Whitehouse K17 mods...

[Bazbro_imp]

Thanks, Cormanus. I'm really enjoying this. I'm taking my time, making little errors and having to correct them as I go (I'm no mechanic!) but trying to do the very best, professional job that I can.

Radio on, plentiful supplies of tea and biscuits (I suppose that'd be coffee and cookies in the States? ), a bit cramped but sufficient room. I'm loving it!

[max]

Nice work Bazbro and thanks for taking the time to shoot some pictures for us all, Thinking about the surface rust, have a look under the front fender as well where the support meets the chromed main part.

When i got mine there were some rusty spots and i sprayed clear polyurethane on the entire inside of both fenders but it will be interesting to see if this acf50 does the job, i might do what you are doing at some time but it looks like it's a repeat process.
Not very impressed with the chrome under the fenders, also pulled the rear shocks off one by one and put some grease on the points that were dry and started to rust slightly and put some wide pvc tape on the rear swingarm where the dirt started to "eat" the paint, you can't see it but it protects the paint nicely.

Glad you enjoy working on the bike.

[Bazbro_imp]

Good thoughts there, Max. It really does pay dividends to get paint/oil/grease/ACF50/whatever into all the nooks and crannies BEFORE corrosion gets there.

I like the pvc tape idea too.

ACF50 won't withstand the direct blast of water coming off the wheel in the centre of the mudguard, but it will stay in all those little, out-of-the-way protected places where water/rust stay.

As I do the various jobs on this 'bike, I'll be using ACF50 to future-proof against rust/corrosion.

[Houtman_imp]

I love your great write ups , a set of dentist picks are very useful for taking out o rings and things like the little rubber insert , very cheap to buy.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Nice work Bazbro and thanks for taking the time to shoot some pictures for us all, Thinking about the surface rust, have a look under the front fender as well where the support meets the chromed main part.

When i got mine there were some rusty spots and i sprayed clear polyurethane on the entire inside of both fenders but it will be interesting to see if this acf50 does the job, i might do what you are doing at some time but it looks like it's a repeat process.
Not very impressed with the chrome under the fenders, also pulled the rear shocks off one by one and put some grease on the points that were dry and started to rust slightly and put some wide pvc tape on the rear swingarm where the dirt started to "eat" the paint, you can't see it but it protects the paint nicely.

Glad you enjoy working on the bike.

(+1) Seems like a shortcut taken by the manufacturer.

[Bazbro_imp]

Yes! Dental picks. A very good idea, John. They would've worked and not damaged the insert either. I actually thought they were just plugs of hardened silicone, until I looked closely and realised that they were actually manufactured hexagon bars, chopped up! Why they're fitted, I don't know - none of the other hex bolts on the 'bike have 'inserts'.

One of the reasons I'm explaining EVERY little thing I do is precisely because I'm NOT a mechanic. The mechanics among you will be yawning at much of what I scribble, but I hope it explains in simple terms how I've done stuff and to encourage guys who aren't mechanics to have a go. I mean, if I can do it, anyone can!

Oh, and by the way, over here we call mechanics "mucky necks"...
Fitting Samurider's rear light unit - this morning's job...

The unit itself is very well made - up to Honda standard, robust and well-chromed. It really does look like the CB750 rear light. It doesn't use the CB1100's standard light fitting, so three new holes must be drilled. The instructions are quite clear, and include a photograph of the completed assembly.



I re-measured where the holes should go, three times just to be sure(!) drilled small pilot holes and then the 6mm holes. Here are tje bolts inserted, ready to attach the housing. I chose to have the bolt threads INSIDE the housing, for protection from the elements.



I'm not sure how Samurider plans the route for the electrics. There are three options -
1. Out of the oval hole, as standard (but the wire then goes across the top of the mudguard and must be squeezed between the light and the mudguard).
2. Under the mudguard and out of the hole below the original (same problem as 1)
3. Drill a new 'entry' hole behind the rear light, run the cable invisibly under the mudguard and up through the new hole.

No 3 is the one I favour but I have (temporarily) fitted No 1. To ease where the cable is trapped under the light, I have fitted grommets between the mudguard and the light housing. This has eased the passage of the wire.



I'll see what blanking plugs, flexible 'boots' or grommets my dealer has before I finally decide the wire route. The mudguard also needs chrome blanking plugs or something akin to coachbolts.

The grommets I've fitted will not be necessary if I drill a hole and go with No 3 option, so they will be removed. I'd be interested to hear (and see!) how others have fitted their 750-style rear lights

Wiring was made simple because (a) the wires had been stripped back in the accident and (b) Samurider very considerately includes a set of new connectors identical to Honda's originals.



It works!

[Bazbro_imp]

And this afternoon's task was to fit a Brake Light Modulator.
It gives 4 or 5 VERY quick flashes, then four slower on/off before finally remaining on. Very eye-catching, which is the whole object.

It's a GS-100A from e-Bay - about 4 or 5 dollars (GB£7 for two!) as opposed to £25 to £40 in m/c shops here! It may or may not last. - I'll report here if it fails but at the moment it works extremely well.



The wires are
Brake = Green/Yellow
Rear light = Brown
Earth = Green

The wiring both into and out of the Modulator are red = Live and black = Earth

So, connect both black wires to Earth, "Red In" to "Green/Yellow Power In", then "Red Out" to "Green/Yellow to brake light". Simples!!

[Cormanus]

Great work, Bazbro.

[GoldOxide_imp]

RE Strobe Controller for LED Stoplight:

Interesting. I think I have seen a few pick-up trucks have these. For some, it almost creates some sort of "tunnel vision" (or "deer in the headlights") stone. You know it is there, but feel paralyzed. I suppose it could be worse like Ralphing up lunch or sumthin'.

[Bazbro_imp]

RE Strobe Controller for LED Stoplight:

Interesting. I think I have seen a few pick-up trucks have these. For some, it almost creates some sort of "tunnel vision" (or "deer in the headlights") stone. You know it is there, but feel paralyzed. I suppose it could be worse like Ralphing up lunch or sumthin'.

I was prepared to switch to a LED rear/stop light but this device operates on the standard bulb very well. I guess the initial brief flashes may be more clearly defined on a LED but it all works well.
Bulb life may be a factor and, of course, longevity/reliability of the unit itself. We shall see... .