The re-Paint

In my infinite wisdom, I decided that the flames on the tank needed a white pinstripe to make them pop... didn't like it. Apparently pin striping is a little harder than it looks online.

So I sanded my mistakes away, and repainted the tank. Fortunately it looks better now than it did before.

On our last trip to El Paso, I was able to pick up some Yamabond #4 and bolted the two engine cases together! Now I just need to finish up the rest of the engine, install it, work on the timing and sync the carbs, kick all of the gremlins out of the electrical system and a few other things that I haven't read about yet... and I will be good to go!!

Wiring Harness has been tamed

Anyone who has ever torn into an XS1100 will tell you that the electrical system is a jumbled mess of many many wires. I have been afraid of messing with the harness because it has so many arms with multiple connectors and wires attached. I looks like the remains of some cyborg sea monster hanging from the rafters in my garage.

We yesterday I brought it out, set it on the bike and in under two hours I had it back in place. I haven't hooked up the battery or the head and tail lights, so I don't know if it works yet, but, the connector are connected and those that aren't are ready to meet their match when I get the engine and lights in place.

I found one of the two headlights that I am going to us at Harbor Freight in Tucson over spring break. I ordered the other online, but I wouldn't recommend using their online ordering system. Have a friend in a town with a Harbor Freight buy what you need and ship it to you.

As soon as I am able to get the battery and lights installed, I will post photos.

Paint issues

The day we left for California over spring break to attend the Game Developers Conference and take the kids to Disneyland, I received a call telling me that the engine casing had been bead blasted with plastic beads and was ready to be picked up.

So I haven't had much of a chance to work on the bike.

This last weekend however, I did get the chance to clean and paint the calipers and reassemble the front brakes. They look nice, though I think I should have taken more photos of the bike as I disassembled it.

I did sand through a part of the silver flames and had to touch it up before I can clear coat the tank.

I still have to clean a billion tiny plastic beads from the engine casing, and figure out how to make the wire harness work. but all in all it looks like the light at the end of the tunnel may not be a train.