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Posted by mittico68
- February 20, 2017, 12:00:53 PMGreat work, Jag!
I do really envy your manual skill...
Posted by CDNRatMan
- February 20, 2017, 00:05:00 AM 
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......
Posted by JagLite
- February 19, 2017, 23:04:24 PMSingh 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...
Posted by JagLite
- September 29, 2016, 16:28:38 PMBobby 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.
Posted by drifter-paul
- September 27, 2016, 20:58:50 PMIs 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 
Posted by JagLite
- September 27, 2016, 12:47:07 PMI 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
Posted by DC
- August 29, 2016, 16:24:27 PMWe're all jealous of that scenery, JagLite. 
Posted by CDNRatMan
- August 28, 2016, 23:35:46 PMon all my long trips I carry my 2 fuel cells and have room for a 2 gal fuel can , 2 gal is like 4 liters and the tank is 15 liters so almost half a tank then......
Really nice views, and here was me thinking you had beat me to the winter list.....lol......
Posted by JagLite
- August 28, 2016, 23:21:49 PMA beautiful sunny day required a long ride.
Gas stations tend to be far between in Alaska and I was worried I wasn't going to reach the next one so at 120 miles on the odo I slowed to 55 and hoped for the best.
Made it! (whew) and when I filled the tank I discovered I could have gone another 10 miles... maybe.
So I stopped at the hardware store on the way home and bought a 1 gallon gas can that fits perfectly in one of the saddle bags.
I won't leave home without it from now on.
Hopefully I will remember to actually put gas in it!
Posted by CDNRatMan
- July 07, 2016, 12:10:18 PMnow you just need a really cool shifter knob.......but things are looking good.
Posted by JagLite
- July 07, 2016, 10:13:07 AMI cut off the 1/75" tailpipe out of the muffler and tacked on a 2.25" piece:
Started the bike up and it sounds great! 
Since the muffler core is straight through I was concerned it might be too loud but it isn't at all.
Borla sure knows what packing works at absorbing sound waves and it lasts forever.
So I welded it up and gave it a coat of paint:
The next day I took it for a test ride and it sounds perfect.
Not loud, not annoying, but a very deep throat rumbling that I can just hear over the wind and tire noise at speed.
Surprisingly my butt dyno tells me there is a real improvement in power from midrange up.
I wasn't expecting any difference since I haven't improved the intake side but evidently the stock muffler and my original small tailpipe choked the gas flow enough that opening up the flow helped let the horses out.
Or maybe it just sounds so much better now that it feels more powerful.
Either way, I'm happy.
The Drifter isn't a hot rod anyway and is quick enough to be fun.
Here is a before and after shot of the tailpipe difference:
Before:
After:
Before going for my 2 hour test ride I checked the tire pressure by looking at the Ride-On Smart Caps and for the first time, one was blinking red.
Huh? 
I removed the cap and checked the pressure with my gauge and sure enough, it was down to 28 lbs.
Hmmm, a leak or what?
I added air and reinstalled the Smart Cap and so far it hasn't shown a loss.
I will check the pressure with my gauge before my next ride to see if I have a slow leak, or a very slow leak.
They all lose pressure slowly, so I hope that is the case here since it is a royal pain to fix a flat on the Drifter. 
So, I am very glad I have the Smart Caps to let me know there may be a problem.
No problem if you are diligent and check your tire pressure before EVERY ride, but for most of us, it is once a week, or once a month, and a few never check it.
And the hand shifter works great on the road!
I practiced with it on my test ride and only once started from a stop in the wrong gear.
The foot shift allows me to feel the gears change but the hand shift is too rubbery feeling.
I am sure I will develop a better feel with the hand shifter over time.
Just like my old VW bus, it takes time to get the feel.
Fun to see the hand shift move when I use the foot shift too.
Posted by DC
- July 01, 2016, 12:43:28 PMI have the hand shifter too. Some people don't think the shifter actually works, but it works great.
I was stopped at a light in front of a biker bar last week and the guys out front looked like they were going to take bets as to whether or not I would use the shifter. Their jaws about dropped on the floor as I drove away using the hand shifter.
Posted by JagLite
- July 01, 2016, 11:28:57 AMI installed my new hand shifter and tested it out.
Nicely made and it works great!
I do find it odd that the kit comes with SAE (American) bolts instead of Metric to match the rest of the bike.
No worries, just odd.
Shifting is easy and rather "rubbery" feeling like my old VW van. 
It is kinda fun watching the hand shifter move when I use the foot shifter.
Only once did I start in second gear at a stop sign when I thought it was in first.
I can feel the gears move much better with my foot but I will develop the feel with my hand soon.
Excellent packaging for shipping protection too.
I wish all companies would make the effort to properly pack items.
I will give it two thumbs up on the cool rating
And a 9.5 on the Ten scale, only losing half a point for not using Metric bolts.
Highly recommended!
Posted by JagLite
- June 16, 2016, 23:19:08 PMThat's excellent!
Posted by CDNRatMan
- June 16, 2016, 16:21:30 PMI wanted to keep the stock seat because there is times I ride 2 up, then on long trips I like my sissy bar pack as a backrest. But it was not comfortable nor good looking, so I took it to a custom seat maker. For less than $300.00 I got a gel insert added and memory foam, now it is super comfy and really looks good, I had the step steepened, slightly raised and then the leg areas shaved down a bit to make the seat narrower, and had my butt area sloped back a bit to make it more a bucket seat.