Yeah - I got out into much deeper water than intended overall - the front end idea was a slippery slope that escalated rather quickly.. With zero "stock" wiring apart from the sensor wires I figured some planning was in order, lest I end up with bowl of spaghetti shoved under the seat.
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Stage 4: Even your friends and family say you need help…
- Thread starter EzPete
- Start date
Well. Here’s a first.
Finally got the replacement thermostat so I can out the cooling system on and have the engine ready to hang.
Small problem.
I have straight up lost the radiator.
When I break the bike down, everything gets bagged, tagged and put into bins to be cleaned/insoected.
Cleaned/painted/ready to install goes in the cabinet
New/bulk stuff goes in the new order bin in the first picture.
No radiator.
That means either it got lumped in with the recycling run or somehow sorted into the CX box in the attic.
Some words have been thrown about.
Finally got the replacement thermostat so I can out the cooling system on and have the engine ready to hang.
Small problem.
I have straight up lost the radiator.
When I break the bike down, everything gets bagged, tagged and put into bins to be cleaned/insoected.
Cleaned/painted/ready to install goes in the cabinet
New/bulk stuff goes in the new order bin in the first picture.
No radiator.
That means either it got lumped in with the recycling run or somehow sorted into the CX box in the attic.
Some words have been thrown about.
Well. Hoarding strikes again. In my previous effort to purge a bunch of “unneeded stuff” I stashed the GL radiator with the spare CX 500A radiator, which will never be used as it doesn’t clear the CX 500C tank I have. In short, I out organized myself.
Crisis averted, multiple radiators were there to choose from, somehow more radiators than bikes exist - they must come from the same breeding stock as carb bodies and wheels.
Engine complete. Timing set, valves adjusted.
Just have hoses and a pressure test to do on the cooling system - along with settling the internal debate on if I’m going to shroud the radiator or stick with the minimalist look.
Ok. On to engineering and fabbing Rearsets,
mounting the new rotors when they get here,
cross my fingers that 1MM was enough give clearance for the pads and finish final fabrication tweaks on the wheel spacers.
Repair carb insulators with the SCI kit
Fabricate a custom length clutch cable
Retrofit the fire blade rear shock in places of the XS650 shock
Mount new tires
Hope that someday the headlight and speedo show up from speedmotoco to finish electrical
That’s like 45 minutes plus commercials on the resto mod shows - shouldn’t take but an afternoon…
Crisis averted, multiple radiators were there to choose from, somehow more radiators than bikes exist - they must come from the same breeding stock as carb bodies and wheels.
Engine complete. Timing set, valves adjusted.
Just have hoses and a pressure test to do on the cooling system - along with settling the internal debate on if I’m going to shroud the radiator or stick with the minimalist look.
Ok. On to engineering and fabbing Rearsets,
mounting the new rotors when they get here,
cross my fingers that 1MM was enough give clearance for the pads and finish final fabrication tweaks on the wheel spacers.
Repair carb insulators with the SCI kit
Fabricate a custom length clutch cable
Retrofit the fire blade rear shock in places of the XS650 shock
Mount new tires
Hope that someday the headlight and speedo show up from speedmotoco to finish electrical
That’s like 45 minutes plus commercials on the resto mod shows - shouldn’t take but an afternoon…
Glad you found it, I suspected it just briefly got lost in the broad scope of all your spares.
That's something I'll never have to worry about...
Pretty much stuck on a few ends due to the vagaries of USPS shipments.
So. Time to finish the rough in on electrical. Once I get the headlight someday I can finish out the head unit and wrap the harness.
So. Time to finish the rough in on electrical. Once I get the headlight someday I can finish out the head unit and wrap the harness.
Needless to say. I fully understand now why this conversion is not done often, and never done this way.
There’s essentially 1.5-2mm of spare space in getting that wheel centered. That was a lot of back and forth with filing down spacers and mashing up parts from 4 different bikes.
But we’ve got a dual disc comstar-adjacent front wheel mounted to a 929RR front suspension, grafted onto a GL500.
And. Thanks to some light wall adhesive shrink tubing, the completely irreplaceable GL carb insulators are back in action. Chipped off as much of the two layers of gunked on permatex that were supposed to be the “fix”.
Getting close for the dry fit stuff to be complete…
Mocked up the headlight, checked all the electrical. Got power where it needs it and no fuses popping so that means there’s no power where it’s not needed.
Front spacers are finally done after slowly filing down each side one at a time to get the spacing even when the axle is torqued down, so the front fork/wheel/brakes adaption is complete - just needs some prettying up and the tire mounted and brake lines.
Mocked up the headlight, checked all the electrical. Got power where it needs it and no fuses popping so that means there’s no power where it’s not needed.
Front spacers are finally done after slowly filing down each side one at a time to get the spacing even when the axle is torqued down, so the front fork/wheel/brakes adaption is complete - just needs some prettying up and the tire mounted and brake lines.
Decided to do a little block wrestling tonight and worked the engine into place to start the next round of test fitting: Rearsets.
Working linear motion into a rotation is interesting. Takes a whole ton of exact adjustment - unfortunately right when I thought I had it, the shift lever completely jammed inside the engine case.
I’m not sure it’s possible to get that linkage in a more inaccessible spot. This means dropping the engine again, removing the water pump, entire back panel, ignition and then figuring out what jammed and how.
Numerous choice words were used.
Working linear motion into a rotation is interesting. Takes a whole ton of exact adjustment - unfortunately right when I thought I had it, the shift lever completely jammed inside the engine case.
I’m not sure it’s possible to get that linkage in a more inaccessible spot. This means dropping the engine again, removing the water pump, entire back panel, ignition and then figuring out what jammed and how.
Numerous choice words were used.
ballbearian
Veteran Member
Lucky you, don't have to drain anything.
I didn't think about that shift shaft arrangement, quite the odd couple of linkages in one. Is that a piece designed for the CX/GL engines? Or did you fab that?
Fortunately the engine is easy to take in and out with support from underneath and the rad normally can be left intact on the motor. Still a bugger to have to pull that rear cover again. I am personally not a fan of retromods, yet I really like what I see here Pete, you have done some excellent work to date.
Thankfully. Getting the last of the oil out of the sump is a mess on these.
I was going to fab this exact setup, but ran across a steal on a set from Slipstream Cycles, so I thought I’d save the time.
The whole shift linkage mechanism on the GL/CX series is kind of shaky. Uses this weird toothed lever and a tiny spring that got stretched and misaligned.
Thanks. I figured this thing was so far gone that I wouldn’t offend the restoration gods if I went wild on it.
Actually got it pulled down and fixed last night. That little spring on the back of the shift spindle/tooth lever thing had stretched and allowed those two pieces to misalign.
Honestly, it’s the getting the engine back in with the radiator attached that’s the real pain.
Ok. Engine back in. Rearsets hooked up. All the dry fit is right about done.
Time to find an upholstery shop to do the seat cover, the tedious task of wrapping and hiding wires as much as possible, and figure out the exhaust - I’m really hoping to be able to sneak some 2” sportster mufflers right below the rearsets - they do sound pretty good on the smaller cc engine.
Time to find an upholstery shop to do the seat cover, the tedious task of wrapping and hiding wires as much as possible, and figure out the exhaust - I’m really hoping to be able to sneak some 2” sportster mufflers right below the rearsets - they do sound pretty good on the smaller cc engine.
Keep chipping away… and keep putting off the jobs I just really don’t want to do.
Got started on one of them - dry fitting the carbs and taking measurements for the baffled airbox/cleaner to replace the stock box. Thankfully, I saved the original so I can reuse the manifold side.
Got the rear brake linkage with the rearsets sorted, adjusted and the brake lever set. I do need to figure out the rear brake switch though. Stock had a little tab for the spring which won’t work with the new layout without hanging off the outside of the frame.
Clutch linkage took quite a bit more work. Hopefully it won’t take too much in the way of adjustment to fit the final ergonomics- there is a very specific range of motion on the forward part of the knuckle that will effectively up/downshift, which really limits the adjustment range.
She’s come quite a ways from the starting point.
Doubt I’ll get this one done during this season maybe after the peak heat cools off later.
Intake and exhaust, cables and a seat cover, mount and balance tires.
Oh. And front brake lines. Can’t forget those.
Got started on one of them - dry fitting the carbs and taking measurements for the baffled airbox/cleaner to replace the stock box. Thankfully, I saved the original so I can reuse the manifold side.
Got the rear brake linkage with the rearsets sorted, adjusted and the brake lever set. I do need to figure out the rear brake switch though. Stock had a little tab for the spring which won’t work with the new layout without hanging off the outside of the frame.
Clutch linkage took quite a bit more work. Hopefully it won’t take too much in the way of adjustment to fit the final ergonomics- there is a very specific range of motion on the forward part of the knuckle that will effectively up/downshift, which really limits the adjustment range.
She’s come quite a ways from the starting point.
Doubt I’ll get this one done during this season maybe after the peak heat cools off later.
Intake and exhaust, cables and a seat cover, mount and balance tires.
Oh. And front brake lines. Can’t forget those.
Last edited:
Welp. Obviously my PVC mockup was flawed somewhere.
Looks clean - just can’t shift.
Sportster mufflers. May end up on the CX. They’ll fit the stock shifter/pegs. Not the Rear sets.
Damn. Really liked this look, Delvic 2-1 might be the only other option unless I get custom headers done to drop the downpipe about 2”.
Looks clean - just can’t shift.
Sportster mufflers. May end up on the CX. They’ll fit the stock shifter/pegs. Not the Rear sets.
Damn. Really liked this look, Delvic 2-1 might be the only other option unless I get custom headers done to drop the downpipe about 2”.
Still working on exhaust - leaning the 2-1 since I can’t get my straight pipe idea to work.
Figured I’d start work on the cables. Shortened the throttle cable to account for the lower bars, but the fun one with these CX/GL’s is the clutch cable. There’s nothing short enough in the open market that doesn’t end up routed super weird. What I did discover is that the triumph thruxton uses a 70 degree bend clutch cable which solves the routing side. Trimmed down about 6” and you’ve got yourself the perfect 24” clutch cable.
View attachment IMG_1085.jpeg
View attachment IMG_1084.jpeg
Got it all dry fit.and tested. Waiting on the carb clamps I swore I had already ordered, so time to solve airflow with the stock carbs. I’ve been toying with this idea for a while to make a more compact intake that mimics the stock airbox - with the goal being to get a look somewhere between pods and the complete massive CARB rebreather intake. Ideally this would retain the same jetting and performance with stock carbs.
So I retained the intake tubes and flipped the intake side of the stock inside out to get a filtered airspace, the correct manifold length and the same filtered air intake surface area.
Some leftover ABS, some random screen metal I found and some uni filter foam.
Concept test version is done. I’ll use this for tweaking the idea then print the permanent version
Creeping along. Weathers been too nice lately so I’ve been poking about for some decent rides around here - not nearly as scenic as some of y’all’s surroundings and my last fun rural backroads now has a housing development going in.
Figured I’d start work on the cables. Shortened the throttle cable to account for the lower bars, but the fun one with these CX/GL’s is the clutch cable. There’s nothing short enough in the open market that doesn’t end up routed super weird. What I did discover is that the triumph thruxton uses a 70 degree bend clutch cable which solves the routing side. Trimmed down about 6” and you’ve got yourself the perfect 24” clutch cable.
View attachment IMG_1085.jpeg
View attachment IMG_1084.jpeg
Got it all dry fit.and tested. Waiting on the carb clamps I swore I had already ordered, so time to solve airflow with the stock carbs. I’ve been toying with this idea for a while to make a more compact intake that mimics the stock airbox - with the goal being to get a look somewhere between pods and the complete massive CARB rebreather intake. Ideally this would retain the same jetting and performance with stock carbs.
So I retained the intake tubes and flipped the intake side of the stock inside out to get a filtered airspace, the correct manifold length and the same filtered air intake surface area.
Some leftover ABS, some random screen metal I found and some uni filter foam.
Concept test version is done. I’ll use this for tweaking the idea then print the permanent version
Creeping along. Weathers been too nice lately so I’ve been poking about for some decent rides around here - not nearly as scenic as some of y’all’s surroundings and my last fun rural backroads now has a housing development going in.
Progress, they call it... I'm watching progress moving closer to us in the last few years too. Hard to imagine when you're dead in the middle of two small towns with only 10,000 to 15,000 population each about 30 miles apart, but the the gaps in between are slowly closing. At least the rural roads around here are spread out wide east and west of the general area and we're partially surrounded by state forests.
One hurdle at a time. She did get some new shoes - front at a 110/90/18 came out a bit wider than I anticipated relative to my 100/90’s on the other bikes. Still fits well and if I never have to pull that front wheel in the next two months that would still be too soon.
Lower profile 130/80 on the rear gives enough clearance for the suspension travel.
Permanent mount for the carbs/mono-mega-pod
Arts and crafts class for sewing a new seat cover - that could be interesting.
Exhaust.
Clean up and stow all the wiring.
That’s it. That’s the list.
That front end was an undertaking.
Although it does look like I can take off a little on the steering stop and get a little more room there.
Lower profile 130/80 on the rear gives enough clearance for the suspension travel.
Permanent mount for the carbs/mono-mega-pod
Arts and crafts class for sewing a new seat cover - that could be interesting.
Exhaust.
Clean up and stow all the wiring.
That’s it. That’s the list.
That front end was an undertaking.
Although it does look like I can take off a little on the steering stop and get a little more room there.
RobMan
Veteran Member
Looking real pretty, getting up dressed up and ready to go,
boddy
Veteran Member
It's all coming together. Very nice job!