Back to the beginning, mostly

Another weekend approaches. Boom!

Wiring is still on the agenda, since, well, that's one of the few remaining tasks. I'm calling it a task since it's rapidly moving into that column about must-haves and must-dos instead of that other column that had all the fun stuff, like design choices and what looks cool and that sort of stuff.

I've moved from the good-looking category into the personality one. Which in the end is an important one, to be sure. Still, pretty pictures beats words every time in my book, er, of pictures and no words...

I digress. Please, I insist.

I looked up online and in my giant folder of 'stuff what might come in handy someday on this build' and found the original bike's wiring schematic.

See, once M-Unit showed up in all her glory, there was no other girl for me. I only had eyes for her. Still, it's becoming obvious that meshing this modern technology (oh, we only need 2 wires to do that part now) into the 35'ish year old technology (this will require 6 wires and a lot of praying for this to work properly) is becoming somewhat challenging.

So, I needed to retreat slightly back to that etiquette class and check out (looking at the diagram) just how to hold hands and open doors for her again.

Chicks.

This one is even more challenging, since it's a little like introducing your old girlfriend to your new one, and they are both sharing this look with each other like 'I know all about his shit and now he's your problem' type stuff. I can feel my M-Unit's eyes boring into me and saying 'you better do this right or else'.

And I'm trying, mama. I'm so trying.

OK, enough of the girl analogies for this morning.

So, it's with gigantic amounts of irony that the original wiring schematic is indeed going to help quite a bit. At least I hope so. I can of course replace all the original hand controls with modern ones that have the simple wiring connections and necessary components without the unnecessary ones, but I don't wanna. Partially because it's just more money thrown at this project and I'm done with that part as much as I can be. But also because theres a challenge in making this work out somehow. Others have done it before me, electrical engineer degree not-withstanding, so if they can do it, why not me?

(I keep telling myself that anyway)

In the end, if there's a way to connect and make all this work, I will find it. I shall prevail.

She's a special girl. I want her to be happy.

So Saturday is gonna lots of garage work and hoping for some things lighting up and flashing and doing what they are supposed to do, without all the 'oh I'm on fire' parts.

Sunday is a little bit reserved for some church time and Mom time and maybe who knows time.

Could be a fun weekend...

Setbacks R US

Another semi-fruitful day in the garage this past weekend.

I say semi, because it's always one of those one step forward, two steps back, then a couple to the side- like a demonic country two-step or something.

(and country music is definitely the devil's work, as is that crazy dance I cannot get a hold of)

So, on one end of the wire we have our newly fanged and highly decorated bit of modern technology, the M-Unit.  And on the other end, we have 35+ year old wired hand controls.

So, for instance, we have 2 wires to turn the lights on on one end. The other? We have 6.

Try figuring that out without 1: an electrical degree, 2: some degree of common sense, 3: a lot of patience, 4: no aversion to getting shocked every once in awhile.

(I'm not sure which of those I have any quantities of...)

I'm left with either continuing to seek out the truth and justice and American way that has become this motorcycle build and keep trying to fly. The alternative is purchase newer more modern version of these hand controls. Of which there are plenty.

But it's a money thing once again, and I'm already really pushing the limit of what I wanted to put into this bike as it is.

Probably blown that limit a while ago.

Decisions decisions...

Sparking the curiousity

I can always tell this about myself. When I get back in the saddle, back into being interested in a project, it gets infectious. It gets in my thoughts and can't get out. I get fired up about getting back to it, making progress and all that.

Slow going with some things, and per usual with this build I end up going backward to a step once trodden before, or a decision made before that needs to be un-made and re-made. It's OK, as I said there's little reason to not do it thoughtfully and correctly now. If the idea was to just get it on the road (which was the singular objective at once point) that's one thing. But to make it stay on the road, what's another.

The weekend consisted of getting the front end 'stuff wired' or progress to that end. That headlight with the integrated turn signals I was so hot and bothered about when I first ordered it, only to discover upon it's arrival that it's plastic construction, was the first thing to figure out. Should work fine, but again, that lasting part has me concerned. Better ones cost more though, and I already have this one, and on and on.

You can see my thought processes on this one already.

At one point I was saying screw it I won't need or use the front turn signals, and wired the headlight accordingly. Now with M-Unit in hand and the fact that all original wiring is going in the garbage means I'm starting everything from scratch. So why not take advantage of the turn signals and use them?

No reason I can think of. Plus, I'm back to enjoying working in the garage. Having all the right bits to actually do it right- makes a big difference in the desire department.

And I only shocked myself once all weekend, so that's a win.

Turn signals; welcome back in the fold. Glad you're with us.

And with that aforementioned 'back two steps to correctly dance' part, a lot of this weekend's progress meant not a lot of things working much different or activating and such. In fact in many ways, the bike build looks like it's more a just a few steps backward.

It actually made me laugh when a passer-by stopped for a minute to chat. She was commenting on how it's nice to see me back in the garage and working on the project once more. And then asked how come it looks worse than it did a few months ago. Funny. She meant well.

Gotta fix what's underneath so the outsides can go.

A side note that's struck me as strange lately. There's less of that mental-ness of the previous year. Yeah, I still have my personal struggles about this or that, but it no longer hurts to be in the garage working. Listening to those same playlists that before gave me chills in the brain, no longer do.

So perhaps the heart and mind are getting wired better now, too.

Reminders

I follow a bunch of peeps on Facebook; the usual politics of the 'now normal party', some guitar and/or music production companies, amp manufacturers, and of course lots of cafe racers sites, builders. customizers, etc. Many of whom I get inspiration from, some of whom I get help from.

Occasionally I'll see a before and after shot of some project. But this one today rang true for me, since my build is very much like this sort of transformation.

Mine is not in the same sense as the artistic levels or professional finish levels or that sort of thing of this example. But that transformation from dated disco cat to something a little cafe looking, a little tracker looking, a little bit custom looking. Unique for sure.

That transformation is really fun for me. That change. There's an old fart who works here with me (but I like him and call him that to his face). He's a Harley guy through and through, but he's also a rider. He puts 100,000 miles on his bikes, and fixes them up and maintains them instead of just buying the latest and greatest. And he rides all the time. Far. Still chugging away on his beloved '99 Harley RoadGlide like he just bought it and it's brand new.

Looks very new I can attest.

Anyway, he's struggling to see what exactly it is that I'm doing. Doesn't really get it or get the 'why' part. But is supportive and inquisitive about it, and is hounding me quite a lot recently about riding it here, getting it back on the road. That AZ riding weather is quickly leaving us and the time is now.

And it has been over a year officially, now. Yikes.

In the end, it's doubtful that he'll be over the moon with my creation. Or even understand it fully. but that's not really the point of my building it, nor is it something that he needs to understand. He gets motorcycling, and he gets that passion and that way of thinking. And he also gets different strokes for different folks, and that part may be the best part of all.

With my new-found understanding and mechanical ness improving daily, I'm looking forward to the completion and the transformation becoming a running machine once more.

Not cause it'll be the fastest or the most comfortable or the most artistic or unique out there.

But maybe in the end, it's helped transform me, too.

Lights. Camera. Action'ish.

Well, we have lights anyway. The first ones, the ones that start the rest of them.

The AUX input has been figured out.

(ahh, one small step for this idiot, one giant leap for this bike)

Given that all things electrical come from this one spot and this one scenario, this is of course progress. And it's hardly a permanent connection since I need to visit an automotive store today at lunch and see about finding some connectors and clips and things I can solder into a more permanent state.

Still, turning the key and seeing what's supposed to happen, happen, always a good thing.

And with this comes more understanding (see many before this one mentioned posts regarding this learning curve weirdness I have), so things started to click last night. I wasn't even thinking I would visit the garage last night, since I've been juggling a music project that won't seem to get finished all by itself either (funny, that). Plus my kids are all here in some form or another this week and some of next, so they will take some time off my calendar for sure.

So, once this was lighting up appropriately and wasn't trying to burn itself down or kill me, I just got it. Seemed really clear the concept of all this. So I just started grabbing wires, the headlight, the turn signal, the switchgear, the taillights... and stopped and said- OK this one should go here and this one should go here, and then when I hit the button it will work.

And it did.

Boom.

Understanding is a good thing.

This digging into all this electrical stuff has shown me once more how old this bike is, since many things in this harness I won't need, and the many ways this harness was needed aren't any longer needed.

Though saying she's old really isn't too kind of a description, and she's sensitive and all that. Maybe we can go with elderly. A few miles on. Old goat is an affectionate term of sorts. Sort of. Old fashioned definitely fits, though unsure how sweet a delivery it is.

Antediluvian? I have no idea what to do with that one.

Been there got the sticker

So it was work on the bike time this past weekend. And to say I made progress would I guess be an honest statement. But to say I got it finished, would not be. Having high hopes for some progress and 'things happen when you press a button or move a lever' type stuff. You know, make it start to feel like a real motorcycle again and not just a pretty pile of rubber and metal.

Ceremoniously taking the M-Unit out of it's packaging and trying out various spots which to mount it over a Fat Tire brew, coming up with that mental plan of attack that seems to mostly work out.

Mostly.

(I just love my Newt and Ripley, people)

My basic challenges with this build come from things like mechanical and scientific 'whys things are how'. Or put a little bit more eloquently, the science and years and years of people smarter than I have over said years designed and engineered and conquered the inherent challenges in taking an engine and two wheels and making it all work together. You need an engine, right? And the engine needs fuel and oxygen, and a spark, which requires a source (battery) and a way to modulate it effectively (TCI) and will run itself dead over time without a way to recharge itself (stator) and will fry itself without the current being stable (regulator).

So, given the basic principles of all these things, and my lack of knowledge or specifics of such things, there's a lot of trial and error. And as I've mentioned in the past, I tend to learn and figure things out more by doing it wrong the first time.

So, we'll just continue with that theme for today.

The first main question to solve involved where to mount the new starter solenoid. The original bike had it mounted on the side, but I'd prefer to mount it under the new seat. And since the new one doesn't have that large rubber boot covering the whole thing, it would be very susceptible to the weather mounted where the previous one was. Or puddles.

But this is the thing, right, these dilemmas for me. I don't know if there's a reason why the previous one was mounted where it was or not. Don't know. Can't come up with one, but that means little. So, I'm gonna have to reach out to those much smarter than I about this silly question and will probably get a silly answer. But until I hear "no dummy, mount it anywhere you want" from someone who knows, I don't know.

So, once I got to this step, which was actually nearly the first step of the whole weekend's plan, since the solenoid is the first thing to connect and the things which all the other wires come from and go forth from there, given that it's now where the bikes main fuse is located. Since I don't know where I can mount this thing, I can't really do too much more.

Dammmmmmmmmm.

Not to be deterred and not to let the whole weekend go by without learning something, I did in fact learn something.

Apparently, the negative battery terminal is not the same thing as a negative ground.

The whole M-Unit is switched on and off, power-wise, by something. Since this is a custom build thing, it can be any switch thing you want. A lot of builders get creative in this sense and use things like a magnetic key or a starter button or keyless-thing or that or a rabbit foot (yes, seen that one). Me? I just wanted to use the ignition key. Could likely be a missed opportunity here to be creative or inventive, but I really at this point just want it to make some noise already.

So while I couldn't get too far down the road with the wiring in it's entirety, I could figure out a couple of things in the meantime. So I started with the ignition and that gaggle of wires from the previous harness, which has now been decimated beyond recognition.

Nothing like that lesson from Cortez, when he burned his ships upon arriving to the New World in order to motivate his crews.

So I figured through the process of elimination and the power of positive thinking and 'what could go wrong' that I found the wires needed for such a connection. And with regard to this step, I did indeed guess correctly.

I also leaned the negative needs to go to ground (chassis) and not the negative battery terminal.

So, turn the key and the M-Unit does its fancy spinning LED light thing. Awesome! We're in business.

Then 2 seconds later the whole negative wire starts smoking. Badly. Whoops.

And here's my reaction. I start laughing.

Well, I turn the key off first. And then start laughing. Because it's another thing that happens in life, and I've just added this one to that pile.

Things happen and experiences and lessons and these things, right? All the time, since being born. You learned that sidewalks can be slippery because you're 3 and you try and jump over the bush outside Burger King and fall and get stitches. You learn losing love hurts when you take it for granted one too many times and now it's gone. You learn to remember to tighten the oil cap back before adding new oil because you dumped 4 quarts on the driveway when you're 16.

So, I laughed.

And now I learned a little about electrical 101.

Just like the other times, lesson learned, put it in your pocket and keep going.

What happens when you take it apart

Felt compelled to write a lot of blogs today.... maybe it's the compulsion of that ghost of future past.

Feel free to ascertain what that exactly means, and when you do, please let me know, too. [Sometimes those creative juice things get squeezed out in odd directions. I cannot control such things].

Maybe it's boredom, too. Could be that. Could actually be excitement, too. Travel times coming up soon; got that new carry-on correctly sized for those TSA bastards there to protect us from too much toothpaste on a single airplane flight. Can't have that, now can we. Tickets in hand, so travel here we come.

This Handbuilt Motorcycle Show in Austin is gonna be the Land of Oz, mama. Seriously cool stuff, and I'm not sure I should even be allowed to enter those hallowed halls, given my level of mechanical creativity. Well, I have the creativity, it's the knowledge part that lets me down.

Anyway... with a nod to blogging another, here's some visuals from The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show from years past, and a glimpse into what's in store.

https://vimeo.com/199699792

Cannot wait...

Drop the flag and start the engine

Responsibility.

Who needs it.

While that's not technically true, or even vaguely true, sometimes ya gotta just put off things. And considering I've been putting off getting back to this build for a while now, even with parts now in hand, I figured the least I could do would be to put off the car's oil change appointment this Saturday and instead, work on the bike.

[And the crowd goes wild!]

Actually, since I've got kids coming into town the next three weeks and I'm never really sure of their schedule or free time or whatever while they are here, I usually try and leave myself available for opportunities for grandkid, daughter one or two, son-in law, etc.

Well, that's all of them. My son generally has a life all his own and lives locally, too. So finding him or getting him to commit to time is harder than you'd think or wish. Still, having a life of their own is what we wanted for them when it all began, so there's that.

I did however spring for some Red Wings tickets since they're in town next Thursday, so bribe successful and off we go for that. Will be fun, though the Wings are in the toilet this year and have been not great for many more than this particular one. Sad, and we need some big changes and get that dynasty thing happening up once more.

Anyway, they're the real reason for moving the car's appointment. But I'll jump on the opportunity nonetheless.

So, M-Unit: check. Wiring kit: check. New crimping tool: check. Free time this weekend: check.

I'm also back to that consideration for a modern set of forks, but that will be likely dependent on how she runs and what she feels like and all the rest. Should the power be sufficient (it won't be) and the comfort level be adequate (it isn't) and the reliability great (hard to know, but thinking not)... so maybe I can talk myself out of this choice.

Probably first stop would be to get her running again.

Still, it seems the forks could use some work, even if it's just some new oil in 'em. Likely a good idea anyway, since who but The Good Lord knows when it was changed last. I've changed out the deferential oil and the motor's oil, too, so why not the forks then? This whole air adding part is stupid and hard to get to, and with only an extra 7 lbs of adding ability anyway, hard to think it will make much difference.

I may be able to talk myself into a visit to a junk yard or two locally and see if I can find a crashed bike without fork damage. Knowing motorcycles though, this isn't likely to happen. Maybe Craigslist would be a better place to start, but I dunno.

The cool thing about these 80's Viragos though is the myriad of custom directions you can go. 1920's style, or 50's, or custom 70's style, 80's Mad Max thing, a modern-ish cafe thing, and onward. Unsure what mine would be called.

I guess my point is, I'm thinking at some point in the next two years I should get a bike. A real bike, one that starts and runs and all the rest. And keep this build, but maybe it becomes something else. I've always said I'd like to have a bike to ride and then one to work on. The one to work on can then be done slowly and methodically and carefully and all that other stuff. So it is cool that, should I feel like it, I can take this bike back apart and make it look like many of those other eras, as a side project and a weekend thing, while still having a bike to ride when I get the urge to ride a bike.

Thing is, I've invested enough dollars into this thing to make it more reliable and more better and more this and that; and these are things I can reuse, should I decide in one particular future or another, that I have the time or the will or the desire or all the above, to do another bike project.

Maybe my next house will have a cool spot along a wall where I can just park it indoors. Make it a cool sort of steam punk industrial decoration maybe. Who knows. The skies the limit, and the spouse to say no isn't around at the moment.

Just gotta keep grease off the couch.

Temptation

After weeks and, well months, to get ahold of an M-unit and begin the final assault on the electronics that have been bunkered down on this build for a while now, I finally got one!

And actually, I got two.

During some of the backorder-ness and change this-to-this in their ordering processes, I've been sent two of them. And according to some shipping notices I've been emailed, I may actually have a third shipment of the same contents coming as well.

So, when it rains... it sends three of everything.

Considering one, I don't have second bike I'm working on (thankful for that), two, I'm an honest bloke, and three, this shop is awesome and kicks ass, I will be returning the second package post-haste.

Besides, karma and the Good Lord I need on my side so I can get red to red and black to black and make this thing start up once more.

My temptation is of course, to follow my typical mode of operation and get in there and try to make this work or that work or in a general sense just feel like some progress because a light came on or a turn-signal, er, signaled. Just throw it on there and see something happen. But I wanna fight this temptation and slow down and do it slowly and methodically.

And that, for me, requires:

• a new playlist. Or a good one.

• a few beers. Something dark and tasty.

• a day to apply to the affected area

• patience

So, for me, patience can be a result of planning. I'm learning this about myself. A little bit of planning can go a long way to seeing it through, or getting there in a good mood. It's not that spontaneity doesn't exist for me- man, do I have that characteristic in spades. But I have found that a little bit of planning helps the medicine go down. And this is supposed to be a bike build that's enjoyable.

It's a Wednesday today, so if I start thinking that Sunday is gonna be church and bike day, I'm halfway there already.

And those two things sound like a perfect day.