What did you do to your bike today?

[Benjammin7]

Firing it up after a year + of work

I bought this '81 XS1100 H in March 2012. Had some troubles midway though that summer and had to put it in the garage. I intentionally purchased a bike I knew I would have opportunity to work on. My first big mechanical job.

Over the next year I did quite the number on the bike. A big "thanks" to the xs11 community. I've spent countless hours on here researching and figuring it all out. Very excited to get it out of the garage tomorrow and take a trip.

What did I do today (this past year)?

removed the sidecar and fairing
first and second gear issue dremel fix
big bore job - new pistons and all that jazz
new starter
new headlight and blinkers
new (used) exhaust
front and back new brake pads and discs
new tires
rebuilt front forks
new front brake hoses
all new gaskets and fluids
plenty of other little stuff as well



Video below of me firing it up today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzzBg...ature=youtu.be

[Rasputin]

Bummer that I get no sound option when I click on your link. Looks good so far as I can see from the vid.

[jetmechmarty]

Bummer that I get no sound option when I click on your link. Looks good so far as I can see from the vid.

I worked for me. It hit me like that old Maxell advertisement!

[fredintoon]

Bummer that I get no sound option when I click on your link. Looks good so far as I can see from the vid.

Hi Rasputin,
no sound here neither until I clicked on the little speaker logo at bottom left under the bike video and moved the slider bar from left to right.
Like the old Bugatti story:-
Dear Mr Bugatti,
my engine sounds like a bucketful of ball bearings being poured onto an iron plate.
Dear Customer,
from what you say, your engine is running perfectly.

[Rasputin]

I am playing with a new puter in the garage. Never had windows 8 before so I suspect the fault is mine. I will have to have a listen on the house unit.

[fredintoon]

I am playing with a new puter in the garage. Never had windows 8 before so I suspect the fault is mine. I will have to have a listen on the house unit.

Hi Rasputin.
it's not you, it's Windows 8. Windows 8 defecates through it's ingestion orifice.

[Eveready1100]

I put a bit more light down the road

Updated my SF to full summer running setup

[IMG][/IMG]
^ As it was through winter with Plexistar II screen with the 60w (20x3) LED bar light slung underneath. Combined with the big headlight with the 50w HID in it, was like driving with an overhead mercury vapour streetlight ulluminating the road in front of the bike, though the range was limited..............................

[IMG][/IMG]
^ removed the screen and fitted up my new 60w (10w x 6) Led bar light after fabbing some new mounts for it.

[IMG][/IMG]
New light is pencil beam format and is MUCH brighter than either the HID headlight or the other bar light

[IMG][/IMG]
^sits neatly in front of the idiot light nacelle

[IMG][/IMG]
^ the real time consuming bit. Relocated all the switches to a central mount, as the bar ends were getting crowded. Now have options of running all lights together, Headlight and top bar light, headlight and lower bar light, just either bar light (or both), just the headlight, or even just my switchable running lights (aftermarket kit)
Can't wait for my ride to work tonight.
I'll get some more out on the road pics up later this week.

[natemoen]

Details on the led bars?

[Eveready1100]

Nathan,
The lower bar is a 60 watt unit with 20 x 3w led's. The top layer is spot beam and the lower is flood and it gives fantastic coverage, though like I said, the range is limited.
The upper one is 60 watts with 6 x 10 watt LEDs and the output from this light is phenomenal.
Like I said, after I finish this graveyard stint at work, I'll get some pics up from out on the road.

Plus, If you're looking for the lights on the Bay, here's the links-

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Life-time...51d5802&_uhb=1

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/300964357...84.m1497.l2649

[fredintoon]

Whence the Watts?

- - - The lower bar is a 60 watt unit with 20 x 3w led's. The top layer is spot beam and the lower is flood and it gives fantastic coverage, though like I said, the range is limited.
The upper one is 60 watts with 6 x 10 watt LEDs and the output from this light is phenomenal. - - -

Hi Eveready,
what I do to cope with my failing night vision is not ride after dark.
Mind you, if circumstances ever forced me to ride in the dark having my own personal patch of daylight to see with would be nice.
But where does one find all that extra Wattage?

[IanDMacDonald]

Where are you riding, in the bush? I have a new Sylvania bulb in my bike, and it's all I need. The set-up you have looks like something for a movie production, lol.

[Eveready1100]

Fred, in most cases, I don't have much of a choice. I'm a shift worker, and 2 weeks out of three, I'm starting / finishing work at midnight so I'm in for a long dark ride to / from work in the late hours.

Regarding the wattage, I previously ran a pair of 6" 55w driving lights mounted on my case guards. I never had an issue back then but, mind you, I'm never sitting idling at lights etc with the driving lights on (commonsense)
The light bars do use 5w more power each, but I've substituted the original twin tail light bulbs with some cheap 1157 leds that reduce the draw from that end of the bike. I have installed a 12 LED eye level brake light under the rack to compensate for the dimmer LED tail light bulbs.

[IMG][/IMG]

The HID headlight is only 50 watts compared to the original 60/55w halogen unit, so I'm saving my available power up from here and there to spend it more wisely.

And Ian, to put an answer to your question - YES! You could put it that way. My commute to work consists of a 60 klm each way run along a back country highway that cuts through about 45 klms of native bushland and National park. The only streetlights are at the work end of the trip and that's only for about 5 klms.
Not sure how much you know about our native fauna over here, but the kangaroos and wallabies have no idea what fences do and our emus (3/4 scale ostrich) have a known aversion to the shape of an approaching bike and will head straight for you.

Here's an example of what happens when a kangaroo and a vehicle meet - [IMG][/IMG]
^ This was what my trailer looked like after returning home from our national rally this year. (rushed gaffa tape repair at the roadside)

[IMG][/IMG]
^ And a shot of what (presumably the roo's leg) got broken, That's a 3 x 2 timber bumper and that would've hurt!
I saw it coming from the right hand side of the bush so I swerved and i thought I'd missed it, but the bike gave a jolt and I heard a scraping noise and saw sparks being showered down the road behind me. I pulled over and fished my torch out of my bag and expected to see the whole body of the trailer gone, but somehow, it managed to get a leg between the mudguard and the bumper and it snapped clean off.
Any steps I can take to avoid any more incidents like this, I'll take, mate.
A Sylvania halogen light might be fine in the burbs, but out here, the more you can see, the better.

[Eveready1100]

And here's some quick pics to show the difference in the illumination down the road. Can't seem to be able to set the camera properly for night shots as it keeps filtering the brightness but you can see the improvement in illumination.

[IMG][/IMG]
^ Low beam only. Remember, this is a 50 watt HID so it is bright to start with!

[IMG][/IMG]
^ High beam


^ High beam with lower bar light


^ High beam with the upper


^ and with all lights lit.
I'm pretty happy with the result!

[natemoen]

Daymaker! That is what we shall call you!

[IanDMacDonald]

That is incredible!