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Landing gear install!! I need well equipped garage and helping hands!!


Bkizz

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Brian, I talked to John Mathis and he said he can help me trailor the bike over on Saturday. The only catch is we would have to shoot for being there around 9:00 or a little after because he is hosting the Tech day out in Pickerington at 10am. I have no problem sitting in your parking lot for an hour if that's cool with you. Maybe that will give me time to grab some breakfast before the fun begins.

That leads me to this question...who wants to give us a hand on Saturday morning? We will be messing with the shifter first...I may not have the landing gear kickstand untill later in the day. I also need to get the wiring for the landing gear sorted out and soldered up. I need to get ahold of Lee and figure out if he was able to ship it out yesterday.

I'm getting more and more excited as this gets closer! :D

I'll bring my wiring bullshits and meet you at DTM. What time you want me there?

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So what exactly needs to be done on sat? Can we get a breakdown of what needs to be installed? Electronics? Welding? etc..

I just got off the phone with Lee, and he said I won't see the landing gear stand untill Monday b/c he lives in a po-dunk town in AZ and the closest shipping port is in Las Vegas, NV. He sent it 2 day air but it will take a day just to get to NV.

So with that said, here is Saturday's agenda: First things first the brakes need to be bled b/c there is air in the lines. Then, I want to get the shifter fabricated and installed...there WILL BE some welding involved with this. The bike needs to be ridden around and the shifter tested and tweaked to make sure it's working properly. After that, I would like to get the actuator (thing that lowers landing gear) wired up. Once the kit goes on this week, the wires from the switch will already be in place. Last thing is I wanted to do an oil change.

We can also brain storm ideas for the foot plates that will be welded to the pegs. Brian, do you think your welder buddy could stop back in durring the week once the kit goes on?

Not to sound like a dick or anything really I mean well.... But its been my experience that when a bunch of people get envolved that are offering nothing but moral support it really gets in the way of progress. I understand everyone wants to help and support a good cause but what 2 or 3 experienced guys could knock out in 3 hrs becomes 10hrs when 8 or 10 others show up just to watch or pretend to help.

That and Brian will also be open and trying to run a business as well so having 15 people there to do a 2 man job would also interfer with his business.

Just my 2 pennies carry on, hopefully that doesnt get anyones panties in a bunch as I'm pretty sure all understand what I'm saying.

I totally agree. Not trying to be a dick either but I just need a few people to knock this stuff out.

Todd, since I won't be able to do the kit until this week, do you think you could help me one evening?

I'll bring my wiring bullshits and meet you at DTM. What time you want me there?

I will be there at 9:00ish. If you could come then, do it! If not, get there as soon as possible.

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Todd, since I won't be able to do the kit until this week, do you think you could help me one evening?

Eve's are kinda hard for me because I've got class Weds nights and the other days I'm at work at 3am. I'm usually off between 1 and 3 though and could make somthing happen one of those days some how. What time are you off work?

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Eve's are kinda hard for me because I've got class Weds nights and the other days I'm at work at 3am. I'm usually off between 1 and 3 though and could make somthing happen one of those days some how. What time are you off work?

Ouch, that's a late schedule. I get off work at 4:30pm. Maybe Brian will have time this week to help?

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Brian,

I am sure I can assist you during the week if you need it. I am not a welder but it sounds like that is covered.

If we do not have anyone showing up for the wrench day I am sure a couple of us will shoot over to give you a hand on Saturday.

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OK, just an update. Yesterday went pretty well but I didn't get quite as much accomplished as I had hoped. Oh well, that's how it usually goes right? No biggie.

Jeff (Cheech) came over to help me with wiring up the electric shifter. We pulled the tank and got everything wired up but hit a road block when we were trying to figure out which wire to splice into for the engine kill switch. After he left, I got the air box out and was left with two wires going to each coil...a red and a black. The instructions say to splice the "signal wire" and I had a big fat warning in the instructions NOT to use the power wire or it could damage the shifter. Well one wire was red and one was black so I spliced into the black one. I feel pretty confident that is the "signal wire" but if anyone can back me up on that, DO IT QUICK!

Brian's friend Aaron came over to help me figure out how to mount the shifter. After some cutting and grinding, we figured out we need to build a strong bracket to hold the shifter and we just didn't have the tools there to do it. So onto today's adventure. We are supposed to take the bike over to a machine shop this morning to get the shifter mounting figured out...and hopefully the foot plates for the pegs too. I am crossing my fingers all goes well today.

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Ouch, that's a late schedule. I get off work at 4:30pm. Maybe Brian will have time this week to help?

I get off work at 4:30, and my nights are typically free. Let me know what you need help with. I am decent with wrenches and simple electronics and excell at manual labor.

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I get off work at 4:30, and my nights are typically free. Let me know what you need help with. I am decent with wrenches and simple electronics and excell at manual labor.

Thanks for the offer! Call me asap. I PMed you my #. Thanks!

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Just an update. We finally got the electric shifter mounted, welded and working...although it may still need some adjusting. The hardest part was building a bracket for it and trying to squeeze it into the tight space on the inside of the swing arm instead of the side of the bike where these are usually mounted.

TinyTim came by last night and helped me get the wiring for the actuator figured out. The switch I am using is tiny...a job only tinytim can tackle!! It was a challenge but he was able to get it soldered up and working. Thank god I had him b/c there is no way I could have figured it out...never hurts to have an engineer on the job!

The actuator itself has yet to be tested but I pray to god it works correctly. The next steps are to get the plates for the landing gear bolted up and get the landing bar on. I was hoping to weld some of this stuff on but all my plates are aluminum and the frame is steel...so that is not an option.

GETTING DOWN TO THE WIRE!! This has been stressing me out but I guess it's a good stress. Thursday will be the next day I (and everyone else) can work on it. I would like to get Tim back on installing the switch and finishing up the wiring. Aaron (the welder) will be cleaning up the shifter mount and making some foot plates out of aluminum that will be welded on top of my current foot pegs. I am hoping John (JCMathis) can give me a hand with bolting up the landing gear and making a trip or two to the hardware store to get the correct bolts. This feels like an episode of Overhaulin' when they are all rushing around at the last minute. haha I am bound and determined to have it all working for Saturday. It won't be painted and looking pretty but all I care is that it's functional for the benefit.

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The machine shop in Newark did it for the place I used to work. They focus the heat of the weld on the steel and work the bead onto the aluminum, dont know what type of wire they use for it though. I'm sure over time there is prolly some tpye of reaction between the metals. The trucks there had aluminum beds and the aluminum latches and chian hooks were not holding up so they welded steel ones on. I didnt know you could until that.

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