Triumph Axles, pt 2

Part 1 showed the front axle. Now time for the rear.

Unlike the front axle, where I could use stock that was the proper diameter for the wheel bearings, the rear had to be turned to size. This axle will be a hair over 10.5" long when done. When you're turning a piece that long, and the diameter has to be consistent over its length, it's a good idea to check your lathe. I adjusted the lathe to within .001" over 11". That's pretty good for a 50 year old Logan. The center portion of the axle is .785" and the ends will be threaded to 3/4-20.

Triumph Axles, pt 1

In the process of rebuilding the Organ Donor, she needs new axles. The old front end was a springer, and I'm switching back to a telescopic. The rear of the frame is slightly wider, and I want to switch to big-twin style adjusters. What this means is that I need a front spool axle, and an extended rear.
I don't know where to buy a spool axle, the one on LaCucaracha has been with that bike since the 70's. The one place I know to get an extended rear axle doesn't know when they will have more in stock. Time to make some new parts.

The front axle consists of three parts: the axle and two end caps. Here's all three, ready to be threaded. For those who don't know all the lingo and mumbo-jumbo in chopper land, when we are talking about "spool" front ends, it just means that the wheel and/or axle are not equipped for a brake.

Solar Power

I like gasoline. I like fossil fuels in general. The more the merrier.
Anywho, I've owned my house for five years now. In that time, I have never had electricity in my garage. It's a pain in the arse. I could have a trench cut and run power out there. That's expensive, plus I'd have to cut my nice garage floor and sidewalk that I paid good money for.
A friend of mine gave me the idea to try solar power. I don't have a large electrical requirement out there. During the summer, my Aprilia sits on a battery tender and I wanted to have a light or two inside, plus a security light outside.
Solar power seemed like a good idea. So I took the plunge. Well, not quite a plunge, more like dipping my toe in the water. I ordered a basic 100 Watt starter kit from Renogy. At under $200 it's a good way to start. I already have a small inverter and a battery, so I was able to try this out on the cheap. As a bonus, I could finally stop running that cord out to the garage. I'm sure that it's against code, and really not a good idea anyway.

This is the 100 Watt panel. The toes of my trusty size 10 Chucks ought to give you a sense of scale. If that doesn't do it, the lawn mower should give you a better idea.

Ahhhhhh....

That's an "ahhhhhh" of relief. I finished my friend's '69 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide. My chopper is on the road. The Aprilia is running...hmmmm, running isn't a fast enough word. That thing is like riding on a laser beam. I'll probably never use more than 10% of that bike's capability. But, hey, I look good!

I'm finally slowing down! I can take things at my usual leisurely pace. With all of those other projects out of the way, I'm back to working on my Southbend lathe. More photos of the progress have been added to that page.
The lathe has a long to-do list. Most of the parts have been stripped and solvent cleaned and are ready for paint. I've identified the parts that require replacement, and just have to pull myself together enough to feel OK with dropping a few hundred bucks for parts. I can start machining the new cross slide while I'm working through the paint work. The bed is the only part that still needs to be stripped. So, we should start to see the lathe come together soon.

Aprilia Gas Tank

The last time I worked on my Aprilia, I may have gone on a nice little rant about ethanol fuel. Ethanol fuels cause certain types of plastic and composite fuel tanks to swell. It's a little irritating when you go to put a tank back on a bike and it is longer than it is supposed to be and won't fit back on. The solution? Well, I got a used tank to run on the bike until my original one dries out and shrink back down.

With the two front mount bolts removed, the tank will pivot up. The two lines in the upper left are vents, simply disconnect them. The upper right hand line is the return. When you pull that line, if there is any gas in the tank, it will come out there. The banjo close to the center is the pressure line from the pump. A little gas will come out of there, but not a lot. The leads coming out of the bottom right go back behind the batter. They have a connector back there that simply unplugs.

Aprilia Stator (pt 2)

Going by hit count, nobody is reading here anymore. Ah well. I'm going to keep typing away into cyberspace anyway. To the three of you who read Part 1, here's the rest...

This is one of those shots that doesn't show much. Just know that the stator wires are routed through there somehow and it will all be good.

Aprilia Stator (pt1)

The last time I worked on my Aprilia, I determined that the stator needed to be replaced. Here's the teardown:

Brandy new Rick's stator, purchased from AF1 Racing. A quality unit at a fraction of the cost of OEM. An Aprilia stator is around a thousand bucks. This is about $140.