New tank for Déjà Vu

I'm definitely swapping the tins on this bike for my 2003 Cosmic Splendor Red set of tins.


Swap over the two mounting grommets and collars, gas gauge sending unit, and petcock. I should have ordered new rubber gaskets for the petcock and sending unit, but hopefully these work okay a second time.


Swap the gas cap, too.


A quick mock-up, because I ran out of time. I'm really liking this bike. I'm sad that I'll have to put a big two-up seat, sissybar, and big bags on it, but I bought it to be a fully functionally two-up bike to haul my sons on.

Hypercharger to Mooneyes: Part 3

I got myself a new Honda Accord radiator cap. It holds pressure, but it's kind of on the bottom of the spec though. Better than what I had.


Cut one tab off and the cap fits fine.


Back to getting the airbox squared away. This hose is to the crankcase breather that goes back in the stock airbox.


Here's were it comes out of the crankcase.


Here's what you need for a new crankcase breather.


Chop down the stock hose out of the crank case breather.


Good to go.


I have now successfully swapped the hypercharger for the mooneyes air filter kit, re-jetted the carb properly, removed the already bypassed REED valve system, bypassed the carb warmer, and moved the crankcase breather. This is all basic stuff that should be done when doing an open airbox to a 1500 Vulcan.

Hypercharger to Mooneyes: Part 2

Alright, alright. Lummie welded up the nipples on my coolant pipes for my carb warmer bypass. If you want to run OEM parts you can buy the pipes for an FI 1500 Vulcan, but be sure to get the rubber hose to the head for FI model, too. The FI head pipe is shorter than the carb head pipe and won't reach the carb'ed rubber hose.


Water pump pipe in place.


Head pipe in place.


Time to get the rest of the anti-freeze out. I have always wondered why all the service manual have instructions to wash the burp can with dishsoap. After seeing this burp can, I understand.


Fill it up, shake it until the bubbles stop.  Fill it again, over and over.


Fill the burp can, too. When I get it running again, I will bleed it, too.


Let's check the radiator cap while we are here. Yep, it's about half what it should be. I'll need to replace that.


I had all the metal parts of the airbox adaptor powdercoated. They look sweet.


I love this airbox set-up. Remember you saw it on a 1500 Vulcan here, first.

Shovelhead front end problems

I changed the front tire on my shovelhead. I never have quite figure out this mess of a front end that came with my basketcase way back when. It's a 77-83 FX 35mm dual disk front with the pinch caps on both legs and has an aftermarket conversion kit to wideglide, too. What a mess. If the motor work on this bike hadn't drained me, then I would have gotten something different for it a while back.

So anywho, I was riding around and the front end feels squirrelly in a turn and my speedo quits. I come home and find this. UGH.


It should be something like this.


So, as near as I can tell, you get both pinch clamps kind of close to tight and torque the front axle to 50ft*lbs, then torque the pinch clamps to spec. I kept getting a nasty gap between the speedo drive and right leg. I'm sure it was riding on a high spot like this and spun loose causing my problem.


Finally, I got the speedo drive and right leg into their (hopefully) happy place.

Clearance Issues

Well, I'm still shaking things out on the Shovelhead rear end re-do. I finally got my rear GMA brake caliper bleed. Taking it off the bracket pointing the bleed nipple up seem to help a bunch. I was still dragging though. Well duh. I moved everything forward and now the rotor rubs an acorn nut on my toolbox mount.


I cut a few threads off and used a standard nut on it. It's good to go again.

Fixing the 1500 Vulcan Alternator

So the stator is bad. I got to doing research on a replacement. The regulators are the same part number for inner and outer. That makes sense, but the stators show two part numbers and some aftermarket units show either fitment. So what's the difference? Denny606 had it figured out. The stator are basically the same, but the length of the wires are different. Here's a side-by-side comparison(image stolen from ebay) not the case joint rubber location specifically.


So Talon sent me an inner to see if I could make it work as an outer.



The shift lever and cover need to come off.


The bolts are different lengths so take note of the order.


This bad stator doesn't look too awfully smoked out.


One of the ignition pick-ups needs to be removed. Curiously, it's not marked as JIS with a dot, but it was a JIS based on my fit tests.


If you want to work on Japanese bikes then you need JIS screwdrivers. This one is a Vessel Impacta. It's got the impact driver built in. I don't think I could have gotten this thing about without it.


Another hold down.


I have the No. 3 version of the Impacta as well.


The backside looks a little more smoked out.


Yep. Definitely a shorter lead.


I'm not real sure if I will need to solder a longer lead on or what. But the outer wrap outside the case rubber needs to go.


The case rubber was originally stuck in position. I poked an awl around each of the wires in the rubber and I managed to get the rubber to come loose and slide up and down the wires. Perfect!


Put everything back together.


Put the dowel in the main case and gasket on the dowels. If you try it the other way, the magnet of the rotor will pull the gasket off the outer cover every attempt to put it together.


Don't forget the shifter pivot, too.


Don't pinch these wires either.


So I have it together.  I left the plug on it so I can use the other regulator to check the stator. I should have checked the outer regulator with the inner stator before I cut the plug off the outer regulator.


WHEW HOO! The stator is charging fine with the inside regulator.

So now I need to solder it to the outer stator wires.


Looking good.


HOORAY!! This rigged up stator/regulator combo charges great, well over 14 volts. Even over 14 volts with both alternators hooked up and the spots running, too. Success.

Same front tag

My wife took this picture because this truck is running the same front plate as we run on our mini-van.

Déjà Vu: Spot lights done correctly

This light bar needs rewired. The spotlights come on with the key as wired now . That means they will pull on the battery when you are trying to start the bike. I would bet it's tapped into marker lights with a scotch lock, too. That's bad because it could come loose and if you want to replace the 25 watt lights with 50 watt lights you will pop fuse. 25 watt lights are really a trick to come by.


I really don't like how this is routed with no shrinkwrap either.


Here's the tap.


Not a scotch lock, but I'm still going to move it.


This is the best way to wire a light bar on 1500/1600 Vulcan. The Aux circuit gives you a 10 amp fuse. Tapping the blue/yellow headlight turn-on wire, means the lights won't come on until the motor runs. The lighted switch means you can turn them off if you want and see if there's power to the switch.


Build a two wire harness to go from the Aux lead and ground lead that are under the tank. (Those are in the headlight bucket on a 1600.)


Route it.




I didn't get pictures of the wires from the switch side, but you need 4 wires when using a lighted switch. One to the spotlight itself, one for each side of the switch, and ground to make the light of switch work.

I used a square relay I had on hand, and I discovered that had to clearance the headlight backing to fit everything. Last time I used a Pilot Brand with Molex Socket relay it's smaller and fits fine.


The worst part of this project is that I won't be able to test it until I get antifreeze back into the engine and a fuel tank back on it and then fire it off.