The End is (Al)Most Definitely Nigh…

…accelerated by the magic of electricity.  I need to now start making plans for the Little Goose as she will be nearing completion soon.   

 

The rear light is in a rough position but all lit up along with nice wiring blocks also to the rear indicators…

…the taping up continues apace…before and after shots…

Working methodically from rear to the front of the bike with the fabric loom tape…

  

The clocks have come off to make the final bit of wiring easier and tidier.

 

Tape loom and shrink wrap applied…

…and applied to the LEDs of the dash lights

Much tidier.

…and finally another 10 second video of lights and sound…

 

All being well tomorrow should see the brakes completed and mounting holes drilled into the seat pan.  Then Saturday I will be taking said seat pan to an upholsterer’s to see if they can make the seat how I want it…watch this space.

When Is a Conservatory Not a Conservatory…?

…when it is a motorcycle workshop of course!  If my poor mum was alive…well, first off she wouldn’t allow this…which is why my dad has got away with turning his conservatory at the rear of his home into an indoor garage cum workshop.  Well done that man!

Plywood board screwed into the fabric of the house… 

Kitchen door on the left…bathroom window doubles as a place to Sellotape wiring diagrams to!

The table has been turned into a tool storage facility…

…and in the other corner next to the patio doors to the bedroom we have a trestle type table with ‘stuff’ on it and a make shift paint spraying area where the seat pan is…oh and not forgetting the exotic Italian in the middle of the room!

In my last blog you will have seen/heard the engine jump into life due to the magic performed by my brother-in-law Leon.  The replacing of the wiring will take some time yet as and when we are both available to do it.  Picture one shows all the cabling I have recently purchased in 3 different amperages.  So when Leon finishes the wiring it will be a brand new loom.

We have had a little rethink on the seat pan that we had made up…basically 2mm sheet cut to shape.  It seems likely that using that pan will foul the rear tyre under full rebound so we are going to use the original seat pan which has a great big cut out in it for this very reason, thereby allowing the tyre to move through its full range of movement.  Below you will find a photo of the style of seat I initially wanted, sort of a flat tracker style in brown with a tuck and roll cover…

…however, with the original Moto Guzzi seat pan on the bike I don’t think I can replicate the flat tracker style due to the very obvious shape.  Here is the seat as it was originally on the donor bike before I dismantled it…

 

…and how it is now mocked up on the bike.  Because of the change of plans and the fact that we have cut off the mounting point for the original seat catch a basic bracket was fabricated at the rear end which will be partly covered from the rear most point of view by the re-imagined rear light and  number plate assembly.  I shall have to drill a hole either side of the seat pan to connect it with a bolt that will go through the side panel mounting bracket.

 

The seat pan will sit upon the rails when it is in its final position.  The pan itself does have a natural raise in its profile.

 

This is roughly…very roughly…how the rear light and number plate holder, when fabricated, will be positioned.

Any suggestions in relation to how I might still achieve the flat tracker look from the seat will be gratefully received. 

Happy 2015 to you all!!!!

No Steps Forwards, Two Steps Back…

Not much in the way of progress for the last few weeks what with holidays, birthdays and general commitments elsewhere.

I had to remove the fork sliders from the stanchions in order to put the fork oil.  This is for lubrication purposes only and has no effect upon damping.  I originally thought I could dribble it in from the top of the stanchion with the fork nut removed but it wouldn’t drain down.  One slider came off okay along with the damper assembly but the other took some shifting as the fork cup got wedged in the bottom of the slider.  A friend came to the rescue and is re-powder coating the slider as I marked it trying to remove the cup myself.  Anyway, one fork is completely assembled with the correct 70ml of fork oil in it and the other will be done as soon as the powder coat is complete.

 

The only real move forward this month has been the purchase of a decent sump lift to replace the rusty caravan step I had been using to support the bike.  I have put oil in the sump, bevel drive and gearbox also.

I got the lift from a German retailer and have been really impressed with their price, service and the quality of the lift.



http://www.bs-motoparts.com/en/#

The plan is to start tackling the wiring again in a couple of weeks and hopefully be able to connect up the battery and try and start the little goose!