Winter mods for an Alaskan Drifter

[JagLite]

Huh?   
I thought the headlight always came on as soon as I turn the key on, but now I wonder... 
I won't be surprised if it doesn't, that's the sort of thing I do all the time. 
"I am sure _______"  but I was wrong. 
Good thing I don't gamble. 

[CDNRatMan]

 Very cool and good job, I am not sure I understand that you do not trust Bob to keep you informed of your speed, or you just want to see for yourself.....lol.......FYI the headlight on a Drifter 800 does not come on till you start the bike or bleep the starter....lol....I learned this the first winter I was working on the bike and spend a few hours trying to figure out why the headlight was not turning on......lol...live and learn and be thankful for good people on here who help you out.....

[JagLite]

On to the next project.

I am adding a dash cam and GPS speedometer to the Drifter   
I have the same inexpensive ($30) dash cam in both our cars just in case of collision or something worth posting happens. It is not weatherproof since it is designed to be inside a car but I will just keep an eye on it when riding in the rain and if it is getting wet I will put it in my pannier.

The GPS speedometer is so I know what speed I am going since my navigator Bobby blocks my view of the tank gauge unless I lean over to look under him.
It is also an inexpensive unit designed to be inside a car with the same lack of weather proofing.

To wire them up I bought an inexpensive (notice the theme here?) panel that gives me 2 USB ports, a 12v power port, and a digital voltmeter.
It is designed for boats and comes with rubber covers for the USB and Power ports.

It took me 4 hours to wire the little panel up and find a switched power wire inside the headlight.
One thing I noticed is the colors of the wires in the shop manual (Clymers? Haynes?) don't all match the bike. I was looking for the accessory wires the diagram shows but my bike has no wire (the hot wire) of the color the manual shows for the '99 (J model) Drifter.

Eventually I decided to tie into the wires for my spot lights since they should have been wired to the accessory wires I was looking for but couldn't find.
That worked and all is as it should be now.

(Notice my high tech clock?)

The GPS speedometer is the black flat box ahead of the panel, and the dash cam is on the windscreen.

The camera comes with a plug to go in the power port, the GPS speedo comes with a USB cable.
I might have been able to wire the camera directly since it is 12 volt but it was cheap and simple to buy the panel and plug it in.

Have you wondered why the voltmeter is showing 11.5 volt?
Yep, I didn't think to plug in my Battery Tender while I was trying to find a power source and had the key turned on for a while.

I didn't think about it until I was putting the headlight in and checked to make sure it worked.
Except that it didn't work.
Huh???
Everything else worked.
But not the headlight.
Blast.

Did I blow the headlight fuse while trying to find a hot wire?
I pulled each fuse out and looked at it, and tested it for resistance to make sure it was good.
All were fine but the headlight didn't light up.

I started the bike and the headlight came on.
Then I thought to plug in the Battery Tender to charge the battery and when I tried turning on the key, the headlight came on like usual.
I guess my Cyclops LED light need more power than 11.5v to fire.
Or, is there some kind of headlight switch that doesn't send power to the light if the voltage is low so you can start the engine?
That would be smart.

Now to figure out how and where I will mount the panel and speedo.
Ideally, I want them to be out of sight except when I am riding for a cleaner vintage look.
My first thought is a leather handlebar bag that I can put the panel and speedo in, that I would open when riding to see the speedo, then close when parked.

I will have to go to Amazon and see what I can find...

[CDNRatMan]

  Awesome my friend....that seat looks just like the one I bought the other day......what is it they say, great minds........

Bobby is looking good after that long winter, he did not seem to gain any weight......

[JagLite]

Sunshine!
I was able to ride my bike yesterday after work.
Big deal, eh?

Well, this is the first time I have ridden in April here in Anchorage Alaska.

Of course Captain Bobby came along

There is still snow on the ground and we will probably get more before winter gives up.
We usually get snow in early May and sometimes in June.

Actually the danger isn't the snow, it's the marbles on the road.
The gravel they spread all winter long to give us traction on the ice.
It is like ball bearings on the pavement and extremely dangerous in curves.
As part of my riding start I go to a large empty parking lot and practice very low speed turns to get the "feel" back.
At first I do a bit of weaving, put my foot down(or start to) but after just a few minutes it comes together.
(I do my practice at the start of every ride for the first several rides)

Part of my practice is hard braking, emergency stops.
For fun I do rear wheel brake slides on the marbles, and it is fun because there is almost zero traction and I can slide a long, long way with no tire wear!

But turning on the marbles is not fun, it is very stressful actually because there is so little traction.
The more the bike is leaned over, the more likely the front wheel will just slide out and you will be on the ground, and possibly sliding into the oncoming lane.

So, until the sand/gravel/marbles/ball bearings get swept off the road I do very slow cornering.

On bike projects, the new seat mount position is excellent for me and very comfortable.
I found a nice round leather bag that fits the spot behind the seat springs and covers the gap between the frame and rear fender.

I am still looking for the right size box to put on the frame rear loop to be able to raise my backrest bag up about 6".
It will cover the frame loop too for looks.

I want to leave the tank bag at home because I don't like how it looks on the classic Drifter style, but it is very handy for carrying things.
And the best part is that Bobby doesn't scratch up the paint on the tank with his paws since he keeps his front paws on top of the tank bag.
Robyn is going to make a tank bra to protect the tank but hasn't actually got around to it yet.
I just have to ask her how to change thread on her sewing machine so I can do it myself... and she will do it. 

I'm planning day trips for the summer!

[JagLite]

Bobby will like that!

[CDNRatMan]

   I am almost done with all my projects for the bike, so once I get them done I will then take to task on a comfortable and proper deck for Lord Bobby's delight, I am thinking a nice level base with a nice carpet to keep his wee paws cool and something to grip on to. It should also be on a sort of pivot point so that even when parked the dock will be level. You should be thankful that Bobby even lets you sit on his bike and be the driver of said wonderful machine......

[JagLite]

I didn't put many hours on the solo seat last summer because it wasn't located where I wanted to sit.
I will get to experiment with the new mount this summer and see how I like it.
I like the look of the solo saddle MUCH better than the flying 2-up seat, but the stock flying 2-up seat is VERY nice to sit on all day long.
The stock seat also makes an ideal place to put my backrest-bag.

I am currently searching for a plastic box of the right size to bolt to the rear seat loop.
When I find that, my wife will sew up a cover for it (canvas look) to hide the box.
Then I can strap my backrest-bag on top of that.

Such a nice bike to ride mile after mile on back roads 

[DC]

Jag,  was the seat too far back for you?

I also have a Singh solo, which I'm not using at the moment (not for sale).  I also had to rig up a different mounting bracket for mine. . not as good as yours though.  My seating position was not too good, even after mounting the seat a bit forward.  Every time I accelerated, I was getting pulled off the bike..  The seat just wouldn't hold me in place.  So I put on my 2 up seat, and that worked out fine.

[JagLite]

Uh....   

You are right of course.
I was getting too big for my britches.
My head was getting too big for my helmet...

Thanks for helping me to see my wrong thinking before Lord Bobby found out.

I will ask him what HE wants on HIS Drifter 

[CDNRatMan]

JagLite:
My brother, I need to ask you a serious question here. When you wrote that post I am quoting here:

He would love that!
I'm thinking a leather "vest" tank top cover to give him a good grip and to protect the tank.
I always had the tank bag on before for him to stand on but I don't care for the look of a tank bag on the Drifter.
Even though they are very handy

When did this become about you, does anyone care if you like the looks of the tank bag, no not really, Does anyone care that you "think" a tank vest might be good, no people all understand that you are just the license, the operator, gas money and food man who is owned and regulated by Lord Bobby. So a nice platform for him to sit and stand on while out letting you take him about and you are along for the ride............

[Old Drifter]

He would love that!
I'm thinking a leather "vest" tank top cover to give him a good grip and to protect the tank.
I always had the tank bag on before for him to stand on but I don't care for the look of a tank bag on the Drifter.
Even though they are very handy.

You can always make him a w-i-d-e tank bib.

[JagLite]

He would love that!
I'm thinking a leather "vest" tank top cover to give him a good grip and to protect the tank.
I always had the tank bag on before for him to stand on but I don't care for the look of a tank bag on the Drifter.
Even though they are very handy.

[CDNRatMan]

  Need a deck on the tank for Bobby.......

[JagLite]

Painted and installed:

Located about in the middle of the fore and aft range:

[drifter#1]

Love your pics of shop ,mods and stuff. I am envious !!!!

[CDNRatMan]

    Ok so I can rest comfortable knowing you will not be charged for using a camera while operating a motor vehicle.....
"Sir what were you charged with .......duh taking a picture of my dog on my motorcycle while riding down main street...." Look after Bobby he seems like a cool cat...eh er Dog.....
Well I am normally tinkering or tweaking something on the bike I am sitting on my stool because I do not have a bike lift in my living room yet. I want to design one that once summer comes it will be hidden in the floor and level, not something to stumble around or over. I have a 34" TV in the living room so I can keep up with important issues in life, like the Hockey games, weather reports. But then them American reality TV shows are so good showing us how real Americans live......

Well my Neighbour from the north west just keep the pictures and projects coming......

[JagLite]

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!   

No more selfie shots, that day was the only time I have used the selfie pole.   
And only to get some pictures of Bobby from in front instead of the back of his helmet.

More snow yesterday and today so I am glad to have a shop to spend my winter time in...
Otherwise I might be forced to watch reality TV! 

This afternoon I am driving two hours out of town to pick up a frame and parts at the powder paint shop, then driving another 30 minutes out for a lesson on zinc plating parts, then returning back to my shop to use my new plating system.

I had planned to put the third coat of paint on the Drifter seat mounts but when I checked the dry/recoat time I saw that I had read it wrong.

I thought it said within 1 hour or after 4 hours...
Nope, within 1 hour was correct so the second coat was fine, it is after 48 hours for another coat of color or clear. 

[mittico68]

Great work, Jag!
I do really envy your manual skill...

[CDNRatMan]

  Very cool

Jaglite, I want you to know that last year after reading this thread and seeing the pictures of you and Bob out riding about, I figured I would become a fan of reality TV. I have my system to switch automatically to any channel that is showing "Alaskan State Troopers".. I am waiting till they announce over the radio to dispatch  the Troopers with something like...."Crazy biker man" or "Biker taking selfies out of control" but so far nothing on the TV ......lol......

[JagLite]

Singh Solo Saddle mount bracket design V2.

After modifying the bracket that came with the seat and still unable to put the seat where I am comfortable, this winter project is a completely new design.

First step was to replace the seat bolts that came bent and stripped when I got the seat.

I welded new bolts to the base of the old bolts before cutting them off:

The front bolts are too far forward in the seat to work with the front hinge mount so I made a plate for new bolts:

Cut the existing stripped bolts off and plug welded the plate on:

Then I made a new front hinge plate:

And the new seat mount plate:

All done with my precision milling machines of course:

A trial fit to check seat movement range:

A bit more adjustment and two more holes:

And then Bob checks it for quality control:

The parts are now being painted and ready for final mounting.

The same Kydex battery cover I made last winter will be used and I think a nice tool roll bag under the seat would look good, perhaps a matching bag behind the springs too...

[JagLite]

Bobby is a Border Terrier and a great buddy   
He wears a harness that hooks to me with a locking carabiner so that he can't fall off.
That doesn't stop us from both falling off when trail riding on other bikes though. 

[drifter-paul]

Is Bobby , a Miniature Schnauzer ? I carried my little fella (Hagrid) in the off side pannier. He knew if he swiped the 'Doggles' off, he wouldn't get to come for the ride - better chick magnet than a red Ferrari  - sadly missed 

[JagLite]

I finally got some pictures of my dog Bobby riding with me that aren't the back of his head. 

And the common reaction he gets when we stop

[DC]

We're all jealous of that scenery, JagLite.