Woo Hoo! A Big Project!

[gspd]

And after a few tries got this result:

Mel, try this method and report back.
viewtopic.php?p=137112#p137112

[melville]

And after a few tries got this result:

Mel, try this method and report back.
viewtopic.php?p=137112#p137112

Yes, that was part of the process. Sharpie stuff was to check the work. Passed!

[melville]

Well, it was time to DO SOMETHING! And here we are, with Something Done:



Yes, that's Ernst off the plinth for the first time in 3 years! I maneuvered him to face the open door to keep that first start stank out of the shop:



Yes, there's a wee puff of smoke. Ernst fired right up. A quick check of timing looked about right. And the alternator was making 14V at idle!

So the next steps were to mount the seat, install the headlight, and get into some gear to bed-in that new front brake.

The ride was great--Ernst feels so much more of-a-piece than Edgar. Nice to feel the wind again and to be leaning into it with the low bars. The brake is awesome! One forgets just how sweet a 750 Airhead runs. All the way home:



A few issues:

1. No horn. I can hear the relay clicking and I even added a ground wire to the horn rather than rely on the chassis. It's probably something stupid.

2. The dip relay isn't dipping, so it's all high beam, all the time. NBD for daytime riding. Again, it's probably something stupid.

3. The longer shocks mean both wheels are on the ground when the centerstand is deployed. It's very easy to get the bike on that stand! This was a bit of an issue before and I'll probably weld up the top ends of the stand to hold it higher when I get a stack of stuff that will need gloss black powdercoating.

4. Similarly, the bike leans a LOT on the sidestand. I may or may not do anything. It does make it easier to park at the post office in town--the parking lane has a high crown.

So there's a bit of fettling to go, but there's a lot of riding to get done also!

Many thanks to all who helped me with this over the years, including @gspd, @Blitz and everyone here. Vendors like Max BMW, Euro Moto Electrics, BMW Hucky, and Hansen's.

[gspd]

One forgets just how sweet a 750 Airhead runs. All the way home:

Not sure exactly what it is about these damned relics, but 'sweet' sounds just right.
Not sure if it's just me. but I often feel like I'm piloting a Fokker triplane without wings.
Sweeet.

The longer shocks mean both wheels are on the ground when the centerstand is deployed.

I'm a bit skeptical about how the longer shocks will pan out in the long run...
Driveshaft angle, overall bike angle, sag with and without your next victim, err, pillion audition, all have to be factored in.
Was there a specific reason for going to longer shocks?

[melville]

I've created a bit of organization in my shop. I saw this idea in a high-end car collector's garage and my ambition rose to meet the idea:



Mine is about half the size of the one I saw, which was tracking about 15 blue-chip classic cars (356s, 300SLs, Dino, and big block 'Vettes among others), but it's a start!

Anyway, under Next for Ernst was "Lift Off Seat Mod" and "Install Grab Rail." I'd intended to do a lift off seat when I first did this project using this method:

https://w6rec.com/bmw-6-motorcycle-seat-modification/

It looks like this, which is how Edgar came to me:



But the MotoBins pattern seat I got didn't have the hinge screws in the standard places. Then when I got a Russell Day Long seat for Edgar it came with this:



And that was a lightbulb moment! I could make something like that for the holes available. So it was time for some Cardboard Aided Design:



I actually had that bolted to the hinge holes and then set it on the bike and poked it from underneath so I'd know where to build the protrusion. Pattern transferred to the workpiece:



And the device installed:



There's some clear rubber/plastic tubing over the shank of the bolt. It actually works better than the ones on my /7.

That same RDL seat came with a properly blingy grab rail--too blingy for Edgar and he was getting a backrest anyway to keep my pillions secure. So a little time marking, drilling, and bolting on and we get to this:



The tape took marks for the holes and also kept the vinyl from tearing when I drilled the holes. Here's the result:



I've put the luggage rack back on as I'm also using Ernst to see clients. Coming back from a client visit Monday I felt something bounce off my left knee. It bugged me that I didn't see it before it hit my knee as it felt somewhat substantial. Then I got home and realized what it was:



Yes, my deluxe cloisonnee badge fell off, bumped my knee on the way down, and vanished forever. What's left is the JB Weld I'd put in the badge to get a flat gluing surface. The badges are hollow and come with a foam adhesive that as it turns out, doesn't stand up to gasoline. Just the tiniest spill, caused by one of those farkin' vapor recovery nozzles (they are an absolute bitch to use on vintage vehicles) and the badges fell right off. So I took them home, filled them with JB Weld, glued them with gorilla snot, and they stayed on 12 years. I'm thinking about painting what's still stuck on there for now.....