I finished fabricating the shift linkage and installed it - I can shift from the cockpit now! This is the first control that I have routed.

Here's picture of the headlight flip-up installed:
(Please excuse the trouble I'm having getting the pictures to line up with the text - you can figure it out,)

After mounting the body (temporarily) to the frame, I found out I will have to re-engineer the top-tube mounting configuration - it interferes with the body. The good news is that I think the rear cowling will fit over the entire bike without modification.

I also had to sand off more undercoating (ohhh!) to fiber glass in place some neoprene pad where the motorcycle frame touches the body.

I ordered the steering column, quick release steering wheel coupler, steering wheel, and some other stuff (heater/defogger fans, control cables, etc.). I'm about to order the brake pedal assembly, master cylinders, and lines. I now plan to use the motorcycle rear brake pedal and master cylinder for a clutch pedal - the hand grip, hydraulic clutch will not fit on the shift lever. However, I need to see exactly how the steering shaft fit before I make the frame to mount the pedals. I also need to finish mounting the heater core, plumb in the heater core and radiator. I don't think I mentioned that I need to move the radiator to the front - no room in back. I also need to fabricate a mounting frame for the radiator and make it such that it can be installed - there's not much room to get in there to attach hose clamps.

Ok, it's been a while - I've been doing alot of planning and research. Oh yeah, I never should have sprayed the undercoating - it seems there is always something else that needs to be fiber glassed in place, which now includes wire brushing off the under coating/paint. So . . .

Note to other potential builders: Spray the under body last, as in right before you are ready to bolt it down for the last time.

I sanded off the undercoating to bondo in the air tunnel close-outs (where the seats dip up) and then painted again (ohhhh!):

I then sanded off the under coating around where the headlight flip-up mounts and bondo's bushings in place to allow it to pivot:

You can also see where I plan to put in the heater core if room allows (body is upside down here). Its near the top of the air tunnel. I plan to fiber glass in a divider at the bottom of the heater core that extends back about a foot followed by a flapper valve actuated by a lever from a lawnmower throttle. With the flapper up, it will block a hole into the cockpit; with it down, it will block air passage back through the tunnel and instead into the cockpit. I still have to figure out how it will fit with the headlight actuator and the front suspension in place.

I also fabricated a cross-brace for the front fenders. I will add a support to attach it to the frame (in the middle) latter.

Next, I had to weld in a bushing for the shift mechanism. I used the bushing from the bike after cutting and grinding off the excess.

I will have a picture of this installed in the next post.

Fiber Glass Work

Last weekend I got Bondo fiber glassing supplies at Home Depot. I cut plywood reinforcement blocks for the body mounting points, Bondo'd them in place and put 3 layers of fiberglass mat over them as called for in the plans.

I then sprayed with undercoating. You can also see where I mounted the horn - I used one of the motorcycle horns (the other didn't work right). It's masked-off in the middle front.

I need to put on one more coat of under-coating inside the fender wells for protection from dings. I'm then going to test fit the body again (after this work and with neoprene spacers, as called for) and then line-up to drill the body mounting holes in the tub. Then on to building the flip-up headlights, brakes, and controls.

Waterpump Done - Shifter Work

I got the water pump, new seal, and O-rings installed. I left the clutch slave cylinder off since that may make the cable routing easier (although I will almost certainly have to extend it, so I might as well put it back on).

This week I'm going to figure out the right way to drill and cut fiberglass, and then see where I can get fiberglass resin & mat, and pointers on how to work with it. I also need to get some bondo (not sure if you need special for working with fiberglass).

Here's after re-installing the water pump. I also modified the left peg mount, since I plan to use it's built-in shifter pivot. It mount on the two primed frame holes shown on the engine photo. I'm going to mount the shifter vertical, drill a hole in it, and fabricate or buy a U-shaped bracket that will be pinned through that hole. The shift linkage will be fabricated from 1/2" electrical conduit, flattened at the cockpit end to mount to the shifter. The MC end I will press a nut into the conduit and tack weld so that I can adjust the linkage.

Here's pictures of the shift lever that came with the kit and my prototype for fabricating the linkage between it and the motorcycle.

I think this will be robust enough considering it will only see hand force and the consequences of failure are low - stuck in one gear until I can get it fixed.