Honda FT500 rumbler/scrambler/tracker kinda thing

[BeemerWolf]

check out this forum for help with your wheel/shock plans:
http://www.customfighters.com/forums

fotoduda.....keep posting up your experiences, they are great

this is the most interesting new rider/new wrencher posting I have seen an a good while.

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[Motorfiets]

subscribed

[L.B.S.]

This is great, love it! Commentary is sidesplitting


Re: "form follows function"

Dude, small front fenders suck, ya, you really should deal with that.

Levers, levers, levers, NASA levers... () A couple strips of aluminum formed into Barkbuster type protectors would be a godsend...

Thanks for sharing your work and pictures!

[Quacamole]

Originally Posted by fotoduda.com

I know it's a bit lame but I didn't work much on the bike lately. And I don't think I'll be able to do more stuff before the spring. One it's getting cold in here, for riding and building, second I have other stuff to put cash into right now. But the project is not over yet! I have some ideas for a retro tank, taller seat, bars etc. This bike was designed as some kind of a flat tracker plastic wannabe, so the seat is very low. And for me, with my 186cm it's very low. When I go off road it's very difficult for me to stand up on the pegs. Or I'm just a wimp and got to do more knee-ups. When I think of it, it actually might be the latter...

A couple of weeks ago I went to Branna (CZ) to watch a classic motorcycle race. It was a 600km go there, meet some strangers on bikes, get wasted, sleep in a tent, wake up at 8 to the sound of 2 stroke open pipe vintage bikes going thru the village, be sick all morning, miss most of the races because of being sick, make a few lousy pictures and go home kinda trip. Great stuff.

Here's how the bike presented itself in the pine forests near Czech-Polish border, 100% apocalypse ready:













now it's waterproof






PS Does any body have a clue about putting spoked wheels and rear shocks replacements on a Honda FT500?

Whats with the monkey logo - where have I seen it before?

Hardcore bike btw!!!

[ValuePack]

Subscribed, love the bike!

[fotoduda.com]

Originally Posted by Quacamole

Whats with the monkey logo - where have I seen it before?

Hardcore bike btw!!!

The logo is my free interpretation of Terry Gilliam's "12 Monkeys" movie poster

[fotoduda.com]

Originally Posted by L.B.S.

This is great, love it! Commentary is sidesplitting


Re: "form follows function"

Dude, small front fenders suck, ya, you really should deal with that.

Levers, levers, levers, NASA levers... () A couple strips of aluminum formed into Barkbuster type protectors would be a godsend...

Thanks for sharing your work and pictures!

I have new levers, rollgas and a few other small parts coming today or tomorrow. I'm gonna clean up the front. No stinkin blinkers, no switches on the handlebars, no blody cables, the fuse box will go where it belongs. Finally some work to be done!

[fotoduda.com]

I always had a problem with documenting my garage adventures. When I make pictures, I take it seriously, meaning I have to concentrate a lot. And when I'm in the middle of a havoc, running around with hammers like a tasmanian devil, it's even harder to concentrate. But today I took the challenge. Here's what happened:

First, if you're wondering what's that rubber string doing around my clutch leaver...


This is how I roll man:


Here I keep all the important electrics.


So proud of itself.


I didn't check the manual, but I hope it's suppose to look like that.


Simplicity is the key.


New light bracket, horn will probably go underneath it.


The new classic look.


I got the cheapest stand alone rollgas I could lay my hands on. I thought it's so simple nobody can fuck this up.


What a surprise, the cable was way to short to attach it to the carb. Had to do it the Mongolian way.


Deciphering the spaghetti.


Slowly getting a hang of it all.


Every time I looked at all the cables and wiring diagrams in all my bikes I was wandering if it really has to be so complicated. This time I had an opportunity to check it. The plan was to get rid of the blinkers, move the ignition and light switches to the back, leaving only horn, starter and brake light switch on the handlebars. After a couple of hours of reading the diagram, cutting, soldering, more reading, cutting, blowing the main fuse, making a new wire fuse, more soldering and reading and cutting I finally made it! I got rid of all the connectors and unnecessary cables from the front and moved the switches and fuse box under the seat.

New control panel. From the top left: Hi/Lo beam switch, master lights switch, key hole and ignition switch.


That's my new key. I picked up the idea from Corpses From Hell MB blog I think.


It doesn't open the tank tho.


I'm still waiting for the handlebars switches to arrive, so in the mean time I have no horn and have to hot wire it to start it up. Tomorrow I'll replace the clutch cable and hit the dirt.

[Kernel]

bloody hell mate you are now my new hero.
subscribed like hell!!
i really want to get a cheap POS bike like yours one day and do something exactly like this to it.

[fotoduda.com]

Originally Posted by Kernel

bloody hell mate you are now my new hero.
subscribed like hell!!
i really want to get a cheap POS bike like yours one day and do something exactly like this to it.

Thx man! :)

The most difficult is to start, the rest is just fun. The big plus of working on a cheap peace of shit bike like this one is that you're never afraid to break it and when you finish (if you ever finish) it will only look better

[Ross1969]

I see you are using a lap-top to study the wiring diagram - are you viewing a garage manual for the bike on line?
I have a paper version of the oficial Workshop Manual, so if you get stuck for any information feel free to drop me a line.
Is the fuel tank painted silver, or bare metal laquered - bit difficult to tell from the photo's?
A good source of old Honda spares can be sourced through www.davidsilverspares.co.uk .
Keep up the reports, they are very entertaining!

[fotoduda.com]

Originally Posted by Ross1969

I see you are using a lap-top to study the wiring diagram - are you viewing a garage manual for the bike on line?
I have a paper version of the oficial Workshop Manual, so if you get stuck for any information feel free to drop me a line.
Is the fuel tank painted silver, or bare metal laquered - bit difficult to tell from the photo's?
A good source of old Honda spares can be sourced through www.davidsilverspares.co.uk .
Keep up the reports, they are very entertaining!

I got the manual in PDF, no worries. But thanks for interest.

The tank is bare metal with a few layers of transparent laq from a can.
I'll have to redo it some other way, cause it scratches too easy and it's full of rusty spots already.

I put everything back on this morning and went for a quick shakedown ride. There quite a few stunning unpaved roads north-west out of town that are just crying for a photo shoot. Probably will go there one of this evenings, together with my bro's VW. BTW the bike did very well. Although nothing was changed in the geometry of the bike, the look of the cleaned up front gives such a strong impression that it actually feels like the handling has changed. And for better Long live the placebo effect!

[scarysharkface]

Originally Posted by fotoduda.com

New control panel. From the top left: Hi/Lo beam switch, master lights switch, key hole and ignition switch.


That's my new key. I picked up the idea from Corpses From Hell MB blog I think.


It doesn't open the tank tho.


I'm still waiting for the handlebars switches to arrive, so in the mean time I have no horn and have to hot wire it to start it up. Tomorrow I'll replace the clutch cable and hit the dirt.

Love it.

[Euromad]

Excellent writing Fotoduda! Your English is very good, with the most amusing odds and ends thrown in
-rollgas- American=throttle or twist grip. UK-?
One thing I'd mention is your head stay- this is the bracket that connects the motor head to the frame. All three bolts should be in place- maybe it's installed backwards?
Here in the US there are many old dirt bikes to get parts from. I have an old Triumph I'm planning to install new (old) front forks from a Kawasaki KDX as an upgrade.
I look forward to your future posts and the photos are especially welcome- I can see the thought you put into them.

[fotoduda.com]

Originally Posted by Euromad

One thing I'd mention is your head stay- this is the bracket that connects the motor head to the frame. All three bolts should be in place- maybe it's installed backwards?

Now you got me thinking. I checked the manual and is it just me, or my bracket is a slightly different shape?