line clamp:
looking for some metric button head bolts, i stopped by the local hot rod shop. i came across a set of stainless steel line clamps that seemed to be a big contender for securing the speedo and clutch cables without any kinks. viola! the clamp works perfectly tying into one of the holes for the chrome engine cover no longer in use. so fresh so clean! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IADdGzHreFQ

batter(y)'s up:

im a huge fan of boxes. really im obsessed with all types...its probably a result of the profound influence minimalism has had on my life.

charlie ray's ink box:


i came across this mod http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1259644714 and it got me thinking about throwing out the ginormous stock battery for something much smaller...

anyone that has ever worked with sheet metal can appreciate the fine craftsmanship of the ryca battery box. its flawless in everyway:



sadly i have decided to forgo this well crafted piece of the ryca kit for something to hold my new battery.

i found this battery, murdering the stock battery in every way possible.


http://www.shop.antigravitybatteries.com/Antigravity-4600-12v-46Ah-8-cell-Mot... its pretty small, about the size of 7 iphones stacked on top of each other. so in order to run this battery a custom battery box needed to be made....

aluminum bar stock for the lid:


a huge chunk of aluminum for the actual box:


milling to size:


clearance for the belt or in my case chain guard, which comes in the ryca kit:


clearance for the battery terminals:


finished product (before poweder coating):


groves milled into top surface of lid to mimic the fins of the engine:


the entire NEW battery box will be powder coated black with the fins of the lid kissed off, exposing the aluminum, to mimic the steel on black fins of the engine block. heres an image of it in all aluminum with battery installed:



if youre wondering why i chose to run a smaller batter needing all the effort of a new battery box...please look at the post below.

when bleeding front disc brake be sure to follow this step:

Digger wrote on 08/23/08 at 20:32:13:


http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1219517606/3

if you dont, youll waste your life away, longer than you care to admit, trying to figure out why youre disc brake isnt working, only to find out that a simple step lays between a functioning disc brake and a mouth full of curse words.....rookie, i know.....

I'm SO jealous.

dude, that is the sh!t. can't wait to see your bike done. That is one of the major issues I have with the RYCA bikes (and my RYCA bike for that matter)- I don't really like those huge, honkin' side covers. Can't wait to see this build done- totally awesome!

wheelchairstuntn wrote on 06/25/11 at 23:39:29:

My friend, now that is extreme modding, milling a battery box out of a block of aluminum! That is some serious sick modding! I LOVE it! I am a machinist myself, working in a warehouse now with no access to any kind of machines and it made me cry watching you mill this out. Tears of joy.  

There is so much room left over by using the lithium battery, you have room now for a small storage space to keep a minimal tool kit, and the registration/insurance papers, etc.  Maybe just use the bottom half of the RYCA battery box with a hinged door on the side, eh? Keeping the RYCA side panels would cover up all that stuff.

Gyrobob wrote on 06/26/11 at 12:44:44:

i used oberon clamp on mirrors so they should work with the bar end indicators in question. the ones in question are a bit big for my taste but should do the job nicely... or brightly