Migration

We moved to  gazzz-garage.com

"Eight Ball". Electrical addition.

So, it's  time to write about wiring, electrical and so on features of my bike.

A couple words about wiring box first. I made it as a  dual purpose  thing. Box would do both: to protect pod filters from water and mud and to contain battery, CDI, starter relay, fuse box end their connectors.  Relay rectifier  was mounted on its front side also.

 Here is interior view of box.

"Eight Ball" creation. Part 6. Mission Completed.

The flames of war in the East of my country were yet another reason, which has reinforced my works on the project. I am not so brave to volunteer,  but should  I be mobilized,  it would interrupt  building  the cafe-racer for indefinite period. Up to never finishing it.

Therefore  I dedicated all available  time to the project.

After being glass blasted, the engine was painted and later I baked it for a few hours  in foiled cardboard box with approximately 160-170 C. 

The last portion of metal details were made or remade. Useless pieces of XJ400 frame were cut and last welding works  were done. Only a few words, but a tone of work.

"Eight Ball" creation. Part 5. Testing and so on.

Year 2014 hadn't brought stability for Ukraine either.  But people get used to everything, so in Spring I returned to my project and decided to finish it anyway.

The only few important parts weren’t completed yet. Thus,  I designed and made a new version of the front mud guard, chain guard, lower gaiter clamps and pod filters covers.  Steering limiter and seat lock base were welded to frame: 

 And suddenly it turned out that the Cafe-Racer was ready for road testing.  

"Eight Ball" creation. Part 4. Detailing.

So, the main line of my cafe's design was found, and then became the time for bike detailing.

There was Winter 2013. I had a lot of ideas, such as unusual mirror assembled from various mirrors parts, or wire box's aluminum covers cut by Dremel  tool:

 

 

"Eight Ball" creation. Part 3. Beginning.

Year 2012 began straight with another one buying trip under snowfall. 

That time I planned to buy some XJ600 51J parts, including engine, carburetors, exhaust and electrical system in working condition. 

As result I have got  enough parts to compile something different from the original XJ400. And, according to the spirit of original Cafe Racer's creation, enhanced. There were: to use  better chassis, more powerful engine,  all  those improvements that guys done with their bikes in sixties and what I thought to do with my old XJ.

"Eight Ball" creation. Part 2. Prologue.

The only place where I could work was a corner of my friend’s garage. All my wrenches and tool could be fitted in the one red toolbox.  And I was enough skilled as mechanic, but not as good as I wished.  

In fact, if all your fiends are motorcyclists, you have no problem in enhancing repairing skills. That wasn’t thoughtful decision, but since winter 2009 I began take in repair different bikes. Works were ranged from rebuilding / fixing / assembling brakes and suspensions, as well as carburetors cleaning to engines overhauling.