I'm probably coming across a bit ADD given how I asked about shocks the other day, then mentioned a leaking water pump and possibly cylinder head/exhaust gasket leak, and now I'm going to change the subject yet again. A co-worker of mine has a theory about people in our line of work and short attention sp---
SQUIRREL!!!
Anyway...
I received my new Uni air filter in the mail yesterday, a set of Renthal "Superbike" handlebars in the mail today, and an Oregon Motorcycle Parts regulator/rectifier in the mail a few days ago. I went with a Uni rather than an OEM or K&N filter since the Uni was a reputable -- but less expensive -- alternative to the K&N, which I've used on my XS750 and which I've used on a couple of cars I used to own. Based on my experience with the cars, I won't put a K&N or similar filter on another fuel-injected machine (even the factory-oiled filter gunked up the MAF sensor), but they're fine on carbureted engines, IMHO. The OEM filter was even more expensive than the Uni, and can't be washed, re-oiled and reinstalled, so I figured it was worth giving the Uni a try.
The regulator/rectifier required snipping and crimping a wire, but that wasn't a huge deal. I took a little liberty with the install instructions, and used the old regulator's plug to fabricate a connection to the new R/R unit like so:
...then snip one of the green wires on the wire harness and run the wire from the regulator plug to the opening where the green wire was:
After firing up the engine, I was rewarded with 13.5-14.5 VDC at various engine speeds, instead of 16.7VDC.
Installing the new handlebars was a piece of cake: use compressed air to blow the left-hand grip off the OEM bars, loosen up the bolt on the clutch perch, loosen the screws that hold the turn signal and horn housing, loosen up the two screws that hold the throttle housing, loosen up the two bolts that hold the brake perch and master cylinder, then remove the four allen bolts that clamp the handlebars to the triple tree. Once the handlebars are free, slide the throttle, brake perch, turn signal/horn housing and the clutch perch off the old handlebars, and slide them on the new handlebars.
I ran into two snags with this process, however. First, the bracket that holds the brake perch in place was chrome, while every other component -- and the new handlebars themselves -- were black, so I took a can of Krylon to the bracket. Second, I wanted lower bars, but the "Superbike" handlebars are *REALLY* low. After running into this problem on my XS750 build, I knew that it was possible that the control cables (clutch, throttle) might be too long with the Renthal handlebars, and sure enough, they were. I was able to re-route the throttle cables so that they work (but they look sloppy, so I'll fix them eventually), but the clutch cable wasn't going to happen, no matter how I routed it. Fortunately, I found...
http://ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=36507
...^^^good instructions on how to shorten a cable^^^
...and with that guide, I was able to shorten the clutch cable so that it would work with the new handlebars. The throttle cables look like they might be a little more difficult, due to the adjuster at the throttle side, but maybe If I adjust the carb side of the cables...? We'll see.
Here are a couple of photos before I got the clutch cable installed:
...and another with everything back in place:
I'm really not liking the stock mirrors with those lower bars, though
And of course, I can't make progress without running into another problem, and the work today was no exception. One of the main drivers for the lower handlebars, since the old ones were perfectly serviceable, was that the new braided stainless steel brake lines that the P.O. provided with the sale of the bike were about an inch too short. Consequently, I couldn't connect the new lines and test the rebuilt brake cylinders until the new bars were installed. After installing the new handlebars today, I connected up the brake lines...and found that the master cylinder doesn't seem to actually pump any fluid at all. So, I'll be tearing apart the "rebuilt" (so the P.O. told me, anyway) master cylinder soon, unless I just decide to replace it outright. I've got an extra M/C from a FZR750 sitting in the garage, but I can't find the other half of the clamp. I'm pretty sure the spare M/C has a 16mm bore, which according to Randakk's web site is approximately the right size for a GL1000 (5/8 inch is roughly 15.9mm), so that might be a quicker, easier option than trying to rebuild the original M/C. And from what Randakk says, the 16mm M/C should provide better feel and operation than the OEM M/C. I dunno...I'll figure something out.