1981 GS450E Rebuild

[Guest]

I just bought this on eBay tonight:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LED-MOTORCY...cycle_Parts&hash=item2eb53d149e#ht_3605wt_952

Be here in a couple of weeks I guess, which should give me time to get the bracket organised.

I've got the basic layout on the whiteboard, just need to translate that into aluminium and I think I'll spray it with the satin black like I did the battery box too.

 

[Matchless]

I just bought this on eBay tonight:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LED-MOTORCY...cycle_Parts&hash=item2eb53d149e#ht_3605wt_952

Be here in a couple of weeks I guess, which should give me time to get the bracket organised.

I've got the basic layout on the whiteboard, just need to translate that into aluminium and I think I'll spray it with the satin black like I did the battery box too.

Pete, that looks quite nice! You could even wire the link to a hidden miniature push-button switch to check the battery voltage when she is not running!
I have bought a blue digital voltmeter, but it was too big, then a red digital one which is smaller, but is hard to read in the light, so my trusty old car analogue meter will stay!

You are really doing fantastic work on your bike!:clap:

 

[Englishman]

I just bought this on eBay tonight:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LED-MOTORCY...cycle_Parts&hash=item2eb53d149e#ht_3605wt_952

Be here in a couple of weeks I guess, which should give me time to get the bracket organised.

I've got the basic layout on the whiteboard, just need to translate that into aluminium and I think I'll spray it with the satin black like I did the battery box too.

Are you going to incorporate the digital gear position LED Pete ?

 

[Guest]

Pete, that looks quite nice! You could even wire the link to a hidden miniature push-button switch to check the battery voltage when she is not running!
I have bought a blue digital voltmeter, but it was too big, then a red digital one which is smaller, but is hard to read in the light, so my trusty old car analogue meter will stay!

You are really doing fantastic work on your bike!:clap:

Now that's a damn fine idea Andre! Didn't even think of that! I reckon you're onto something there... might have to give that a go... just a momentary switch I can hold while I flick the ignition on should do it I think, then it can go back to a voltage monitor...

And thanks, I'm lovin' working on it and I finally feel like it's almost what I'd consider complete

If I can get this bracket done, sort the jetting out, and get a rear carry rack made up to replicate the genuine sports one, then she'll be "done"... finally!

Are you going to incorporate the digital gear position LED Pete ?

Yup that's the plan Mark, got the sum total of two photos uploading now so will update shortly with the diagrams and what the plan is...

 

[Guest]

Ok, so here's the plan on the whiteboard:

The bottom drawing there is based on the existing bracket for the original gauges and will be made out of the 2.5mm alu.

You can see where the Acewell will mount on the right, the rectangular cutout at the bottom is for the gear position indicator, and the round hole is where I expect I'll need to put the voltage monitor and the two wires will need to exit there.

The top drawing will form a box that will butt up against the side of the Acewell and you can see the cutout for the gear position indicator and the hole for the voltage monitor.

I still have plenty of the perspex here from the fly screen so I'm thinking it would look good if I laid a sheet of perspex over the entire boxed area there.

I'll have to see how things pan out.

Here's the bottom bracket drawn out on the 2.5mm alu. ready to cut out:

I ordered a bunch of stainless steel nuts and bolts today as well as some alu. tubing. The plan is to make standoffs with the tubing to support the box and gear position indicator and the bolts will go through the tubing to bolt it to the bottom bracket. I hope that makes some sense...

If I do Andre's idea of a switch, that also leaves plenty of room for it.

 

[Matchless]

Pete,
Have you seen these yet?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Red-Universal-Digital-Gear-Indicator-for-Motorcycle-New-/110766688272?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item19ca358810&vxp=mtr

Edit: This is the one I meant to post! http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Digital...Parts_Accessories&hash=item5d33016b6b&vxp=mtr

Sorry!

 

[Englishman]

Pete,
Have you seen these yet?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Digital...Parts_Accessories&hash=item5d33016b6b&vxp=mtr

Oh I like the look of that....... I may just risk the $26

Mark

 

[Englishman]

...and then have looked further at how they are installed, maybe not.

 

[Matchless]

...and then have looked further at how they are installed, maybe not.

Whoops! Sorry linked to wrong one!

Here is the one I meant to link to, uses switched power and then a ground from the gear position indicator will light the related gear number.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Red-Univers...Parts_Accessories&hash=item19ca358810&vxp=mtr

 

[Suzuki_Don]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Red-Univers...Parts_Accessories&hash=item19ca358810&vxp=mtr

WOW 8 gears!!

 

[Matchless]

WOW 8 gears!!

Imagine that at the next bike meeting! Its like having a speedo marked to 300km/h! Some will even believe it.

 

[Guest]

Hahaha 8 gears? Right on! That'll get the little 450 humming

Andre, I haven't seen those before although I wasn't looking either... I've become quite attached to my 6 digit gear position indicator

However, looking at the auction details shows it's only for 5 speed bikes, N through 5, whereas my 450 has 6 and the Acewell has a neutral light.

This is one I have seen though that I did initially contemplate early on:

http://www.gs400.de/gearp.html

Even though it's in German the circuit layout etc. is easy to understand and it would be very simple to make.

 

[SVSooke]

Used Google translate on that article,very weird

 

[Good Times]

That a pretty sweet gear indicator.

 

[ndaugbjerg]

Pete,
A bit off the subject, but have you ever considered doing your seat in crocodile?
Niels

 

[Guest]

Used Google translate on that article,very weird

Haha I should've tried that... Google translator does do some weird things sometimes... good for a laugh though!

That a pretty sweet gear indicator.

The eBay one or the home made one? The eBay one is definitely more robust and finished...

Pete,
A bit off the subject, but have you ever considered doing your seat in crocodile?
Niels

Hahahahaha you're a classic Niels...

 

[Guest]

Nothing hugely exciting at the moment except of course the Kat run yesterday which was awesome and I got a little more done tonight on the bracket.

I got 5 minutes this avo to put this magnetic tool holder up so I can put stuff there out of the way while I'm still using them without having to put them in a drawer or whatever:



And then I got the two halves of the bracket fully drawn out (except for the holes on the top part) and cut out of the larger sheets of alu. ready to have a go with the jigsaw. I'm hoping to get 15 minutes after work tomorrow when I can make some noise to cut the curved and awkward parts.



If you look close you'll see I had to make some on-the-fly adjustments where I'd messed up measuring, but I'm glad I messed up measuring *before* I cut rather than after...

And my stainless hardware I got for putting it all together and the aluminium tube to make the standoffs with:



Fingers crossed the next update has the main shapes cut out ready to bend and get the fiddly stuff done.

 

[Guest]

Had a really smooth run home from work today for a change which gave me some extra time to get some stuff sorted here and even some time with the jigsaw to cut the awkward shapes out of both halves of the bracket.



Then tonight I finished the cutting with the hacksaw:



The gear position indicator fits in its slot neatly:



And I'm not sure if you can see but I put a little chamfer on the rear to try to prevent any vibration causing the wires to rub against the alu.:



Forgot to take more but I now have the slot for the gear position indicator marked out ready to cut out, hopefully tomorrow night although I have to work at 10:30 so that may not happen.

So far it seems to be coming together like I planned, so fingers crossed it will continue that way and it'll work out very neatly.

 

[Englishman]

So far it seems to be coming together like I planned, so fingers crossed it will continue that way and it'll work out very neatly.

Pete, got mine crossed for you too I have something similar planned but a very different material I purchased recently to use under the seat and if it workout as a gauge bracket too.

Mark

 

[Guest]

Pete, got mine crossed for you too I have something similar planned but a very different material I purchased recently to use under the seat and if it workout as a gauge bracket too.

Mark

Thanks Mark, so what sort of material did you get? Is it something fancy like carbon fibre?