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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are interested /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1437256885 Message started by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/18/15 at 15:01:21 |
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Title: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are interested Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/18/15 at 15:01:21 I purchased the 2003 Savage as basically a "barn find" Unused for years and 4,000 original miles. It had been dropped at about 25 mph and the left peg, clutch perch, and left rear turn signal had been roughed up quite a bit. Luckily, no damage to the engine/clutch covers. Even small engine guards work! I changed out the handlebars for Triumph Bonneville 30 inchers. Changed the grips at the same time. Replaced the clutch lever and perch with a used set off sleazeBay. Bike was vibrating a bit more than I like....rear view mirrors were useless, so I started looking at the triple tree and the front end. Only obvious damage was to the left side handlebar riser bolt and it's chrome "cap" which was bent. Got a used triple tree ..again on ebay, and changed out the right and left riser hardware and rubber shock mounts. Then, I started messing with the seat. I tried to make the Sportster seat work for me...it just never met my expectations. While I was under there, I decided to move the Regulator. I have a great set of saddlebags for the bike, but the rear signals needed to be re-located. Took the tank off to do the raptor mod. I did all of these things within a couple weeks, not really completing anything before taking MORE of the bike apart to do more "work". Thats where I currently find myself. I'd like to start a photo essay of what I have done, and what I am doing going forward. I picked up a cheap Nikon 20 megapixel camera today to help the process along. If this section of the forum is not where this should be, pls let me know and I will start it up in the proper section. PLAN GOING FORWARD: -First, finish the re-location of the regulator in the tool box area and post pics. Wires had to be lengthened, re-routed, etc, so I will post pics of any relevant work. -Second, the relocation of the stock rear turn signals to a home brew bracket in the license plate area. Fabrication and installation pics will be posted. -Third, wanting more lighting on the rear of the bike, I will post the addition of a set of LED running lights that will mount to the rear fender several inches beyond where the original signals were. I will post wattages, how I wired them and how I (hopefully) kept about the same draw on the regulator...for example, switching to LED tail/brake light and then using additional lighting to make up for the lack of current draw rather than wasting that power using resistors. -Fourth, I'll mount the S40 Boulevard seat and do a how-to on what it took to accomplish. -Fifth, the Dyna muffler mod. -Sixth, I'll be adding a light bar to the front of the bike, again..swapping out LED bulbs for the original OEM bulbs and making up the difference by adding lighting on the bar. I hope to have all of this work done within 30 days. Some of you guys could do it all in a weekend I'm sure, but I suffer from chronic migraine headaches as a result of damage to a couple of neck vertebra and I really cant do this kind of stuff when I'm either curled up in a ball and vomiting because of the headaches, or stoned out of my mind on painkillers. I get about 12 of these headaches a month, some lasting for just 5 or 6 hours...and some for up to 72 hours straight. If you guys will bear with me, I'm hoping that this thread might help other Savage owners to try new things, see what mistakes I make (and hopefully not repeat them), as well as helping ME by having a record of where this project takes me. Here she is 2 days after purchase....straight from the barn and not even wiped down. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Serowbot on 07/18/15 at 16:28:40 That must be the cleanest barn ever... :-?... |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by LANCER on 07/18/15 at 17:24:00 7660776A72676A71050 wrote:
My thoughts exactly |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/18/15 at 17:49:54 Here in North Carolina, they talk a bit funny. Where I grew up, a barn was a dusty place where horses were kept. Here, they call any "out-building" with sides on it a "barn". This building had doors and windows, a roll-up garage door, lights, etc. 20 years ago I would have just called it a garage ;D The story I got was that it was taken out or at least started twice a year...but otherwise spent all of it's time under an old US Army tarp. Having the bike apart at the moment, it's clear it hasnt been cleaned in years. Wiped down maybe, but spider nests and built up dust is under everything. Under the seat, gas tank, side covers, tool kit, etc. Luckily, not real rust anywhere. I have no idea if the owner put a rag to it before I bought it. I just meant that I hadnt cleaned her up at all yet before that pic was taken. (2 "huh?'s" in a row..you guys pickin' on the newb??) |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Art Webb on 07/19/15 at 08:01:12 Nice find! |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/20/15 at 00:26:37 These are the "retro" style running lights that I have mounted to the rear fender. They are very low wattage but still surprisingly bright. I used the hot lead from the license plate light for power. They are steel/chromed housings with a nice rubber gasket. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/20/15 at 00:32:56 I also picked up a set of these LED lights. I plan to mount one in the rear wall of each of my saddlebags. Again, less than 1 watt in low mode, and less than 2 watts in high brightness. These are well made, bright enough to see in daylight and 3 wire type lights....so they could be used as running lights/auxiliary brake lights or just hook them up using only one wire for side/rear marker lights. http://www.ebay.com/itm/191286363457?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/21/15 at 00:25:50 In progress pic... |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/21/15 at 00:27:51 Regulator installed onto battery cover, wires re-routed, extended and connected.... |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/21/15 at 00:28:55 Cover installed...everything seems to fit nicely. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Dave on 07/21/15 at 03:06:15 If the regulator is hidden behind the chrome tool kit cover......is it going to get enough air flow to keep it cool? In the stock position it gets some air flow - but also is firmly mounted to the fender which helps to dissipate heat. I am not sure you have the airflow or metal heat sink adequate to keep the regulator cool. The regulator adjusts the voltage/charge t the battery by bleeding off any excess electric power and wasting it in the form of heat. Too much heat and the regulator will be cooked. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/21/15 at 20:10:52 You cant see it in the pics, but there is a solid .250" 6061 aluminium plate between the regulator and the sheet metal battery cover that it is mounted to. I used a bit of thermal compound between the parts as well. Your air flow concern is noted. I might look for a small louvered vent accessory (the ones that USUALLY dont do anything) and put it on the side of the chrome cover with some slots behind it. Maybe something like these... |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/22/15 at 15:16:51 Today I did a bunch of Googling (it is one of my favorite pastimes) and found that while there is no "standard" temperature rating on motorcycle regulator /rectifiers, temps of 200 to 275 F are regularly reported on Honda's, Yammies and Suzuki bikes in the 600-900 cc range. That is pretty dang hot. Since I added the heat sink plate, mine will run a tad cooler, but not much. Since I also completely enclosed it, I am beginning to have some concerns. Venting the chrome battery cover is one solution, as is moving the regulator yet AGAIN. The thing is, I'm a bit pigheaded and obstinate 8-) I like having it hidden under the chrome dress cover. As a precaution, I'll be running the bike without the chrome cover until I figure out a solution that satisfies me. I ordered a couple of different stainless steel marine grade vents off ebay today for experimenting. This one looks promising and will fit nicely on the front of the chrome cover. Some slots or holes in the bottom of the cover ought to create some respectable air flow. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by chzeckmate on 07/22/15 at 20:11:32 It's really good to see your documenting and sharing everything with us. I share Dave's concern about heat with the regulator rectifier mounted inside the toolkit area. I understand that you've got the aluminum plate back there to dissipate heat, but I'm sure that isn't going to be enough even with the vent you're proposing to install. I have an idea though. You could install a micro computer fan in there and with the vent you ought to be in good shape. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/23/15 at 18:56:09 I have a few vent designs I'm playing with. If I use that 3" round vent in the "front" of the cover (the side that faces to the right), I would also put a couple of small screened vents on the side that faces the front of the bike to create flow. I believe you are correct in assuming that just having a way for the heat to get OUT isnt going to be enough...it needs air moving through the box. I have a few thermo-couples and a thermo-meter so I can monitor the temps with different setups. First, with no cover...then with the cover and vents, then maybe MORE vents. Hell, maybe I will just "swiss cheese" the chrome cover 8-) |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/23/15 at 18:58:14 Ok, so T storms all day today and had a roof leak, so no time to play with the Savage...but I did have some pics from a couple days ago from the turn signal re-location effort. Started here....1" mild steel angle. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/23/15 at 18:59:01 No band saw in my work shed, so out came the trusty skill saw.... |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/23/15 at 19:03:01 I split the angle on the ends which left me with "ears". I then heated the steel and bent them over to box in the edges. No welder either unfortunately, but this isnt a structural part so I'm not too worried. 1/8" angle ought to be plenty strong enough. I bored out the end holes to accept the stock turn signal stems.. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/23/15 at 19:04:09 Then located the threaded holes in the stems and drilled out the bracket.. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/23/15 at 19:05:11 Bolted the stems in to check for strength....they seem plenty strong. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/23/15 at 19:06:31 Full assembly before cleaning up the burrs and sanding... |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/23/15 at 19:07:19 Bracket painted pearl black after all holes drilled, tapped and cleaned. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/23/15 at 19:11:10 The bracket mounts to the existing aluminium license plate mount with 4 10-32 SS machine screws. I'll mount it up tomorrow ( weather permitting) so I can start the wiring process. Pic of the final mount with the license tag to follow. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/28/15 at 07:10:18 New turn signal bracket mounted up. I used some rubber grommets between the aluminium license plate holder and my new bracket to try and cut down on the vibration a bit. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by KennyG on 07/28/15 at 09:18:54 Stu, That is a really professional looking job. Kenny G |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/29/15 at 00:03:05 Thanks Kenny! Although I am really posting this stuff so that it may inspire/instigate/give confidence to guys who are VERY new to motorcycles (as I am)...it IS nice to get a complement. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by koehlerrk on 07/29/15 at 11:45:22 That's almost exactly what I was hoping to do for a bracket on my bike... nice to see it's working out nicely for you. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/29/15 at 19:51:13 6763696460697E7E670C0 wrote:
The black iron (Home depot) bends and cuts easily...so it was quite easy to fabricate with common tools. A couple of welds would have been preferred, but I dont have a welder (yet). The end holes were made with a rechargeable drill and a "step" drill bit 8-) |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/29/15 at 20:42:42 I can appreciate the thought process and getting it done with so few tools and Still making it look good. Start looking at grinders that will take a cut off disk.Go to Lowe's, look at the grinder wheel stuff. Look for the thin , metal cutting disks.. HF has grinders, but seems some require Reshaping of the spark shield and a bushing to center the disk. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 07/30/15 at 10:22:55 Just..great minds 8-) Went out last night and got both a bench grinder and a 4" hand-held (with grinding AND cut-off disks). I am looking into a wire-fed welder. I need something that works on 120 and a 20 amp breaker. after looking at lots of units, and reading about 300 reviews...this one seems to be the best bang for the buck, and would meet all of my needs. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200632003_200632003 I have no access to 220 and there is no way I would ever do enough welding to warrant getting an electrician to set up a 220 line in my workshop. I have stick welded before....just really basic stuff and not very often. The wire fed machines take a bit more finesse, but for sheet metal, mild steel, and tube welding...this seems like it will do the job. It is also the ONLY welder in this price range/class that has a "cold" wire. The trigger feeds wire and turns on the power to the electrode. All of the Harbor Freight, Home Depot and Lowes machines I looked at had "hot" wire...meaning you could get an arc any time the power switch was on. It certainly would have helped with the signal bracket. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by koehlerrk on 07/30/15 at 10:54:11 Seems like an okay welder... but for a little more dough, you can get an inverter TIG and be able to weld pretty much anything. http://www.amazon.com/EVERLAST-PowerARC-140amp-Welder-Voltage/dp/B0081BF4JC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1438278806&sr=8-2&keywords=everlast+tig+inverter |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by chzeckmate on 08/01/15 at 19:05:20 Nicely done on the bracket. You're a real jigsaw ninja. Could we see a side view photo please? |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/02/15 at 00:08:37 556A6C6B7671591F0 wrote:
Could be because it's 3 AM and I have had a migraine for going on 30 hours now, but what exactly do you mean by a "side view" chzeck? Like, you want to know which side is eventually up or down? Hole position in the ends? Side view with lights mounted, or mounted on the bike? Sorry dude...headaches and too many Norco :o |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/02/15 at 00:14:04 koehlerrk, for someone in my financial position...that isnt "a little more dough". It's more than twice my "budget" for a hobby welder. If I end up selling the little Nighthawk this fall I may look into it again, but for the 8+ projects around the house and on the bike...the little wire welder seems like it will be ideal. I appreciate the heads up though! |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by chzeckmate on 08/02/15 at 09:15:03 242929212F236B312F322E6B353233460 wrote:
...what exactly do you mean by a "side view" chzeck?...[/quote] I just meant a level view of the mounted signals from the port or starboard side of the bike. I'm curious about the clearance and aesthetics from that angle. ...by the way, if you do decide to sell the nighthawk please tap me first for it. My daughter gets her class M in November and it would be the perfect thing for her. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/02/15 at 09:17:09 Copy that Chzeck...will take a pic or 2 today. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/03/15 at 16:32:54 No real loss of clearance so far as I can see. If I has to guess, I'd say that the bracket is about 1/2" closer to the tire than the license plate holder is. That is still well over 4 inches away from the tire. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/03/15 at 16:33:17 ...and at eye level.. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by chzeckmate on 08/03/15 at 20:13:15 Yeah, that looks like it'll do nicely. Well done! |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/03/15 at 21:49:12 I hope you want honesty. On the fab work, good going. Results better than the tools you had available. But the wires. Major points deduction. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/04/15 at 00:39:25 47585E5944437242724A58541F2D0 wrote:
ROFLMAO ;D Thanks for that Justin....I needed that laugh in a big way. It's been a miserable few days. The photo was taken while the wires were just "wire-nutted" together for test purposes. These are actually FRONT signal stems so I needed to get the correct wire hooked up. The final wiring is sheathed in wire mesh sleeving and tie wrapped up with the wire for the brake/tail light on the roof of the fender. No wiring visible ;) |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Dave on 08/04/15 at 03:51:12 If you are going to use the running lights in those front turn signals (now that they are mounted in the back) - it is not legal. Rear running lights are required to be red. Look at any factory built motorcycle, car, truck, trailer or semi trailer and the front running lights are yellow and the rear running lights are red. You may be able to get away with it....however if Law Enforcement wants to give you a ticket for it, they have the laws to back it up. QUOTE FROM WIKOPEDIA "The colour of light emitted by vehicle lights is largely standardised by longstanding convention. It was first codified in the 1949 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic and later specified in the 1968 United Nations Convention on Road Traffic. Generally, but with some regional exceptions, lamps facing rearward must emit red light, lamps facing sideward and all turn signals must emit amber light, while lamps facing frontward must emit white or selective yellow light. No other colours are permitted except on emergency vehicles. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/department-transportation-trailer-light-regulations-100944.html Wow.....I am illegal in a lot of states. A lot of them require a red rear reflector. http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/laws/motorcycle-equipment/ |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/08/15 at 20:31:52 Thanks for the heads up Dave, but no...I am not wiring them up as 3 wire blinkers. I am aware that running lights here in NC must be red. I have a set of old fashioned looking red LED running lights that will be bolted to the fender. Bright enough to see easily in daylight, yet only add 3 watt each to the system load. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/09/15 at 16:26:19 Adding additional lighting to a car/truck/boat is a breeze. Adding lighting to a motorcycle, especially one with an electrical system like the Savage, not so much. Either you add to the wattage total and use some of the power needed to recharge the battery, or you have to take wattage out of the "system" and then put in a reasonably close amount of power consumption with alternate light. I am going the latter route. Our tail/brake/license light assembly uses 2 bulbs. One is a dual filament 1157 used for the running light and brake light, and the other is an independent 631 BA-15 style 8 watt bulb for the license plate. This is the bulb I will be removing from the system. In place of the 8 watt license plate bulb, I will be using : (2) ultra bright white LED license plate bolt lights @ .5 watts each. (2) 2 1/5" red LED round "side marker" type lights, one installed in each of my saddlebags facing rearward. These will act as running lights and use 1 watt each. (2) chrome 2" "retro" red LED lights mounted to the rear fender behind the saddlebags. These are really bright, even in bright sunshine. They pull 3 watts each. Total drain on the system, about 9 watts. Instead of one license plate lamp, I will now have : 2 license plate lights (bolt style), 2 chrome running lights, and 2 round running lights for the saddlebags. The saddlebag lights are permanently mounted with a 2 wire automotive connector on each, so that if I zip off the bags...I just un-plug them from the system. That leaves 7 watts on the electrical line for the license bulb when the bags are taken off. Since the license plate light is pretty much useless during the day, I lose nothing during daylight driving. What I gain, is at least 2 running lights that are daylight visible. At night, I gain 4 red running lights, a much better lit license plate, and lose nothing. I dont know if the license plate lamp is part of the "fast blink" system that lets the operator know if a running light/turn signal lamp is blown, but even if it is....since I am so close to the original 8 watt draw of the lamp, there shouldnt be any change to the blink rate. I'm an electronics guy....not a mechanical or automotive expert. Can anyone see a flaw in my plans? Something that I am mis-understanding? Again, my quest was to improve nighttime visibility without losing any of the original lighting. I think I have accomplished that...but I'm open to suggestions or corrections. 3 watt (cree)red running lights, overall dimension on the lens end is 2.25" , the lens diameter is approx 1.750". |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/09/15 at 17:02:56 LED license plate bolt lights... |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/09/15 at 17:14:19 Saddlebag lights. These have a 1/4-20 mounting stud on the back. I put a hole in the saddlebag wall, pushed the wires and mounting screw through, the used a 1/8" thick circle of black ABS plastic (about 3" dia.) on the inside to provide some stability. Black automotive RTV on both the rear of the light where it meets the PVC saddlebag, and on the inside of the bag between the 3" plastic disc and the saddlebag wall. I dont think it can possibly leak 8-) |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by chzeckmate on 08/09/15 at 19:20:11 All of that sounds fine on paper. I have extensive experience with LEDs and I should warn you that the wattage is almost always overrated unless you're getting the top notch stuff (meaning expensive). I think your plan is fine though. Just test for yourself after all is done. If need be you could always add a load resistor to balance it. It's better to have the heat on a 75˘ resistor than on the regulator rectifier. A couple of thoughts... I'd like to recommend not going with the LED license plate bolts. There are three reasons I say this. One, they are not very reliable. Two, they are tacky looking IMO. Three, simple is always better. I'd like to recommend replacing the stock BA15 with something like this, which is also just 1W. It will keep a clean stock look and no wiring needed. http://www.ebay.com/itm/271951699309?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&var=570785372829&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Also, just me, but are you sue you want to use the runners in the saddlebags? When you're at a full gallop those are going to be all googly with the wind and all moving those bags around. It wouldn't be so bad if they were moving in sync but those bags will move independently...just saying. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/09/15 at 20:00:46 chzeck, I'll check out that bulb, thanks. On the saddlebags, I dont expect them to move much. The side that faces the bike is a solid 1/4" sheet of acrylic/ABS plastic...in other words, it is "hard sided" on the bike side. I have added four 1/2" industrial snaps per bag to keep them tight against the saddlebag support rails. I'll get a pic of the mounting and post it...the lights arent going to move around anymore than the bags do. If I find the bags are moving too much, I'll weld up a "soft sided bag" hard mount and bolt them to the bracket. The solid inner wall really helps the bags keep their shape and keeps them from flexing. Worst case scenario is I have a small 1/4" hole in my bags that I can fix with a leather/pleather repair kit. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by chzeckmate on 08/09/15 at 20:59:44 My current bags have an abs insert on the backside too. I like the idea of adding snaps to keep them still. Mine have a built in strap to keep them steady, but there's only so much you can expect. I'm still planning to change to hard bags but that needs to wait. Back to school shopping is the priority now. All new clothes and stuff for four children is expensive. These are the bags I'm going to get after I get the kids situated... http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag28/justin_fisher2/GA%20HARD%20BAGS_zpsxadydzex.png (http://s1297.photobucket.com/user/justin_fisher2/media/GA%20HARD%20BAGS_zpsxadydzex.png.html) |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/14/15 at 23:40:22 So I put a little effort into the tool bag holder/battery cover today. I need to vent it after moving the rectifier/regulator down to the tool box. Rough cut two 2" holes and then cleaned them up with a mini grinding stone... |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/14/15 at 23:42:00 Used pieces of Stainless Steel screen and tacked the screens into the bezels... |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/14/15 at 23:43:00 This is what it looks like now...I havent bolted the covers on yet. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/14/15 at 23:45:25 There will also be 2 smaller vent holes (also screened) on the side of the cover that faces the front of the bike. I have these plastic/chromed hooded covers that are the same size, but the look a bit gaudy to me. I'll probably go with the smaller/simpler SS bezels. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by chzeckmate on 08/15/15 at 00:21:02 My opinion...I would have gone with the vented cover that you were talking about before, but if you aren't going with that then I like the visor bezels. It's looking real nice. You did a fine job. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/22/15 at 00:58:41 So, finally got the tool cover finished. I went with a larger gauge Stainless screen for stiffness and had to make some gaskets out of 1/8" foam to go under the vent hoods. It seems out tool cover isnt flat! :o |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/22/15 at 01:00:42 Screen is held in with JB Weld...then the hardware goes through it too, so it seems pretty strong. Screen came from a Walmart sink drain screen ::) |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/22/15 at 01:02:04 and mounted up with gaskets to hide the small gaps and stainless hardware.. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/22/15 at 01:04:03 Another angle... Seems like the regulator will get plenty of air, but if not...I can put a couple of screened holes in the side of the cover that faces frontwards to "force" air into the box. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/22/15 at 01:06:28 I cant say for certain, but I am fairly sure that the only person folowing this thread is chzeckmate (and only because I ASKED him to lol), so if you guys or the moderators think I am taking up too much bandwidth here...just let me know. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by FerousBastard on 08/22/15 at 01:09:54 030E0E0608044C160815094C121514610 wrote:
Don't beat yourself up mate. It's always cool to see people's creativity unfold on their bikes, especially on our 650 ;) |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Dave on 08/22/15 at 04:16:33 I was looking......but sitting on my hands and just watching the progress. Great job being creative.....and there is no reason to delete anything as it very innovative. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/22/15 at 11:24:55 Ok Dave, thanks. I have no clue as to how a website like this works in terms of bandwidth, storage, server load, etc so I just want to make sure I am not taking more than my fair share of space with all the photos and such. Would it be better if each individual "project" had it's own thread? ( re-locate the regulator on one thread, add LED lighting on a separate thread, saddlebag conversion to hard-mount on another, etc). When it comes to the search engine here, would it be easier for other members to find specific info on those projects if they were all in separate threads? I've always been a MacGyver type. That is what kept me employed for the last 15 years. I was able to keep 50 year old shuttle presses and riveting machines going with bailing wire and hand made springs ;D I never let a machine or fixture get thrown out until I had stripped it of useful parts. This "unique" way of doing things comes from being poor most of my life, and making use of what I had on hand. 20 years ago I made a CNC 3 axis desktop engraver from parts I scavenged from some old HP printers and some open source software off the web. I've made my own night vision scope from an old JVC camcorder. When it comes to the bike, I'm kinda in the same mode. I dont have thousands of dollars to customize it, so I have to get "creative". Those vents on the battery box cover are from a Bayliner boat :P The whole re-location project cost me less than $20. I'd give my left nut to have access to a lathe and a Bridgeport again...but sadly that went away when I got laid off. Anyway....I'm rambling. I just wanted to say thank you for the support and for giving me a place to get the information I need...and to share my experiences. I donate to the site when I can ( and I recommend that anyone reading this take a moment to donate $5 or $10 if you can). This site is a FREE resource that has helped hundreds of Savage owners better understand and enjoy our bikes. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by strang on 08/23/15 at 01:26:34 I've been watching from the sofa. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by chzeckmate on 08/23/15 at 02:05:16 030E0E0608044C160815094C121514610 wrote:
I'm genuinely interested. You can tell by the view count that I'm not the only one. You've got 631 views as of this post. I think that says something. Keep posting, we're enjoying your progress. Having said that, I like what you did with the battery box cover. I'm eager to see it mounted. I noticed you've got a lot of oxidation on the plastic housing around the lock. You can clean that up nicely by rubbing it with Marvel Mystery oil and after you wipe it dry put some lemon Pledge on it. It will look good as new. Same thing with the plastic speedo housing. Worked like a charm for me. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by JutMan on 08/23/15 at 05:10:18 I have been watching, i see a lot of the idea here and store them away in the back. When I go to do something, then I go into the long term memory. I really like the tool box idea with the vents. I also saw another where they got a much smaller battery. Did not know they made a smaller version of battery. Same as you though, working on a new license plate mount, would give my right one yesterday for a metal brake to bend it. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Dave on 08/23/15 at 10:32:46 6E515069454A240 wrote:
The stock battery provides lots of power for those arctic nights that some folks have to rid in, it provides enough power to turn over a cold engine with thick oil......and a battery loses power when it is really cold. It also provides some ability for an older battery to still do the job as it's performance declines. If you live in a warm climate you may be able to get by with a much smaller battery (both is size and amp/hours). However it will not provide you as much ability to run the starter if you have a bike that doesn't want to start for some reason. With a small battery you need to keep your bike well maintained so it starts easy (you should do that anyhow). |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/23/15 at 16:32:04 Dave, this may sound really bizarre but something occurred to me and I wanted to run it by you. It's no secret that the 55 watt headlight and the approximately 32 watts of running lights (front ambers, license plate and tail light at 8 watts each), plus the instrument lights are doing nothing at "start up" except robbing the starter of cranking amps. I understand that it isnt legal to have your headlight set up with an on-off switch, but what if a timer relay was installed? You turn the key on, no headlight or running lights come on. You hit the starter and all available current goes to starting the engine. 3- seconds after ignition, a relay closes and turns on the lights. As a fail-safe, a switch mounted to the relay box would by-pass the relay and allow the bike to operate normally. I have the electronics background to build such a circuit, but would it really help? Would it be legal? Just curious. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by verslagen1 on 08/23/15 at 18:07:09 The late model bikes have a relay built into the wiring already that turns off the headlight while starting. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Dave on 08/23/15 at 18:21:27 The headlight and the other lights are all connected to only a handful of ground wires - but the headlight is the biggest power user and it would be easy to hook the headlight ground into a switch (manual or timer). Later models are supposed to have something in the circuitry that turns the headlight off when the starter button is activated.....but I have never been able to isolate what that is by reading the diagram. I run an Earth-X ETX12A battery in my Cafe bike. It is only 1.3 pounds but is 12 Equilvalent Amp hours.....meaning the Li Ion battery performs like the 12 AH lead acid battery - but it is actually less. The lead acid batteries provide less voltage as they discharge - the Li-Ion batteries provide full voltage much farther into their discharge. It is not cheap - but I needed the small size. This is my 3rd summer on the battery...still working! http://earthxmotorsports.com/product-category/motorcycle/ |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 08/24/15 at 08:05:11 Arent Cold Cranking Amps more important than Ah capacity? Especially for starting? I've worked with LiPo and Lithium Ion batteries before. They do have a much flatter discharge curve and can hold a charge for quite a long time just sitting on a shelf. My experience is with smaller batteries than the ones used in vehicles, but my understanding is that lead acid batteries hold up better to abuse. If you take a screwdriver and put it across one of our lead acid batteries, you get lots of sparks and a welded screwdriver. Do that with a lithium battery and you get an explosion. I seem to remember a story about Lithium ion laptop batteries doing exactly that not too many years ago. I'm sure that with the advent of electric vehicles, the batteries and circuits are much safer now....but I cant say I would feel comfortable with a Lithium battery between my legs :o |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Dave on 08/24/15 at 09:23:17 Cold Cranking Amps gets the starter energized and turning.....the Amp/Hour rating is a rating for how long you can make it spin. My bike generally fires in one to two piston strokes......as it only has 6,000 miles on it and is kept in a nice warm garage. Get a bike with a lot of miles on it, stored in the cold on a damp morning.....and you might just have to crank a little bit to get it going. I have been warned that the Li-Ion battery will die immediately if you discharge it too far....thankfully the Earth-X has a built in safety that disconnects the battery before you get that low, and it allows the connection to return once a charging source is applied. They don't recommend any maintainer be attached to their batteries. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 09/01/15 at 12:09:49 Back to the saga :P Pics of the modified battery box cover mounted on the bike. On the bench it looked a bit "gaudy" and big, but once mounted I warmed up to it. Almost looks like it belongs there. |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 09/01/15 at 12:10:22 ...and a closer view... |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by chzeckmate on 09/01/15 at 12:36:47 Very slick. I might suggest wrapping the connector and wires with black electrical tape to keep moisture out and to make them less visible through the screen. That said, I like it! |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by strang on 09/01/15 at 13:02:30 love it, gives it drag bike vibe :) |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by JutMan on 09/02/15 at 10:53:30 575A5A525C5018425C415D18464140350 wrote:
I wounder if something similar can be done to the side of the air filter cover to give the bike a bit more air? |
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Title: Re: My 2003 Savage saga, for any who are intereste Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 09/02/15 at 11:08:29 4D72734A6669070 wrote:
I wounder if something similar can be done to the side of the air filter cover to give the bike a bit more air?[/quote] It would be easy to do, but I dont know a thing about carburetor/air mixtures and have no idea if it would effect the way the engine performs. Using the same basic vent cover, a 2" hole in the metal cover that goes over the plastic filter cover, screen the hood like I did and then put either a large hole or a series of smaller holes in the plastic filter cover. Our bikes basically "suck" air....they dont have air rammed down into the carb. It seems like the bike would get more air from the above described setup. |
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