Pre-season mod pipeline

[Smersh]

Alllright, most of this white sh... s... stuff is gone, I'm almost ready to start the season.
:Flash:
I'm just as excited as i was last year when i rode my KLR in January.
After long, cold, sad winter that seemed like it would last forever, I've gone shopping for the new season. Yes, i got tax refund, as you can tell:

:rockon: Replacement OEM Front Cowling - after my fall, i thought hard whether or not to expose myse... i mean... go naked, but decided to stay with cowling. One of the decisive factors was the fact that i can fit switches and buttons better on the cowling (and i'll need some, given other mods).

:rockon: Decals (my "MiG" decal is gone with the old cowling). flightlinefabrications guys are great as always... Not sure if by mistake or out of good will - i ordered 1 decal and they sent me 2. I'm also thinking to get a couple of custom decals in "russian fighter jet" theme.

:rockon: Puig Windshield (dark smoke) - i'll compare it to my new OEM shield, and the winner will stay.

:rockon: Givi E21 sidecases - after deciding between E21s, V35s, and E41s, I decided to sacrifice capacity to have narrower rear.

:rockon: Stebel Horn - from what i saw on twistedthrottle, that thing sounds like a EMD SD-40, all i need is add the bell. I'm thinking to have a "highway mode" switch

:rockon: Shipped my stock seat to Spencers Motorcycle Seat Mods this morning. After failing to mentally prepare myself to pay for a TS seat, I learned here about Spencer. This forum rocks, nuff said!

:rockon: Ordered HID kit with Angel Eye from hot-bid88. Wanted this mode ever since I bought the bike, so let's see if i can make it work.

Something tells me i'll spend considerable amount of time at my dad's garage in the next few weeks. Can't wait!!!!!:Sport:

Ignore the credit card balance... Ignore the credit card balance...

 

[Smersh]

Day 1. Replacing the Cowling. Mounting Givi sidecase racks. Trying to Start

This is the goodies!!!!

Funny thing - I ended up with some "extras" in the box with the oem cowling I ordered - a whole bunch of gaskets, transmission parts (not from FZ-6, unfortunately) and some floor mats, that look like they belong to a scooter or, maybe, a waverunner.


Cowling
This is what the old cowling looked like:

While replacing it, I realized how badly bent the cowling bracket was at the point where the left mirror is mounted - i couldn't even remove that mirror. I spent good 20 mins trying to shape it, and it will work for now, but i'm going to get a replacement.

Starting the Engine
I also tried to start the engine (I did not connect the battery to the tender when i put the bike into storage :spank. Sure enough, the battery had only enough juice to display time. And my new YUASA charger wouldn't recognize the battery. So what I did was take a regular 9V battery, made "jumper" wires and for a brief moment connected the 9V battery in parallel with the bike's battery. My logic was that if the charger is "looking" for voltage, it should react to the spike caused by 9V battery. WARNING: Do NOT try to do this yourself after reading this post - I am known to try stupid things and take risks without really thinking what consequences could be - chances are, I just got lucky, because the charger switched into Charging mode.

Er-1 Code
After a few hours of charging, I tried to start the engine again, only to get the "Er-1" code. The fuel pump runs, the starter relay is ticking, and nothing. I brought ECU into house, and waited until the battery was charged, then replaced the ECU and voila, the bike started! Whether it was ECU or the battery, i am not sure.


Here is a short lapse-time video (i mess around with my camera so saw this as an opportunity to try lapse-time)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DccnYZdwPfw]YouTube - day1[/ame]


to be continued... Can't wait to get back on the road.:cheer:

 

[BamBam77]

Here is a short lapse-time video (i mess around with my camera so saw this as an opportunity to try lapse-time)
I loved your video thanks:thumbup:
Now I know what my wife see's when I'm working on the bike

 

[wolfe1down]

Now I know what my wife see's when I'm working on the bike

You have to be careful with the wife seeing you like that... she might think you're motivated and want you to work on the 'honey do' list!

 

[BamBam77]

LOL
She's already jealous
Yep that mite just put her over the edge
I keep the bike in the living room
I better get started on that shed AHHHHHHHH


It's already working that's one of her honey do's

 

[jrevans]

:rockon: Stebel Horn - from what i saw on twistedthrottle, that thing sounds like a EMD SD-40, all i need is add the bell. I'm thinking to have a "highway mode" switch

Do I detect a fellow FZ6 owning railfan?

I've been thinking about getting a stebel and doing the remote mount setup (separating the horn and pump with a hose). I have so much crap stuffed in my fairing after doing the HID mod, I don't know if I can fit a stebel in there....

 

[Smersh]

Do I detect a fellow FZ6 owning railfan?

I've been thinking about getting a stebel and doing the remote mount setup (separating the horn and pump with a hose). I have so much crap stuffed in my fairing after doing the HID mod, I don't know if I can fit a stebel in there....

Hehehe. I wouldn't call myself a real railfan, but I've always been fascinated with railroads (my dad and his mom worked on railroad). I come from Europe, and still remember hanging out at the train station looking at trains or crawling all over museum pieces as a kid. These days, I go to museums when i get a chance, and help my dad build up a collection of HO locomotives (mostly european), hoping that one day he'll decide to build a layout.:hijack:

I should be getting the HID kit soon, and i am wondering where the heck i'm going to fit it all in.

 

[Smersh]

Almost done installing the mods - just need to organize the wires, put side panels and align the beams.

 

[Smersh]

Day 2. HID Lights

As I mentioned before, I ordered a 4300K Blue Angel Eye HID kit from hot-bid88 on ebay. The kit took exactly 10 days to arrive. The seller is willing to mix-n-match housing (technically, the projectors are the same, there are a bunch of washers that fit H4, H7 and 900x housings) Here is the kit:

Found the kit at my doorstep after going out with friends, still a little buzzed, so decided to go right at it. By the time i was done with wiring it was 2 am.
Here is the cowling at the beginning of my night. I'd already mounted Stebel Nautilus horn on the left side. As you can see from the picture, Boneman's Mods site is the essential guide. Big thanks, Boneman - I'd never think these things were even possible.

Here is the end result:

This kit has only one controller which I mounted on the right side, with relays for angel eyes mounted on velcros right under the headlight assembly. There is only one connector and I had to test the lights to figure out which one was which.

Fast forward few hours at my dad's garage, and I got the cowling back onto the bike. Didn't have much time to left so didn't take any pictures. Here are some from today though:

:cheer:

 

[2006_FZ6]

LOOKS FANTASTIC! Job well done. Another mod to add to the list. My wife's gonna kill me. :BLAA:

 

[Def]

Thanks for the pics...great job!

 

[Humperdinkel]

Great work mate , she is looking top notch :thumbup: Love the HID lights....

Nice steam trains too , IMO only aircraft beat steam trains for coolness factor

 

[Smersh]

Great work mate , she is looking top notch :thumbup: Love the HID lights....

Nice steam trains too , IMO only aircraft beat steam trains for coolness factor

Hehehe. I actually love flying machines too - not sure if more, but certainly as much as locomotives. I think I just like all things mechanical - I always try to find something to crawl around and take pictures of.

Pima Air Museum


Here is my buddy's picture gallery of Corsairs (and some classic cars) in Sikorsky Memorial Airport - it was a proper photo shoot in the wee hours of the morning.

One day, I hope i'll be flying. Just need some $$$ first.

 

[Humperdinkel]

Hehehe. I actually love flying machines too - not sure if more, but certainly as much as locomotives. I think I just like all things mechanical - I always try to find something to crawl around and take pictures of.

Pima Air Museum


Here is my buddy's picture gallery of Corsairs (and some classic cars) in Sikorsky Memorial Airport - it was a proper photo shoot in the wee hours of the morning.

One day, I hope i'll be flying. Just need some $$$ first.

Pima :bow: :bow: I will visit one day , I cant wait to get there... And 100's of other aviation museums/airshows around the world :thumbup:

Unfortunately flying is an expensive hobby , I will finish my PPL when my bike is paid for :rockon: luckily I still keep my eye in with a joyflight here & there

 

[krid80]

Bravo on painting the reflectors! Makes them look so much cleaner.

Day 2. HID Lights

As I mentioned before, I ordered a 4300K Blue Angel Eye HID kit from hot-bid88 on ebay. The kit took exactly 10 days to arrive. The seller is willing to mix-n-match housing (technically, the projectors are the same, there are a bunch of washers that fit H4, H7 and 900x housings) Here is the kit:


Found the kit at my doorstep after going out with friends, still a little buzzed, so decided to go right at it. By the time i was done with wiring it was 2 am.
Here is the cowling at the beginning of my night. I'd already mounted Stebel Nautilus horn on the left side. As you can see from the picture, Boneman's Mods site is the essential guide. Big thanks, Boneman - I'd never think these things were even possible.


Here is the end result:


This kit has only one controller which I mounted on the right side, with relays for angel eyes mounted on velcros right under the headlight assembly. There is only one connector and I had to test the lights to figure out which one was which.

Fast forward few hours at my dad's garage, and I got the cowling back onto the bike. Didn't have much time to left so didn't take any pictures. Here are some from today though:


:cheer:

Sent from my HTC EVO 4G using tapatalk.

 

[Motogiro]

Bike is looking killer! Love those lamps! :BLAA:

 

[jrevans]

Good job on the HID install and the wiring. Yours looks neater than mine does, and I don't even have a Stebel in there. (I do have a switch and relay for my heated grips though.)

Neat idea about using a trailer wiring connector in there. I custom made a bunch of connectors from old car stereo wiring harnesses that I had, but they are all over the bike, not just in one place. Where did you run out power from the battery for the HID setup? I'm not really happy with how I did it though the hold on the right side of the frame by the steering head, but didn't have a lot of choice.

I'm still disappointed at how short the wires were from the projector itself, barely making it out of the rubber headlight cups on the back of the housing.

 

[Smersh]

Where did you run out power from the battery for the HID setup? I'm not really happy with how I did it though the hold on the right side of the frame by the steering head, but didn't have a lot of choice.

I'm still disappointed at how short the wires were from the projector itself, barely making it out of the rubber headlight cups on the back of the housing.

The trailer connector you see is actually one i used for Stebel. it's a 4-lead, and i'm only using two (one for power, and another for signal).

The power for the whole light setup (minus the Stebel) is coming through what used to be my 12V lighter outlet wiring - it comes out on the right side of the frame under the cowling (just over the radiator cap) and ends with a 2-lead trailer-style connector. I was a little annoyed that I would have to run yet another set of wires when i need that outlet back, but Motogiro suggested that you can just wire the outlet and plug it into the tender wiring (duh, why dont simple solutions like that ever enter into my head???)


I am looking at the pics you posted in http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-mods/14963-bi-xenon-projector-angel-eye-installed-46.html - the wires i got are few inches longer, but there is a kicker - only the actual HID wires go through the plastic plug that is meant to be set into the hole in the rubber cup. The "angel" wires are independent and i am trying to figure out what to do with them - currently, i just put the cup over them, but i either will have a to cut a hole in that plug and then re-seal it, or make a cut in the housing to run the "angel" wiring.

All this said, I still haven't installed the side panels back and i'm just hoping, i will be able to.
I'll take a couple of pics tonight if rain stops.