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My Custom Ideas |
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CD Mount |
iPAQ/GPS Mount |
Air Horns |
Xm Radio |
Cell Phone Mounts |
Front Mudflap Theory |
Bike Rack Idea |
My Artwork |
1500 Foot Warmers |
| I couldn't find a Mickey Mudflap like the Looney Toones I see in stores so I made my own. It's a small rubber mudflap and when I was in Disneyland I found a kids Mickey coin purse that had the same rubber for the face and nylon for the back. All I did was take it apart and, using some fine wire, I sewed it to the mudflap. You can see the stiching. |  |
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I learned how to paint images a while ago and when I got the '97 I couldn't wait to put some images on it. I started with the trunk and the Mickey with fireworks. I also decided to call this one Fantays Wing II since the '95 was the first. |
| My windshield and the castle design I did along with the Mickey plug I made. It's a plug because in the winter I have a wiper and that requires a 1/2" hole so I needed a plug. |  |
I use a Markland Radar Detector mount (no longer made) that bolts to the top bolt and can be positioned almost in anyway. I made a large hole in the platform for a locking plate to fit (a Kensington computer accessory) and then I use a suitcase lock to lock it. Now I don't have to take it off and on all the time. The CD remote is velcroed to a bike bouy mount also using one bolt. I had to bend the bike bouy a little so the remote was angled up to see it.Below, are two pictures of the changer in my trunk. (please excuse the mess). I mounted it on the back wall so I could access the cartridge easy and I left some room under it for all the wiring and the Fm modulator (little grey box). It's convenient for the box with all my assortment of fuses too.
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| My newest GPS mount is taken from an idea I saw on a friends GL1800. I found that this particular mount is only made for the 1800's and even though the nice guys at J&A Accessories would let me see if I could make one of their mount works I opted to sweet talk the fellas in my company's machine shop to make me something I designed out of aluminum. I got pretty much what I wanted and with a little drilling and velcro I made something that works. Instead of screwing it to the dash I decided to use steel cable and tie it to through the windshield mounting holes and that holds it. I hope to sell this 97 sometime this year (2005) and get an 1800 so I didn't want to drill or do much to the bike. Then I'll get the mount J&A Accessories offers. | ||
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| When I put new wood on I found I couldn't replace the adhesive pad that I used to mount the iPAQ/Navman GPS. So I looked for another way. I found Garmin makes a lead filled bean bag mount and I though that would work with a few straps to hold it on. Then when I was in a Circuit City and I found this padded shoulder strap and had an idea. So, with a little modification I cut the hooks off, attached some snaps, stuck and sewed a peice of velcro on and it works. It all can be removed when I don't use it. So there is nothing to spoil the nice look of the dash when I show it or I'm not on a trip somewhere. | ||
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| Above are a few of the old ways I mounted the GPS and/or iPAQ. I had the Garmin mounted using their swivel mount on the keypad. Then I tried mounting both Garmin and iPAQ using RAM mounts. | ||
I was fortunate to be able to buy a set of air horns some years ago and have them installed. The vendor, JBJ Accessories (I believe) out of Florida. They came out west to a few rallies and we enjoyed them as well as their products. I have kept the way they installed these sets from the '95 wing to my '97 but I went to Wolo Manufacturing to buy the kits and/or replace parts and when I need to replace a trumpet or need an air compressor they have it.
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There are two sets of horns, one on either side of the bike. One set for single sound (left picture) and the other for wig-wag sound (right picture). I like the horn covers, as you can see, which stick out about an inch from the ends of the trumpets for better sound output rather than the closer covers that look like they are muffleing the trumpets. I use a relay that gets it's signal from the horn button and extra power from the battery to power the compressor. I also dissconected the stock horns. I have a rocker switch that I use to choose left or right horns. PS- I still have a lot of room for my laptop, that I carry that in a laptop backpack, to fit in the saddlebag. |
I have found the bike's radio to be fine for around town but when traveling I just can't find a good station I like. If I do I almost always find I'm traveling out of it's range so, I broke down and got an XM Radio. (coupons and a discount helped) I had a bit of a time trying to figure out how and where to mount it. I tried it on the handelbar but it really stuck out like a sore thumb, and velcroing it to the wood was not an option since I don't want to get the wood all sticky with the velcro and mess it up. I have a collection of some of the RAM mounts and I remembered I had one of the smallest ones they make and I found that it is perfect to mount the XM unit right in front of the ignition. I had to make a visor because, at night, the glowing radio reflects on the windshiels right where I look. The pic's below show the RAM mount and the XM radio on the dash.
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I use a chrome "Bike Bouy" mount using one of the two bolts. For the Motorola v60i I used to have, I found the Wetsuit belt clip which had a snap feature that when I sliped the phone into the holder it snaps into place and that along with the safety chain and Motorola charger, I'm confident I won't loose the phone. The Wetsuit belt clip also is a snug fit and the phone doesn't swivel. I had to remove the back part of the belt clip and I used emblem double sided tape to stick it on. I also have a Jabra lanyard handsfree kit that comes with a tiny ring and plate that I stuck to the phone and I use that to attach the safety chain. I'm still working on making an on/off switch so I can have the charger plugged in all the time but while it's charging I get a buzz beep while riding and when I am using the phone the buzz gets worse so I want to hit the switch to dissconnect the charger when I get a call. |
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For the new Kyocera 7135 I found the leather case that I got with the phone worked great to mount the phone to the bike bouy. I used 4 nuts & bolts and the cardboard in the back of the case is stiff enough to hold it in place. This time I can hear it ring on the headset and all I have to do is say "Yes" when it tells me a call is happening. Flip the J&M switch and talk. |
I learned years ago that most times when you get a nail in the rear tire it means the front tire, most likely, picks it up and makes it ready to impail into the rear tire. I also learned that, if you have a mudflap on the front fender, it will knock the nail down and out of the way so it doesn't go into the rear. I have found it to be working since I've only had one rear flat and that, I believe, was because I found the mudflap to be so wind blown and well worn that it was not keeping its shape and so I don't think it was able to knock nails away. I was going to replace it but getting ready for a rally made me forget. :-) Below you can see my '83 Aspencade with the rear tire off and the bike up on blocks. To fix the flat a friend took it in his side car (just behind) to a garage to get it plugged from the inside.
| Here are some pictures of my 1500's front fender with a fender extension and a rubber mudflap below that. I got the mudflap from local accessory place. It's just a blank rubber mudflap. |
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About 6 years ago I got back into bicycling. I started commuting to work but in the winter it was a bit too cold in the mornings and I decided to ride at lunch time. In order to do that I had to get the bicycle to work and this is how I did it.
| This is the complete rack when it's off the bike. |  |
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The normal ball mount that I got with the Markland hitch has an angle so when the tounge is hooked on the trailer is level. So I had to buy a flat mount because using the angled one would make the rack a bit too high and flipping it would make it scrape when going up & down driveways. |
| These two pictures below are of the Hitch Tight that I found to help hold the mount in the reciever and it keeps the rack from wobbleing when the bike is up on it. The right picture shows the corners that I had to cut off so it would work with the Markland's hitch design. The whole thing becomes top heavy and the slight loosness in the hitch didn't help. I also use two small nylon ratcheting cords like this Thule Tie Down that have hooks and one end has a ratchet so I can just pull it tight. I hook them to the two helmet locks and they go around the base of the "T" rack. It really helps with the wobble. Most of this bike rack stuff I got from a local Rack Shop. | |
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I found a vendor while up in Washington at the District rally one year that was selling a neat pair of foot shields he made. They are thin sheets of plastic cut to fit around and under the engine guard and inbetween the front cowling. There is also a small bracket that has to be pop-riveted to the muffler covers. Here are a few pictures to help show what I mean: (The wood is under the side stand because the bike is parked on a sloping driveway).
Below is one of the plastic foot shields and as you can see the "U" cut is where it fits onto the lower front bar of the engine guard and the left side would go in between the front cowling and the muffler cover. The bottom (as you see it) would fit into the bracket on the muffler cover. The black rubber piece you can see is my addition and when the footwarmer is in place the rubber rubs up against my floor board and is a little more help to keep my feet warm. The whole peice bends a little and it bows outward which creates the protection.
Pointing to the front of the bike
Pointing to the rear of the bike and shielding my feet
| What it looks like with the shields in place on the bike. Look close and you can see the rubber flap rubbing up against the driver floor boards which really makes for warm feet. Since its an SE I also have the little doors that open and allow the warm air from the engine to make my feet and knees even warmer. Add the Wingwarmers that direct the warm air from the radiators and I'm nice and toasty! (added note-The new 97 doesn't have the wingwarmers so I use plastic delfectors instead./td> |  |
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