C'mon, spring!!! (warning, lot's of pics)

[Walküre]

Well, I got everything I wanted to get accomplished, accomplished. Time for some riding weather! We did have a couple days a week ago, but I was just buttoning everything up. My list was as follows:

1)  Install new headlight, and Cobra light bars
2)  Isolate the headlight and Cobra's from light switch, via relays
3)  Install red lights on the rear, and have running/brake/turn signals, and have them work like the fronts - bright/off/bright, instead of bright/dim/bright. Thank you, Jim, (vanagon40) for the circuit for that, works like a charm, even if I DID have to get clarification a dozen times...
4)  Install saddlebag rails, working around the Hitch Doc, fabricate spacers
5)  New Memphis Fats windshield, having to make the 7" cutout, a 9" cutout (not in the pictures, last thing I did)
6)  Get new motorcycle lift table and chock
7)  Install new fused power panel
8 )  went darkside, after doing a complete rear end maintenance. It was due...
9)  Install Baker Air Wings
10)  All fluids, changed.

Every step of the way, was with guidance from the members and shop talk, here. Thanks, all - made my work a LOT easier! Now, if the dang weather will just cooperate!! I'm now happy with the ol' girl, and done for a while - planning on painting the bags, when I decide on a design (keep seeing more nice ideas!!), and the weather turns nice for good. Now I can jump back on the '51 truck...

[Michvalk]

Lookin' Good! I even kind of like the white bags..Old school look and all

[alph]

man i know how you feel!!  just put in a new universal joint yesturday (thanks to MP for giving me his when mine, if it ever, comes in).  working on my front speakers, had to make an adapting bracket for the difference in size.  now i'm waiting for the rear wheel dampers to come in from Gary in WA to put the back wheel on, then she'll be all done!!  did a lot this year with the fat girl. still not really done yet, working on a different turn signal set up, that'll be a while i think.......  need some riding time more then anything else!!

[Dubsvalk]

A lot of great work on the ole girl!  Good on you!
Dubs

[Black Dog]

Looks really good 

I know what being snowbound can do to ya, if ya don't have an outlet for yer motorcycle energy...  Winter flat out SUX.

We've been 10 - 15 degrees cooler than normal this past month, and still need another good rain to wash off the roads...  I'm chompin' at the bit to get back on the beast!

Black Dog

[OverdueBill]

Great job!  I wish you had posted these a week ago.  I have the same lift table and it looks like I need to move my wheel chock (different HF model) foward.  And the 4x6's are better and simpler than the wooden boxes I made.  I'm glad to see a Valk on the table before I try it here.  Thanks for the pics.

[Jess from VA]

Nice work.  Thanks for the pics.  Nice shop too!!

[Tx Bohemian]

!  I have the same lift table and it looks like I need to move my wheel chock (different HF model) foward. 

Speaking of this wheel chock, will this accept a 200 series rear tire? Say if you want to back the bike on the lift to work on the front forks?

I have the same table too but put the front wheel clamp off of the air/hydralic style of HF table.  So in order for me to clamp my 200 rear wheel I need to redrill and move the solid mounted section of the clamp out about 2-3". PITA

[NITRO]

need some riding time more then anything else!!

Yes we do!

[Dogg]

!  I have the same lift table and it looks like I need to move my wheel chock (different HF model) foward.

Speaking of this wheel chock, will this accept a 200 series rear tire? Say if you want to back the bike on the lift to work on the front forks?

I have the same table too but put the front wheel clamp off of the air/hydralic style of HF table.  So in order for me to clamp my 200 rear wheel I need to redrill and move the solid mounted section of the clamp out about 2-3". PITA

I have the same table tho air over. my wheel chock is a crank style, opens up to nearly 8 inches. I can put a 200 tire inside mine easily. the big front tire of the valk didnt even make it sweat. and that table is stable with over 1500 lbs on  it.(ive tried it with almost 1800 lbs of junk while cleaning) it was a good buy at under 500$ with the big wheel chock i got.

[Walküre]

Great job!  I wish you had posted these a week ago.  I have the same lift table and it looks like I need to move my wheel chock (different HF model) foward.  And the 4x6's are better and simpler than the wooden boxes I made.  I'm glad to see a Valk on the table before I try it here.  Thanks for the pics.

I like this chock better than the other one I bought, the same day. I figure I can always use the other one, in the box trailer, if I ever have to transport the bike.

If you look close, you can see that I drilled a lot more holes down each side, to give me a lot more adjustment. The reason is, where the bike is in the pictures, the rear wheel is centered on the drop-out, for tire changes. But, if I was working one something else, I'd have it moved back, a little more centered on the lift.

I don't think this chock would handle a 200, without some modification. But, now that I have it, I know it wouldn't be very hard to fabricate a new piece, that goes behind the tire, to fit whatever tire size I wanted/needed.

As for the 4-by's -- they were temporary, and what I had laying around. I am going to go down to the steel store, and get enough to fabricate some slide-in outriggers, that I can remove at will. The lift is a little bit narrow, for the Valk, and although I didn't have any problems getting the bike on the chock, it was too close for comfort.

Jess - thanks, on the shop comment - I like it a lot, best thing I EVER did! Even built a pisser in the bathroom, the ultimate man-cave! The only thing I didn't put in, that I wish I had (and still might try to figure out how to), is a shower. Then I'd NEVER have to leave, except to go riding.



Thanks again, to all...

R

[Walküre]

Oh yeah, one more thing - changed out the trigger wheel to a 6 degree...haven't even been able to get it on the street, to try it, although stationary running and revving sound good!

R

[BF]

Walküre......

What kind of table lift is that......Harbour Freight?  And what kind of wheel chock do you have mounted on it?

[Walküre]

Walküre......

What kind of table lift is that......Harbour Freight?  And what kind of wheel chock do you have mounted on it?

BF - Yes, they are both Harbor Freight. I bought this lift table:

Lift Table

If you look around at any of the motorcycle magazines, there are coupons for either $299 or $279. A gent on the forums (Thanks, Jack!) sent me the coupon for $279. Well worth it, at $220 off. The clamp that comes with it is absolutely worthless...well, maybe half a buck for scrap, so I bought two chocks, but ended up using this one:

Motorcycle Chock

I did put the extra holes down the sides, so that I could adjust where the wheel sat in it, instead of just the size of the wheel. That way, how you see it here, the emphasis was having the rear wheel centered on the drop-out at the rear, for tire changing. But, you can also shift the entire "upright" and tire-holder backwards, moving the entire bike back, for a little better balance. As you can see, the way it is, the tire is really just at the front edge of the lift.

I would definitely either build wooden boxes, level with the lift, just outside of it, or fabricate side-wing extensions out of steel, as when you ride up on it, your feet are at the extreme outside edge of the lift, at least mine were, and I wouldn't want that. I used 4X4 lumber, and it worked ok, but I'm going to make some extensions, that will be on 1" square tubing, and have 1-1/4" tubing on the lift, that they can slide into, making them removable, depending on what you are doing. They make a set for one of their other lifts, and you can see how they'd function:

Extension Wings

All in all, I'm very happy with it. I pull the bike in, and park right on it.

Oh yeah, I'm going to modify the chock just a little bit, as it "pinches" the tire a little bit, at the rear end of it. I'm just going to heat it up, and pound it out a little more round, so it's more of a "U" instead of a "V". I'll try and remember to take some pictures. Also, the nice thing about this chock, is that it's pretty simple, and would be EASY to make another rear holder part, for a different bike - say, a motocross or something, specific to that width. It's pretty wide, and other than the pinch, holds the stock Valk size tire, perfectly. I think it would have a little too much "give" on a lot narrower tire, especially after modding to stop the Valk pinching.

This is the other chock I bought at the same time:

Motorcycle Chock

It just doesn't lend itself to "easy" adjustment on the lift table, I was going to have to fabricate some grooved runners, so it could slide back and forth, or drill a bunch of holes, and change it every time. I have a 6X10 box trailer, and I'm going to make a quick-mount for in there, in case I ever have to trailer a bike. You never know when a friend's HD is going to need it...oh yeah, don't forget the 3X5 drip pan...

R

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

Looks like a lot of nice work accomplished.    Nice Flat Head in the truck. My dad had a 49 ford with a flat head (not original to the truck)

[PAVALKER]

Everything looks great...   

I had one of those tables and didn't care for the fit of the VTX or Valk and sold it.  I did have a plate with the chock up front that I also had to move forward.  However, I didn't care for the overall side to side movement of the table (outriggers would have been great, but taken up more room than I wanted).

I also tried to fit a set of rails to the bike with the Hitch Doc hitch, but was not very successful.  Fortunately it was a used off brand set of rails that I didn't get overly excited about scrapping.

What is this picture below showing....??  I can't quite picture it.....

[Walküre]

Looks like a lot of nice work accomplished.    Nice Flat Head in the truck. My dad had a 49 ford with a flat head (not original to the truck)

not too awful many of the trucks of that era, DO have the original flattie in them. Mine had 60,000 original miles, and had a Sears, Roebuck rebuild in it, that wasn't running. Mine's an F-2, or 3/4 ton, and most of them were work trucks, and worked very hard for every single mile. They also didn't have the same number as the VIN, so it would be hard to tell if it WAS original, if the numbers were "close", and period correct. Nothing like the sound of one!

More of the build, here:

My Ford F-2

[Walküre]

Everything looks great... 

Thanks, I try...    

What is this picture below showing....??  I can't quite picture it.....

Sorry you weren't happy with the lift - i would have been happier with a $1000 lift, but for the money, this one will do just fine. I really don't notice any side to side, even after trying to sway it. Lucky, I guess.

The picture is of the spacers I made. I also have the "cheap" rails, and with the Hitch Doc, the sides are spaced out about 1-1/2". Someone else extended the post, that the crossmember connects to, and used a piece of junkyard chrome, to cover it, but I made spacers, and got rid of the "pin" entirely. That is the picture of the spacers. Works out great, for me. I would think even the stock rails, would need SOME kind of modification, to fit the Hitch Doc. I also made a similar spacer for the cross member on the saddlebags, when I put them on. Mine was a standard, originally.

R

[santa]

What kind of bags are they?
Santa

[Walküre]

What kind of bags are they?
Santa

Stock Interstate bags. here's a link to what someone else did:

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,25542.0.html

My spacers replaced what he did, in the 2nd and 3rd picture. Mine was spaced out a little further, it looks like, as mine were 7/8" each spacer, and I didn't think I could get that much out of moving the pin - plus I like playing on the lathe!!

 

EDIT: Not to hijack my own thread, but since I'm on it, I went to Ace Hardware, and bought some 6mm hex sided threaded couplers, 1" long, and turned them down to 7/8", and put them on the bolts that hold the saddlebag mount crossmember coupler, then used a 6mm X 12mm bolt, and bolted the rails support, into the couplers. VERY solid, which I was worried about - can't shake it at all.
If that doesn't make sense, I can run over and take a few pictures, if anyone wants them.