[f104wart]

On a friend's CX 500 I was supposed to replace the tachometer cable and rebuild the electrical system under the fairing.

With this in mind, we decided to mount the instruments away from the handlebars in the fairing, because that allows better routing of the wiring harness and also the speedometer and tachometer shafts don't hit anymore the fairing bracket when the handlebars are turned.


Since the speedometer was defective, Marko decided on a mini speedometer from the accessories.

...And because Marko, like me, has a weakness for aviation, esspecially for the Lockkheed F-104 Starfighter, I came up with the idea of designing the instrument panel and the instruments in "aircraft style".


With cardboard I made a first template for the "cockpit".

But before I make the panel out of sheet metal, I want to get the instruments and the other "fittings" ready first so we can do the positioning
and optimize the layout.

I measured the instruments and made a pencil sketch. According to this sketch, I turned two screens that sit over the instruments from above and, like an aircraft instrument, are fastened to the panel with 4 screws.

The whole thing still looks a bit bulky, but that will change soon.

I kept the rubber seal of the rev counter so that the tachometer is decoupled from the panel and stored with little vibration.

The speedometer has O-rings underneath it for decoupling, which are embedded in the cover

 

[f104wart]

In the next step, two clamping devices were turned from some offcuts in order to be able to clamp the covers on the milling machine and later in the vice without damaging them.

Then I made a CAD drawing for the templates of the outer contour.

These templates were printed on self-adhesive foil, cut out and then glued to the pre-turned panels.

The holes were then drilled and the contours milled along the templates.

The next step was some fine work with a file and abrasive cloth in the vice

After the device was dismantled into its individual parts and the remains of the foil removed, the shapeless ring became a filigree frame
in "aircraft style" for the rev counter.

Later, when the parts are anodized in matt black, it looks even more authentic.

...will be continued.

 

[Pim205GTI]

Of course aircraft do not have plastic fuses, they have a circuit breaker panel ....

And speed is in Knots

 

[The lost Dane]

That's a good one Mr Pim
the ATO fuses are more readily available at ground level

Nice job on the dash cluster
Sure makes life easier when some one has the right tool's to do the work
hope to see pictures when it's all done

TLD 🇨🇦 🇩🇰

 

[f104wart]

Of course aircraft do not have plastic fuses, they have a circuit breaker panel ....
And speed is in Knots

Maybe a flying CX will be one of my next projects.

Until then, I'd rather tie the knots in my handkerchief so I don't forget to refuel and I hope there aren't any breaks of circuit in my wiring harness.

 

[edinlr]

Of course aircraft do not have plastic fuses, they have a circuit breaker panel ....

And speed is in Knots

F104, you need to get with Pim and figure out a pitot and airspeed indicator for the bike, but fuses are okay below 1000 feet.

 

[f104wart]

Many thanks for the really constructive inspirations, but I suggest you just wait and see what other ideas I have.

It's just the first part of the whole project.

 

[Sidecar Bob]

Maybe a flying CX will be one of my next projects.

It is possible

 

[f104wart]

Yes, I know of such constructions, but these are all only engines built into aircraft, no flying CX 500.



...Here we go

Today we continue with the speedometer bezel.

Since the paper of the template frayed slightly during milling and the line is to wide for the relatively small part, it was very difficult to orientate oneself.

The challenge is, that with the narrow edge around the screws, you can immediately see every difference, even in the 10th of mm range. As it looked now,
it could not get a satisfactory fit.

So, matching the radii, I turned small sockets out of 12 mm round steel, which I screwed in front of and behind the circuit board. These bushings were not only a wonderful orientation aid when milling, they also helped me later when filing the small outer radii.

For filing, I taped off the adjoining areas on the left and right so as not to damage the curve when working on the outer radii with the flat file.

The bushings gave me a wonderfully wide base so I could file and sand the edge perfectly straight and at right angles to the plan view.

The whole thing actually went quite quickly and the time I invested in turning the bushings was quickly made up for.

The result was absolutely perfect edges...

...and 4 exactly the same radii around the screws.

With the result I am very satisfied.

 

[bahn88]

Nice work as always....
Ever thought/discussed adding an lean angle gauge/inclinometer...sort of an "artificial horizon" for m'bikes...?

 

[f104wart]

Hi John,

no I have not.

This project should not be my life's work.

I'm only building some gadgets for a friend's motorcycle, because he enjoys aircraft technology just like me and I want to make him a pleasure with it.

It's all about building a new instrument panel into the fairing and giving the instruments, that also are originally on the bike, a special style. Not more.

 

[f104wart]

@Pim: You got me hooked. The circuit breakers have been ordered and are on their way.



Today we continue with the warning lights.

We didn't want to use LEDs. On the one hand not because they are too bright, and on the other hand because they don't fit into our concept.

So we opted for very simple lights that give us a lot of leeway for redesigning them in an aircraft style.



You can't really see the details on the photo, but I don't have a better one.

We use the 3 green lights "LG GEAR CONTROL" in the top left as an orientation.

The main feature of the lights is that they have a knurled cap that you can unscrew to replace a blown bulb.

In addition, they have a "PUSH TO TEST" function. This means that each lamp is also a button that can be used to check the function of the lamp. That's why the cover caps don't sit on the instrument panel, but protrude a little.


First, the lights got a sleeve that has an M16x1 thread for attachment to the instrument panel and matching knurled nuts.
Knurled nuts because I didn't have the right hex material and milling a hex for this purpose was too time-consuming.

In the next step, a core hole was drilled into a 20 mm round material, which later serves for turning to the final dimensions, the material was knurled at certain intervals and then the spaces between the knurls were turned off a little. The knurling has also been given the desired width of 7.5 mm.

Now the core hole was drilled out over the entire depth to the size of the colored part of the lamp that remains visible and a step was turned from the later back of the cap, into which the sleeve pushed over the lamp fits perfectly. Later, after anodizing, the cap is glued to the case with Loktite.

Now the cap just had to be cut off...

...and the first of 3 lamps is finished.

The ring that lies next to the knurled nut is used to form the distance between the cap and the panel

The last two steps were repeated twice more and then the first 3 lamps in "aircraft style" were ready.

 

[f104wart]

The red and green lights have a different shape and are otherwise different.

But exactly this asymmetry is wanted and ultimately determines the model-oriented design. The red light is the most important and is meant to shine the brightest, which is exactly why it's slightly larger than the others.

The production process was basically the same, just as 2 different individual pieces.

Knurl, drill/bore to diameter of the lamps glass, bore back and cut off.

With the red light, the linear knurling on the screw-in part could be pressed into the cap and is already firmly in place.

The cap for the green one is designed in exactly the same way, just with different dimensions.

Finally, a group picture of the whole family

...Yes, I know I have a quirk. But I enjoy them and with stories like that I can really live them out.
For me this is pure relaxation.

 

[Sidecar Bob]

Nice work.

I'm really enjoying this thread. I don't think I've seen a bike with the instruments &c attached to the fairing this forum before. I've contemplated doing that on mine (but much more basic than you are doing) a few times over the years but I finally decided that in my case the advantages would be outweighed by the extra steps needed when removing the fairing and less easy access things between the fairing and the front of the bike, both of which are need more often than you would expect on a bike used in severe conditions.
But that shouldn't be too big a problem with a bike used in more normal conditions and I have occasionally wondered why more don't mount the instruments in the fairing.

The aircraft theme is neat to. It's not what I'd want myself but I enjoy seeing how others bring their ideas to life.

BTW: You can usually dim LEDs by adding a resistor in series (in case you decide to use them in a future project).

 

[f104wart]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for your feedback.

I have already considered the problem with removing the fairing. That's why i have designed the fastening of the instruments in such a way that the fairing can be removed independently of the electric an the instruments.

There will be only necessary to unplug the connection the headlights and the turn signals. This will be possible with one central plug.

 

[Sidecar Bob]

Sounds like a good plan. My best idea for mine would have been to mount the instruments &c in a box that I could un-bolt from the fairing and leave connected to the bike but in the end I decided to just leave things as they were. Besides, my eyes are getting older and I can still read the speedometer &c without glasses at the distance they are but not so well where they would be if I moved them

 

[f104wart]

It won't be much further away than the original instruments but it will probably be even easier to read.

Just wait and see.

 

[Sidecar Bob]

On your project I believe that but where I was thinking of putting things on mine (with the Interstate fairing a couple of inches farther forward than stock)....

 

[f104wart]

Oh yes, that's true.

...but that's not a fairing, that's a wall unit. Why else can you hide a stereo system in it.

 

[Sidecar Bob]

I can't say for anyone that rides theirs in warm weather but when it's -20 out I want that wall in front of me

BTW: The stereo I have in mine is almost small enough to fit in a bikini fairing. Except for the speakers.....