my learner bike

[KrisCarr]

I want to set out a plan to get my bike license as soon as I can. My dad's bike is awesome but I think it's too custom (and probably too fast) to learn on and test on. So I have this 1985 Honda shadow 500 I bought off my good friends at a-star automotive recyclers with clean papers for $100. problem is, it doesn't charge. I put a regulator in it but to no avail. So question #1, does anyone have parts for this? #2 : can I assume the stator is toast? or could there be something else going on?

[KrisCarr]

P.S after I'm all licensed up and riding my big boy bike, this one will be my wife's. so I plan on making it much prettier than it currently sits.

[Hans]

So, when you do your tests, you need to do them on a motorcycle that it 110% legal.  All the controls and signals have to work.  Otherwise they take your money and send you home.

Does the bike run in with a charged battery?  If so, you can see if the stator is producing while it is running at the input block of the rectifier with a multimeter.  Electrical can be a bugger to track down. 

[KrisCarr]

yes, if I charge the battery it runs. I've taken it down the street and everything else seems to be in working order. I don't have a key for it so I had to hot wire it but I'll put a new ignition in it once I get it charging.

[Hans]

ok, definitely the next step is to see if the stator is producing any current.  On your rectifier, you should have blocks of 4 coloured wires and a block of 3 yellow wires.  The input to the block of 3 yellow wires is from the stator.  Use the AC voltage function of a multimeter and check each of those 3 wires from the stator against a good ground when the engine is running.  You should see about 50 volts or better.

[KrisCarr]

thanks Hans, I'll give that a test when I get a chance. This damn working for a living shit gets in the way of my projects. lol

[KrisCarr]

so yesterday I went to test the stator. charged a battery, went out hooked it up, turn on the fuel and gas pours out onto the ground. A quick look and I see the fuel line coming off the tank is rotten. so I pull the tank. At this point I started smoking pot. Then I pulled out he factory air box and rearranged a bunch of wiring and started planing my cosmetic surgery on the old girl. Next thing you know I'm hammering in the side of my fuel tank and still haven't fixed the fuel line or tested the stator.

[KrisCarr]

finished dishing my tank. Some people say you shouldn't work while high, but it's hard to argue with how cool this looks. I'm thinking seafoam green with the "scalloped" area pearl white.

[KrisCarr]

tomorrow I'll do my body filler work and get rid of the hammer marks

[KrisCarr]

put a coat of 3m platinum plus lightweight body filler on this morning. Using a good quality product costs a little more but saves time in labour and holds up a lot better. don't use cheap bondo, you'll regret it.

[KrisCarr]

Being a car guy, I'm not 100% sure what you would call the style I'm going for, maybe retro-bob? all I know is that my inspiration comes from this '56 corvette. I want it to look as close to this as a bike can.

[Dennis]

Careful Kris.  This is how a bad custom bike habit starts.  First a little this, then a little that.

Then you have a garage full of bikes in various states of assembly/disassembly/modify and a never ending list of parts bought on Ebay waiting for delivery.  If you order parts while high, you may end up with duplicates or stuff that you thought were cool at the time.   I have two extra sets of CB350 fork ears.  I ordered three.  End then there are the forward controls for my ironhead Sportster ... I always ride with mid controls.  I don't even remember what I was thinking when I bought them.

Peace & Grease, Dennis

[KrisCarr]

well the way I roll is to build or source everything as close to free as possible. that didn't stop me from accumulating an acre of cars though. lol however it does keep me from online shopping whilst high. in fact, I've never purchased anything online, I'm old school. I like to hold something in my hand before I exchange cash for it. So far, this bike has cost me $100. I plan on keep it under $500 for the entire build. the only things I should have to buy new are a battery and tires, and possibly a stator.

[KrisCarr]

side note: having a fully stocked body shop in my back yard really helps keep my build costs down. I don't factor the price of paint or materials into my personal projects because I just chalk it up to business overhead.

[KrisCarr]

back when I first got this bike I chopped about 3 inches (and an ugly tail light) out of my rear fender. now I'm thinking of frenching a tail light into it and shortening the seat. something reminiscent of the corvette