street legal 2-strokes

[breakdirt916]

crap...so I totally didn't realize that Baja Designs has a $15 harness that plugs directly into an H4 harness:



it also operates as a dimmer switch to reduce the intensity of the headlight from 100% to 4% using your factory high/low beam switch

here I was planning on splicing the H4 connector to install the headlight

ordered up

[breakdirt916]

I need to get back to once/week rides...even if it's local on the street...helps to balance out work, & keeps me in touch w' YZ needs

a plate is essential if you live and ride within Orange County CA

started w' coffee and bagel



then cruised out to a local county dirt road 15 mins away to get some slide onnnn

except...

THEY PAVED IT



it's not really proper; it just look they laid asphalt on top of the existing dirt; so it's not perfectly smooth



oh well...one less quickie dirt area that was 15 mins from home...now budget 30 mins to touch dirt

so I decided it was a pavement day and decided to pre-run a low-speed route from the ocean to the mountain

Laguna Beach is the closest; but there aren't any beach parking lots. It's a small section of landscaped cliffs and walking paths with limited street parking, which is all metered.

and they don't even allow motorcycle parking at most of the spots.



bad ocean starting point, right?

wrong - they do have TWO parking spots for motorcycles and golf carts:



which is rad, because I'm guessing few people know about it, and it should generally be open most of the time.



Easier to find parking than a car!

that will be my starting point



16 miles: home to the beach
29 miles: 25mph-45mph pavement from Laguna Beach to the start of dirt
10 miles: 15-25mph dirt road to mountain peak
27 miles: ride home
----------------------------
82 miles total

w' 3.4 gallons ~30mpg I can do it on one full tank of gas

[typeone]

you're bringing back ancient memories of when i flew into John Wayne for a biz meeting in Orange (Ortho Specialty Inst.) and consumed delishus tacos + suds in Laguna Beach that night. only time i've been to So Cal, sadly.

i had to wear a suit to the meeting. i sweat completely through a T, dress shirt AND suit coat presenting to those docs. beers when down fast and hard later on.

[breakdirt916]

laguna is sort of an artsy/bougee LGBT friendly progressive community...they definitely have some more quality tacos...was it Las Brisas?

sorry about the sweaty meeting...at least you flew to john wayne instead of the mess at LAX

EDIT: Cyclops Adventure still hasn't received the manufactured parts for shipping their helmet lamps due to COVID.

Found a guy selling a used tusk light for $40...may just pick that up for now + the baja designs setup.

Also thinking about using this place:



highly recommended by the old school motor re-builder here...unfortunately the guy had a stroke years ago, so his speech is a little challenging, but the quality of his work is supposedly very good. Grab a 2nd used WR250 coil from fleabay for $50 and have it wound.

[Kurlon]

His domain isn't his, appears to have been on the market since 2018.

[breakdirt916]

Affirmative: this is what I was told- website is down, but you can contact him by phone, he doesn’t always answer and his speech is slurred. But if you can get past that, he does good quality work.

I got in touch with him, but he was concerned that rewinding the lighting coil for most output may not have enough clearance under the flywheel.

50W Steahly is probably my best option.

[Kurlon]

There's ways to make room... I'll do some poking on the bench motor to see what I can figure out. If the IT490 coil is the same mount pattern, I suspect some milling of the stator plate to allow the coil to sit lower will do the trick and that should be an 85w setup.

[breakdirt916]

thanks dude!

but honestly it's fine as-is with the options available...a Steahly 50W w' 35% loss rectified to DC is still 32 watts

The Baja Designs headlight is only 26W at full power, tail/brake light can't be more than 6W, I plan on running at 4% during the day, then using an LED headlamp at night w' it as a backup

meanwhile in SoCal...

did I ever mention that the only constant here is change? well the "closest" MX track closed in December...bummer because I wanted to ride their flat track w' my 90/10 tires

so ya, if you are really about the MX/track life and want a track 15-30 mins away, you need to live inland



^ 6 MX tracks in blue...all 80-90ish mins away

There is still a flat track, but it's about an hour away in Perris CA.

regardless without flat track or supermoto in the near future, I'm switching back to knobbies for the local mountain runs, and planning for the desert season starting in October.

[MattR302]

I

Double check the orientation of that front tire; pretty sure you have it on backwards. It’s supposed to be opposite of the rear.

[breakdirt916]

oh shizzz.

will check that out, thanks!

got the $40 used tusk - came w' 2 batteries!

1 battery (2-4 hours) should be more than enough for a Wednesday night "hump day" ride, and local runs up the mountain...add the 2nd battery and I could do a full night session across the desert

comes on a GoPro mount, but reviews say they may break...going to try it on the ProShot Cam mount and just velcro it farther out for clearance...not sure if it'll be heavy; so I may also put a gopro mount on the top of the helmet and/or side



can't wait to try it out...looks pretty bright, but I want a proper test in the forests; when it's pitch black

is it a short distance flood light like other LED's or will it throw light down for distance?

next step: try to get rid of the couch next week so I can start using it as a workspace to hand clean her and swap the swing arm.

For the Crusty Demons/90's MX fans - this will amp you up to ride



***EDIT***

Tried out the tusk on the Ninja: on long open street sections, it's no better for distance than the low/high beam incandescents

However, in the forests, it's particularly useful:
1.) because it shines where you turn your helmet. Very useful as you look ahead into a turn/cornering
2.) flood pattern helps you see the trees/trail
3.) slightly more intense, white lighting

photos don't really capture it well:





But if you look carefully, you’ll see that the top picture actually has better “distance” - the edge of the beam pattern is where the road narrows ahead. While the bottom picture the light is more intense closer in front of the bike.

although this will work for now, I'm still holding out for the Cyclops light...

next step: test out the BD squadron

**EDIT #2**

Are you kidding me?



I waited 2-1/2 months for the Cyclops, got fed up & bought a used Tusk

6 days later, the Cyclops ships

oh well...going to get darker earlier soon...will be useful for night rides

Next dates:
-9/4-9/6: clean bike, clean carb, re-solder headlight connection, install baja designs headlight; battery, remove accessory plastics
-9/9-9/10: final prep; drop off @ Boyko Racing - water pump/crank inspection, WR swing arm swap, carb rebuild, linkage bearings
-10/17, 10/31, 11/14 weekends: LAB2V shakedown runs
-12/12, 12/26: Reche Canyon? Honda Valley? "the hills"? Phelan? Temecula? Lake Elsinore? Ocotillo Wells?

[breakdirt916]

chipping away a little bit at a time after work:





Today: organize storage unit, pull out stuff I don't need (ie. camping gear, FZR parts)

Street ride on Ninja sometime this week

[breakdirt916]

uh, the new baja designs headlight is a little smaller than the Acerbis





they also have these basic nifty brackets to adjust how far out the headlight sits



^^ I was trying to design these on my own, back I had issues with the brake line hitting the headlight.

I assumed I'd have to push the headlight out to clear the brake line; so I used the longest bracket



oops

so I put on the shorter bracket



just about right!

plenty of room for the brake line to move around

now just need to solder the broken wires on the headlight harness, and she should be good to go; integrated into the high/low beam switch

[breakdirt916]

Next dates:
-9/4-9/6: clean bike, clean carb, re-solder headlight connection, install baja designs headlight; battery, remove accessory plastics

gah, I'm a little behind here...I picked up an extra shift & spent one day at the beach..but anyways:

Headlight wires: soldered!
Baja designs headlight: plugged in!
New battery: installed!

I didn't realize how dead the original baja designs battery became after 5 years...it would barely hold a charge to run the taillight alone. With the new amazon battery, the taillight turns on and stays on with the main power switch as it was designed to. And the DRC phantom has fewer LED's/lower current draw than the DRC Edge, so the new battery should have even fewer issues.

however - the headlight didn't work...at all...not even a flicker.

ugh...going to need some trouble shooting...the resistor in the harness gets warm, so the bike is sending power to the plug, but for some reason the headlight doesn't turn on.

I may check the voltage w' a multimeter, then bench test the headlight with this handy dandy portable power supply:



Got it for $139+s&h from Amazon, and it runs 120V up to 200W. Can be re-charged via AC at home, DC in the car, or a $130 solar panel (sold separately). It powered the soldering iron and 120v fluorscent lights just fine...will have to test the ultrasonic cleaner, then eventually order up 12v LED shed lights which should last a long ass time.

I also started the dreaded hand cleaning process to prepare the bike for the mechanic.



I scrubbed and sprayed, and scrubbed and realized this is going to take awhile. The carb developed a slow leak of gas/oil premix in that area, so dirt just jumped on and is caked on everywhere. I had to scoop it off, then run a simple green filled shop towel over it several times. Carb cleaner worked more quickly, but started to remove the paint on the shock spring, and maybe even the frame; so I'm sticking to simple green. Parts will need to come off to get this properly cleaned, and the linkage is lost under the caked mud.

[Kurlon]

I'm floored you don't have a pressure washer.

[breakdirt916]

I bring it to a public power washing car wash and hose it down after rides, but honestly it doesn't do much.

The gas/oil/chain lube w' sand/dirt mix creates a sludge that is water repellent and you literally have to scrape off.

last rebuild was 10/24/2017 and it was clean



the goal is to keep it that way after every ride

with new gaskets in the carb, it shouldn't leak onto the engine and generate that sludge

I just need to be vigilant about the chain wax flinging into that area around the engine/on the frame

hmm tangent thought: so I went 3 years without a top end OR a bottom end and it still runs fine

this time, I swear to god I am going to add an hour meter. But honestly, call it every 5-7 years for a bottom end and every 3 years for a top end isn't "a lot of maintenance". If anything, I keep blowing them up from my own faults...not through the fault of the bike's design.

[Kurlon]

O-ring chain, wipe it clean with WD40 periodically, no need to lube/wax.

On the washer front, the 'pressure washer' you've got access to sounds like pathetic weak sauce. My cheapie electric would cut that sludge off easy.

[aldend123]

I had to scoop it off, then run a simple green filled shop towel over it several times. Carb cleaner worked more quickly, but started to remove the paint on the shock spring, and maybe even the frame; so I'm sticking to simple green.

I tend to be of the 'soap is soap' mindset, with varying levels of dilution. I'm skeptical of marketing non-sense for the rest of the claims. But I received a free bottle of Spectro Motorcycle Wash and I've since bought more. Seems like it works better than pretty much everything else, aside from stuff that has negative side effects like paint removal.

On the washer front, the 'pressure washer' you've got access to sounds like pathetic weak sauce. My cheapie electric would cut that sludge off easy.

Same here. And I occasionally use a drive thru self-wash station that works similarly well.

O-ring chain, wipe it clean with WD40 periodically, no need to lube/wax.

The cleaning step arguably doesn't have much of a maintenance impact there, although people who like to clean their stuff will attempt to justify how it does. However, they'll also take issue with the WD40 being used on o-rings, and no amount of testing will convince them it's fine.

[Kurlon]

The cleaning step arguably doesn't have much of a maintenance impact there, although people who like to clean their stuff will attempt to justify how it does. However, they'll also take issue with the WD40 being used on o-rings, and no amount of testing will convince them it's fine.

On a chain that sees dirt, getting grit off the side plates keeps it from migrating to the o-rings. When I'm cleaning the chain I don't douse it in WD and then let things go their course, I just wet a rag and use it to wipe the chain down. The actual exposure to the o-rings is minimal.

[typeone]

once you get it all cleaned up, start a habit of spraying the motor down with WD or SC1 so the sludge doesn't stick as well, makes cleaning faster/easier the next time around. also, rather than using contact or carb cleaner, WD is great for cleaning 2T spooge without doing damage.

on the chain, look into Motorex Degreaser and Off-Road Lube. the degreaser works great and the lube is super thin, no fling. i use the degreaser like once or twice a year and lube before (almost) every ride. i use X-Ring chains but no matter how you maintain, dirt + grit gonna eat 'em. especially sandy environments.

+1 for Spectro Wash, works great, but i'm always out and use Simple Green most of the time.

[breakdirt916]

and they sell spectro wash at Cycle Gear!

I may pick that up tomorrow...haven't used WD in awhile on bikes, but really liked it on the FZR rims

nice tips, thanks fam!

cruised out tonight to tinker w' the headlight, and IT WORKS!

turns out as I was soldering the female H4 plug into the baja designs harness, I was looking at a male H4 wiring diagram and reversed it

turned it around, and bam! light galore! dunno why I didn't buy this unit sooner

now to test it out on a night/evening ride...

[breakdirt916]

can't clean it up? replace it!



graphics/plastics are over 4 years old; time for a makeover



man does it look basic tho

took the Baja Designs light for a spin down the dark spooky canyon roads:



verdict? it's very good!

-it's regulated: almost all rpm's light output was consistent...variable by ~5%...the amazon $18 light was either super dim or bright depending on engine speed
-distance: this has very good spot/distance coverage. It has light far enough ahead that you can see where you're going at speed
-brightness - it'll light up the spot it's pointed with sufficient intensity
-coverage: pics don't do justice, but this is a legit spot light. not a flood light.



I brought the Tusk just to test it out together, and they're a nice combo!

I should have bought this purpose built headlight years ago...I didn't know it would work as well as it does on the WR stator

only issue I had was aim - it was up and to the right. I turned the headlight adjusting screw on the front all the way out and it still wasn't enough. I ended up sliding the rubber clamps around on the forks until it got better...it's tolerable now, but aesthetically the headlight sits crooked on the bike.

Finally got a good light setup to do Wednesday night "hump day" rides with Geo Moto/Flying Monkey ADV riders

still cleaning it up for drop off...

[loudbeard]

I forget, do you run an actual headlamp? Like helmet mounted.

[breakdirt916]

I will also be running a helmet mounted LED light, yes

[loudbeard]

Cool. I use a Niterider on the MTB. Bar mounted lights are good but with how squirrely things can get on the trail I like having light where my head is pointed too.

Appreciate the review on the Baja Designs light, will be shopping for a headlight for the 450 as the days are getting shorter.

[breakdirt916]

yes, I saw those!

LED tech has gotten remarkably good with excellent battery life...but with the variety of options, reviews help pick out the good from the bad

and yes I agree good LED bike headlight + good helmet light (turns with your head) = you can run baja

I sense you will be doing a night trail run in your trail system this fall/winter