This just in: Zazzle, my print on demand provider, has a sale tonight only, December 9, 2011, for 50% off Mugs and Ornaments. Check out the goods at the Cartoon Thunder Store and use discount code MUGAFTERDARK at checkout.
In case you missed it yesterday (because I completely spaced on getting it linked up), I posted a brief entry and a YouTube video on Troop Support. Dig it right here.
I had fun with that third frame–I haven’t had an electric start motorcycle since I was 19. I’ve had the same kick-only Shovelhead since I was 20. It’s not that I have some philosophical issue with kick vs. electric. Nah, I’m just a serious cheapskate and not terribly high tech.
With a kicker, I’m told I also save a few pounds (I was once told something like 30), and in my mind I also reduce the wiring complexity. Since I do my own wiring, I don’t have to figure out where to put relays and what have you. I thought I was uptown when I added a relay for my horn and had a working horn for the first time in twenty years. It’s admittedly kinda meepy-souding, but I guess it might be better than nothing. After all these years of no horn, though, I have no instinct for where the horn button is anymore.
At least you won’t confuse the horn button for the start button.
I got so mad at a cage driver once that, while trying to find the horn button with the little twisty throttle tensioner a smidge tightened, I…
..Well never mind, but it didn’t turn out nearly as bad as I was sure it was going to once I realized that road rage on a bike is always a bad idea.
Rob, the video on Tyler Southern was amazing. I wish we all had his “can-do” attitude, especially the politicians in Washington DC ! And the Scooter tramp Scotty is amazing in his own way. a pioneer on his iron pony trying to maintain an old time lifestyle.
As far as kickstarters, my Hondas and Shaft drive suzukis are lighter, faster and more reliable than your Harley. But if I have to explain that to you, you wouldn’t understand it anyway !! (LOL) Zukiman in Fresno ; -
Aah, yer just talkin’ smack now, Zuk! Hard to switch me over after this many years with my Shovel. NeverMIND you’ve probably logged more miles in the last five years than I have in twenty, but that’s not the bike’s fault. And what the heck does that have to do with kickstarters, aside from the minor weight issue?
Glad you like the video on Tyler. I was kinda blown away by his complete optimism. I got that thing posted kinda late, so I’ve already got next week’s in the hopper.
Glad you show up here to razz me once in a while…
Bet Santa’s elves don’t look like that. Kick only for about 20 years on my shovel.
I’ve been saying for years that when I grow up I’m getting electric start. There’s some evidence that I’ve growd up some, but no signs of electric start on my horizon. And I’ve had it for nearly 24 years.
Glad you like the elf babe.
there’s been times…
when I first got my Shovel in 1999, I didn’t know shit about it…didn’t realize that I needed a small piece of fuel line jammed in there to keep the charging system from coming unplugged…up until this point, I had ridden either kick-only dirt/dual-sport and bikes with a kicker and a ‘lectric button…
ever push started a cold Shovel? and I was always looking for hills to park on…finally went back to the shop I bought it from and they showed me the error of my ways.
when I lunched my trans a few years later, the replacement had a kicker “for backup purposes” and soon I found myself using it almost exclusively…
now that the Shovel is patiently awaiting a massive restoration effort and I’m putting around on a Vulcan 1500, I find that I miss going through the routine of kicking a large displacement bike motor over…tell me, why did they quit putting kickers on bikes?
Kicker wasn’t stock on my 79, but it seemed like a good way to avoid having to learn how to wire, install, and pay for the whole starter situation. I went to a different plug this year, and now it starts much easier. Runs a helluva lot faster, too.
Hint: never change to a different plug when your speedometer isn’t working.
yeah, it wasn’t stock on my ’79 either…
as for the wiring, it aint that hard, I made a whole new wiring harness for my FLH…went to town with some snippers and cut the entire old harness off including the handlebar wiring so I wouldn’t be tempted to re-use anything…ordered the handlebar harnesses, and wired everything else from scratch…instead of using a new stock style rear harness connector, I used a flat-four intended for trailers…easier to tuck in and cheaper too…
How much do you use relays to avoid putting too much amps through the handlebar switches? I’ve only done in this year for my horn, but now it seems like it would make sense on a few things. I find it kind of a pain looking for a place to mount ‘em, though. I put the horn relay under the top motor mount.
relays? one for the horn and one for the starter…
battery to relay, solenoid and button/ button to relay/ ground to relay/ relay to starter solenoid/ solenoid to starter motor
my FLH still has that big oogly nacelle on the front, so I tucked all that shit in there…not sure where it’ll go when I change things again, maybe I’ll get one of them ‘lectronic harnesses that has everything in one neat shiny box…that you then have to figure out where to mount the bastard…LoL