Wrench'n Ride'n

Riding is good. Here are some snaps I took from this ride.        

Yep I really am happy with how this has turned out.  

So what did you do over the Xmas break? Eat, drink and be merry? I did a small amount of that and a huge amount of wrench'n. So seat is mounted to a cut down skateboard deck. One bolt and it comes off. 2 bolts and the old BMW seat goes back on that take pillions. Fly screen fitted and painted. Small tail light fitted as the Ford Tail light was too heavy and was braking the bracket I had made for it. The is a colour change coming for the tank. Would like some better looking mufflers too. All in the future. New saddle bag to be made. For now I am more than happy with my Rat Brat Tracker Style Beemer.

Rat Brat Tracker Style is a mouthful. That's what the Ah-8-Tee has become. Rat - cause of the old bits i have thrown at it. Brat - the seat. Tracker - the bars. Yes there is still more to be done. Old chopper seat is being fitted up to the bike. It will be inter-changeable with the old BMW seat I have. Need to be able to take wife for rides.

I bought an old chopper seat. When I bought this bike I think I said I wanted to make it a brat-tracker type thingie. I have a brat seat for it now. So I have the thin choppper (brat) seat and when I want to take my wife on the back I can put the old /6 seat back on.

Mates. Making your day when they do this to your bike. Came back to were i park my bike at the train station to this. Lol so hard. 

Test fitting some junk. 4 inch chopper headlight which will have LED globe in it and be the passing light/running light. Small fly screen made from a pot belly stove flu cover. I love using old junk. Next year different mufflers.

Yeah changes don't stay changed for long. Street tracker is being slapped together. Need to replace all the cables. So why not put a set of old Suzuki ER185 bars on first. I love reusing old shit bike parts. Had to reduce the diameter of the bars with a sanding wheel in the drill so the controls would fit. Move the front brake cable. Replaced the brake fluid. Brakes have now lost that wooden feeling. Go for ride. Super comfy. Sitting upright. My hips and shoulders say thank you. Next up is new cables and planning in doing away with the instrument pod and replacing that all with a small GPS speedo.   

Yay! Got new tyres fitted. Michelin Pilot Activ. I had been riding with the old cracked hard tyres that were many years old. Yeah I know. The front end would get a very nasty wobble at low speed. Some sage advise from a BMW mate, thanks Quoll, suggested instead of the 90/90 front go with a 100/90. Riding down hill, hands off the bars and no wobble/tank slapper. YES! just have to get used a wider front tyre. More responsive all round now. Better grip. Who would have thought new rubber could do all of this. After doing a carb balance the idle was still a bit funny. Reading in the Airhead forums at ADV that a main jet change to a bigger jet can help the idle I did this. I found my bag of different size jets I had kept from the R100LT I used to own. I went from a 135 to a 138 main jet. What a difference. Better idle. The engine feels smoother too through the rev range. Its been a night of wins. Crappy mobile phone photo from tonight's ride to start running in the new rubber. 

Never say done. Will I change or do more? You bet. When? When an new idea comes into my head. What I started with on 8 August 2015 and were it is today 15 November 2015.

My youngest daughter, who is 20, has expressed her desire to get her bike Ls. Scares the crap out of me thinking of her on the road. So what do I do to stop her? "You get your Ls and i will give you the Wasp once it is up and running." Besides her at first saying .."Really" she has asked to help work on the bike. So the Wasp has a new owner. I now do not have to build this on a budget. So were can I get a 150cc big bore kit for a GS125 engine? How can I say no to her when I have been the one to encourage it. The owner of the Wasp is on the left in the photo. 

I like to be different. Its who I am. So when I stumbled across pushbike saddlebags that had wood as part of them I knew I had to make one for the BM. A fence paling. Some treated pine. A huge bit of leather I got off my sister. My imagination. A Starwars Storm-trooper keyring. Some old straps. A fabric belt of mine. Screws and rivets. Design in my head. Then make.      

Went for a short ride this morning. Even had my photo taken while riding.   Photo taken by  http://lookpro.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Shannons/C00009xjl9a3OCco

Changed out the Tardis BMW panniers and fitted the 21ltr Givi ones I have had sitting around. I like the shape of the Givi. Would have loved to have gotten hold of some 50s beetle bags but they costs more than I want to spend.  

Peanut rocker covers. I love their curves. So bought some for the Ah-8-Tee. Fitted them at 6:30 this morning. All but making a large leather saddlebag I am done. What a great feeling. I have taken this to how I wanted it to look like. With some changes on the way. Next up will be working on The Wasp GS125.