WINTER MAINTENANCE...90% is getting started !

[Lucasind]

...Thanks Gene ! ...... Yeah , the plastic will hide all this good clean look , but that's o.k. As long as I slow down the progression of rust and corrosion ,it was time well spent ! You mentioned 100,000 miles ... I intend to keep rolling along on this XII for every bit of that !
Good thought on the "newness" of the hoses that we may find "in stock" gates vs. OEM,
I imagine there is quite a price difference as well , I know I was a bit surprised at the price of these hoses as the counter person was ringing up my order, (thank goodness for my discount, which lowered the bill BIG TIME ! )

Your progress on the parts is coming along nicely,and are looking great !(thanks for the pictures) I still have the proto-type front fender trim that I got last rally from you ,( do I recall you telling me to not install that one on my XII due to imperfections ? ) in a post somewhere ?
I plan on riding this weekend as well..First I am gonna put a few miles on my "RAT BIKE" then the 1300 Voyager will go out for a long ride...I can fill up my fuel tanks to the top and add my winter stabilizer....cause I can't believe this warm weather will give many more good opportunities to get out there !... It would be fine with me if winter forgets to show up this year ! ............ride safe .........................Tony

[krasmu]

Both you guys are making great strides on your projects. They look fantastic. I will be very interested in the final looks and prices of those board covers and fender skirts. Love the AVA cutout.
Heading out to the garage to the rear brakes today. The warm weather bug as bitten me and I pulled her back out yesterday. A quick peak at the forecast shows I may have another good week or so of riding yet before the next snow is expected. I plan on riding every one of those days.
As for progress report. I did get my rear speakers replaced yesterday. they could have made that easier, but it is doable without breaking down any of the trunk or rack. Installed a set of Polk Audio Db401 marines. It is so disappointing how bad they sound. they are crisp and clear but have that old transistor radio (no mid range all) sound. Will be calling the help line to see if maybe this smaller stereo just can't push them or if this is what they are. Polk has always been a great sounding system. Maybe these 4"speakers are just designed to be fully tweeter. Comparing them to the still installed fronts, they make the OEM fronts sound like a concert hall. Also, the final shipment of LED lights showed up yesterday. I've got their final location measured and marked on the bike where they will be mounted.
I feel even my small list of things is going to take some time with these new twin grand babies in the house. Can't believe how much time they take up.

[Lucasind]

....Hey thanks for the props on the project there Kirk !
I hear what your saying about the sound system of the "antiquated" XII .
I have guys around here with NEW H-D's , that I gotta say WOW !
I won't even turn on my radio ,when they are around out of "pointless"
hey ...what can ya say..... 1986 technology
That's o.k . with me....MOST times that I ride, I prefer to have the sound OFF !
I listen to my machine, with a trained ear ....and THAT is better then any stereo !
We been listening to those "same ol songs" all of our lives anyway ,right ?....Tony

[ekap1200]

A big thank you to you also. This fender trim has been going on for a while. Now that I have a spare fender here I can spend more time on the project. The floor boards biggest problem was the fixture for the brake forming.
There are not but 3 flats on the bottom to key off of. I will know tomorrow morning if that is a final. Its only rev #1 but required a new fixture to be water-jet,ed out.

I do have a special end of year sale if anyone is interested on all three of the trim left in stock. Limited supply only until Christmas...
saddle bag/ cowl , front vent trim , mirror trim
55.00 off if you get the 3 for 200.00 plus shipping.

[ekap1200]

Well here is just a progress report on the floor - boards.
With the new fixture made up I formed one of the two I jetted out and it came out exactly as the OEM. And that's were the problem is.....Lucky for me I won't have to make another fixture just kiss off 0.08 of the face of its stop edge, to get the radius kicked back to where it should be. And use a different radius die on the brake. Gene K.

Took in a HD today and it was crying danger danger
( remove the battery cables ) I seem to get that allot...
Seems its been fixed to death...




And yes that is an orange household wire-nut
NO turns signal, no headlamp, no tail lamp. The module under the seat is a dual control for a single LED to operate as a both a tail and then a turn function. 'and no to that working either...


Very close now.. just a bit more tweeking and along with some SS hardware seems to maybe need something where the OEM KAWASAKI emblem was placed on the originals.


Maybe a clear coated AVA Logo for each one....any suggestions ???


And finally freeing up some floor space , tomorrow after a ride , I am moving that table saw out and taking off 25 inch's off the outfeed table.... It just got way too tight in here lately.
Well a busy man is a happy man

[Lucasind]

Well here is just a progress report on the floor - boards.
With the new fixture made up I formed one of the two I jetted out and it came out exactly as the OEM. And that's were the problem is.....Lucky for me I won't have to make another fixture just kiss off 0.08 of the face of its stop edge, to get the radius kicked back to where it should be. And use a different radius die on the brake. Gene K.

Please Gene.... Do not lose a minute of sleep over 0.08 ! Everyone that buys these awesome pieces from you, will love them as you (perfectionist) see fit !

[Lucasind]

....So ,after getting off work I didn't really feel like working on the XII, but... out to the shop I went , to continue the project ,,,( man, do I need to clone myself )
Got out of the shop late last night...and up early ,to go make $$$ ( what a vicious cycle) ...... Got the new hoses from the dealer and installed them, then got the newly cleaned up exhaust system installed, then got the new stainless front brake lines installed. here is a look at that :



The new "Galfer" lines have a much smaller O.D. than the stockers, so I made up a grommet to allow utilization of the OEM brake line grommet, if ya don't, the new lines are too loose and will rub the paint off of the side of your front fender...can't have that
My frame is in awesome condition (paint wise ) ....so all I had to do to that was a thorough cleaning ,and apply a coat of wax.

Next I had to remove the front fender and have a look at all things that Gene and I had been discussing about the relationship between the front fork brace ,and the fender mounting spacers....and what happens to the stockers after a ga-jillion times of leaning into corners ,sqeezing them down ....until one day, you look at your front fender ,and it has become "stress cracked" around the mounting points. If this has occurred on your bike, ( I think ) that your fork brace provided from MAW KAW has become "less than effective" so Gene ran off some new ones, that are a "tad" taller, which will likely never need replacement ( should we be sooo lucky to live soo long )



The ones in the fore ground of this photo, are the beefier (is that a word ?) fender spacers that Gene made in his sleep...oops ( I meant shop )



Putting in place... and can't wait till the next time I can ride my XII ! That's enough for today , more of this work in progress to follow . only working in the shop till noon tomorrow, cause of the 67 degree temp forcasted for a December weekend me and my 1300 six Voyager have a DATE !



.......................................Tony

[ekap1200]

Well here is just a progress report on the floor - boards.
With the new fixture made up I formed one of the two I jetted out and it came out exactly as the OEM. And that's were the problem is.....Lucky for me I won't have to make another fixture just kiss off 0.08 of the face of its stop edge, to get the radius kicked back to where it should be. And use a different radius die on the brake. Gene K.

Please Gene.... Do not lose a minute of sleep over 0.08 ! Everyone that buys these awesome pieces from you, will love them as you (perfectionist) see fit !

Oh I am going to sleep good tonight, that 2002 job I did turned out great and he and I and two others did some miles today.
Its back to having the two biggest voyager problems that all us 1200 owners have all the time........
Where is the next gas stop.
And how far do we go until we eat.
December-12th' and just a long sleeve and a vest for me all day. If it don't get cold soon these tires will be down to the cord. And with the weather looking good for tomorrow I may be out all day. I will be working the night shift to open up a 58" x 65" area with that saw out of there. I will be able to fit yet another bike in the shop

[ekap1200]

Wow, that 1300 is looking great.... Is that the back rest you got from me ?
The entire bike looks great, time well spent, And progress on the 1200 is coming along very well , I see.
Yet another reason I am moving things around to get the repair area, having a bit more working room. I really need to get some new rubber on my bike...
Let me know about your GPS, I have a customer bringing in his in a few weeks to make up a mount like mine, but for a newer unit. If its the same as your its just as easy to make two as it is one....
Gene Kap.

[Lucasind]

Yeah Gene , That IS the backrest I got from you ! WAY better that the home made one that it replaced !

See that river in the back ground of that photo ? Well ,that is the Maumee river , that snakes and twists and turns all thru my neck of the woods ! Picture a place where you have a posted 55 mph speed limit....with NO traffic .... and NO street lights for mile after mile ..... I'm riding it tomorrow, till I get out about 40 miles, then stop at one of my favorite diners for lunch ....then I'm gonna point the big six north ,and go up into Michigan for awhile....stop and get a milkshake....then head back home (a little less than a hundred miles) NOT BAD for the middle of December in Toledo ! ! .........Tony

[krasmu]

Maybe a clear coated AVA Logo for each one....any suggestions ???

I'm looking at those floor boards and I see them calling for some bead blasted or laser etched AVA logos. something there but subtle.

[ekap1200]

Maybe a clear coated AVA Logo for each one....any suggestions ???

I'm looking at those floor boards and I see them calling for some bead blasted or laser etched AVA logos. something there but subtle.

I have used mylar with sections cut out, in the past on glass and bead blasted a few customers logos that way. But with this finish , the etched area may hold road dirt and this #8 mirror finish likes just to be sprayed down and let dry , rather than wiping it down to clean. But its something to consider, I am looking for something that can just be sprayed down to clean. This #8 can not be brought back by buffing without special machinery from the mill. The other products I make are from mirror finish #7 which I can redo here in my shop , and even buff out scratch's. The saddle bag trim I make is also a #8 finish. But no suggestion will go untested...... I'm on it

[broksonic]

Maybe a clear coated AVA Logo for each one....any suggestions ???

I'm looking at those floor boards and I see them calling for some bead blasted or laser etched AVA logos. something there but subtle.

You mean something like this?



Sticker with a clear over it maybe? Might want to change the colors a bit, it was just a quick edit.

Or laser etched might look better, but as you said, might be harder to clean.

[ekap1200]

Well after much thought and endless possibilities , I have decided to leave it up to the end user on what to put there

I have to keep the cost down and if someone that buys one ; knows of any Kawasaki , flat pinned emblems they can purchase and install them or not. Or use sticker or whatever. Once I get the stainless hardware they will look ,,, well like a glass mirror..

Never did go for that ride today and really missed out on some nice weather.
BUT
I did get that table saw on a dolly system that I have had for years and had to move many a bench and numerous items. but I now have more room. Job took me all day from about 9:30 . Just another 23 " to remove from the outfeed table and really open up a workspace . Another good nights sleep for me.
And so much more room to work around a bike now.

Tony D / how did you make out with that radiator..?

[Lucasind]

All ok. ...PM sent.
It looks like you put in alot of time on the shop today ! Looks great ! You shop looks DEEP front to back , did it start out to be a normal size residential garage, and have an addition added to the back ?

[krasmu]

I think maybe you made the right choice to leave them plain for sale. Let the end user detail them to their liking.

The shop looks great. As sort of an perfectionist and neat freak myself. I know what it takes to reorganize a shop, but also realize the satisfaction you get from the job when it comes out with positive results. All my tools need to be put back in their proper place after each project. Hate nothing more than trying to get something done and can't find something or have no room to move around.

I did manage to get about 40 miles in but then the storms rolled in. I ended up tucking her back into bed for the winter. What ever is loose inside the fairing is getting so bad it's going to break something if I don't address it soon. Going to bite the bullet and just do it now and give up some decent riding weather so that it's ready come spring and constant good weather.

[cushman eagle]

Been expecting to experience[no riding weather] so I could do my winter maintence.But instead I rode my Cushman to work yesterday,and plan to tomorrow,then get the VXII out to deliver a Christmas gift and buy one for a guest we expect on Chrismas.I don't know how long I can stretch the ride out as the grandkids will be here to make cookies.

[Lucasind]

Been expecting to experience[no riding weather] so I could do my winter maintence.But instead I rode my Cushman to work yesterday,and plan to tomorrow,then get the VXII out to deliver a Christmas gift and buy one for a guest we expect on Chrismas.I don't know how long I can stretch the ride out as the grandkids will be here to make cookies.

I say ride as long as ya can ! 65 degrees here today but can't ride due to rain.

[starrider]

Gene:
Love the AVA logo on the covers. Just wondering how a clear coat would adhere to the mirror finish.

The XII is put away in a neighbors barn for the winter, but took a couple hour ride Christmas eve on the V Star. Mid 60's in NY. Great extended riding season.

Gary

[ekap1200]

Gene:
Love the AVA logo on the covers. Just wondering how a clear coat would adhere to the mirror finish.

The XII is put away in a neighbors barn for the winter, but took a couple hour ride Christmas eve on the V Star. Mid 60's in NY. Great extended riding season.

Gary

Hi Gary, don't know about clear coat on the stainless mirrored finish. It might dull the sheen.