[FattRat]

I'm still trying to get things sorted out, but I might be there now.....

My left-over 'flat track' bars were VERY wide and made steering EFFORTLESS, but I couldn't ride with my arms sticking out that far.... besides, I wanted to put some bar-end mirrors on the bike. I replaced them with HD Drag Bars yesterday but the controls didn't quite clear the tank, so I added my risers this morning.

I also replaced my cool Black powder coated tank badge with a more retro (or Thunderbird) tank badge. I cut out the rubber beneath it though so you could see the Red through the grid.... kinda like I remember when I was a kid.

Finally I mounted the seat cowl so I could remove it. I then assembled some tools, tire sealer, and bungee cords to stash under it.

Check it out:

Rubber cutaway & clear plastic to replace it to show tank color through grid:

Seat cowl removed to expose cutaway passenger seat to double as a stash:

What I have stashed in a helmet bag under the cowl:

Tool overkill:

HD "Drag Bars" w/risers & cheap bar-end mirrors:

The BonnieRed:

I have yet to go out this morning to see how the drag bars with risers work; but I better do it soon before the rain sets in. In the garage at least, they feel pretty good.

 

[rodburner]

Awesome Pat.

 

[D9]

Pat,

The bonnie red just looks better and better and better - bar end mirrors look especially good, cheapies or not - also like the look of of the raised drags in combo with the mirrors - the whole bike is outstanding - great work! And... seeing the red color of the tank thru the tank badge is also a superb detail...

Sweet!

Cheers,

D9

[ This message was edited by: D9 on 2006-11-26 12:25 ]

 

[sweatmachine]

those bars look great, your tank badge treatment is cool, and I love those wheels! The red stripe on the wheels really brought them out.

NICE NICE NICE!!!

Ride that thang!

 

[Spyder94]

Your Rattness, as usual your talent for all things motorcycle have shown through again.

:clap: :clap: :bow: :bow:

Steve, gears and such


:yayyy: :chug: :yayyy:

 

[JMV2006]

It’s looking better all the time! :upthumb:
GREAT Bonnexton! :chug:

Pat, I got the curved stripes for my rims but to apply them is another story.
Either my skills are dreadful or these things are extremely hard to set nicely.
Yours look beautiful though!
Can you give me some clues on how to do it? :wink:

 

[FattRat]

"Bonnexton"..... I like that. Interesting too, 'cause I was just wondering (while out for a quick 50 miler) how to adjust those Thruxton tube pre-loads. I'm under the impression that my suspension is in dire need of getting dialed in. Got all this adjustment potential, and I haven't sought the help of the shop that put my shocks & tubes together for me when it was all parts-is-parts. It feels like the ass-end of the bike is too low.

Anyway JMV, those stripes.....
Ya gotta eyeball it, have confidence in your abilities, and not stress about getting it "perfect". My first attempt was with the wheel off the bike, the rest with them ON the bike.... no big deal. Rotate the wheel while you apply the strip of stripe so that your vantage point, lighting, and shadow is the same. Eyeball an equal distance from stripe to edge of rim... I put mine in the center. Don't over-stretch the pin stripe, but keep it taut. I overlapped the adjoining pieces and paid particular attention to how my curve of stripe would meet up with the original. Once on and you step back to look at your handiwork, you won't be able to tell that it's all askew.... it'll look good, don't fret! Hell, the stuff is cheap enough anyway.....

[ This message was edited by: FattRat on 2006-11-26 16:26 ]

 

[HiVel]

Lookin good Pat!

 

[doctorjay]

Super job Pat....The look is definitely unique and one-of-a-kind. I bet you get alot of questions on it....

 

[SCCTrim]

Pat, I'm intrested in how you find the hd drag bars comfort wise. I realize you have rear set's on so that will be different in some respect to my bike.

Thanks

 

[FattRat]

SCC.....
I believe the Harley Davidson "Drag Bars" are one in the same as those used on the 'Night Train'. I rode around with 'em without the risers for a day and liked the resulting wrist angle.... of course as you suggest, I'm doing it with rear-sets.

I then added the risers to the mix this morning because my starter button and horn button were hitting the tank badge, besides.... my brake line banjo bolt limited the angle I could run the bars at. Once raised via risers, they cleared everything except my Thruxton preload adjustment.... THAT was my only limiting factor, but all was good anyway.

So I take the bike for a quick spin (50 miles), and all that I could think was to post on the board how good this combination was:
Whoa! M Bars (right side up, up side down), Clubman bars, factory bars with & without risers, and Sportster bars. But these Harley Drag Bars with risers may be about perfect, regardless of rear-sets or not!!!

At this juncture, rear sets and HD Drag Bars ($49.00) w/risers, is a very comfortable seating position. The only way I could think to improve on it would be to replace the aggressive Raask rear-sets with Norman Hyde rear-sets.


BUT..... I haven't done a day in the saddle yet, it's raining now.

(Come to think of it, lemme compare the wrist angle of my Sporty bars to these drag bars. Everybody's ergos are different, this just might be what works for ME.....
Hmmmm, Sporty bars have a little more pullback, but very close.....)

 

[SCCTrim]

What riser's are you using Pat?

 

[FattRat]

I believe they are the risers available through either one of our friendly on-line vendors, newBonneville or BellaC'.....

When I bought the BonnieBlack with it's 800 miles, my buddy thought he would do me a favor and put risers on it so I could reach the bars. Hated 'em on the factory Bonnie bars. I later powder coated them Black and used 'em with some success when I sported M Bars.

I thought I lost the risers, then found them among my parts-is parts pile. Gonna hafta put some stuff up for sale soon.....

 

[SCCTrim]

Ok...I'll bite...what ya got man.

2ndly, I'd like a more accurate descript of the risers. I was hoping you were gonna tell me you were using hd risers as I could just go buy them. While seemingly unappreciative of the effort's of our aftermarket vendor's we have to pull from, it's really just frustation of having to wait and wait for my stuff to arrive.


It never fail's, regardless of what I order...I'm waitin around.
The money on the otherhand seem's to fly from my account with the greatest of ease....( imagine that )

 

[FattRat]

I know what ya mean with regard to wanting & waiting. I've had luck getting what I've ordered pretty quickly with both vendors though..... save for only one order.

The risers I used look exactly like these, I'm sure that's where my buddy got 'em:
- risers -

Stuff I wanna sell?
I hate to part with that Bikini fairing I paid the BIG BUCKS for from Omar's, that I painted Black & clear coated, that I sprayed the inside with truck-bed liner, that I modified to fit back and over the headlamp housing, with purchased & signal relocation hardware..... but hey, money talks!

Brand new, unused LSL ignition relocation kit. This stuff is pretty substantial! It also is available via one of our vendors, but he won't take it back without the original packing..... can't say as I don't blame him.

A sexy Black powder coated handlebar clamp with Gold painted "Triumph" letters.... modified to accept a powder coated Black (& chrome) GPS or 'whatever' mount. I tried mounting a video camera to it, but had no luck.

I guess I may as well sell the Triumph cordura saddlebags with rails I powder coated Black. They were brand new & unused, but got road rash on the underside of one bag. I had the local Leatherworks patch it up with some leather.... looks good, and not very conspicuous. But I have Krauser hard bags I can put on the FZ1 if I need to do some miles on a bagger.

Uhhhh, lowers for an FZ1, Givi tall windshield for an FZ1, frame sliders for an FZ1, chrome radiator grill for an FZ1........

I don't know, it's getting late and I'm not thinking well after that phone call that interrupted this post. But that's all that I can thimk of at this point......

Jeez, I soooo wanted to take the bike out for another spin today after dialing in the levers, readjusting/tightening the mirrors, and installing a NEW filter & NEW Mobil 1 "Racing T" synthetic!!!! The bike has a thousand miles on it now, and running pretty good. Anybody wanna make me rich by offering me millions of dollars for a one-of-a-kind Bonnie with alloy wheels?

 

[McQueen]

...in my best James Brown scream, "JUMP BACK!"

awesome, man. awesome.

 

[SCCTrim]

Hey Pat, I eased out on a limb today and went to battlefield hd here in pa. Got myself a set of dragbars, only got to ride down the street by the time I had them mounted....feel's good man.

Thanks


1st bike I've ever rode where I kinda leaned forward like that, gotta admit it was comfortable.

bar risers are otw....gotta becareful how far I turn her till then.

 

[KingStreetRat]

atta boy. got them handle bar mirrors. Not get rid of that bulbous tail light assy. and you got your'n self a cafe racer to beat all.

 

[FattRat]

Converts..... we're slowly becoming a group of growing converts to the 'leaning forward' position. There was a thread recently submitted by a rider who switched from the up-right riding position.... and he commented that his back has never felt better!

I put some pretty aggressive Raask rear-sets on, but was given some home-made hardware designed to lower them..... I like 'em where they are though. And with lower bars, it felt pretty good.

But with these HD "Drag Bars" AND risers.... it now feels 'RIGHT'. Keeping in mind that I am of short torso and with short arms, my seating position is still kinda aggressive, but juuuuust right.

Comfort around town at 45 mph is a far cry from comfort at speed. You gotta MAKE the wind work for you at freeway speeds, you gotta be leaning forward a bit. Sitting upright is nothing more than replicating a parachute catching all that wind.

I'm anxious to see what ya think of your new riding position 'SCC', and how well those risers work out for you. Adding some good bar-end mirrors (CRG "lane splitters" or Napoleons) will then open a world of improved visibility and a 'cool' factor that's hard to beat. But I think the bomb would be to finally add some (expensive) Norman Hyde rear sets.....

 

[toocaffeinated]

WOW! Thats a one-of-kind bonnie. All that hard work is paying off. I am amazed at what some of you mechanically inclined fellas are able to pull off. Very impressed!!!!

[ This message was edited by: toocaffeinated on 2006-11-28 00:39 ]