Emz' build thread '80 chopper

[emzdogz]

i jinxed it you need a tapered pry bar like this

that looks like a big toothpick!

But seriously, I looked those up on Google "tapered pry bar" and they cost hundreds of dollars?
I guess getting one's axle tightened without too much grief is indeed PRICELESS though!

Today I "made" a final washer to use on my axle assy. out of one of the factory adjusters. I cut off the side with the small hole, the hole that only fits closest to the threads of axle bolt, and rounded it off with grinder. Very satisfying. Was gonna see if it helps much, but I kind of hurt my back yesterday and don't want to risk messing it up further today.

oh never mind - I found this for $1.99....
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-inch-solid-steel-pry-bar-31382.html

Time for cold beer...my brain is fried.

 

[emzdogz]

just around the block a couple times. Runs great! finally got the clutch working, the plates were stuck at first and had to do the "adjustment" twice, but it seems to work fine now, even neutral being easy to find. Of course I never did get it out of 2nd....

Now the bad news: I don't like the peg and handlebar positions.
sigh....it's got me sitting just about like the position was on my 02 Suzuki SV650, which, while a "standard" bike, was more on the side of "sport standard"...so this little chop, with mids and low bars has me in semi-sportbike position. Hurts my hands. Forces my weight onto my hands.

So, diff bars in future! and as fate would have it, I do have some other bars to try. I have full apes to try, I have some @10" z-bars (which I don't like the look of) and I have the old so-called "rototillers", that were the stock bars.

I also need to do some more reading about tightening of steering head bearings. Something with the steering was a tad weird - might be the front tire, it is falling apart, plus the back tire is really low on air. Not sure why it had lost so much air.

Also, front AND back brakes need to be bled in some more - they are functional but mushy.

Feels so very diff. from my Sporty.

Anyway, it ran great! still lots of adjustments and fiddling to do, but I'm thinking maybe by next weekend I can ride it over to my Dad's, which is like 10 miles away.

I also am getting this little voice in my head telling me that forwards might be more comfortable. On the Sporty I like my mids - but the "mids" on Sporty are much farther forward than these.
Will try the handlebar thing 1st though.

 

[angus67]

dont forget, harley has been making bikes for 100 years, I beleive this is your first?
I still get giddy remembering my maiden voyage on my 650, also my first chop. totaly worth the stress monies, and 4 years, even though I had to use my feet for brakes, totally worth it!!

 

[emzdogz]

Got shorter springs (3 inch), gonna put them on today. Also re-bleed brakes and make sure tire pressure is ok before I head out for 2nd shakedown ride.
[hoping not to have to use feet for brakes ]

 

[emzdogz]

Shorter springs are way better. Bumps in road, so far, aren't bothering me. Maybe that's because I'm used to the short and extremely crappy shocks I currently have on my Sportster. I'm used to having the air knocked out of my lungs.

Anyway, the tail light fell off...gotta figure out a better way to mount it. Also need to shorten my shifter. Back brake is good, front brake not so good.
Rides way better with air in the tires. It's fun riding such a light bike.

It's STILL leaking a bit of oil from underneath. No idea why that plug leaks. Replaced washer, nice and tight, and still.....drip drip.

Runs good though!

 

[XSLeo]

A triangle is very strong. It resists flexing much more than a rectangle.
On your longer seat springs and the side to side wallow, could you move the lower spring mount outward? This will triangulate the rear seat mounting structure. This should help remove the wallowing.
It probably won't take much, maybe 1/2 inch on each side.
The hinge part of the front seat mount probably has to much clearance between the parts. Is there any way to replace the pin the hinge pivots on to a larger pin? Or as some else suggested, put in a nylon bushing?
Leo

 

[emzdogz]

hi Leo,
front hinge parts are very snug. I had to ream the brass bushings out a little to even be able to tap the through-bolt through side to side. As for the seat mounts (perches) well...luckily the 3 inch springs, instead of the 5 inchers seem to have done the trick. I think there is/was a "geometry" issue at play here, but when I positioned my perches (considering that seat pivots down and in rather than straight down) they were more appropriate for the amount of pivot for the 3 inchers to play nice with. One thing I am concerned with though, is the somewhat dodgy way the springs connect - at bottom to the perches via cotter pin, with a washer under it at a ridiculous angle however, due to spring coils and again at the top, the crooked washer, however this time connecting with a nut on the studs which come out the bottom of seat. Neither of these connection methods are real confidence inspiring...but I'll just have to keep an eye on them.

Anyway, for now I can say "5 inch springs - no good, 3 inch springs - good!".

Now if I can just mount my tail light (which fell off while underway due to my own stupidity) a better way, I will be happy. Thanks for your response! I DO agree that position of perches is important. But it's hard to figure when you take into consideration that any little turn of the spring does change the way it sits just a little. I ended up having to make sure mine ended up with the ends of the coils in the same position, so they both sat just the same. If one is twisted a bit differently it ends up fitting differently on the perch.
Makes me wonder, during a harsh ride, how much upward force is actually exerted on those cotter pins. Makes me wonder if when all is said and done, safety wiring the coils to the hole in perches wouldn't be better.

hmmmmm<<<< I have to add that to a long list of "hmmmm's" at this point.

 

[XSLeo]

As you drive along and hit a bump, if the bump is big enough to lift you off the seat, the cotter pin only gets the weight of the seat lifting up. With a very snug pivot I doubt the cotter pin even gets that.
I wouldn't worry to much about the cotter pin breaking and falling out. Even if it did, the spring won't come up off the post. The weight of the seat and the snug pivot will prevent that. If it should happen while riding your weight will prevent anything coming loose.
Keeping an eye on the nuts that hold the springs to the seat is not a bad idea. A lock washer or lock-tight will prevent trouble there.
Leo

 

[angus67]

i have to use 5 inch springs cuz I'm ...uh....big boned, once I sit on my bike, they turn into 3inchers.
I agree with leo on the cotter pins, Unless you are wearing a seatbelt, the only upward pressure is only the weight of the seat.
we need a video of you on your scoot!!

 

[emzdogz]

Thanks guys!
ummm, video? lol, not likely unless I lose some significant poundage soon.


So as far as tail light, I found some small diameter rubber tubing which I slit down one side, which I want to use a substitute rubber base for the tail light. Unfortunately I am going to have to grind away a bit of some of the welding I did in mounting an actual bracket for the light to bolt to. This tail light really wasn't designed to bolt to a fender that has so little clearance underneath. The bolts have to go in at an angle, so the nuts underneath will be at an angle and therefore take up more room than if they could be "flat", flush against bottom surface of fender. So I'd attached a metal bracket to top surface of fender, for the purpose of giving the back bolt of tail light, at least, something to bolt to that didn't require going through the fender. That worked pretty well, but I didn't get around to doing a similar thing for the back bolts....AND....forgot to put ANY bolts there...AND evidently didn't tighten the rear one very well....that all leading to the fixture actually falling OFF and dangling by its wires.
Dumb.
I did this whole fastener-tightening session, but just totally forgot to go over that.

So now I've added a front portion to the bracket on the fender, so the 2 front bolts can be used without going through fender, too. The only bad thing will be if the welds fail.

And like I mentioned before, I'm going to have to remove a bit of one of my welds in order for the light to sit nice on the fender with the rubber tubing on its edges as a base.

We'll see if this works. If not, I think I'm going to get a new back fender and run a sort of sissy bar that the tail light can be part of. My poor back fender - it's been through hell and back. But I learned a lot messing with that fender, so it's not been a waste. Anyway, maybe this will work. I hope to work on it tonight, but dang it's already super hot here. 94 in my yard yesterday afternoon.