1100F Project and other random chatter

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:47 am

So I've decided to work on my 1100F a little.
The engine needs the work, head is coming off, new parts here and there, etc.

But I'm also making the bike into more of "roadster" or (god, dare I even say this...) retro style.
Round headlight, big round gauges, low handlebars, chrome rear fender, re-do the seat, new handlebar switches etc.
There's a lot to do so things aren't moving all that fast.

Today I worked on the electrical stuff. Man, the wiring on these bikes in crazy!
I put different handlebar switches on and lot of the wiring had to be reconfigured so I got dig into it a good bit.

Did you guys know the current into the headlight flows always through the start button!??
Honda's way of turning the headlight off when starter is turning was to route the current to the dimmer switch through the start button.
When not pressed that circuit is closed, when you press the button the headlight circuit opens.

No wonder these old bikes have dim lights and all kinds of electrical kremlins. The wiring loom is horribly done, bad design, bad connectors, way complex switches. Mine will be mostly re-done. Relay for the headlight circuit so that light turns on only after engine starts.

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Mikko

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:26 am

Work in progress...

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Mikko

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:41 pm

Excellent! I've always wanted to see one of these done retro with the chrome fenders and old colors. Best of luck! Cool

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 6:54 pm

My motivation and sort of a guideline for this project as provided by "Eatpasta":

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Mikko

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:28 pm

Love it!

A kudos to you for the dare to be different style!
Are you going to do the cb400 style four into one
pipe? That would nail it!
Good Luck! Wink

Jebbysan

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 10:33 pm

LOVE IT!

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:07 am

Looking forward to it. This is definitely a different direction than most go with mods. Please keep us posted with details, especially fixes for the electrical "kremlins" that you discover. Those damn russkies never could wire a bike correctly! Very Happy

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 4:47 am

FlyingFinn wrote:

Work in progress...

I'm liking it too...

now. what gauges are those, and where did you get the indicators (in black??)

keep the pics coming Wink

ian

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 3:03 pm

Now that's what a motorcycle should look like imho..... where can I buy one?

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 4:17 pm

Thanks all. Nice to hear someone else likes the look too, my GF told me she "not sure the bike looks better now than before" Very Happy

(her black Kawasaki in the background, BTW)

I really like the classic look of dual mufflers, I'll keep the stockers on.
That's one thing I mostly miss on new(er) bikes, the cool looking dual mufflers.

Gauges are from a CB1000C parts bike I got a little while ago. They required a new mounting bracket and ignition lock to be relocated etc. etc. Not even close to a bolt-on fit.

Electrical switches are from a 90's Kawasaki (I like those for the way they route the throttle cables in parallel to the bars).
I also eliminated the stock choke lever for a cleaner look at the bars.

The seat will interesting to make. I'll try to make something as close as possible to what's on the Photoshop bike from eatpasta.

Turn signals are generic solid aluminum ones from Ebay, with home made stems.
I'm trying to use brushed aluminum for many of the details (gauges, headlight bracket, blinkers.... )

Unfortunately there's also lot of functional "must do" work that I have to do on the bike, not just the modifications.
So those repairs and updates take time, and resources, away from the more fun part of the project.

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Mikko

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 5:22 pm

verry impressive I think,original bike is pretty spectecular but this is somethingelse Smile

Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:00 am

Based on the talk here I dropped off the cam sprockets at machinist this morning on my way to work. So that means the engine is still open, off the bike and still waiting for final assembly.
When I get those sprockets back I'll time the cams one final time, button it all up and put the motor back to where it belongs.

In the mean time I decided to start working on the seat for my "retro 1100F". I'm getting rid of the tail light box behind the seat and trying to make a seat that looks sleek and works with lines of the rear fender I'm using.

I got an old F'ed up seat from Ebay and took a bread knife to it starting to look for the shape I want.

I have already ordered proper rebond foam to make the new seat of but this old foam was good material to mock-up the shape I'm trying to get. Next step was to start working on the seat pan. I don't want the end of the seat to kick up like to stock one does.
Like you can see I have the pro tools for this job Shocked

After lot of melting and forming and cooling and cutting and melting and ....... well you get the idea, I ended up with this:

The pan now sits low on the fender and tapers down in width towards the back. Little bit more fine tuning on the pan, new foam formed to nice shape, new vinyl cover and that should take care of the seat.

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Mikko

Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 2:02 pm

Lookin' good so far FINN....It's gonna be sick when it's done.

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 1:53 am

At first I was thinking "Wtf? Chrome rear fender ? Rolling Eyes

" Then I saw it Shocked

. Very nice! It's looking good.

David

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 7:48 am

Nice work !!

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 7:07 am

Yea, Good Work Finn.

I"m thinking of doing my Red 11F with that front

end.

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 6:52 pm

Looking forward to the progress on this one! Fantastic work Finn!

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:58 am

Motor is again back in the frame, now with 1000C cylinder head, new valve stem seals and cams timed back to where they should be.

Next I need to finish that seat, then rebuild the front brakes.
For the brakes I have practically new set of OEM rotors, rebuild kit for the calipers and nice set of braided lines.

Just in case anyone's interested. When I put on the gold Comstars I measured the weight of each set of wheels.
US Sepc. 1100F mags: Front 20lbs (no tire, no rotors, inc bearings), Rear 43lbs (no sprocket carrier, inc tire and rotor).
Boomerang Comstars: Front 18lbs (no tire, no rotors, inc bearings), Rear 40lbs (no sprocket carrier, inc tire and rotor).

Less unsprung mass is good, less rotating mass is also good Very Happy

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Mikko

Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 6:08 am

While I'm waiting for the brown to deliver all sorts of small parts, I've had bit of time here and there to keep working on the seat.

First I reshaped the pan and this week I got the rebond foam to start building up the padding.
The foam came in 1" sheet so multiple layers of various shapes and sizes of foam was glued together to build up a lump of foam that is "form fitting" to the seat pan, doesn't have voids in the middle of it and gives a good starting point for carving out the final shape.

Then I took the bread knife to it...

View from behind...

At this point the seat is ready for final shaping with 60 grit sand paper and then vinyl covering.
I couldn't help myself not to pop on the side covers for a glimpse of how it might look when all said an done.

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Mikko

Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 6:34 am

That looks awesome Mikko!!

MB-5 Joined: Oct 18, 2009 Posts: 12 Location: Tacoma, WA

I like the look of those gauges. What are they off of? as well as the instrument light cluster??

Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 10:29 am

FlyingFinn wrote:

Work in progress...

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Mikko

This photo gives me big inspiration for the front of the CBX......

The headlight stantions/turn signal brackets...did you make them?

Very nice Exclamation

I am using a black GS headlight....... Confused

Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:51 pm

Jebbysan wrote:

The headlight stantions/turn signal brackets...did you make them?

Noooo, I can't make parts like that. I don't have metal machining tools....
Those mounts are from Ebay.

Gauges are from CB Custom, mounted on home made bracket. The iginitton lock must also be relocated.

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Mikko

Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 11:08 pm

could I trouble you for a more detailed shot of your CBR coil-mounting process? It looks to me that you have the on their side as opposed to the more traditional method?

cheers
ian

Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 8:08 am

This is a concept I had not considered before, and I have to say when I read your first post I wondered what the hell you were doing.
However, after seeing the pics, first inspirational then of the shape your bike is gaining, I can really see where you’re headed and I think it will be very cool – not only that, but I think this path you’re headed down is a new one .., I’ll be watching this for sure!

Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 11:00 am

Its looking real good! Can't wait to see more of the progress.

Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:53 am

I had a "night off" today and started to work on the airbox for the GSXR carbs.

I started with an airbox from a GSXR of the same vintage as the carbs and cut the box eventually to 8 pieces.
Don't have any pictures of all the parts cut out but basically I wanted to re-use the sides of the airbox but upside down. Without turning the left side to the right.... So it all had to be chopped apart and then reconstructed.

View from the right side after few of the pieces are re welded together:

Side profile of the new airbox, pretty much a side profile of GSRX box upside down:

Another view from the right after it starts to resemble a box again:

And a finally a picture looking straight down along the left side of the bike:

Tomorrow I need to go get some more polypropylene rods from Harbor Freight and find a sheet of same material to start building the part that resides between the frame tubes to house the filter element. To maximize the airbox volume I'll probably end up moving the battery basket as far back as it goes. to give more room for the filter.

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Mikko

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 3:24 am

Since my last update there's been lot going on keeping me away from the garage, loooong days in my new job, some family issues, other bikes & cars that had to get fixed.... etc. etc.
In short, I haven't had a chance to really work on the CB for months.

And now we have to move and everything in the garage (and on the side yard Very Happy

) needs to be packed up and "relocated" to the new home.
Not something I'm looking forward to do.

I figured I'd get rid of some suff I don't need (already sold some parts here, put few tools on Craigslist...) and at least assemble the CB to a point it's more or less "self contained" and can be pushed around. That way there's less chance for all the little parts getting lost and big ones getting scratched & dinged.

So I spent today putting the bike together.
The carburetors are not even hooked up, petcock needs to be rebuilt, front brakes need a complete overhaul... but at least it rolls again

And that seat. I have the foam mostly shaped but I'll leave the final touches to the pros.
Today I just wrapped it in black trash bag to get a better picture of how it might look at the end.
I'll have to do some more shaping on it before taking to the upholstery shop.

I can't tell you how bad I wanted to push that red starter button and hope by some magical miracle the bike would wake-up to a steady idle.
There was nothing in this world I wanted more than go and ride that motorcycle on that moment when I pushed it out of the garage to take these pictures.
I knew it's not going to run, there's not even gas in the tank, no battery, half the carburetors don't even have the boots connecting them to head.
But MAN! I wanted to ride that bike.

I guess it was good to feel that urge, it will provide motivation to stay on this project even when other priorities seem to come in the way.

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Mikko