'87 Radian project

I finished up the muffler installation today. I had to modify the hanger bracket slightly.




Now they're on. It's a nice, tight fit. The factory trim parts on the side cover up the header/muffler joint and make it look really nice. They clear the swingarm nicely, etc. Really happy with the look and the sound.

 

I did manage to hear it run today.
The Good:
*The engine sounds GREAT. No bad/funny noises, really smooth, no leaks, etc.
*The exhaust sounds really good, too. It's much more mellow than I was expecting, but still sounds meaty and aggressive.
* The Danmoto gauge seems to have the right resistance for the tach to work. Just need to program the tire size in so the speedo will be correct. Oh, the oil light worked when I drained the oil, too, so that's good to go.
* The charging system is working properly.

The Bad:
The carbs are still leaking like hell. They're not responding to adjustments as well as I wish they would. I have to decide what to do about them next. I guess they're going to require a full disassembly to fit new O-rings. I'm also very suspect of the pins that the floats fit on. I tried sanding them smooth, but whoever was in there before me marred them up and I'm wondering if the floats are sticking.

Here's a quick vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_5v3tz6 ... e=youtu.be

 

If it has Mikunis and you didn't replace the o-rings on the outside of the float valve seats, they may be the cause of your leaking.

 

Cleaned out the tank using "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner method. It's spotless now and just waiting on paint.

I also picked up my carbs from Rick at http://oldskoolcarbs.com/ .

I know Rick personally (heck, I could walk to his shop from my house!) and I can't recommend him enough. The O-rings between the carbs were shot, and he also found a problem with the new bowl gaskets I had just installed. The float levels were way off as well. He also "dressed" the three good IMS screws and they move like butter now. I can't wait to get these back on the bike.






This bracket is usually in the way of the idle mixture screws, since they're plugged from the factory. We trimmed it a little bit, but Rick fixed that up as well.

 

Getting closer! I was actually able to ride it for the first time yesterday. Runs GREAT, with no issues so far (other than a pinched O-ring on the oil filter that leaks a tiny drop of oil every now and then. I'll fix that soon).
I haven't hooked up the speedo yet, so I don't know how many miles I rode it, but I've only been around the neighborhood so far. No real miles to check for the intermittent cutting out issue the P.O. had.
I'm beginning to think it was a combination of filthy carbs and a dead, dry battery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-oIuVWy ... e=youtu.be

No...I know you all LOVE it, but I won't be keeping the stallion on the tank. Paint and body is coming up soon.

 

Hey, scott-s. It's been two weeks since your last post. How are things coming on the Radian? I bought an 89 two months ago and like the things you've done. Might steal some of your ideas. Especially the tail light mods. That fender extension the license hooks to looks honky. Do you know of a café fairing for the square headlight?

 

I've seen various fairings on ebay for a square headlight.

I don't have the speedometer/odometer hooked up yet; I'm waiting on my buddy to flip the cable holder around on the fender so I can hook up the Hall Effect sensor. I guess I've put close to 200 miles on it so far, though. Zero issues and runs GREAT!
As soon as that's done, it's time for bodywork and paint. That can't happen soon enough, as far as I'm concerned. It took balls to ride up to a local bike night with that horse on the tank!

I did swap out the bars today. A friend commented that he'd like more narrow bars and I have to say he's right. The Super Bike bars were super comfy, but they did seem a little wide. I also had a heck of a time finding mirrors that would work AND look cool.
I had this set of Rizoma MA001B bars and put them on this morning. Looks much better and still feels nice. They're a tad lower and quite a bit more narrow than the S.B. bars.
I finally broke down and bought a bar-end mirror. Cycle Gear had real aluminum (vs. plastic) mirrors on sale. Got this folding version for $25.

 

Looking great. Done anything new? I replaced the handlebars on mine with ones that look similar to yours. Did you have to play with angle so the controls clear the tank when turning?
Found a site that sells bike fairings called AirTech. Check it out.
And personally, I like the horse on the tank.

 

Rode her for about 115 miles the other day. Took her out on some really twisty roads around a local lake. Big Fun!

I pulled the bodywork off and started sanding. Dropped some of it off with my buddy. Hope to attack the tank tomorrow.
I changed the oil and replaced the pinched O-ring on the filter housing to stop that little drip.

Other than that, just waiting on paint and then final assembly and programming the speedometer.

 

Got the tank stripped, dents repaired and primed. Block sanded it in three stages. Here it is with the guide coat on, just before final sanding and color.



We also prepped the tail and fender. The hole for the speedo cable was filled because I'll be running a Hall Sensor and it's mounted on the opposite side.

 

Painted, waiting to be buffed out. It may appear a little violet in the photos, but it's a dark, midnight blue.

 

Looking super! Can't wait to see the finished product. Giving me a lot of ideas.

 

And...she's done! Paint is finished and Hall Sensor installed for the speedo.

 

OH MY GAWD!!! That is absolutely beautiful. Well done.
Just one question. Did you upgrade the front brake system?

 

Nope. It's all stock. The P.O. had a new master cylinder installed. I adjusted the rear brakes. They work fine. I thought about installing braided stainless lines, but the brakes work so well right now I'll probably just leave them be.

 

What are the date codes on those lines?

 

No clue. Probably original to the bike.

 

Very Nice.

 

Change them.