Got the new oil tank, gas tanks, and pipes on

     Still waiting on the 12" apes to arrive.  The drag bars hit the tank when turned all the way right, well the throttle cable will anyways.  I sat on the bike with the new tanks mounted and I'm not positive I like them.  I do like the new oil tank alot and I can live with the pipes.  My walmart camera doesn't take very good pictures without natural sunlight.  I have the day off tomorrow and I'm going back out to the garage to see if I can make the spacer I need to fit between the frame tab and the flatside tank mounts for the lower front bolts.  Then I can drill the hole for the top front mount.

I had to rotate the shifter one spline forward to get it to clear the oil tank on the up shift without hitting.  I think it will work out well tho because now it sits a little lower under my leg and more forward so it is easier to find it.

I also found the two little screws and plastic hold down tab for the stator wires and installed them tonight.  Now that I found them I can install the rotor and the belt drive.  With the primary belt installed I can make the braces for the front portion of the transmission plate.

Dan R from The Horse tech board told me I better make a re-enforcement for the trans mounting plate where it is welded to the seat post if I am going to run without an inner primary or motor plate.  It'll break right away if I don't.

Exhausting

     I have had alot of difficulty getting a set of pipes on this bike.  I wanted originally to have a lakes pipe style with both cylinders going 2-1 down the side of the bike with the machine gun tip I made on the Smithy.  My pipe fitting / modifying skills are not as good as I would like them to be.  So far I have ruined every pipe I have tried to put on the bike.

     The pipe in this picture is from a 2010 Streetglide.  If fits nice under the kicker, but has a catalytic converter in it.  I cut the end of the pipe off to try and get the cat out.  I expected the insides to be kind of ceramic and easy to break out, not the case at all.  I didn't completely ruin this one, but I have abandoned using it for now.

     I have had the major pieces for this bike for several years now.  Last month marked the 9 year anniversary of when I bought the frame.  Thats a pretty pathetic build time.  I have wanted to build as many parts for the bike as possible.  As it turns out I'm just not as good at making parts as I want to be.  I ordered some parts today to give this project a little jump start, also changes the plan a little bit.

     I have a set of 1 3/4" shotgun drag pipes in the garage right now.  I also have on the way a round chrome oil tank, and a set of 3.5 gallon flatside split tanks.  Buying these parts instead of making them myself makes me feel a little bit like a sell out.  However I have justified it to myself that I can always make my own oil tank and put it in.  I just need to complete this project and get it on the road.  I can always add, or change it later.

The bigger tanks may cause problems with the low handlebars.  I haven't completely decided yet but if they don't fit I am probably going to swap on a set of Khromewerks 12 inch narrow bottom ape hangers.  They have been on my list of possible bars for quite a while.  I'll have the tanks mounted up by next Monday night and I'll make up my mind then.