1500 project list

[greenbarn]

Thanks for the compliments.

[racinfan101]

Very Very Nice!!

[Petemoss]

I REALLY miss this bike now.

[pcarrell]

What a beauty!  Well done!

[greenbarn]

Thanks.  ALL the Drifters are "beauty's".  I just enhanced it a wee bit.

[Pilgrim]

Good work GB...she's a beauty.

[greenbarn]

Thanks, D1.   I always thought a little brass looks good with chrome!

[Drift1]

Wow !!!!! Mr. GB that looks retro , you should be very pleased with the upgrades so far . The pinstripe accent works well and slick idea adding the bronze screws in that fender tip to match the gold paint . ( yes I noticed .... lol ) Great job , love the look .

[greenbarn]

I like the tool box and the spots need visors....lol....

Yes they do... the bloody things are laying on my work bench, refusing to cooperate.  For that, they just might not get to take a trip to Drift-in, for their stubborn-ness....

[CDNRatMan]

 I like the tool box and the spots need visors....lol....

[greenbarn]

a couple more pics

[greenbarn]

Alright, I FINALLY got the 1500 back together far enough to see if it runs.  Put the tank on last, finished some cleaning, and but about a gallon of fuel in it, and it fired up right off the bat.  I was able to take it over to my son's new house this afternoon, where we were stripping wallpaper, then the Missus and I rode into the dairy queen later this evening.  Put 38 miles on it.   Got rid of a lot of problems, with the new "fixes":
--new clutch is Great
--neck bearings- all better- handles like a dream
--vibrations are MUCH better with the rubber mounted exhaust
--Handlebar position is a lot better - a tad too high, maybe
--new tires feel great so far.
--progressive springs are cushy in front

Then there were a "few" cosmetic changes:
--two-tone paint:  we decided to keep the red, an just added the ivory; custom pin-striping and tank badge
--Rear lights- beehive brake light, 59 caddy turn signals
--front lights- Indian head nickle in headlamp bezel- headlamp visor, HD turn signals and visors, (no visors on spotlights yet)
--front fender light and chrome fender tip
--relocated rectifier, replaced w/ HD teardrop toolbox and fabbed a driveshaft cover
--chrome retro-style horn, and relocated
--leather lever covers
--installed fringe for the seat

It's still a work in progress, as there are still things I want to do.

[John Hopkins]

I've just had new Michelin Commander ll's, new tubes, new rim tapes, new brake pads, new wheel bearings, new steering head bearings, new battery, new sparkplugs..The bike runs like it should now..

John.

[Troll]

You only have 10 days.....

[greenbarn]

sneak peek....  finally making some progress....  It might actually get done this year.

[greenbarn]

Well, I figured 1) they're 11 years old, 2) they're only $15 a set 3) I have the wheels off for tires anyway 4) they are one of those parts that failure leaves you unsafe or stranded 5) don't want to have to do any more to it for a while so seemed like a good thing to do for preventative maintenance.   

[Bucko]

Wheel bearings?  Is there a reason why you think they need to be replaced?  In theory they should be good for the life of the bike (whatever that is).

I pulled the rear wheel bearings out of my 31 year old high mileage Honda (thinking that it was time that they needed to be replaced) and there was nothing wrong with them  - they still had the original lube.  Of course, the act of removing them damages them (in some capacity) so I put new ones in but i realized the fronts probably didn't really need to be done as there were no indications there were any problems.  In any case, the new ones I put in were dual seal and the old ones I took out were only sealed on one side so I'm pretty sure the new ones will be good for the life of the rider .

[greenbarn]

Don't get too excited....that's just "custom", as in "aftermarket", "non-stock", nothing special, just a kuryakyn.   The 800 came with one, and I kind of liked it.

Pictures to come...

[CDNRatMan]

custom brake pedal......well let us see this work of art.....

[greenbarn]

Progress is SLOW, but at least there's a little:

1   2-tone paint, some chrome fender trim, fender tip,   Parts at the painter
1A.  Custom tank emblem (Maybe)   Still in planning stages
2.  ceramic pads front and rear, and flush brake fluids  Parts on site
3.  progressive front springs  DONE
4.  Neck bearings, and grease zerk mod  DONE
5.  handlebar risers, grips, different mirrors  In Progress
6.  front and rear tires, tubes, rim strips, and wheel bearings.  Parts on site
7.  headlight & spot light hoods, re-route/repair wiring, new headlamp bulb  In Progress
8.  clutch upgrade  Parts on site
9.  change out the horn  In Progress
10.  relocate rectifierIn Progress
11.  change oil, flush coolant  In Progress
12,  rubber mount exhaust  In Progress
13.  spark plugs  Parts on site
14.  drive shaft cover, and maybe a special mod  In Progress
15.  custom tail light/turn signals   In Progress
16.  custom brake pedal   DONE
17.  service rear gearbox and driveshaft  Not started yet
18.  power commander / air mods  Parts on site
19.  change windshield mount and/or windshield and/or cut down  Still looking at options
20.  fab a luggage rack   Still looking at options
21.  windshield lowers   Still looking at options

[greenbarn]

OK, Ratman,  I updated the list with status on all of them.  Should be good.  I even added an item....  You're right, some are pretty easy and won't take long.  Others are a lot more involved and will take several hours!!

1   2-tone paint, some chrome fender trim, fender tip,   Part off, ready to go to painter
1A.  Custom tank emblem (Maybe)   Still in planning stages
2.  ceramic pads front and rear, and flush brake fluids  Parts on site
3.  progressive front springs  Parts on site
4.  Neck bearings, and grease zirk mod  In Progress
5.  handlebar risers, grips, different mirrors  Parts on site
6.  front and rear tires, tubes, rim strips, and wheel bearings.  Parts on site
7.  headlight & spot light hoods, re-route/repair wiring, new headlamp bulb  In Progress
8.  clutch upgrade  waiting on parts
9.  change out the horn  Parts on site
10.  relocate rectifier In Progress
11.  change oil, flush coolant  Parts on site
12,  rubber mount exhaust  In Progress
13.  spark plugs  Parts on site
14.  drive shaft cover, and maybe a special mod  Parts on site
15.  custom tail light/turn signals   Parts on site
16.  custom brake pedal   Parts on site
17.  service rear gearbox and driveshaft  Not started yet
18.  power commander / air mods  Parts on site
19.  change windshield mount and/or windshield and/or cut down  Still looking at options
20.  fab a luggage rack   Still looking at options
21.  windshield lowers   Still looking at options

A lot of them will need to get done before I get it back out of the garage but some of them will be done later down the road, and maybe even over the winter depending on time.

[CDNRatMan]

  Ok now that is not my list because you have some blanks in there, what does that mean?
#12; 17; 19; 20; 21; you are not worried about these projects or they are just there for fluff?
I have a really nice set of risers if you want them. (chrome)
#2 should be a few mins with your skill level.
#3 should be a cake walk for you, you have done this before and know how.
#6 your a tire guy nuff said.......
#9 you helped me and with Troll's efforts we know it works....
#11 should be done after supper one evening

wait you work at the tire shop you are the boss (ok you and I know who is the real boss) but this should be done you have all day to tinker....lol.....

[greenbarn]

Lets just hope it gets done by then 

[Troll]

I can hardly wait to see this critter in person. I think I'll just drop in at your shop on the way to your house on the 11th...My routing software puts me in your area before 5 pm...

[greenbarn]

So it's time to start the "Done by Drift-In" project list.

When I got the bike last November, I noticed the neck bearings were bad.  Then this spring I noticed the thing has the dreaded Vulcan Clutch Disorder.  Then, there is also the one or two minor mods I wanted to do to make her pretty. So I got serious last week, and got started.   Plans are to get as much of this done in the next couple weeks, to get it back on the road, and get some miles in before the trip to Drift-in.  So here's my list, Ratman Style:

1  2-tone paint, some chrome fender trim, fender tip,   Part off, ready to go to painter
2.  ceramic pads front and rear, and flush brake fluids  Parts on site
3.  progressive front springs  Parts on site
4.  Neck bearings, and grease zirk mod  In Progress
5.  handlebar risers, grips, different mirrors  Parts on site
6.  front and rear tires, tubes, rim strips, and wheel bearings.  Parts on site
7.  headlight & spot light hoods, re-route/repair wiring, new headlamp bulb  In Progress
8.  clutch upgrade  waiting on parts
9.  change out the horn  Parts on site
10.  relocate rectifier In Progress
11.  change oil, flush coolant  Parts on site
12,  rubber mount exhaust  In Progress
13.  spark plugs  Parts on site
14.  drive shaft cover, and maybe a special mod  Parts on site
15.  custom tail light/turn signals   Parts on site
16.  custom brake pedal   Parts on site
17.  service rear gearbox and driveshaft  Not started yet
18.  power commander / air mods  Parts on site
19.  change windshield mount and/or windshield and/or cut down  Still looking at options
20.  fab a luggage rack   Still looking at options
21.  windshield lowers   Still looking at options

This should keep me busy for a couple weeks.