LANCER wrote on 02/23/24 at 19:13:32:


I am using a Suzuki GT550 seat.  A friend has a garage full of old motorcycles and I looked around and just couldn't find a seat that worked better than the GT550....which is also the fuel tank I am using.  I don't really like the "flat board" look of a lot of the modern factory or aftermarket seats.

The seat coming from Vietnam is a new seat for the GT550 without the chrome trim along the side.

The chrome grab rail and rack behind the seat is likely optional and was not on the bike as sold by Suzuki - I won't be able to use that as it mounts to the shocks and the Savage shocks are in a different location.  

LANCER wrote on 02/24/24 at 04:56:15:


$179 - It takes a month to get here!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115757951363?itmmeta=01HQDNZW29D6887495C2RE2VKF&hash...

The chrome trim one is a bit more expensive, and I didn't think the chrome added anything to my build.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115757963680?itmmeta=01HQDNZW29D9ME4RYEC3710WEH&hash...

Today I worked on sorting through parts and getting things that go on this bike in a nearby box, and created a list of parts to order.

I also sorted through my wiring harnesses and found the best one.  I had one that was mostly junk, one that came with this theft recovery bike and had some wires cut, and I had a good wiring harness I bought many yeas ago from a parts bike.

I am looking to see where the battery, rectifier, starter solenoid, and other miscellaneous bits are going to be mounted - as I won't be using the stock airbox or battery box.  I also don't know what type or size of battery I am going to use.  The EarthX lithium battery in the Cafe' bike is still going strong after 12 years of service - so it is tempting to use that again.  The reason I am considering something else is that if I am out on the road and I have a battery fail - getting a replacement EarthX in a hurry is not likely to happen.  I may be better off with a more standard battery that I could replace at a dealer or even Tractor Supply, Autozone or similar stores.

I cut about a pound of electric stuff I won't need - decompression solenoid, side stand switch, clutch switch, sidestand relay, sidestand diode, decompression relay.  The stuff at the bottom of the photo is what was cut out of the harness.

DragBikeMike wrote on 02/28/24 at 13:15:26:


Mostly because the EarthX is small - and if it craps out while I am away from home I likely won't be able to find anything to fit to get home.

I suppose I could do what a friend of mine did when the charging system went out on his bike.  He bought a car battery and strapped it to his luggage rack and extended wires to reach the original powers wires - and he unhooked his headlight to save power.  The battery kept powering his bike for the 10 hours or riding it took to get home.

I likely would not have to buy a car battery - but if I could not find a battery that fit in the box I could put it in the luggage and extend the wires.

I believe your are right as usual DragBikeMike......if I put in the EarthX both my bikes will have the same battery.  The battery is small and only weighs a bit more than a pound - so I could even carry a spare from the other bike if I was on a long trip and wanted some security......or I could just make and a set of cable extensions and pack them very easily.
https://www.batterymart.com/p-ltx12a-earthx-etx12a-battery.html?gclid=Cj0KCQj...

ThumperPaul wrote on 02/29/24 at 11:41:22:


Well that is a good price - but I would have 199 left over!

The seat may not be big enough.  I tried a seat from a Honda CB125S and the shape was nice - but it was too narrow to work with the width of the GT550 tank.

Yeah I save those long bolts for shortening for projects. Both my BSAs have a bolt that passes thru both cradle tubes and engine , similar to the Savage. Nice chrome head on the bolt with some chrome or SS washers and a chrome acorn nut looks real slick.

I laid the bike down so that I didn't need to crawl under the frame to weld.