Mello dude's hyper resto mod bling it job -->> MD Tech

[larue]

Dude you're not mello at all, you should call yourself hyper dude  great job , I love this thread. Keep the shiny side up 

[mello dude]

Dude,

Looking great!  Hope to see that beautiful Valkyrie at Inzane XIX in (TBD)   

Michael

I hope I can make it too -- If I can get this thing finished! Kinda partial reason I am posting... so people will prod me on progress.. 

[mello dude]

Fender Folly

That rear fender on the Valk is what I consider another wart on the bike. Jeez Honda, couldnt you make it one piece? I hate the 2 piece fender, doesnt look clean at all.

Yeah,  I know why they did it. I am an automotive engineer by trade, and a tool for the one piece fender would have been mucho expensive and crazy hard to develop to get to work.. A two piece is functionally easier as a tool.

So, some of you may have seen a previous thread on the fender I posted, but anyhoo, its now installed.

Bleah!



So waht to do? Cover the sucker up.
I found this Chrome cross bar. Its ok, I am kinda - "meh" - It will do the job.

[mello dude]

More Cross bar pics...

[mello dude]

Cross bar Three.

[mello dude]

Dude you're not mello at all, you should call yourself hyper dude   great job , I love this thread. Keep the shiny side up  

Funny you should mention that.....    Kinda the story behind "mello dude"... Its truth.. Sometimes I am the beer drinking lazy azz slacker dude.  (I am soooo good at it..  ) --Kinda goes with my long interest in cruiser motorcycles. Lay back low and slow in the canopy of trees on a sunny day in the countryside, and drink it in. The other side? Its sarcasm .... mello dude? Yeah right!!! lol   -Thats the anal retentive, hyper detail, cant sit still, perfectionist, bike mechanic,  "all in", hair on fire sport bike guy, and also the engineer part.

[retirednavy]

OMG!! I love chrome! I’d chrome my old lady if I could! Nice job

[_Sheffjs_]

Oooooh - look at that bling job! I said waaaay back when....  

 


  i want those wheels

[mello dude]

I wanted some chrome aftermarket wheels too, but as this is 10 + years out from when I saw that bike, nothing was available. 

[mello dude]

Parts is parts

Another thing that drives you crazy is managing all the parts, bits and pieces that are need for a rebuilt. I have gotten all too familiar with Partzilla.  You build along and then discover that you are missing just one part or bolt to get it together. I am working on the the calipers, and missing a couple pieces. Aaaaah!! - Back to Partzilla... again..    No doubt some of you have been in the same boat. .

parts stash....





CRAZY!!

[mello dude]

New Horn and Mounting

I never liked the Standard horn and Honda's mount for that. The stocker looks like Honda went -- -"oh sheet, we forgot to design a horn into the bike!"

I am using a FIAA high tone horn and mounting it to a lower engine bolt. I think it looks unobtrusive and hopefully not stand out in a goofy way...



Poor Photo but you get the idea...

[Chrisj CMA]

That horn looks kinda low during a right hand lean.  Also wont it interfere with the engine guard, or are you not going to use the guards?

[mello dude]

That horn looks kinda low during a right hand lean.  Also wont it interfere with the engine guard, or are you not going to use the guards?

Chris - thanks for asking the questions - I had a wait a minute moment, so I did a quick bolt up check with the engine guard. - Looks fine. Also the picture looks deciveing, the horn really isnt any lower than the water pump. Although, your right - I will have to see how it goes in the right hand turns.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Might look even better with one of these.
http://www.carolinabikeandtrike.com/DSCN0242%20cropped%20(1148%20x%20656).jpg

[mello dude]

Might look even better with one of these.
http://www.carolinabikeandtrike.com/DSCN0242%20cropped%20(1148%20x%20656).jpg

Ok - so I'm dense... what is that?

[The emperor has no clothes]

Might look even better with one of these.
http://www.carolinabikeandtrike.com/DSCN0242%20cropped%20(1148%20x%20656).jpg

Ok - so I'm dense... what is that?

I think they call them a lower engine guard. A member here is also selling them.

http://www.carolinabikeandtrike.com/DSCN0246%20(1204%20x%20903).jpg

[The emperor has no clothes]

And for the record. Anybody that has done the sweet mods you've done to your bike can not be dense. 

[sixlow]

they make custom ones.

[9Ball]

FFS

I spent a while today cleaning up my front wheel whilst it was off. New tire.

Thought I'd done a pretty god job in the time I used.

Huh. I suck. 

I have the same problem.  Thought I did an ok job until the wheels went back on the bike. They look ok 5 to 10 feet away but hardly show quality up close and personal.

I like chrome but it seems to scratch easy and get a bit hazy over time.  Scratches on chrome are permanent...scratches in aluminum are recoverable.

[Jess from VA]

That horn mount is fine (if it clears everything).

But horns that suck up water while riding don't last long.

[mello dude]

That horn mount is fine (if it clears everything).

But horns that suck up water while riding don't last long.

Yeah, I agree with that. This is a bit of an experiment - we'll see how it goes. I can always change it if it bombs.

[Jess from VA]

I'm in the minority in that I almost never use a horn, and don't care about real loud horns other than as a novelty.  My Stebil nautilus air horns were under the swingarm.  The instructions said to keep the horn pointed down (presumably so water would not get retained).  I pointed them sideways (based on space available), and I lost both of two at about the one year point.  So I replaced it with an electric car horn for $8 (louder than the OE horn, but not like an air horn).  It never dies (and I never use it, except to pass annual safety inspections). 

My theory of defensive riding is to use split seconds to get out of harm's way, not reach for the horn button.  Otherwise, horns are for retribution and pay back more than safety. 

I'd like to shoot cell phone driver's and texters.... honking at them seems so trivial and inadequate.

But I don't do that either. 

I have been known to yell at people.  I try not to, but sometimes you can't help yourself. 

[mello dude]

I'm in the minority in that I almost never use a horn, and don't care about real loud horns other than as a novelty.  My Stebil nautilus air horns were under the swingarm.  The instructions said to keep the horn pointed down (presumably so water would not get retained).  I pointed them sideways (based on space available), and I lost both of two at about the one year point.  So I replaced it with an electric car horn for $8 (louder than the OE horn, but not like an air horn).  It never dies (and I never use it, except to pass annual safety inspections). 

My theory of defensive riding is to use split seconds to get out of harm's way, not reach for the horn button.  Otherwise, horns are for retribution and pay back more than safety. 

I'd like to shoot cell phone driver's and texters.... honking at them seems so trivial and inadequate.

But I don't do that either. 

I have been known to yell at people.  I try not to, but sometimes you can't help yourself. 

Seems like I never use the horn either. I ran my VFR for a while without one. But even though I am an advanced rider, there came a couple spots where a horn would be useful. So from there I added a large Hella horn to the bike. It's a last resort thing, but it's good to know, if I need it, I got it.

[mello dude]

Picking up an update.

Rear Caliper - Finally recieved the parts that were backordered for the caliper and got to work on the rear brake plate and assembly.

The piston seals and dust pads were a bit frustrating like trying to force silly putty into position but got it after screwing with it for an hour.. The pistons slid together surprisingly easy. (Great!)  - Then had to grind a bit on the larger pin slider hole on the brake plate so the thing would move smoothly. Before I did that, there would be a bit of a vacumn on the backside of the pin and the thing would not move. I was tempted to drill a pin hole on the outside, but the the minor grind job took care of it.

Well here it is, Yay!

[mello dude]

Rear caliper asmbly 2



Next step is to finish the ceramic coat on the rear wheel (lotsa elbow grease) and then get this rear end all together! - Its been tooo long.  

[The emperor has no clothes]

Man, those calipers and backing plate look sweet ! 

[mello dude]

Man, those calipers and backing plate look sweet ! 

Thank you          - Agree turned out very nice 

[Kaahn]

So.. how much for a polish job on my bike 

[mello dude]

So.. how much for a polish job on my bike 

I'm thinking of a number... 

[Headbanger02]

Are the triples polished or chromed?

[mello dude]

Polished 

[mello dude]

Sorta non update update. I am working 65ish hours a week at my job, so energy to build a Valk is at a premium.....

First, some elbow grease polishing lubricant. Was working hard on the ceramic coating of the rear wheel. Not done on this one, but notice the orange paint in the rubber damper area. The chromer painted the area so the chrome wouldnt stick.



Ok got this side done, and I guess it deserves a --- ooooooh!  


So on the other side, I decided the paint has to go..... And spent an absurd amount of time, wire grinding, sanding, cursing, more brass wheel grinding, more cursing, until it was all gone.  

You can see in this photo, no more orange paint and the rubber dampers going in. (Added some wax for protection)





 

[mello dude]

Dampers really damp it......
All the dampers in.... (new)


Hold down plate going in... going together smooth... I like it.

[mello dude]

Adding the rotor.... and torquing it....


Looks good! -- Added wax around the wheel to protect it while I screw with it....

[mello dude]

Modification Madness - why did I do this durn thing!!!  

So every fricken build of every bike you run into the crash into the wall thing.
I was getting pumped I could get the rear wheel on this weekend...  
But then I discover the fricken axle wont go thru the brake plate and then checked the brake plate pin and it will have none of that either!!! ---@#$%^&*&%$#@#%&$&!!!!!!!  
(I'll never do another effen teardown mod it again!) ---------(until next time)





It wont go!!!


NO FIT!!!!


No wheel assembly this weekend.... So I have my work cut out, I need to polish back a forth on the axle and the brake plate bore. Sh!t.. !! .. Very tedious work.. bleah. Maybe find a couple bottle brush hones...

Gotta be careful on this one - dont wanna break the chrome out and on the axle and brake plate pin, I'm sure there is a case on that, dont want to over polish that....

I'm open to ideas..... ?

[Jess from VA]

Not an idea, just humor.


Chroming often results in smaller holes and hard fits.  I've had to take a file to Kuryakyn chrome several times.  Sorry for your troubles.

That wheel is spectacular.   

(Mine aren't.  They used to be very nice, but I got tired of the work.  All they get now is 0000 steel wool with metal polish for a half hour, annually.  I just try to keep the black off the grey.)

[Dusty]

Take a  long 3/8 bolt and cut the head of the bolt off. Put the bolt in a vice and with a hacksaw cut a slot along the length of the bolt for an inch or so. Put some of the strip emery paper thru the slot and wrap around the bolt .Put the bolt in an electric drill and ream out the hole until the axle fits.  Chrome is a very hard material.

Dusty

[mello dude]

Not an idea, just humor.


Chroming often results in smaller holes and hard fits.  I've had to take a file to Kuryakyn chrome several times.  Sorry for your troubles.

I can  identify with that,  I 'm  a bit miffed at myself for never checking this earlier...

[mello dude]

Take a  long 3/8 bolt and cut the head of the bolt off. Put the bolt in a vice and with a hacksaw cut a slot along the length of the bolt for an inch or so. Put some of the strip emery paper thru the slot and wrap around the bolt .Put the bolt in an electric drill and ream out the hole until the axle fits.  Chrome is a very hard material.

Dusty

Thanks for the idea..

[mello dude]

That wheel is spectacular.   

Thank you