Well, here's where I am with the 1200 project. Almost done.

[John Schmidt]

I found I need to trim the bottom of the seat pan before adding upholstery, it hits the top of the side covers on both sides. I also need to pick up some hardware to mount/wire a Bad Boy air horn, maybe tomorrow. I have put together a GL1200 trunk rack which is set up for quick removal. It's not in these pics, mainly because it didn't turn out as a totally satisfying project....but is functional for anyone that wants to use it. The motor is from an '85 fuel injected bike which I converted to carbs, has about 43k on it. The mufflers are off a Harley with the cat converters pretty much gutted.

Full side shot. Note the SS overflow tank sitting vertical on the downtube at the front. A clear tube alongside it lets you know just how much is in there. I plan to mount the horn in the open area behind it and over the motor. Obviously the tank is off a '99 Valkyrie. I added/welded an elevated mount in front and added/welded a strap across the frame for the rear mount. To that strap I welded a hinge so when I need to get to the air filter or fuse box, I simply remove the front bolt and tip the tank up. The fuel line is set up to allow for that flexibility. Thought I'd leave the tank markings on for a while, just to confuse people.  


I fabbed up the side mount for the license plate and taillight. Re. the small lights, the two outer lights are run/turn, the two inner light are run/brake that work in conjunction with the taillight over the plate. What you see here is not the brighter showing, that's rather blinding which is how I wanted it.


The left side, the red doodad is an aircraft fuel shutoff. I use that in place of having to reach under the tank every time I park it. I see I forgot to install the top SS screw in the mounting plate.


Front shot. The shield above the headlight is just that; a shield. There's a lot of wiring going on in that area and looked rather tacky. This just covers it up. The headlight is an Adjure, formerly chromed. It was needed in place of the OEM bucket due to not enough room for all the additional wiring. I created a mount for it, then sanded it down and painted it except for the internal ring around the lens. With the Adjure lamp it's quite bright. The front and rear turns match in size and color, the fronts function like the rear; run/turn.


The cockpit. I got rid of the big ugly OEM gauges and bought this all inclusive unit which gives everything except temperature. I used an I/S pickup and had to install a Speedo Healer to correct the speedo readout. Without it I was moving down the street at 18mph and it showed 127mph...per the GPS. I installed a red oil pressure indicator, seen under the gauge on the right. With the '85 SEi motor came the gear indicator switching that mounts behind the engine front cover. It will show the gear on the right of the gauge just above the miles and time...which is showing 1:03. Another item needing attention.  


So, there it is, such as it is. The handlebars and controls are off a Valkyrie, as are the shocks which came off my bike. Everything is either new or rebuilt....except for the motor and rider.    That includes the forks which were totally dismantled, all the calipers, final drive fully serviced, new SS brake & clutch lines, new clutch slave, new tires. Carbs rebuilt....lots of fun, that. The split braking was modified to work like the Valk, I isolated the rear and blocked off the port that went to the front brake. The rear m/c is also rebuilt, the front m/c for both the clutch and brake are new, the hand brake operates both front calipers. All brakes have new pads, both wheels have new bearings. I'm probably forgetting some stuff but you get the idea....the bike should be trouble free for whomever. I haven't put a lot of miles on it as yet, a bit over 50 but plan on using it more just to work out any bugs that may crop up. It's been fun....and frustrating. I'll never get my investment back out of it, but I knew that going in. It was totally a project for me to keep me occupied when I couldn't leave the house. It has served that purpose quite well.

Forgot a couple things; the coils are off a Valkyrie, fires the old girl up without a choke or hesitation. And the rear fender is for a trailer, bought it at Northern Tool and bobbed it some then mounted it to the swingarm. It's set up to move with the swingarm, done by welding a mounting bracket on the left side of the s/a just above the axle then added a polished SS brace. On the right side I just used a piece of aluminum drilled for the axle to pass through. Both brackets have a nut welded on the backside for ease of assembly.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Looks good John.  I don't know if it's just the angle of the pic. But it looks like your pipes only have about 2" of clearance from the ground ?

[Valkorado]

Very cool!  Guessing you haven't hopped any curbs with it?

[John Schmidt]

Must be the angle of the shot, it's not as close as it looks although it is lowered some.

I just went out and measured the ground clearance. It's on the sidestand and the upside clearance is slightly more than 7", the low side is ~ 2" less. When upright and my fat carcass on it, it's around 6" +/- depending on my last meal. 

[Flrider]

John,  I have followed your posts and the progress along the way, enjoy your creation and hope we get to see it in person in one of our upcoming gatherings GREAT JOB 

[DDT (12)]

Amazing! You do have a very fertile imagination!!! Creativity and skill... you do make things work, and I tip my hat to ya...

DDT

[Squirrel]

Looking at the "Full Side Shot", it looks like it's ready to seriously kick some HD butt!  It looks really great!  The rear trailer fender looks good, as well.  I like the the way you think and how you do it.  Great job, John.   

[art]

Very impressive an a lot of work. I'm just getting started and hope to have my 1975 GL1000 on the road next spring. I just got it and it had a Vetter faring which I removed and the snake pit of wiring. I'm going back to original naked bike. Not restored but cleaned up  and rideable. Sure hope it comes out nice. I'm not very well versed in ele. wiring and have to do one wire at a time. I must have cut out 25' of wires put in by who knows over the years. Bet you can hardley wait to ride that 1200.

[John Schmidt]

Art, don't know if you're familiar with it but the RLU(reserve lighting unit) is the cause of eventual problems in the lighting circuits. Most bypass it or in my case on a couple '75s & '76s I've had I simply removed it. This bike was originally a basket case, the picture below is an indication of what I had to start with. It had new timing belts, only problem was they weren't installed correctly. They were so loose I was able to remove them without loosening the tensioners when pulling the heads. Resulting in the belt on the left side jumping more than just one or two teeth. When I checked before pulling the head, the left side timing was off nearly 1" on the marks, right side wasn't quite as bad but still had jumped. Those pistons both had valve strike marks. 

[art]

What is the RLU for and by bypassing it what did you have to do? I don't understand what is a big deal about just rewiring the lights. I am keeping the stock gages. The engine is running but I did pull the carbs today for cleaning an maybe changing it cables if needed. If they are good I'll lube them and buy spares. Right now I'm tracing down the lighting wires an will proceed from there.

[John Schmidt]

Basically it's an emergency lighting system in case the main one fails. Go on Randakk's site, he has an easy to follow method to bypass it.

[baldo]

Your bike looks fantastic, John. I think a video of you scooting by your house would be a hoot.

[BCoy]

Your work is outstanding, great job!   

[bagelboy]

Very nice John. I have an 87 Goldwing, and man, I love that motor. Lots of fun to ride! Good Luck with your project!

[Valkahuna]

Looking good John! 

You never cease to amaze me. 

[larue]

Great job john 

[Pete]

I really like what you have done, nice job.

BUT - That rear fender just does not do it for me. Needs to match the front and the silver brace needs to go away.

Keep up the good work.

[John Schmidt]

I really like what you have done, nice job.

BUT - That rear fender just does not do it for me. Needs to match the front and the silver brace needs to go away.

Keep up the good work.

Well, I didn't build the bike to please everybody....just me.    The braces are polished SS and the fender is mounted to move with the swingarm. The front fender is cut down OEM but the rear OEM fender just didn't lend itself to change.

Just for kicks, I'll add this little gem....a trunk mount. We have three institutions of higher(?) learning in the Orlando area and that means there's a large number of scooters and motorcycles running around town. I've noticed the majority use a dangerous method of carrying books by means of a book bag strapped to their back. So, I figured since the bike is set up for a solo rider, they might appreciate a method to carry their "stuff." I picked up a GL1200 NOS trunk mount off Ebay and cut it down to sit over the rear fender. By loosening the two nuts on the top shock mount, slipping the mount in place, then inserting the long bolts through the frame, you now have a very solid luggage rack....or trunk mount if so desired.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I really like what you have done, nice job.

BUT - That rear fender just does not do it for me. Needs to match the front and the silver brace needs to go away.

Keep up the good work.

I've wanted to say the same thing from the beginning of your build John. You've done great job with the bike. You need a rear fender to match that work. I grew up with the idea that it was worse to criticize a guys bike than his girlfriend. But now that Pete is the asshole, I can come out.  God knows I've had many bikes that looked worse. 

[John Schmidt]

OK guys, comments noted....and ignored.    Just what would you suggest should have been done, especially since the OEM fender is a piece of crap to begin with....make that two pieces actually. I'm not going to change anything, just wondering what approach others might have taken.

Reminds me of a guy I knew in the service, not exactly a master of social graces. He complimented a guy in our shop on his fiancee that he had just given an engagement ring, his compliment went something like...."OMG, Larry she's beautiful, did you notice one boob hangs lower than the other!"  Larry wasn't going to do anything, he loved her just the way she was. Me too! 

[The emperor has no clothes]

OK guys, comments noted....and ignored.    Just what would you suggest should have been done, especially since the OEM fender is a piece of crap to begin with....make that two pieces actually. I'm not going to change anything, just wondering what approach others might have taken.

Reminds me of a guy I knew in the service, not exactly a master of social graces. He complimented a guy in our shop on his fiancee that he had just given an engagement ring, his compliment went something like...."OMG, Larry she's beautiful, did you notice one boob hangs lower than the other!"  Larry wasn't going to do anything, he loved her just the way she was. Me too! 

first let me restate. Your skills outweigh mine. I've not done near the quality work you have. I don't know if it's feasible. But this is what I'm thinking. Starting with a full fender that you could get at a trailer store, have it cut out like you do where it shows past the shocks. Then having the support welded to the fender and attached near the bottom shock mount, possibly using the mount itself. In order for it to be hid behind the shock. It would seem with the extra fender skirt that would be hidden, it would be strong enough. Probably not doable, but that's what I was thinking. THIS IS IN NO WAY TO BE TAKEN AS CRITICISM. 

[old2soon]

Personally I Like what you've done and I would NOT have any problem whatsoever ridin her. And long as "stuff" werx and stays attached I'm good with it. Maybe you could have tracked down an O E M fender or a repro but fabbing stuff up-to me anywho-shows ingenuity and when it works like You envisioned That puts the icing on that particular piece of cake. Having helped on various custom creations over the years I duz like what you've accomplished. Same guy gonna do the seat on the Wing that did the seat on yer Valkyrie? Curious minds and likea dat!  RIDE SAFE.

[Savago]

Really cool project. Thanks for sharing the photos.

[Pete]

OK guys, comments noted....and ignored.    Just what would you suggest should have been done, especially since the OEM fender is a piece of crap to begin with....make that two pieces actually. I'm not going to change anything, just wondering what approach others might have taken.

Reminds me of a guy I knew in the service, not exactly a master of social graces. He complimented a guy in our shop on his fiancee that he had just given an engagement ring, his compliment went something like...."OMG, Larry she's beautiful, did you notice one boob hangs lower than the other!"  Larry wasn't going to do anything, he loved her just the way she was. Me too! 

Search for and find a more rounded fender that complements the front fender as it looks great. Mounts are gonna be tough, but try for invisible mounts to the frame. Some of the VTX1800's had a high rounded fender and that might be an option. Good luck and best wishes.

OBTW the rear fender is OK but the front fender looks so much better it deserves a match.

[Bert AKA,Valkaholic]

      Great Job John, I Can't Wait To See It In Person !   

[John Schmidt]

OK, first off....thanks for the kudos on the bike. As most of you are aware, I've been pretty much stuck at home caring for my sweetie. This project gave me something to do during those times of seclusion, and all the time I have a phone on my hip and a baby monitor nearby, the other end of it located in the room she's in at the moment.

Re. the rear fender, I did in fact look at mounting the braces at the bottom of the shocks, using the same mounting point. Short answer.....didn't work for a couple reasons. What I did was the result of trying a few other approaches and yet keeping it fairly simple(read cheap) to accomplish. In the end, the fender was under $20, as was the SS stock used to make the braces. It's probably not really visible in the side shot of the bike, but the attachment point on the fender mimics the shape of the drop down section of the front fender. I tried a larger piece cut out of some cardboard just for a test of both appearance and stability. It had the size, shape, and degree of drop as the front, I just didn't like the look and frankly the amount of work involved at the time. So for all you naysayers, I'll live with "one boob lower than the other."  (those that don't understand that, read my earlier post) 

[Ken Tarver]

Hey John,
I'm liking what you are doing. What I'm "seeing" in my mind is a build of a rat/bobber bike. That's me; I don't know if that is what your idea is. Just the process of taking a "basket" of dissimilar parts and assembling a functioning fun ride using on hand piece parts is absolutely intriguing. Running to the store for new-make-everything-match parts (except for safety) I think would screw up what you have in mind to accomplish. Keep running in the direction you're going, there's no cliff to fall off. LOL

Ken

[woofred1832]

                Very nice. When I sold my 1998 Std. to a friend so I could get the new 1832 Valk. I missed having two bikes, I love my new Valk and will never sell it. Was looking for an older Wing to get for my second bike, and found it... its an original 1975 GL1000, red of course, it only had 18500 miles on it, hardly riden by the original owner in northern Minnesota.  I've been riding it now for short rides and back n forth to work, just clicked over 20, 000 miles now and it it running great. I believe I now have the best of both worlds, my 1832 Valk for cruising cross country and the GL to ride and show off to those HD rides that as one guy said, BOY THOSE HONDAS JUST NEVER DIE!!!!!!! My son was in from Colorado this summer we had some great rides me on the GL and him on the Valk he couldnt believe the power that the 1832 had, even compaired to his 1000 crouch rocket. I think I gave him the bug again, he sold his bike when he moved back to Colorado, needed the money and was tired of sore back and wrists from leaning over on it, but loved the ride of the Valk. Saving up his money now to get another bike, looking at th Honda Furry more in his price range. Said he can't wait till next summer to come in and ride again. Love these bikes.

[Charlie McCready]

John, you did it your way.  I like it.  I have two car projects I'm working on.  Friends come over to look/help with some phases. One friend in particular always tries to change the way I'm doing something. Recently helping reinstall a transmission in my El Camino he wanted to cut a panel out of the floor/transmission hump then make a 'door' over the hole for future use. This fellow is awesome doing sheet metal work but I don't want to cut up the car for every job that needs to be done. 

I do really like your way. Keep it up !!

[John Schmidt]

Hey John,
I'm liking what you are doing. What I'm "seeing" in my mind is a build of a rat/bobber bike. That's me; I don't know if that is what your idea is. Just the process of taking a "basket" of dissimilar parts and assembling a functioning fun ride using on hand piece parts is absolutely intriguing. Running to the store for new-make-everything-match parts (except for safety) I think would screw up what you have in mind to accomplish. Keep running in the direction you're going, there's no cliff to fall off. LOL

Ken

Ken, you pretty much hit the nail on the head with your analysis. The Valkyrie parts I already had in my "stash" and figured....why not use them, with the exception of the tank. Got that off Ebay for a really affordable price, just happened to catch it in the middle of the night right after it was posted. One small nickel size dimple for under $300, otherwise perfect condition. The fabrication was nearly 100% done with my stash of scrap metal, the major cost was the motor and only because one outfit in Ft. Myers, Fla. lied about a replacement I bought from them. That ended up costing me an extra $250, he would never answer my emails or take any phone calls. So, you move on. The rest was just paying for parts to either rebuild or replace, probably could have used some Valium a few times along the way. 

[BF]

Very nice John.