my x-18

[wickedwindwalker]

I think this thread is a great idea. I'm pretty sure that my bike will be a work in progress for a long time, so i might as well show you guys some of my pics as I move along.

Headlight (http://www.axcessmypics.com/photo/photo05/f4/bb/115a6f7167ea.jpg?th=170&tw=225&s=false)
when I got the bike I noticed that the headlight did not work, so I removed it to see if it was the bulb or the wiring.

Naked! (http://www.axcessmypics.com/photo/photo05/14/4d/8b8de904f650.jpg?th=170&tw=225&s=false)
After noticing how bad the wiring harness is, I took all the fairings off.

[wickedwindwalker]

I had an idea on how to make the tail light more noticeable and give it a more custom look. I'm still waiting for the tail light housing, but this should give you a good idea of what the finished product should look like.
Tail Light (http://www.axcessmypics.com/photo/photo05/be/6a/657a67129ca5.jpg?th=170&tw=225&s=false)
Tail Light (http://www.axcessmypics.com/photo/photo05/67/70/fb68b2edea2b.jpg?th=170&tw=225&s=false)
Tail Light (http://www.axcessmypics.com/photo/photo05/da/1e/b8a308b33d31.jpg?th=170&tw=225&s=false)

The cover and the housing may need a little cutting and pasting before it is done, but it should look sweet!

[Shooter]

Good start there Wicked!thumbsup2
The little changes we make to these bikes to make them our own really make big differences.
Keep rock2 I can see where you're goin' with it!

[wickedwindwalker]

Good start there Wicked!thumbsup2
The little changes we make to these bikes to make them our own really make big differences.
Keep rock2 I can see where you're goin' with it!

Thanks for your support, shooter.thumbsup2 It means a lot coming from someone with your skill level when it comes to body work and lighting and stuff. I may need a little of your help and opinions/ideas on what to do with the headlight. I may not change the housing itself, but I do want to modify it to accept a bigger and brighter bulb.

I was thinking about cutting the back off and putting on a bracket that would accept a car bulb

[wickedwindwalker]

Does anybody have any suggestions as to what to do with the headlight?

BTW, I just got a call from the motorcycle shop. the rest of the new tail light is in. when I get it in, I'll post more pics.

[The Nutty Professor]

I won't use a car bulb they get hot as hell. Most people are moving to LED. They're brighter, cooler, and draw less power. One problem...They ain't cheap, but they're worth the money.

[wickedwindwalker]

I won't use a car bulb they get hot as hell. Most people are moving to LED. They're brighter, cooler, and draw less power. One problem...They ain't cheap, but they're worth the money.

Is that supposed to be for the tail light? If so, I already have that taken care of. I bought a couple of those LED replacement bulbs for the stock tail light, but they were way to big. so, I went and returned them for a smaller set, and it just didn't look or fit right. thumb_down

That's when I went to a cycle shop and ordered this. cool_smilie
LED tail light (http://www.axcessmypics.com/photos/photo05/e7/e9/f098593f84b5.jpg)

This is what it looks like with the clear cover on.
LED tail light with cover (http://www.axcessmypics.com/photos/photo05/59/2e/9ca5575ca699.jpg)

When I get it installed on the bike, I will take some more pics of it.

The new tail light housing came with a new red cover, but I won't know if I can use it until i get the housing installed and the bike rewired. Reason being that the LED tail light has integrated turn signals, and I don't know how well they will work with the red cover. thinking_smilie

I'm gonna grab some angle brackets, nuts, bolts and screws and a drill and stuff from work today. That way I can make a bracket for the new tail light housing, which should not be that difficult. I have about 2" of clearance that needs to be taken care of, and I have some heavy duty hardware to take care of it. thumbsup2

[The Nutty Professor]

No. Actually they're headlight bulbs. A few companies make them but for some reason they sell them as driving lights and not as headlight replacements. It probably has something to do with federal regulations dunno I have seen a few LED headlights put on 1:1 enduro bikes and they are bright as hell. The guys who use them say they cut through underbrush better because the light doesn't bounce off the leaves as brightly as they OEM lights. It's this fact I have no idea I don't ride motorcycles at night in the woods. But I have ridden MB at night through wooded areas and large industrial areas and the regular lights did bounce a lot. We had to angle our lights further down stop the problem which slowed us down because reaction distance was cut. I have also used LED's in some extreme environments and hands down they out-performed regular bulbs. What all that said was if you can buy LED do it. OK I talk to much you don't have to remind me bluelaugh

[wickedwindwalker]

thinking_smilie The LED headlight is a definite option. I knew the were out there, but don't know how much I would need it, seeing as how I don't ride my bike through the woods at night either. bluelaugh

[The Nutty Professor]

Speaking from old man experience you can never have lights on a bike that are to bright. You're going to piss people off but you'll be alive.

[wickedwindwalker]

Speaking from old man experience you can never have lights on a bike that are to bright. You're going to piss people off but you'll be alive.

LOL bluelaugh And they will get pissed off. I put a pair of those Silverstar headlight bulbs in my car and I get flashed by people thinking I have my high beams on all the time. I've checked to make sure that the lights are aimed right, but it is no use.crazy_smilie

[rene13]

LOL bluelaugh And they will get pissed off. I put a pair of those Silverstar headlight bulbs in my car and I get flashed by people thinking I have my high beams on all the time. I've checked to make sure that the lights are aimed right, but it is no use.crazy_smilie

They human brain has grown acustom to seeing crappy headlight and when the change is noticable they are like "I can't seecool_smilie"

[Shooter]

They human brain has grown acustom to seeing crappy headlight and when the change is noticable they are like "I can't seecool_smilie"

I know I'll get some heat for this but I also know many will agree........
Yeah, we've gotten pretty used to "seeing" crappy dimly lit headlights but they are brighter than they were some 15-20 years ago and then some.
What sucks about some of the lights now is that as we all believe some of these things are really bright, that is because they are cool_smilie
Hologen, L.E.D., HID........ the technology is constantly improving.
How many of us can honestly say that there aren't times when we drive by cursing at someone beotching cause were seeing black spots before us because their lights were too friggin' bright......... and it wasn't their high beams.
Lights are cool, being seen and being able to see are cool, but there's a point sometimes when bright is just too bright.
OK, I'm done ranting

[wickedwindwalker]

After 5 weeks of waiting for MiniPocketRockets.com to send me a new wiring harness to replace the faulty one on the bike, I got a little ballsy and decided to try and rewire the damn thing my self yesterday afternoon. It took about 3 hours to diagnose the problem and get the bike running again. Seems there were 2 shorts in the harness. #1 was behind the connector for the fuse holder, and #2 was in the front light wiring harness. I am very glad that none of the components burnt up.
On Saturday, when I have an actual day off (rock2 bluelaugh smokin_pimp moon1) I am going to wire up the lights and see if I got everything right.
For now I am just glad that after sitting for 5 weeks in my back yard it started and ran fairly solidly. I even had the chance to ride it around the block a couple of times and do a couple of wheelies before it got dark (or some blue hair called the cops on me)!

[Blitz$M.Inc.$]

hell ya, its satisfying to do it yourself
i prolly seen a couple hundred bikes today, the weather was so nice

[wickedwindwalker]

Yeah, the weather down here was beautiful but I did not get much chance to work on the bike. I did finish wiring up the lights and everything. I got to the point where I want to start putting on the body panels when a good friend of mine that i haven't seen in 5 years showed up to visit. But here are some pics.
The wiring harness is secured and tucked away as much as possible, and the tail light is wired up and installed. The tail light has turn signals integrated, but I may put supplementary turn signals next to the license plate. I had to make a bracket for the tail light and it's pretty solid. I'll take a couple of pics tonight to show the tail light and signals at work.
The front lights are hooked up, now i just need to put the nose and sides on and drill holes for the mirrors.

[wickedwindwalker]

Got the body back on the bike and it looks like an x-18 again. The new tail light is pretty bright despite the crappy camera thumbsup2 still looking for decent mirrors

[rene13]

shes lookin good.

[x18nfs]

yea man how does that 26mm mikuni carb i sold you run? Your bikes looking nice!thumbsup2

[rene13]

Have had a chance to test it yet. Did I buy it from you I can't remeber.

[x18nfs]

no i mean windwalker ....sorry man!thumbsup2

[Ghost Rider]

X18nfs i sent you a PM


Wickedwindwalker, what light did you end up going with...the LED?

[x18nfs]

X18nfs i sent you a PM


Wickedwindwalker, what light did you end up going with...the LED?

I think it was deleted i didnt can anything???:confused:

[Blitz$M.Inc.$]

WWW, that is way bright enough for street use
if they dont see that, they wernt lookin anyway

[Ghost Rider]

So did you use the LED for the headlight???

[wickedwindwalker]

Haven't LEDed the headlight yet... thinking_smilie I may just go for the HID. The tail light is LED however and the pic is pretty bad, but it is friggin bright.
x18nfs, as for the carb, I'm not gonna put that on until i get a jet kit for it, but the air filter you sent with it did make an improvement. When i get the jet kit and put the carb on I'll let you all know. thumbsup2

I picked up some cheap mirrors, but their unneccisarily big and gaudy

[Shooter]

I agree with you about those mirrors lookin' big.
There were some scooter mirrors that had turn sigs built into them and had a kind of low profile look, if I can remember where I had seen them I will let you know as soon as I find outthumbsup2

[Shooter]

I agree with you about those mirrors lookin' big.
There were some scooter mirrors that had turn sigs built into them and had a kind of low profile look, if I can remember where I had seen them I will let you know as soon as I find outthumbsup2

okie dokie........found the pic and the link.
Here you go, hope this helpsthumbsup2
http://www.motosport.com/street/product/EMGO-MIRROR-DUCATI-STYLE-BLACK-WTURN-SIGNAL-LEFT/?prodId=825831&words=EMGO+MIRRORS+DUCATI+STYLE+BLACK+W%2FTURN+SIG NAL+LEFT&cat0=METRIC&srchHistoryURL=