RyanJA
Active member
Hey all! I started talking about this in my "hi, I'm the new guy" thread, but decided to move the discussion here because it seems more relevant in this forum.
I have an '82 Aspencade that needed *quite* a bit of work done to it, electrical system-wise, and since the stator died, I figure what better time than now to do it?
Here are my main goals with the bike in order of priority, with notes on how I plan on getting it done, and what I'll be using:
1) Alternator Conversion kit: I've had a lot of advice on this one from many awesome guys. I found the alternator I'm going to be using, my neighbor who loves working on motorcycles is fabricating the pulley and all other brackets I need, but I just need to get a the new crankshaft bolt for the project. If anyone has one for sale, I'd be more than happy to take it off your hands! It is the same bolt used on the 1200 series. I'm using an alternator for a Chevy Mini that puts out 50A.
2) Radio upgrade: a Shark 250W system with speakers, including a AUX input, USB port to charge my cell phone/GPS, and even an SD card built into it (model #SHKMSDHRS6160 on Amazon.com). After tearing out the speakers, it looks like I can make a hole with dremel in the fairing under the stock speaker housing to fit the upgraded Shark speakers since they are a tad deeper than the original ones. For the control unit, I'm looking into seeing if it will fit into the center of the fairing with a clear plastic latch to cover it in inclement weather. Might stick out a tad, but I can always make a thick gasket for that center panel where the voltmeter is to make it a little more flush with the panel.
3) Progressive front springs: I already have progressive rear shocks on the back installed when I bought the bike, and it is nice since they don't leak and maintain a constant PSI. The fronts are stock, leak constantly, and if I'm going to be tearing them apart, might as well do me one better and install something better. One question I have about this, though... the rears are nice since they don't require the "maintenance" of having to adjust them by the mechanism on the false tank, but if I do the fronts, is it possible to just remove the unit entirely, or would that just be too big of a PITA? The unit would be pretty much dead weight and useless, but I'm not sure how easy it would be to remove it, and make it into something that will be more useful, like a cupholder! :smilie_happy:
Any help in picking out some good progressive front springs would be awesome!
4) Paint job! My goal here is to go from the stock brown-ish color that it came in back in '82 to a beautiful blue color that my original Subaru had. The color is Rally Pearl Blue, as seen in the pic below:
The only problem I can see now is that there are a couple pockets near the rear "trunk" that are the brown leather, so I'll either have to find either black ones, or find someone good with working with leather/fabrics and somehow reupholster them. Also, I'm going to have to get a new seat, but I'll be happy with getting a black leather one. It will go well with the blue! As for the rest of the trim lines and such, maybe I'll have them redone in black with someone with a steady hand, but in the meantime, the bike will be a solid blue. A lot of the chrome has faded on the bike or has become cracked/chipped, so I might just have to get "chrome in a can" to re-do those parts, since it would probably cost way too much to re-chrome them the "correct way".
As for the paint job itself, I have an air compressor so I have the capability to airbrush, but not the ability, so I will likely use a high-gloss enamel paint in a spray can after doing all the proper sanding and prep work.
5) New lights: With the alternator conversion kit, it make sense to use the power I have! Perhaps grab some nice aftermarket turn signals, running lights, and other things to help me be seen. This one shouldn't be too expensive, hopefully.
6)CB Upgrade: I'm looking at the JMCB-2003B unit, but this one depends on how tight my budget is at this point. I could go without the intercom/CB, really, it is just a "nice-ity", not a necessity. I would leave this system separate from the radio system, meaning the J&M would have no direct contact with the Shark system. I thought about somehow splicing the two systems together, but really, having the CB or intercom play of the speakers doesn't make a whole lot of sense, plus by keeping them two different systems, it will be easier to troubleshoot if something goes wrong.
So that pretty much wraps it up! If anyone has any suggestions, hints, or advice on the things I'm unsure about, please let me know! I'll update this as I go along, and be done within the month, optimistically. :rocks:
I have an '82 Aspencade that needed *quite* a bit of work done to it, electrical system-wise, and since the stator died, I figure what better time than now to do it?
Here are my main goals with the bike in order of priority, with notes on how I plan on getting it done, and what I'll be using:
1) Alternator Conversion kit: I've had a lot of advice on this one from many awesome guys. I found the alternator I'm going to be using, my neighbor who loves working on motorcycles is fabricating the pulley and all other brackets I need, but I just need to get a the new crankshaft bolt for the project. If anyone has one for sale, I'd be more than happy to take it off your hands! It is the same bolt used on the 1200 series. I'm using an alternator for a Chevy Mini that puts out 50A.
2) Radio upgrade: a Shark 250W system with speakers, including a AUX input, USB port to charge my cell phone/GPS, and even an SD card built into it (model #SHKMSDHRS6160 on Amazon.com). After tearing out the speakers, it looks like I can make a hole with dremel in the fairing under the stock speaker housing to fit the upgraded Shark speakers since they are a tad deeper than the original ones. For the control unit, I'm looking into seeing if it will fit into the center of the fairing with a clear plastic latch to cover it in inclement weather. Might stick out a tad, but I can always make a thick gasket for that center panel where the voltmeter is to make it a little more flush with the panel.
3) Progressive front springs: I already have progressive rear shocks on the back installed when I bought the bike, and it is nice since they don't leak and maintain a constant PSI. The fronts are stock, leak constantly, and if I'm going to be tearing them apart, might as well do me one better and install something better. One question I have about this, though... the rears are nice since they don't require the "maintenance" of having to adjust them by the mechanism on the false tank, but if I do the fronts, is it possible to just remove the unit entirely, or would that just be too big of a PITA? The unit would be pretty much dead weight and useless, but I'm not sure how easy it would be to remove it, and make it into something that will be more useful, like a cupholder! :smilie_happy:
Any help in picking out some good progressive front springs would be awesome!
4) Paint job! My goal here is to go from the stock brown-ish color that it came in back in '82 to a beautiful blue color that my original Subaru had. The color is Rally Pearl Blue, as seen in the pic below:
The only problem I can see now is that there are a couple pockets near the rear "trunk" that are the brown leather, so I'll either have to find either black ones, or find someone good with working with leather/fabrics and somehow reupholster them. Also, I'm going to have to get a new seat, but I'll be happy with getting a black leather one. It will go well with the blue! As for the rest of the trim lines and such, maybe I'll have them redone in black with someone with a steady hand, but in the meantime, the bike will be a solid blue. A lot of the chrome has faded on the bike or has become cracked/chipped, so I might just have to get "chrome in a can" to re-do those parts, since it would probably cost way too much to re-chrome them the "correct way".
As for the paint job itself, I have an air compressor so I have the capability to airbrush, but not the ability, so I will likely use a high-gloss enamel paint in a spray can after doing all the proper sanding and prep work.
5) New lights: With the alternator conversion kit, it make sense to use the power I have! Perhaps grab some nice aftermarket turn signals, running lights, and other things to help me be seen. This one shouldn't be too expensive, hopefully.
6)CB Upgrade: I'm looking at the JMCB-2003B unit, but this one depends on how tight my budget is at this point. I could go without the intercom/CB, really, it is just a "nice-ity", not a necessity. I would leave this system separate from the radio system, meaning the J&M would have no direct contact with the Shark system. I thought about somehow splicing the two systems together, but really, having the CB or intercom play of the speakers doesn't make a whole lot of sense, plus by keeping them two different systems, it will be easier to troubleshoot if something goes wrong.
So that pretty much wraps it up! If anyone has any suggestions, hints, or advice on the things I'm unsure about, please let me know! I'll update this as I go along, and be done within the month, optimistically. :rocks:
