Electrical question

[dbeardslee]

You'll want to make sure the high tension wires you use are 7mm non-resistor copper core - should say it right on the wires. I usually get mine at the local autoparts store. I get a universal 4-banger-cage set for $12 which will give you enough high tension wire to redo your stockers, and still have plenty left over for the mikes green monsters when the time comes. Probably the most important part of the grafting is to make sure you get the end of the high tension wires all the way onto the coil pins, and then secure them in place so they can't back out - zip ties around the coils work well if you make your cuts deep enough such that the zip ties apply pressure directly to the wires.

[Spider]

Another quick questions regarding caps. Non-resistor, or resistor(Stock is 5ohms yes?)? I'm going to try my luck first with the graft, and if I can't get that, I'm going to hit Mike's for the black coils(green are out of stock.) I might try using the caps that are already on there, but if the stock setup uses resistor caps, and the black coil upgrade uses non-resistor caps, I'd like to get it sorted in my head before I dive in.

Thanks a million,

Spider

[Rasputin]

I went with the non-resistor type caps as the resistor type plugs seem to be all that is available here.

[dbeardslee]

The stock caps should be 5k ohms. You can check them with a digital multimeter. If you run the NGK BP6ES (stock non-resistor) or equivalents, you'll want the 5K ohm caps. If you run Iridiums, they're only available in resistor type plugs, so in my mind the non-resistor caps are a better choice with them. They come pre-gapped at .035, and they tell you not to mess with the gap as the iridium electrode is brittle and can break if you ham-fist 'em. Stock coils require a gap between .028 and .032, so the Iridiums probably aren't a good choice with the stock coils. Most autoparts stores carry the BP6ES's or can order them, or you can order them online.

[Spider]

Thanks. I hit advance today and found some appropriate wires. I hope so anyway. It doesn't say "non-resistor" but it doesn't list any resistance or anything like that. I also got the rest of the stuff I'll need(hopefully) I'm going to break out the multimeter and test everything while I'm doing it- or at least I'm gonna wave it around and poke the shiny metal ends into stuff and ACT like I'm using it. Best way I learn is by doing but I'm somewhat clueless at present. Anyway, I'm going to reuse the caps that are on there now(theoretically). We shall see.

The only unfortunate thing is that I'm afraid the bumble-bee yellow of the wires is going to clash with the OD green paintjob...

*ducks n covers*

[Rasputin]

Sometimes they look just wrong on there but I have kinda grown to like the Yellow wires on my Red 79SF

[dbeardslee]

While you're poking around with the multimeter, try sticking the probes in the ends of the wires - that'll tell you real quick if they're non-resistor. Should say something to the effect of 'solid copper core' on the wires.

Sweet looking ride, Rasputin. My GAWD that's a clean looking shop .

[Rasputin]

Thanks dbeardslee. I am in the process of painting three bikes in the garage now. I have four XS11's in there and three are apart and scattered all over. The garage is not nearly as clean any more, but once I get these rides happening I will have to get it cleaned up again. Now that I know how well a mothers miniball works, I will get to polishing those ugly pipes and maybe even venture to polish other parts. The date on the pic is wrong as that pic is only a yr or so old.

[Spider]

Yeah it's got solid copper core right on the thing.

That shop looks incredible! Like a friggin hospital or something. I've got to clean my workspace again. Need to once a week or so or I have difficulty keeping things straight and it takes me ten times as long to get anything done. Only problem is once I pick up, I keep forgetting where I "put things away" so it's an adjustment all over.
I wasn't going to do an OD green paintjob, but I didn't want to take the leather bags OTR- too easy to boost while I'm in bathroom or something. I could haul them with me everyplace, but that's a PITA. I decided to do what I did on my maxim, just on a bit bigger scale. I'm bolting 20mm ammo cans onto the bike as saddlebags(40mm long 'n' lows on the old maxim, 20mm's are a bit larger). Then I can lock um up. Figure with that and the type of windshield that's on there, and OD paint job is just the thing. Yellow might work if I tie it in with some kind of detail piece on the tank... like a pinup in a yellow corset :P

[dbeardslee]

With OD paint, something like the nose art on a B17 might be cool. I've actually seen this one in person -

[Spider]

Yeah I was thinking nose art style from the big wars. I don't want to direct copy anything though. I found a guy local who has some sick airbrush skills. Might have him do something for next year. Budget is kinda tight at this point.

I was having hell finding the cans. Shipping tends to cost as much if not more than the cans themselves. The local Milsurp store had one stuck in a corner in the back room. I needed two. Telling my friend about it and he goes over to the closet and says "you mean like that?" Turns out he has one. So I went back to the milsurp place and grabbed theirs. Now I just need to convince my buddy to let me borrow his... and drill a few holes in it and whatnot.

Now I just gotta get some of those machine guns like in the picture.....

[dbeardslee]

You might consider something like this - they're brand new, and made out of plastic so no rust.

[Spider]

Well there's no major rust on the ones that I'm looking at. The dimensions are a bit different. 20mm is 17" x 14" x 7.5" Those you linked are SIGNIFICANTLY lighter though. I'm going to be pushing the limits on capacity on the bike between my fat ass, the cans, my large ruck, and all that **** I'm taking with me. They're worth consideration for sure. I do have a soft spot for metal though. Plastic just ain't the same...

[clcorbin]

Sometimes they look just wrong on there but I have kinda grown to like the Yellow wires on my Red 79SF

Several years ago, I upgraded to the yellow Acell coils and wires when my stockers died. I like them.

[Spider]

It's okay, they're not yellow. I think I grabbed the wrong box. We only had about half-a-dozen on the counter checking stuff. Pulled them out and they're black, but they also say something about "new improved silicone wire" and "guaranteed to function identical to stock wires" etc, so I don't know what the heck that's about. They look like copper core, and I will still test them with the multimeter, and they are the 7mm, but I might to have to head back- which is really going to suck because I have no clue what vehicle/brand the right one's that I finally found came from *head desk*

In good news I finally got my kick-start lever attached. I needed to create space for the bolt to go, but I didn't want to wreck the splines on the shaft, so I ended up tightening the bolt with the kicker-lever off the bike, and marking the area that was problematic. Then I removed the bolt, grabbed some vice-grips, and Dremeled the threads down in a band within the marked area. Still left the threads on the ends. This allowed me to finger tighten the bolt into the lever, slide the lever onto the shaft, and then tighten the bolt. WOOHOO!!