Project Cafe Rocket 686 begins. Finally!

[basser23]

You say you've got .090" on clearance? Isn't 1mm equal to .039+?, and .125" is 1/8" right? I might be missing something here...are you talking valve/piston clearance vs deck height?

[edfmaniac]

The .090" figure is my valve to piston clearance after massaging the piston with a Dremel. Bill was letting me know to check the piston to top of cylinder distance which should be a minimum of 1mm or .040". Mine is about .96mm which is a frog hair smaller than his recommendation.

[basser23]

thicker base gasket will get ya there as Bill states...I'm glad you're doing this and giving us all the good info.....

[edfmaniac]

I'm calling it close enough @ .96mm and will report back any results.

[edfmaniac]

First mock up of the Suzuki tank and my craigslist seat fairing. The seat will be getting extensive reshaping and some type of internal structure to help it become a solid part of my sub frame. It will also contain most if not all of my electronics. The tank just needs to be plumbed and mounted.

Things are coming together fast now so I should be able to run the bike within a month or so and then get some riding in before the final tear down, paint and powder coat. Wheels are last on my list for now.

[edfmaniac]

Any educated opinions on having emulators put in my otherwise stock Traveller forks? From what I can remember, Bill said these forks were pretty darn good with only the addition of some progressive springs but the suspension guy that I'm communicating with wants to put emulators in. He also prefers linear springs. Maybe they work better with the emulators?

[samandkimberly]

Emulators work very well. I haven't put them in my skorpion but I have put them in quite a few other bikes with very positive results. I really don't mind the way the front Skorp forks feel as is.

Progressive rate springs, IMO, are a patch designed to make it easier to make a spring that will work OK for a wide variety of weights and riding styles. A properly sized straight rate spring will work out much better if the loading and riding is always the same, ie solo sport riding or racing; progressives *might* be helpful in situations where your bike sees a lot of load range...for example if you do a lot of two up riding as well as solo.

But even before you buy springs, make sure you take the time to properly set up preload. In fact, if you get preload set up right with the stockers there's a good chance you'll find the stock springs are fine.

[edfmaniac]

Forks are in the shop. I decided to go all the way with new linear springs and the emulators so the mechanic can get the front end working properly for my fat a$$.

[edfmaniac]

Dadgummit! I should have known the forks weren't going to be done as quickly as I had hoped. Some parts needed to be replaced and they obviously aren't ones that you can just pick up the phone and have shipped in a few days like most bikes.

On a happier note, the resin for the shell of my seat cowl is curing as I'm typing this. I should know by morning if I've got a useable part or not.

[edfmaniac]

Success on the seat cowl. This is just the shell. I still need to fabricate the structure that will serve as a base for it to mount onto.

[edfmaniac]

Carb kit installed. I believe these were developed by Tunebike but you can get them from Off the Road. My only comment right now, since I haven't run the bike, is that the little piece that increases vacuum to the diaphragm is a PITA to install and I'm not quite confident about the recommended silicon as a means to secure it in place. http://www.off-the-road.de/en/Other-bik ... stiff.html

[basser23]

I pulled the slide to install,and used RTV....just a SMALL dab with the sharp end of a barbeque scewer under the ears...it ant fall through ya know...
but you are correct it is a pia......but it does work!

[edfmaniac]

My amateur attempt at a wiring diagram. I used some ideas from one of Bill's posts and some from the original harness.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

go to a car breakers bone yard and
raid a german made car for a big piece of wiring harness so you have color coded wire to match
the mz colors in the original harness
makes it easier to troubleshoot later

dave

[Bill Jurgenson]

in making a one-off harness, there are several don't in this one for me and it is too complicated.
A cardinal mistake: the battery connection: you should run both pus and minus from the rectifier directly to the battery, better yet to special posts centrally located. Connect the harness, the battery, and the coil directly to these.
Likewise, you definitely should use two relays to switch the headlight hi and low beams, runing the +12 from that post directly to those relays with a 2mm2 9at least) wire; then use the handle bar switch only for the coils to the relays. Instead of a candle, you will get a real headlight.

You really should streamline to plan as much as possible.
In particular, If you must have the ignition key on the triple tree, then use it only to switch a heavy-duty 12v relay to switch the +12v to the bike. Better yet is to put the key switch as close to the battery/connector posts as possible and do away with that relay entirely. It is nonsense to run the 12V all the eay to the front and back again for the sole purpose of easy switching. You can leave the steering lock at the front for legal purposes if that is necessary.

Just an example, a Skorpion (not mine), the post connector is in the center. The LiPeFo accu can be lifted out without disturbing the harness or anything lest; the starter relay in directly next to it.
I put the ignition key switch on the right directly under the seat frame and fastened with the seatframe bolt:


In its present state, the LiPeFo accu is under seat on the tray right next to the posts, just like in the picture above, the ignition box and the SilentHektik electronic fuse box are also right next the posts and battery. It is not cheap, but I definitely would use that SilentHektik fuse box for a street use bike.
http://www.silent-hektik.com/Zub_Sicher.htm

the second one listed, S4403 which includes an internal 400W relay.
The box contains 3 8A fuses, that relay and the blinker relay which is is completely independent: 1,2 4 or no bulbs at all, it blinks. It a fuse "blows", turn off the ignition, wait 10 seconds and turn it back on; the fuse is reset. I have been using this for 10 years now and with absolutely no problems.
I turn the plus 12 main to this box on and off with the key. I use the internal relay for the ignition itself, controlling it with the kill switch. Both the ignition box and the coil get ±12 directly from this relay.

If you choose to run the headlight thru the relays mounted up front next to it, It is best to use an inline fuse in the heavy wire running directly from the +12v post.

Here is a sample harness from SilentHektik:
http://www.silent-hektik.com/MINI_K_03.pdf