I know what you mean, and in many ways agree! I have spent ages looking at the seat, and in the early stages I did several designs in the foam... some angular, some different configurations, but in the end I decided on the hump, for one reason... I like it! I always knew it wouldn't be to everyone's taste... but thats OK. I do like it though when people voice an opinion, because it always makes me re-evaluate. on my Suzuki build everyone said the clocks were to high, so I lowered them and it made a world of difference, but I couldn't see it myself what was wrong, until I moved them! after I have built my projects I usually sell them on, so I always try to build stuff people will like, so they sell better, but this one is for me to keep, so it does not matter so much. I am agonising over the headlight brackets at the moment!
Keep up the thread matey ... Love watching peoples creations taking shape and wishing I could do it !!
been busy the last few days making the speedo housing and mounting the headlight. I am using one of the digital rev counter and speedo's. this single unit contains all the functions I need and is fully configurable too... and quite cheap at £25. it didn't look that good though, so I made a housing to fit it in and keep the wires tidy. to make the housing I rolled some sheet alloy (couldn't get the right size tube...) and welded the joint. I then spun an end in the lathe using the same material. this is an interesting process (and old as the hills!) where you form the metal by spinning it and applying force as its turning. I used an old bearing on a tube to save marking the alloy. it came out rather well. I really am loving my new welder!
jobs for today has been to put the seat foam on the aluminium tray and sand it to shape before sending it off to the trimmer. I was able to sit on the bike and get it to the shape that suits me, which is nice. the trimmer will add 15mm of soft foam on top and contour it in, before trimming it in black. Best laid plans with the fuel tap… it was going to go in the plate that fills the hole where the fuel pump fits, but there is not enough clearance so I resorted to remote mounting it. its actually better as I can get to turn it on and off easier. the two inlets are so I can come off two pipes in the tank to give me a reserve facility.the tap is off a Suzuki Bandit 1000. on projects in the past I have always soldered the connections, but this time I have gone for crimped joints, they look neater, and also as my mate always says you never see a soldered joint on aircraft wiring!
been a little while as I am having to take a break to do some house DIY… but I managed to sneak in the garage and make a cover for the front of the tank. It took a while to plannish it out of some 2 mm alloy as its a complex compound curve, but i got there. I was going to use keyless ignition as I have used on the last few builds, they are cheap and work well… however the brief on this build was as simple as I can make it, and it does not come more simple than a key operated switch! when I put it in the cover it didn’t look right, so I made a tool to emboss around the switch, which worked quite well…
I like the infill panel, that is a piece of patience just there. Have you thought about the fork legs, possibly an upgrade or getting them gold anodised?
some more pictures... the seat came back from the trimmers, I was very pleased with the results, and its comfortable for me which is the important bit. not as comfortable perhaps as the original though! I am getting to the stage where it all needs to be stripped down, and the frame, tank and seat painting. just a few more jobs to do... I am very undecided what colour to do the frame and the tank and seat... suggestions welcome!
Wonderful bit of planishing Bazzer, where do your numerous talents end I wonder? I'm very impressed with what you have done so far. No idea about colours.
All red but with a 2 or 3 inch white stripe down the centre of the tank from the clocks to your nut sack rest, then on the seat, all red but a little bit of white similar to this? I hope you get the general idea? If the white wasn't acceptable then the stripe could be in silver so as to flow from the silver front end, through the bike and end up at the back? or, spray the tank and seat cowl all white and run the 3 inch stripe as red?
brilliant thread and fantastic work buzzer! I have bought a multistrada to do a project on my garage is cleared. Can you answer a question regarding changing the clocks? does it affect the immobiliser. (i'd like to desconnect that if possible). i can pm instead cheers Rob
yes, changing the clocks does affect the immobiliser unfortunately. However, there is free software out there where you can switch it off in the ECU. its an area I am not too familiar with though, but the Monster Forum guys seem pretty clued up on it!
I don't have to do it as I am not using an ECU, just carbs and a basic electronic ignition, although that will be 3D with a TPS on the carbs. back to basics!
