

I like the end effect - beautiful minimalism. Still admiring the pictures 😀

[The Buddha]

DONE! -ish...

The Pearl.

What counts is that you like it ... but to me the seat angle looks wrong. It has to tip upward at the back - not a whole lot, but upward a bit atleast.
Cool.
Buddha.

[Soloratov]

Oh no worries, I completely agree. Visually the seat looks way too flat...but this is also the 4th one I made. None of the others that had various degrees of upward sweep were comfortable in any way. Originally I had just a useless hump on it, kind of a butt-stop, which was comfy...until I padded it. So, I made this, sat on it, and went...well now, that'll do. 

[Soloratov]

Couple more outside pics with MUCH better camera.







And the obligatory glamour shot...

[Janx101]

Nice! .... One teensy tiny niggle comment? .... The metal bolts on tail section .... Look ... Random? ... Know they not!! ... But black out a few to give a neater visual effect?...

Awesome everything else though!

[Soloratov]

Yeah I noticed that too. Waiting to get some black zinc ones...I loathe rust so I have to wait for those to come in. Still need to switch a few on the motor to stainless though. But good "niggle??" (WTF, is that some weird aussie thing?  )

[Janx101]

Ummm niggle ..... Errr ... Minor annoyance? ... Not annoying! But 'you know it's there but it's so minor that the effort to change it is almost more than the annoyance' .. Kinda ...

Hang on ..

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/niggle

[Soloratov]

What a fantastic word! It's really quite perfect. Thank you sir.