Saturday, May 2, 2009

The Transformation Page #2

Moving the Ignition

Another necessary change I had to make, once I decided to lift the gas tank (for that 'Frisco' look) was moving the ignition. I guess I could have left it where it was but I wanted some clearance above the front portion of the engine, the neck and under the tank.


The only place that gave me the room I needed and access was under the battery tray.


All I did was feed the wiring back down the backbone, under the seat, under the battery (add a few well placed zip ties) and solder on additional length of wire and she was good to go. It's quite dark but you can see the placement of the screw in the tray. I didn't have much of a choice as to where I could put the ignition because the length of the wires restricted how far I could pull them under the tray. So I drilled a holed and attached it.


It didn't really matter because as you can see in this picture, the rear brake line and battery tray bracket & nut were in the way. In my opinion, I think all Sportster owners should put their ignition here. I think it looks great and it provides easy access.


The only difference I noticed was when I put the key in, I had to turn it further. I guess if the ignition had always been under the battery I would have never noticed the difference... right?


In this picture you can see the keys in the ignition. I have never heard them clank against the engine but I have heard them jingling in the wind. They would do that when they were at the front of the bike as well so it's no big deal.

This picture gives you a good idea of the clearance I've created under the tank with the ignition moved to it's new location. I wanted to give people the illusion that the bike is in a new custom frame. It also helped me achieve that 'Frisco' look... not to mention a real bobber / chopper look because I'm running with no front fender.

The one thing I forgot to mention, the cost $0.00.

Ace ♠

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