Bought Sense & Win-Wins, Yaays and Awwws

Discussion in 'Mechanics Garage' started by ridnout, Mar 29, 2017.

  1. ridnout

    ridnout New Member

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    Since working on motorcycles and pretty much anything, I've always had to endure a steep learning curve; it's to be expected I guess.

    Anyway, here are some of my recent experiences. Some are Win-Wins and others like Dang-Nabbit!

    1) Purchased some Euro Headlights for my '04, relatively cheap and have the conspicuity lighting. On US models, the reflective coating is missing, the hole would have to be drilled, and a harness made or supplied. I know, I know, easy easy. Well, my headlights were severely scratched. Also, during a bulb change, I damaged the tab that held the retaining clip on one of the low beams. Well, I purchased 3M's headlight restorer (basically a nicely packaged automotive kit for sanding and polishing) and got great results. Dag! Now basically, if I could find that retaining clip, I'd like to see if the screw were enough to hold it. Crap! Oh forgot, that 3M kit is superb, it worked flawlessly. I've got a thread coming with pictures. You probably have never seen an '04 with lenses this terrible. Now they look new. That was a win win, but if the retaining clip works, I will have been feeling more an arse than usual.

    2) On the note of lighting, I went through a crazy procedure and checked only one fuse. I got around to doing some other stuff and bam, forgot to check the low beam fuse. Put one in and voila. I still need to go through the drill though.

    3) Purchased bags on eBay from Mutazu. The color match was perfect. One bag missed a sticker or had fallen off somehow before packaging. The brackets were awful! Sent back. Returned and ordered a set in R-258 from David Spare. Mind you, I also purchased the trunk and matching hardware. They will be painted later. The funny, no depressing, thing is that I purchased another on eBay another 99 cent deal and got to conversing with the seller. Ohhh noooo, he has the complete kit, with a few scratches here and there that he would have been willing to remove and sell separately before parting with his steed. Man oh man oh man!

    4) Purchased a new upper fairing stay. I thought they were ALL the same. Without research, bam, ended up with a '06 model where the ECU wont fit. I went through the hassle of taking pics and putting grommets in each place piece by piece only arriving at the computer at the end to find out it was incorrect. Dohhhh! Gotta sell this one and purchase the correct one.

    5) Just got in a gas tank which looks sweet compared to my severely faded with some dings tank. Well, it looks sweet anyway for a bike of this vintage. Win-Win! No decals, popping dents, or painting. Was packaged well, but some scratches on delivery because of rubbing against the Styrofoam during transport. 3M to the rescue. I just used some of the compound and in 30 secs no more. I might try the 3000 grit with a compounding and polish afterwards, but I'd like to ask before I get anymore bought sense. Again, win-win.

    6) Purchased some used side fairings that looked much better than mine. Here comes along a deal on eBay for a complete set including that elusive top cowl. No one bids but me. I paid very little relatively. The seller sends me fairing bolts, bags of new Honda push-pin rivets, a new protective boot for the shifter, and oodles of other goodies including a spare flasher relay. With my first purchase plus the second mixing and matching, well one side fairing, it looks durn good without any painting! Along with the gas tank, win-win!

    7) Have a great top cowl, pearl white, which I was going to get painted for a second colorway if I could just find that durn tank at a good price. Got it for a steal! Win-win! Noooo. It was missing some fasteners. Well, I just removed some of them from the original cowl with an by heating the pieces containing the brass in an oven. I then placed the brass and those little brackets on one of the electric stoves eye to heat them up and simply pressed them in place. Yaay! Originally, I thought I was shafted. Yeah, my heat gun was at home and not here. A little ingenuity worked wonders.

    8) That's been all VTEC. Well on the venerable '99, a 9/99 at that, I was able to mend top cowl with some Oateys ABS glue and some ABS sheets around the house, De-Dumboed! Win-Win, later just purchased a good cowl on eBay for the low-low. Hmm, maybe finish the repaired one with an ABS cover over the headlight for a track day? Pics, if you want them. I'd have to go home and take them though. Oh, one section I totally rebuilt with glue as it had busted during a drop when I was there to buy it, not me, the previous owner. Did I mention that happened on both purchases?

    9) Because of that drop, the fairing stay had a broken bolt lodged in one of the side-view mirror mount holes. Grab the trusty drill out, brand new. It broke there too. Oh My God! Just bought a Motobrackets one that would save me having to get it powedercoated or me having to strip, prep, and paint it. Figured getting that piece out would be too much trouble. Being a drill guy in fabrication at a factory in town long ago, I thought about drilling it out and re-tapping the threads. Nahhh, I bet someone will have some better way and leave me like, "Crap!"

    10) Got a spare '99 engine with 17000 miles delivered for $200 bucks! Shoulda cost less than $120. Anyway the seller tried to pull one over and got caught, and so we made it work for us to both be happy. Got a throttle body and injectors off ebay for 99 cents plus S&H along with a carbon canister for the same! Also a wiring harness to the door for $35! Yaaaay! Now if I could just get that frame and swingarm, I might be onto a naked build.

    I've been wanting to rant this out for a bit. It's just tonight with the bags, I was like oh my. Believe me, I have more.



    I'd like to hear some of your stories, the win-wins and those of the "did I do that" variety. Plus don't skimp on the BOUGHT SENSE. It may save me some change down the line.
     
  2. zombie

    zombie New Member

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    At work I occasionally have to deal with those brass inserts coming loose or having to remove them. I just stick the hot tip of my soldering iron in and in 10 to 15 seconds it heats enough to melt the plastic around it and secure it again. You can only do this a few times before the plastic gets to brittle to do it anymore though. Give it a try next time.
    Nice write up.
     
  3. ridnout

    ridnout New Member

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    Yeah, hopefully it is a one and done situation on that top cowl. Because those brass inserts cooled quickly, pliers acting as a heatsink, only the inside of the hole was affected. After the knurled portion inserted completely, it slowed down rather abruptly, so I used the pliers' handle as a pommel and did the final push. Again, hopefully a 1-n-done.

    Any bought sense out there. I know there are some, dang, shoulda tried that, or is everyone as embarrassed as I was?
     

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