MotoGadget

[Paul LeClair]

Hi all

I have not been posting much recently as I have been working on a number of non Laverda's. My three Laverda's are all completed and running very well. Have not seen any project Laverda's come up for sale anywhere near me for some years now.......

my last couple of builds have been

- a full cafe racer custom of a 1982 Honda CX 500, full aluminum body work with cafe fairing similar to an SFC 750, Suzuki GSXR 1000 front end, a carb conversion, ignition conversion, and a MotoGadget M Unit Blue with various other MotoGadget bits, and a MAD exhaust, etc.

- a full cafe racer custom of a 1978 Kawasaki KZ 750 twin, aluminum bodywork, carb conversion. Its party trick is a single shock conversion using the entire back end off a later Ninja. It is finished except for the bodywork being out for high end custom paint right now, due to health issues I am no longer permitted to do my own painting, very frustrating.

- currently on my lift is a 1978 Honda CB 750 F single cam, Keihin CR Special carb rack, custom built Hindle stainless steel 4 into 1, Suzuki GSXR front end with Cognito Moto triple clamps, Cognito Motor wheels front and rear, etc. etc., and full custom cafe racer aluminum body work. On this build, the SFC like front fairing does not have a bucket headlight in it. The headlight is being mounted in front of the fairing on extended brackets, sort of like some of the Laverda race bikes of the past.

In this build I am using almost every product MotoGadget sells. The issue with this Honda build is that with no headlight bucket inside the fairing, I am struggling with concealing all the MotoGadget wiring connections at the front of the steering head....... On this build I am using an M Unit Blue together with a Mo Button. The Mo Button is going inside one of the Tomaselli adjustable clip ons, and there will only be a single thin data cable back to the M Unit by the tiny AntIgravity lithium battery, but there is a bunch of resulting wiring connections in front of the triple tree for horn, turn signals, start and kill buttons, the digital dash and the various additional warning/indication lights, the ground wires, the headlight wiring, etc..

As I do not have a headlight bucket inside the fairing to hide the various necessary wiring connections, I have been hunting around for a wiring box to hide everything inside, to be contained within the fairing and better yet right at the triple tree. Everything I am finding for a potential wiring hiding box is butt ugly......

anyone have any suggestions?

and if anyone is going to do MotoGadget stuff on a Laverda, I am happy to help. It has been a significant learning curve.......

Paul LeClair

 

[pf1]

You sound like some sort of mad genius now Paul, what have they done to you?

 

[a14rgs]

Never mind wiring boxes, we need pics of your mad creations!

 

[redax5]

well as it happens Paul I purchased a Motogadget Motoscope Pro dash, mo.unit Blue and a Breakout Box A on the weekend for a customers bike we are building
Have used their digital dash before on the Motodd we built a few years ago

As you I have an issue with hiding the wiring, have some ides which will probably not work well for you as the bike is the 3rd Scorch frame

Cheers

 

[Laverdalothar]

Paul, can you pls. post some pics of that bike? That might give a better Idea of a possible solution.

 

[Jota Rob]

Hi Paul.

Be good to see your project bikes.

Here's 918 metal enclosures in S/S and aluminium to look through. You'll have to adjust the filter to weed out the 5000 plastic ones etc.


Rob
Rs Comps enclosures

 

[CDHE]

Might not apply, but I made a plate just in front of the battery on my SF that holds my electrical stuff. I am using the stock side covers with k&N type filters

 

[Jo]

Hi Paul,
also would like to see some pics, particularly of the Kawa 750!

 

[Steve G.]

Hi all

I have not been posting much recently as I have been working on a number of non Laverda's. My three Laverda's are all completed and running very well. Have not seen any project Laverda's come up for sale anywhere near me for some years now.......

my last couple of builds have been

- a full cafe racer custom of a 1982 Honda CX 500, full aluminum body work with cafe fairing similar to an SFC 750, Suzuki GSXR 1000 front end, a carb conversion, ignition conversion, and a MotoGadget M Unit Blue with various other MotoGadget bits, and a MAD exhaust, etc.

- a full cafe racer custom of a 1978 Kawasaki KZ 750 twin, aluminum bodywork, carb conversion. Its party trick is a single shock conversion using the entire back end off a later Ninja. It is finished except for the bodywork being out for high end custom paint right now, due to health issues I am no longer permitted to do my own painting, very frustrating.

- currently on my lift is a 1978 Honda CB 750 F single cam, Keihin CR Special carb rack, custom built Hindle stainless steel 4 into 1, Suzuki GSXR front end with Cognito Moto triple clamps, Cognito Motor wheels front and rear, etc. etc., and full custom cafe racer aluminum body work. On this build, the SFC like front fairing does not have a bucket headlight in it. The headlight is being mounted in front of the fairing on extended brackets, sort of like some of the Laverda race bikes of the past.

In this build I am using almost every product MotoGadget sells. The issue with this Honda build is that with no headlight bucket inside the fairing, I am struggling with concealing all the MotoGadget wiring connections at the front of the steering head....... On this build I am using an M Unit Blue together with a Mo Button. The Mo Button is going inside one of the Tomaselli adjustable clip ons, and there will only be a single thin data cable back to the M Unit by the tiny AntIgravity lithium battery, but there is a bunch of resulting wiring connections in front of the triple tree for horn, turn signals, start and kill buttons, the digital dash and the various additional warning/indication lights, the ground wires, the headlight wiring, etc..

As I do not have a headlight bucket inside the fairing to hide the various necessary wiring connections, I have been hunting around for a wiring box to hide everything inside, to be contained within the fairing and better yet right at the triple tree. Everything I am finding for a potential wiring hiding box is butt ugly......

anyone have any suggestions?

and if anyone is going to do MotoGadget stuff on a Laverda, I am happy to help. It has been a significant learning curve.......

Paul LeClair

Glad you’re keeping busy Paul.
I ride with a few lads riding on varying levels of custom cafe racer machines. I certainly appreciate the effort put into to a lot of them, some however make me grind my teeth, as some are using bikes with significant value and collectibility if kept stock. These poor machines are regular destroyed with hack sawed off frame sections, and other drastic methods to achieve ‘uniqueness’.
I am all in with customizing machines that will not have current or future appreciation!!

 

[Paul LeClair]

well as it happens Paul I purchased a Motogadget Motoscope Pro dash, mo.unit Blue and a Breakout Box A on the weekend for a customers bike we are building
Have used their digital dash before on the Motodd we built a few years ago

As you I have an issue with hiding the wiring, have some ides which will probably not work well for you as the bike is the 3rd Scorch frame

Cheers

Hi Red

have a look a the Mo Button, you hide it inside a handle bar. Takes all the switching functions from starter button, headlight, horn, turn signals, and brake light activation, and results in only one tiny 22 gauge data wire for the switching functions from the front of the bike to the M Unit.

mo.button

Innovative connection system: Minimizes wiring of handlebar fittings, compatible with mo.unit series. ► Optimize cables now

www.motogadget.com

 

[Ian Short]

Hi Paul,
also would like to see some pics, particularly of the Kawa 750!

I've set the cam timing on a KZ750 twin a few times for an acquaintance's vintage race bike. It was bored out to just over 900cc, new rods with an offset wrist pin bore to improve the crank : rod ratio, 39mm CR's, head work. He tried a few sets of cams and finally settled on the megacycle 108/108 degree cam..... I believe it was their mid range cam for the KZ twin. I think it was touching close to 82hp at the wheel....... can't remember the torque, but if I had to guess it would likely have been in the 67 range.

 

[Paul LeClair]

Glad you’re keeping busy Paul.
I ride with a few lads riding on varying levels of custom cafe racer machines. I certainly appreciate the effort put into to a lot of them, some however make me grind my teeth, as some are using bikes with significant value and collectibility if kept stock. These poor machines are regular destroyed with hack sawed off frame sections, and other drastic methods to achieve ‘uniqueness’.
I am all in with customizing machines that will not have current or future appreciation!!

Hi Steve -

I agree. I have seen some horrific hack jobs locally. However, the GSXR 1000 front end swaps are easily reversible on the CB 750 and CX 500 as you just remove all the Honda bits and replace using all the Suzuki bits like forks and brakes, using the GSXR lower triple clamp with a new stem pressed in and accessory adjustable steering stops, and a custom top triple clamp from Cognito Moto.

the 78 KZ 750 single rear shock conversion is irreversible, but the welding has been farmed out to a professional and very well done.

I will post some photos in a bit, now that I know at least a few folks are interested.

 

[Paul LeClair]

I've set the cam timing on a KZ750 twin a few times for an acquaintance's vintage race bike. It was bored out to just over 900cc, new rods with an offset wrist pin bore to improve the crank : rod ratio, 39mm CR's, head work. He tried a few sets of cams and finally settled on the megacycle 108/108 degree cam..... I believe it was their mid range cam for the KZ twin. I think it was touching close to 82hp at the wheel....... can't remember the torque, but if I had to guess it would likely have been in the 67 range.

Hi Ian

the 750 twin is a heavy vibrator. I have not touched the engine yet, other than a carb swap and a 2 into 1. The engine is still running a single set of points. I did buy the Dyna ignition listed online for the 750 twin, but turns out that is a misdescription and Dyna does not make an ignition for the 750 twin, just the later 750 four. I had to return it to Dyna after talking with their tech support guy.

What is your friend running for an ignition?

 

[Ian Short]

Hi Ian

the 750 twin is a heavy vibrator. I have not touched the engine yet, other than a carb swap and a 2 into 1. The engine is still running a single set of points. I did buy the Dyna ignition listed online for the 750 twin, but turns out that is a misdescription and Dyna does not make an ignition for the 750 twin, just the later 750 four. I had to return it to Dyna after talking with their tech support guy.

What is your friend running for an ignition?

Hello Paul,

I'll have to go through my pics to see if can find what was being used....... seems to me it may have been from an '82 or '83 KZtwin.... I think that they had gone to a cruiser/virago style by that time and changed over to a CDI.

They are a 360 balanced engine (chain driven balancer) and as long as long as you don't try to spin them up too fast they usually behave. He was making those hp/tq numbers using stock valve sizes as well. Mid range torque is the way to go with this engine and there's really no need to spin them up much past 8200rpm.

https://pipeburn.com/kawasaki-kz750-custom/

Victor Wilkens out of Seattle has also been heavily involved with the KZ750 twins and he should be a wealth of knowlege and an asset should you require any info. I've never spoken directly too him but have had some exchanges via Pipeburn; seems like a great guy. My acquaintance spoke highly of him as well. His KZ twin in Pipeburn is fantastic, see attached link.

Cheers,

Ian

 

[Alzero]

What moron thought it was appropriate to do a photo shoot of a green bike buried in green foliage?

 

[chrisk]

What moron thought it was appropriate to do a photo shoot of a green bike buried in green foliage?

Cam O’Flage …….

 

[piranha-bro2]

Zat me you're callin' a moron, Alzero?! If so, ya in the wrong thread, mate! And anyway ... it's a stealth bomber - like Chris sez.

 

[Vince]

I remember some Bike Mag journalists getting excited when Stealth and anti-radar paint on Fighter Planes arrived, and wanting bikes painted the same way. Loud exhausts put the Kibosh on that idea.

 

[Tippie]

Zat me you're callin' a moron, Alzero?! If so, ya in the wrong thread, mate! And anyway ... it's a stealth bomber - like Chris sez.

The article on the Kawa twin pictures. He went to a huge amount of work on that bike. The journalist though, it has a beefed up master cylinder to help with braking! Where is the ignition standard, if it has been relocated on this bike?
Impressed Paul with your drive getting into all these projects.

 

[The Sock]

What moron thought it was appropriate to do a photo shoot of a green bike buried in green foliage?

Probably this moron.
Round here, foliage tends to be green and, despite it being late November, much of it is still green.
A bucolic setting seemed more appropriate for Sunday's birthday ride in the sunshine.
Apologies for going off topic, but perhaps you'll prefer the second shot, taken in a more urban setting?