Still working on naming this ugly girl...but it's getting there.
She's a 1990 I bought as a project bike from my boss. Runs great and rides smooth!
What it was when it entered the basement:
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0657.jpg)
By that time I had already painted the tank and plastics with bedliner, now for details.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0664.jpg)
Painted the frame, trimmed the valve cover and misc parts with a misting of red.
Then installed a Koso DB-01R digital gauge. Koso made a great little unit, small, and simple to install!
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0662.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0661.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0663.jpg)
The last bit I am waiting on pictures. I hacked off the rear of the frame and seat, brought it flush with the seat latch. Now I am working on the new skins to cover it up.
Man I really like that gauge system. Does it have rpm as well as speed? And it was simple to switch the dash lights over? You said like 180 right?
Yeah, the wiring guide was EXTREMELY simple. Getting the dash lights to work was as easy as, unplug the original harness inside the headlight, and tap into the wires.
This gauge has tach, odometer, and speedometer. Fuel guage yeah but useless. Neutral, oil, high beam and turn dash lights.
Best part, it comes with a jumper lead so you don't have to tap into the coil wires for tach...you just use the provided jumper wire. They really made this easy. Only thing I had to do, as someone else here did, you have to put the speed sensor and magnets on the REAR wheel, not the front.
That cluster looks awesome.....read, "light".
Ill have to consider that same unit for my current, lightweight GT380 custom build.....every pound counts and that looks like it would shave a few lbs.
I think i seen that gauge on ebay, was it around $130 or so?
I bought mine straight from Koso. $170 on the site, plus shipping.
How simple was installing the magnet sensors? Can you post a picture of how they go on?
Here ya go. Again, I can't take credit for this idea...
But, basically, the gauge comes with 2 mounting brackets for the magnetic sensor. By combining them on the rear lower caliper bolt, you can get the sensor to align perfectly with the 4 brake disk mounting bolts. The magnets just sit perfectly inside the head of these bolts.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/1000666c.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/1000669u.jpg)
My weekend plan is to go split the bike up into 2 sections, front and rear. Once I make a list of all the hardware, i will be replacing everything that is worn/rusty/or just plain ugly. I am hoping to replace ALL hardware on the bike with stainless. Then, I need to clean this dusty dirty motor! It's a process...
Cobbed together in the basement, resurrected from storage...with relatively zero budget. Dirty, blacked out and a hint a flare...A PIRATE BIKE.
Oh she's an ugly 'ole girl. A pretty bike is nice...a ratty bike is better! Bolts are tight, engine purrs...everything else is just time wasted not riding.
I think I'l call this ugly babe, "Black Pearl". Just needs LED bolts for the plate, center stand removed, and a flag!
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/85128139-4c4e-4ef6-809a-a7049196bdd1.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/plate.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0673.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0674.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0675.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0678.jpg)
...and, the pile of severed bits...
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0681.jpg)
Looks good ive got somthing very similar in the works with my 93 :) love the bobber look.
We're gonna have to start a bobber club around here, my bike is going that direction on the tail lol looks good man!
Thanks. May end up replacing the tail light next year, but I figured it would help protect me from flying debris until I can figure out a hugger for the tire. For now I reinforced the underside of the light with some polycarbonate and bedliner :)
Would like to figure out an adjustment for the exhaust for next season as well. Something shorter, but not much louder. Don't mind rejetting, just don't want to spend more on an exhaust than I spent on the bike.
Metal fab is no problem, do it all day, but hoping to get better at body work items. Don't want fairings or full covers, but would like to clean up the electrical harness area a bit.
Question you may or may not be able to answer regarding the gauge: Does it work with electronic sender units, instead of the magnets on the wheel? My CBR has those, and I had an Acewell gauge that was defective, but worked with the bike's electronic speed senders. Any idea if the Koso would work that way? It looks much better than the gauge I had.
Verr nice Matey!! verr nice indeed! :cheers:
(http://johnnydeppblog.altervista.org/wp-content/gallery/galleria-johnny/depp-johnny-pirates-copia.jpg)
Ryott,
Not sure it would work properly, but I won't say for sure. I know the sensor that is provided is a passive sensor, but they sell an active sensor separate that is much more accurate. Both have a plug that runs to the main gauge harness, but there isn't a specified diagram for that wiring. I'm sure you could call them, but a quick search didn't give me an answer.
Quote from: Soloratov on March 13, 2013, 08:37:26 AM
Ryott,
Not sure it would work properly, but I won't say for sure. I know the sensor that is provided is a passive sensor, but they sell an active sensor separate that is much more accurate. Both have a plug that runs to the main gauge harness, but there isn't a specified diagram for that wiring. I'm sure you could call them, but a quick search didn't give me an answer.
Thanks, I may do that.
Our bikes look very similar :D (mines still obviously not done :D)
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c287/Jollyrojer/bikefixed_zpsab451b36.jpg) (http://s29.photobucket.com/user/Jollyrojer/media/bikefixed_zpsab451b36.jpg.html)
love the bobber look. and heres a sound clip i know you were looking for exhaust options, i glasspacked mine just after the Y (i know the taillight is funky, ive gotten yelled at a few times for not having the plate illuminated well enough, im finishing the subframe next week so i wont have to worry after that.
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c287/Jollyrojer/th_FAA5F40D-4233-43BD-8C09-47C5D55B4D3B-657-00000024EA501599_zpse82fa040.jpg) (http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c287/Jollyrojer/FAA5F40D-4233-43BD-8C09-47C5D55B4D3B-657-00000024EA501599_zpse82fa040.mp4)
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.
I also like the look of the Koso unit. Really clean look. Wondering also if it is hard to read since it's not angled at all. :dunno_black:
Hey Soloratov, Did you make your own mounting plate for the unit to sit on? Made of metal or plastic? Thanks
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.
Quote from: SAFE-T on April 11, 2013, 10:06:26 PM
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.
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
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.
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
Low budget!? LOL. That was exactly the whole way I did this entire transformation. :D
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.
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
DONE! -ish...
The Pearl.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0793.jpg)
Some sanding and flat engine paint, she looks great in there!
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0790.jpg)
New, simple clean control area. Windscreen is aimed nicely right over my forehead.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0796.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0794.jpg)
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.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0791.jpg)
Simple thumb screws hold the seat on.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0797.jpg)
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.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0800.jpg)
This is the rear bits wiring, the rest of the harness is right in front of the battery in a box I made.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0798.jpg)
I needed to light up the plate, but didn't want wires hanging off the side...so...I figured this works!
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/100_0795.jpg)
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
I like the end effect - beautiful minimalism. Still admiring the pictures 😀
Quote from: Soloratov on June 28, 2014, 03:10:08 PM
DONE! -ish...
The Pearl.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/100_0793.jpg)
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.
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. :dunno_black:
Couple more outside pics with MUCH better camera.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/IMG_4362.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/IMG_4361.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/IMG_4359.jpg)
And the obligatory glamour shot...
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Soloratov/Black%20Pearl/IMG_4360.jpg)
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!
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? :cookoo:)
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
What a fantastic word! It's really quite perfect. Thank you sir.