Author Topic: The Beast transformed into...  (Read 31603 times)

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Offline Freaky1

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #75 on: November 05, 2011, 02:57:35 PM »
It's not tight, I just had it on to check the clearance of the speedo & tach cables.
That which does not kill you leaves cool scabs which turn into awesome scars.

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Offline Syscrush

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #76 on: November 05, 2011, 09:00:32 PM »
It's not tight, I just had it on to check the clearance of the speedo & tach cables.
Cool.  I love the look and the proportions of it.  Did you say where it's from?
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FWIW, I'm not a shill for Race Tech - I've just got a thing for good suspension and the RTCE's are the most cost-effective mod for these old damping rod front ends.

Offline Freaky1

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #77 on: November 07, 2011, 11:19:14 AM »
My bad, this is the light I went with, KC Hilites Apollo 5" 100W Utility Round Driving LED & I liked the size too. I think it will be bright enough, KC's web site has a chart that compares their light beams but it does not give distance, unlike so many other sites. The driving light looked to provide a longer light distance than all the others so that was why I went with it. I had to move the gauges closer to the trees because the cables were rubbing on the back & if I eventually go with the Hella I'll have to move the gauges farther apart because it is not only bigger but deeper also.
That which does not kill you leaves cool scabs which turn into awesome scars.

'77 CB750F Come on...were almost there!

Offline Syscrush

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #78 on: November 07, 2011, 12:05:46 PM »
I'm a bit confused about that light.

When I search for "KC Hilites Apollo 5" 100W Utility Round Driving LED", I get plenty of sources for it, but when I go to the KC Hilites site and search their catalog, I don't find a 100W 5" LED light.  The ones on their site that match the photos on Amazon and in your build are 55w Halogen.

It looks like this light doesn't have a high beam, I assume that's not a legal problem where you are?
Life is precious: wear your f'n helmet!
There's nothing more expensive than a free bike...
FWIW, I'm not a shill for Race Tech - I've just got a thing for good suspension and the RTCE's are the most cost-effective mod for these old damping rod front ends.

Offline Freaky1

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #79 on: November 07, 2011, 04:42:54 PM »
Try adding "Blk Polymax" or #1425 to your search on KC's web site. I also did a Google search with "kc apollo 100w driving lights" & about 3 or 4 entries down is a link to them on KC's site. I just did some digging and they are kind of a pain in the butt to find on their site, but I got mine thru Amazon. There is no high beam option because they are driving lights not headlights and there is no requirement here that bikes need high beams...as far as I know now. ;D
That which does not kill you leaves cool scabs which turn into awesome scars.

'77 CB750F Come on...were almost there!

Offline Syscrush

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #80 on: November 07, 2011, 05:21:53 PM »
Thanks.  And that's Halogen. I'm surprised that Amazon (and so many other vendors) have LED in the description.

Are you sure that your bike's electrical system is gonna be OK driving a 100W light all the time?
Life is precious: wear your f'n helmet!
There's nothing more expensive than a free bike...
FWIW, I'm not a shill for Race Tech - I've just got a thing for good suspension and the RTCE's are the most cost-effective mod for these old damping rod front ends.

Offline Freaky1

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #81 on: November 08, 2011, 04:30:13 AM »
Everything in the electrical system has been updated, & all the wiring is new & soldered at every connection. Plus the system itself is very minimal, no horn, turn signals, no kill switch or starter buttons. I feel that I shouldn't have any problems with this light being on all the time. An interesting side note, if you read the description on KC's site at the bottom of the page for the 100w light, it says that it's a replaceable 55w bulb, so I'm not really sure what to believe at this point. As long as it puts out enough light, then it stays, if not I have no problem yanking it for some other alternative.
That which does not kill you leaves cool scabs which turn into awesome scars.

'77 CB750F Come on...were almost there!

Offline Syscrush

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #82 on: November 08, 2011, 05:37:47 AM »
Cool.  Good luck with all of it, it's looking nice.
Life is precious: wear your f'n helmet!
There's nothing more expensive than a free bike...
FWIW, I'm not a shill for Race Tech - I've just got a thing for good suspension and the RTCE's are the most cost-effective mod for these old damping rod front ends.

Offline Freaky1

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #83 on: November 13, 2011, 07:09:38 AM »
Just a quickie today...

The issue with the gasket between the case and cylinder has, in my opinion, taken an interesting twist. This is the little o-ring that goes over the stud that is next to the oil passage. I'm not 100% sure why it's even there but I'm not about to leave parts out, especially gaskets. I picked up the complete Vesrah gasket kit and these four are not in there, so I figured I'd just order them up and be on my way. Wrong, Honda has discontinued these gaskets, I looked at 3 of the 5 auto parts stores in my neighborhood and I'd find ones that were the same size but nowhere near as thick. My local Honda dealer, where I attempted to order them before I knew they were discontinued, wanted about $2.50 a piece and thank god I pick my stuff up because shipping would have been $10  :o

"Google will save us all", it is my motto at work and quickly becoming my motto for life. I entered "o-ring (5.5x3)" and about the third response down was for a boat shop in Florida. The part number is different, but it is a genuine Honda product, and so much cheaper.  ;D

I have them in hand now and they match the old ones,  fit in the cylinders, and the entire bill with shipping was $13ish. So to recap, Honda has discontinued the gasket for a '77 F but still makes it for boat motors, with a different part number, can anyone explain this? ???
That which does not kill you leaves cool scabs which turn into awesome scars.

'77 CB750F Come on...were almost there!

Offline tweakin

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #84 on: November 13, 2011, 07:17:43 AM »
Nice work.  It can be frustrating at times tracking down parts but I also think it is what makes working on these bikes fun.

Offline Freaky1

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #85 on: November 13, 2011, 07:23:52 AM »
What I found interesting is I didn't put anything in the search about it being for a Honda but that's all that came up. The entire first page was either Honda motorcycles or Honda boat motors.
That which does not kill you leaves cool scabs which turn into awesome scars.

'77 CB750F Come on...were almost there!

Offline Freaky1

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #86 on: November 25, 2011, 06:10:46 AM »
I've had a lot of stuff going on lately but I've been making a bit of progress. Put the cylinders on last weekend then the head, however I don't have any deep-walled metric sockets (it's on the Christmas list) so I was unable to get the bolts inside the head done. My buddy lent me his and I went to bolt the head on and set the cam yesterday and it went rather smoothly. I had turned the motor over to make sure everything moved properly and with putting the cam in turned it a few times also. Imagine my surprise when I went to align the cam and found that, with the notch on the cam up, that my #1 piston was already at TDC! Is this something I should be excited about? I don't know for sure but since this is my first complete solo engine rebuild I though it was pretty cool. I also got my brake lines mocked up and shipped them to Slingshot last Monday so I'm hoping they will return soon.
That which does not kill you leaves cool scabs which turn into awesome scars.

'77 CB750F Come on...were almost there!

Offline Freaky1

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #87 on: January 09, 2012, 05:31:48 AM »
I've been getting little things done here and there, like the mold for the rear fender, and I've almost got that done so I'll put that all together in one post. I got the new brake lines from Slingshot and they fit great so those got put on. I got the valves adjusted and the cam degree set so I was able to clear a giant hurdle and get the motor in.



Things always get crazy around here with three kids and Christmas plus work has pretty busy as well so I've spent quite some time looking at my beloved Beast. :'(

With the holidays over I have been spending progressively more time in the garage and now with the motor in things will pick up.
That which does not kill you leaves cool scabs which turn into awesome scars.

'77 CB750F Come on...were almost there!

Offline Dyrden

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #88 on: January 30, 2012, 03:51:19 PM »
Nice work.  This one is going to be good looking.  Im a little jealous youre so far ahead in your engine work.  Mines sitting in a stand and reminds me of the work left every day.  Ill have her apart soon.

Offline Freaky1

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #89 on: January 30, 2012, 04:32:36 PM »
Thanks, this is my first solo engine rebuild so I'm really hoping when I try and start her up that nothing tries to be in the same place at the same time. I cranked it over before I put it in and everything sounded normal so...fingers crossed.
That which does not kill you leaves cool scabs which turn into awesome scars.

'77 CB750F Come on...were almost there!

Offline tweakin

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #90 on: January 30, 2012, 06:36:31 PM »
just saw the updated progress pic, and it is looking great!  Looking forward to seeing this completed, keep trucking along.

Offline Freaky1

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #91 on: February 12, 2012, 11:37:29 AM »
Ok an update to prove to you all that I am still working on this, actually more to prove it to myself.  ;)

I'm still trying to get the rear fender to work out the way I want it. I did get a mold that I think will work and I've almost got it ready to try making the actual fender but I had some issues with the paint I used in the mold lifting in a couple of spots and while I've got it ready to repaint, it is been too cold here lately and for the near future is going to stay that way so that part is on hold. Here are a couple of pics of the mold.



This is is just after I pulled it off, I used the plaster strips that I picked up from a hobby store and it is pretty darn tough.



I painted it because if you get the plaster stuff wet, even after it dries, it will become gooey again. Then I used some spot bondo to fill in the little pits and smooth it out.



I'm going with a solid state regulator/rectifier this time and it is mounted in the section of frame that comes out due to the Gordon frame kit so it will need to be able to be disconnected too. I'm having some issue with hooking it up though and maybe someone can chime in. The instructions say to connect the black wire on the reg/rec to one side of field or brush 1 and the white wire to the other side of field or brush 2. Last time I did this I grounded the green wire off the stator and ran the white wire to the regulator, my question is, this time should I still ground the green wire and also the black wire the instructions say should go to one side of field or brush 1? I'm thinking the white wire off the reg/rec should still go to the white wire from the stator. These are the only wires out of all of them on this unit that I haven't accounted for and I could just be over thinking this but I'd just like at least one second opinion. As best I can tell this reg/rec is the same one you'd get from anywhere for our bikes, I got this from CB750 Supply if that helps.



I had to extend the wires off the stator again mostly at this time because I was very unhappy with the way I did it last time, but I also don't think the old ones were going to be long enough. I'm waiting on some shrink tubing to come, special higher heat stuff with adhesive inside to keep oil and gunk out too. The bullet connectors I used on the reg/rec are also the same, with shrink tubing and adhesive and they work very nice for holding the wire in the connector too. I picked up the bullets from this place called ShrinkShop.com but the tubing they had was prohibitively expensive so I ordered that from Fastenal in much smaller quantities.



Finally, these are the plates I made to correct the issues I was having with my way too weak rear set mounts. I think 3/8 steel should be enough to hold my fat ass and based on early tests, it's all good.



They simply mount behind the ones I welded on and bolt to the rear sets and one bolt in front to hold the plate to the mount. I jumped on them pretty hard, almost flipped the bike off the stands, and they held plus when I took them off there was no flex or bend in the original mount so I think that problem is solved for now. It was such a relief to have some good news on this issue, it just felt pointless to continue on with the project not knowing if I was going to be able to satisfactorily resolve this issue. But at this time all is well and now I must go out and do something....anything....to keep this project moving.

 
That which does not kill you leaves cool scabs which turn into awesome scars.

'77 CB750F Come on...were almost there!

Offline Killer Canary

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #92 on: February 12, 2012, 11:54:19 AM »
Very nice F, but your post count is frightening me.
If it's worth doing at all it's worth over-doing.
Honda MT250, CB400F, CB450K, CB550, GL500, CBR929
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Offline Freaky1

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #93 on: February 13, 2012, 09:40:17 AM »
Just getting that taken care of....NOW!
That which does not kill you leaves cool scabs which turn into awesome scars.

'77 CB750F Come on...were almost there!

Offline westhewelder

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #94 on: February 13, 2012, 01:50:09 PM »
Being a welder and all and not trying to sound like a know it all arse, it looks like your weld might be cold..
2011 Kawasaki Vulcan 2011
1969 Honda cb750 (project)

Offline Freaky1

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #95 on: February 13, 2012, 04:11:35 PM »
I have welded but I do not and will not claim to be a welder as I know my limitations. That being said, the welds on the frame kit are a bit undercut but welders I know (and not just the guy who welded it) have said they will not be a problem. As for the welds on my rear set mounts, there was a small gap on the edge of my mount where it butts up to the frame so it was filled, after which I used a sanding disk to shape the welds. Could that be what you are seeing?
That which does not kill you leaves cool scabs which turn into awesome scars.

'77 CB750F Come on...were almost there!

Offline westhewelder

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #96 on: February 14, 2012, 01:44:09 AM »
It might be undercut its hard to tell undercut is a structural issue but not as much as a cold weld is it welded on both sides?
2011 Kawasaki Vulcan 2011
1969 Honda cb750 (project)

Offline Freaky1

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #97 on: February 14, 2012, 08:10:38 PM »
The rear set mount is bent 90 deg at the weld and wraps around the backside of the frame, it would not be possible to put a bead on the opposite side of the weld you see in the picture. You can not see the initial bead that was laid down on the front as it has been built up so I could smooth it out just a bit. The guy who welded it is a structural welder who has been welding for almost 12 years, I trust what he says and don't believe he would say something was ok if it wasn't. Other welders I know have looked at it and not seen any issues and again I believe if they saw something unsafe they would speak up.
That which does not kill you leaves cool scabs which turn into awesome scars.

'77 CB750F Come on...were almost there!

Offline westhewelder

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #98 on: February 15, 2012, 05:37:02 AM »
o absolutely if they say its good and they weld structural i would trust it too, but anyways great job on the bike so far looks slick im working on my first bike its been a long road from where it was cant wait to see more progress!
2011 Kawasaki Vulcan 2011
1969 Honda cb750 (project)

Offline Freaky1

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Re: The Beast transformed into...
« Reply #99 on: March 11, 2012, 07:39:41 AM »
I really can see the finish line and just need to keep pushing. I finally got around to attempting to make the rear fender with the mold I made and it is outside now drying so we'll see how that comes out. I must say I'm not really too positive about it because last night when I went to check on it I think I went a bit light on the hardener and the resin didn't really seem like it was setting up good. If this doesn't work out I have an alternative just a couple of miles from my house. A buddy of mine introduced me last month to this guy who does some amazing work and I've talked to him about doing my fender right and some other stuff down the line for me as well. Give his web site a glance and if you need anything give him a call - http://www.truekustom.com/

Now for the part you've all been waiting for, pictures!

I dissembled the rear shocks and cleaned then polished them up and I think they came out pretty good.



Spring compressors?!? We don't need no stinkin' spring compressors!!



I changed the "dash" a bit, I moved the gauges a bit closer to it and added a switch that will be for an accessory outlet. I'll set it up with a plug so I can put on some extra running lights for those early morning mountain rides or a cig lighter so I can charge my phone. I'll be wiring it up to a relay so I don't need to shove so many amps through that tiny little switch. I also added two LED's, one is for the oil pressure light and the other is for the RFI ignition



I have the rear sets on and the brakes bled, and wow the rear brakes are going to be touchy! The earlier issues with my mounts are a thing of the past as I have subjected them to much abuse and everything seems to be holding nicely. I need to adjust the brake pedal angle but that will have to wait until I get the exhaust on. I'm not so sure I like the ankle guards on the rear sets but for right now they will stay until I can make something new.

 

The shifter side is on but needs work as the rear sets I got were missing the foot peg on the left side and the shifter peg was busted off. That is all stuff that can be replaced or changed when I get a bit closer but as you can see for now I put something there that works for now.



So there you go, I am actually getting some work done! I am supposed to be starting a new permanent job on the 19th so I've got one week to make leaps and bounds, and I'm ready! I also have to say, I got my brake lines from Slingshot and they are great, they fit just like I needed them to and they feel so much better than my old ones!
That which does not kill you leaves cool scabs which turn into awesome scars.

'77 CB750F Come on...were almost there!