Page not found – Build. Tinker. Ride. Trials and Tribulations (and good times) of my motorcycle projects and other garage tinkering. Learning and building things. Building, wrenching on, and riding Harley Davidson Evolution Sportsters, Big Twins, and anything else with two wheels. Currently working on restoring and preserving a 1988 Harley Davidson Sportster chopper. I also post information on other DIY projects I tinker on. http://www.sportsterproject.com Build. Tinker. Ride. Trials and Tribulations (and good times) of my motorcycle projects and other garage tinkering. Learning and building things. Building, wrenching on, and riding Harley Davidson Evolution Sportsters, Big Twins, and anything else with two wheels. Currently working on restoring and preserving a 1988 Harley Davidson Sportster chopper. I also post information on other DIY projects I tinker on. Wed, 27 Dec 2023 15:28:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Sportster Hardtail Rear Brake Bracket… http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/12/27/sportster-hardtail-rear-brake-bracket/ http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/12/27/sportster-hardtail-rear-brake-bracket/#respond Wed, 27 Dec 2023 15:26:32 +0000 http://www.sportsterproject.com/?p=6033 Nothing spectacular here but a little bit of progress. I set up the rear brake bracket for the Sportster hardtail. Modified the stock bracket per the TCBros instructions. Drilled and tapped the support hole using the template provided. Then made sure everything fit.

I used an angle grinder with a cut off wheel to cut off the frame supports on the rear brake bracket.
Cutting and grinding rear brake bracket for Sportster Hardtail.
After cutting off a majority of the material, I used a grinder wheel and then a flap disc to remove the remain material till it was pretty much flush.

Once the swingarm tabs were cut off and grinded down, I used the template included with the instructions to center punch where the hole for the new support needed to be.
Using template to mark hole for brake bracket support.
Drilled the hole to 5/16″, starting with a 1/4″ bit, then a 5/16″ bit.

Tapped the hole with a 3/8″-16 UNC tap.
Drilled and tapped for 3/8"-16 UNC.
I think the bracket is cast aluminum. It was really easy to drill and tap.

I did a bit more grinding to get the contour and shape on the bracket the way I wanted them.

Tested the fit with the Heim joints and hardware included with the kit.
Tested the rear brake bracket fit using the hardware supplied in the kit.
Need to clean things up a bit, but everything fits as expected.

One step closer, but still a lot to do…

Build. Tinker. Ride.

]]>
http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/12/27/sportster-hardtail-rear-brake-bracket/feed/ 0
Sportster Hardtail Progress… http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/12/14/sportster-hardtail-progress/ http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/12/14/sportster-hardtail-progress/#respond Fri, 15 Dec 2023 02:43:54 +0000 http://www.sportsterproject.com/?p=6022 Got the hardtail welded in. Looks pretty good. Not too much to say about it other than I think if went together nice. I am fairly confident my welds are good and will hold her together.

Just a couple shots of the TC Bros Sportster hardtail kit welded in.
Sportster Hardtail Welded On

Sportster Hardtail Welded On

Got the motor partially mounted in. I’ll put the rest of the motor mounts on and torque to specs just to make sure everything fits as it should.
Checking Engine Fit after Welding the TCBro's Hardtail

Still a long way to go, but a step or two closer.

]]>
http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/12/14/sportster-hardtail-progress/feed/ 0
Cutting the Sportster in Half… http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/12/01/cutting-the-sportster-in-half/ http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/12/01/cutting-the-sportster-in-half/#respond Fri, 01 Dec 2023 12:12:04 +0000 http://www.sportsterproject.com/?p=6014 With the frame measured and marked, the next step is to cut. I was waiting for my grandson, Alijah, to visit so he could help with the cuts. He was a great help and I think he had a blast doing it, even though it was “really loud”. 🙂

First we cut the backbone at the measured 11 3/4″ from the neck tube.

Then we cut off the two lower tubes 4″ off the transmission mount.

With all the cuts made we had to see what it was going to look like so we test fit the frame.

It took a little jiggling but with Alijah’s help it fit right together and looks great.

Put the motor back in to see how things are going to look.

Looks great! Now to work on getting things spaced and aligned, get the motor mounts torqued to specs, and get the hardtail section welded on.

Build. Tinker. Ride.

]]>
http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/12/01/cutting-the-sportster-in-half/feed/ 0
Measure 3157 times… http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/11/27/measure-3157-times/ http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/11/27/measure-3157-times/#respond Mon, 27 Nov 2023 12:56:05 +0000 http://www.sportsterproject.com/?p=6003 The hardtail kit arrived Sunday. I just ordered it on Thursday and it arrived here on Sunday well packed and in great shape. Inventoried all the included hardware, everything that is suppose to be there is there. Awesome job TC Bros.
TC Bros Sportster Weld-on Hardtail Kit
The included instructions are detailed (and can be found online here) and seem pretty straight forward.

I measured and marked the cuts on the backbone and lower frame rails per the instructions. The backbone cut is 13 3/4″ from the neck tube. The lower rails are 4″ from the lower transmission mount.
Sportster Frame Cut Measurements for the TC Bros Hardtail Kit
Marked off the measurements with painters tape.

Double and triple checked (seriously like checked and rechecked and then checked again, I don’t want to screw this up) the measurements. Pretty sure all is right. Going to wait till my grandson is here to cut it up… he will get a kick out of that 🙂

I kid about measuring 3157 times… I think it was a lot more times than that, but I lost count.

Build. Tinker. Ride.

]]>
http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/11/27/measure-3157-times/feed/ 0
Hardtailing the 90 Sportster… http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/11/25/hardtailing-the-90-sportster/ http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/11/25/hardtailing-the-90-sportster/#respond Sun, 26 Nov 2023 01:00:12 +0000 http://www.sportsterproject.com/?p=5989 Going to hardtail the 1990 Sportster. I saw a bike in the parking lot at Willie’s Chopper Time Show down in Daytona this year that inspired me a bit. So… TC Bros had a great Black Friday deal on their weld-on Sportster Hardtail Kit. SURPRISE! It’s on the way.

Here is the Sportster parked at the chopper show that has given me the inspiration.
Inspiration
Nothing flashy, pretty simple, just a great looking bike.

When I saw the Black Friday sale at TC Bros I went ahead and ordered the hardtail kit. Been a bit since I have been excited about a project. Really looking forward to getting into it.

I don’t have the kit yet, I ordered theweld-on Sportster Hardtail Kit on Thanksgiving day and it shipped on Black Friday, tracking says I should have it on Monday. 🙂

I put the bike up on the lift and started stripping it down. Drained the fluids, removed the exhaust pipes and carburetor, removed the gas and oil tank, removed the rear fender and struts, got all the wiring out of the way, and loosened all the motor mounts. The motor is pulled.
Sportster Stripped Down Ready for the TC Bros Hardtail Kit
Ready to cut it up to hardtail. Need to clean things up a little bit, but still basically ready to cut. Really looking forward to this project.

Still have some stuff to think about… like the oil tank and battery box. I am planning to fabricate the battery box, but I’ll probably buy an oil tank. Just have to decided what I want to do. Did I mention I am really looking forward to this project. Going to be a blast!

Build. Tinker. Ride.

]]>
http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/11/25/hardtailing-the-90-sportster/feed/ 0
Soundstream HDHU.14+ Radio Upgrade on the 2014 Street Glide… http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/11/10/soundstream-hdhu-14-radio-upgrade-on-the-2014-street-glide/ http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/11/10/soundstream-hdhu-14-radio-upgrade-on-the-2014-street-glide/#respond Sat, 11 Nov 2023 00:44:34 +0000 http://www.sportsterproject.com/?p=5941 I replaced the stock radio on my 2014 Street Glide with a Sound Stream Reserve HDHU.14+ Plug and Play Head Unit. I have been looking at these for a bit, and I found it on sale at Garage Bagger Stereo. Ordered it on a Sunday and had it on Thursday. Friday I had the day off in observance of Veteran’s Day so I got it installed. The install was easy and only took about an hour.

The SoundStream HDHU.14+ units are pretty inexpensive everywhere right now, I guess something new and improved is probably on the way, or the SI model is what more people are buying. The SI model looks pretty cool, but I don’t really have a need for the digital gauges, but that’s just me – keep it simple. Really looking for a bit better sound and the ability to use Apple CarPlay. The HDHU.14+ is compatible with 2014 and up Harley Davidson Street Glides and several other models (RoadGlide, Ultra, Electra Glide).
PRECISION POWER HDHU.14 REPLACEMENT RADIO - HARLEY DAVIDSON PLUG AND PLAY RADIO
In the box I received from Garage Bagger Stereo:

  • Soundstream Reserve Precision Power HDHU.14+ Head Unit
  • SWC Interface for Handlebar Control Integration
  • Plug-and-Play Wiring Harness
  • Microphone (which I did not use)
  • Replacement plastic bushings for mounting the radio
  • Installation instructions

The installation instructions included in the package are decent and there are a bunch of great YouTube videos providing step by step instructions for installing the head unit to help as well.

The kit from Garage Baggers Stereo included the interface to provide (they say retain, but that is not exactly the case… more on that in a few) control from the stock handlebar controls.

All of the stock factory mounting hardware is used for installation. There is no mounting hardware in the kit except for a set of four replacement plastic isolation bushings which go in the head unit mounting holes. Don’t over look these bushings, they were in a small bag included in the box but were not mentioned in the installation instructions.

The new radio is nearly the exact same form factor as the stock radio and it fits in the stock location nicely. All the mounting holes lined up nicely and there are no gaps around the screen in the inner fairing.
Soundstream Reserve Head Unit in the 2014 Street Glide
The cabling is pretty simple: attach the stock USB connector and stock the antenna connector, then attach the include wiring harness to the head unit, attach the SWC interface box, and then attach the factory radio connector to the wiring harness. Very plug-and-play.

After I cabled everything up, but before I tightened everything down, I tested the head unit. Turned on the ignition to make sure the unit powered on. Checked that the radio worked and used the stock USB port to connect my phone to test Apple CarPlay.
Soundstream Radio Power On
The radio worked great, and I preset a couple of the local stations. Apple CarPlay worked as expected: played some tunes, tested Apple Maps, made sure the handlebar controls worked. The 7″ LCD touch screen is gorgeous.

Everything worked as it should so I reinstalled the top support bracket, I tightened everything up, and reattached the cabling to the support bracket.
Soundstream Precision Power HDHU.14 installed in the 2014 Street Glide
With everything tightened up I tested the radio again. All still good so I reinstalled the fairing.

Installation took around an hour from start to finish. The only tools required were a T27 torx and a 3/16 Allen wrench. A plastic trim pry tool is useful for getting the two factory wiring connectors off the support bracket, but a screwdriver would work just as well. Just be careful prying them out. Great little upgrade project that I think just about anyone should be able to tackle… low stress and easy peasy.

Now a little bit about the handle bar controls… you get basic controls… volume up and down, change through the pre-set radio stations, change tracks when listening to music on Apple CarPlay. Most other things will need to be done on the touch screen. You cannot cycle through screens on the radio using the handlebar controls like you can on the factory unit, for instance to scan for an FM radio station or to select another artist or album, at least not as far as I can tell. The info button, which on the factory unit displays some vehicle information, switches through the different inputs on the radio. Not at all a deal breaker, it is just a bit misleading to say it “retains” the factory controls.

A neat feature on the radio is the ability to customize the display background. Just add a 1024×600 jpeg image to a USB flash drive, connect it up, and in the display settings load it in as the custom background.
Soundstream Reserve Custom Background 2014 Street Glide
The color of the icons is customizable as well. You can set them to a single color or to rotate through the colors.

How does it sound? Well… GREAT! Way better than the stock radio, a lot louder as well. I haven’t played with all the features, like the digital equalizer and custom audio settings, but it does sound very nice right out of the box. Having access to apps on Apple CarPlay is pretty slick. Looking forward to trying it out on the road… will let you know how it goes.

Build. Tinker. Ride.

]]>
http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/11/10/soundstream-hdhu-14-radio-upgrade-on-the-2014-street-glide/feed/ 0
DIY EBS Catch Can… External Breather for the Street Glide… http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/07/13/diy-ebs-catch-can-external-breather-for-the-street-glide/ http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/07/13/diy-ebs-catch-can-external-breather-for-the-street-glide/#respond Thu, 13 Jul 2023 11:13:17 +0000 http://www.sportsterproject.com/?p=5902 Putting an external breather with a catch can on the Street Glide to catch a bit of the oil which collects in the air cleaner cover. I know this is really just treating a symptom and not really addressing the possible problem, but that is what I am looking to do right now. I plan to upgrade the cam chest at some point and when I do that I’ll replace the breather valves in the rocker boxes. For now this is just to keep some of the oil blow by out of my air cleaner and off the bike. Not expecting miracles, just hoping to keep things a little cleaner.

There are a few different external breather modification kits out there but I decided to DIY it and put together my own kit. Some of the kits are pretty nice but they come with a premium price tag, I was able to source everything I needed for less than $50… the hose barb connectors, the fuel line, and the drill/tap was around $15 (well $30 got me enough to DIY an EBS on 2 bikes). The catch can was about $35. This is about a third what the pre-assembled kits cost for a single bike. I could have saved a couple more dollars with brass fittings instead of stainless, but I liked the look of stainless over brass. Could have also saved a bit more money venting to atmosphere instead of a catch can, but I decided to go with a catch can.

Shopping list:

  1. Stainless Steel 1/4″ Hose Barb to 1/8″ Male NPT from Amazon – 5 in this pack so enough for 2 bikes.
  2. Stainless Steel 1/4″ Hose Barb 3 Way Tee from Amazon – 2 in this pack so enough for 2 bikes.
  3. 6 Feet 1/4″ ID Fuel Line from Amazon plenty for 2 bikes (dependent on how you route the lines)
  4. Drill and Tap Set for 1/8″ NPT from Amazon
  5. Vented Engine Motor Breather Canister V-Twin 40-0457 which I found on eBay but it also available on Amazon here.
  6. 3 oz Tube of Red High Temp RTV

I have the Screaming Eagle backing plate on the bike so it is going to require I drill and tap some holes in the back plate.

With the back plate still on the bike, I marked the location for the 1/8″ NPT hose barbs on the back plate. I did this a couple of times to make sure they were not going to be in the way of anything. I marked the location for the hose barbs using a bit of white paint on a small Phillips screw driver. Checked them again, and then again, and then removed the backing plate from the bike.

I used a center punch to mark the location and drilled out the holes using 3 drill bits: first a small one to get things started, then one that was about half the size of the final bit, and finally the “R” bit which came in the 1/8 NPT drill and tap set to get to the final size. The back plate is aluminum and was pretty easy to drill out, just take your time.
Drilling Back Plate for External Breather Catch Can
With the hole drilled I ran the tap in using a bit of WD40 to lubricate. It was pretty easy to cut the threads, just take your time.
1/8 NPT Threads Cut in Back Plate
The tap is tapered so it will get a bit harder to turn as it gets deeper. I ran the tap in until it was showing about 1/8″ inside the breather passage.

I threaded in the hose barbs, used some teflon tape to seal things up, and test fit everything. I cut the hose to length.
External Breather Hoses and Catch Can Mocked Up
When I was happy with how everything fit I removed the back plate to plug up the breather passages.

I used the RTV to plug up the passages from the breathers in the back plate.
Plugged Breather Holes in Back Plate Using RTV
It is a bit messy but should do the job. I let the RTV cure for 24 hours.

After the RTV cured I re-assembled the back plate, air filter, and air cleaner cover.
DIY External Breather with Catch Can
All buttoned up and ready to ride. Time will tell whether or not it makes a difference.

Since I have enough fittings and hose to do a second bike, I’ll probably pick up another catch can and add an external breather to the Wide Glide as well. I may get a piece of aluminum and see if I can turn my own catch can on the lathe – I think that would be a cool project.

Build. Tinker. Ride.

]]>
http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/07/13/diy-ebs-catch-can-external-breather-for-the-street-glide/feed/ 0
Updated Saddlebag Mounting Hardware on the Street Glide… http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/06/22/updated-saddlebag-mounting-hardware-on-the-street-glide/ http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/06/22/updated-saddlebag-mounting-hardware-on-the-street-glide/#respond Thu, 22 Jun 2023 16:39:58 +0000 http://www.sportsterproject.com/?p=5877 Recently Sandy and I took a road trip to Mississippi. We spent 5 days on the road traveling through the southern states, covered about 2000 miles, and had a great time. Before we left I read a couple of forum posts about folks loosing a saddlebag due to a catastrophic failure of the original HD saddlebag mounting hardware. I knew this had been an issue for some, but I had pretty much ignored it. Reading these post just before leaving for our road trip gave me a bit of anxiety. I checked the mounts at every gas stop and was pretty hyperaware that I could see a saddlebag bouncing down the street in my rearview mirror. No issues on our ride, but when we got home… I fixed it.

The original mounting hardware is a spring on a clip which secures a pin through the saddlebag. This mounting hardware is found on most 2015 and earlier Harley Davidson Touring models (I think) and was recalled by Harley Davidson back in 2015.
Original Saddlebag Mounting Hardware 2014 Street Glide
I probably could have had this fixed for free at a HD dealership, but that would be a hassle (have to talk to a people, make a service appointment, leave the bike for a day for a 10 minute fix, etc). Not sure why I never had it fixed before, but it is fixed now and here’s how…

I picked up this Saddlebag Mounting Hardware kit on Amazon. The saddlebag hardware is available in chrome or black, I went with the black.

This hardware kit updates the spring style mounting hardware to a design which is considerably more secure. The Saddlebag Mounting Hardware kit is similar to, if not the same as, the mounts which is used on 2016 and newer Touring models.

There are a lot of different options for replacement available on Amazon, most of them are between $30 and $35 or so. I chose this Saddlebag Mounting Hardware kit because, well I am not really sure why… maybe the reviews? Not sure but this Saddlebag Mounting Hardware kit is solid, the quality seems good, and the black finish is nice. The kit includes what is needed to replace the hardware for both saddlebags.

Installation is very easy. First remove the saddlebags and the spring clips. Then install the new clips which came with the kit.

Finally reinstall the saddlebags and tighten the fasteners. It took less than 10 minutes to remove the old, replace with the new, and reinstall the saddlebags on both sides.

Removing the saddlebags is still toolless, the mounts just unscrew by hand. The updated hardware does intrude into the saddlebag a bit, but it should not really cause too much issue.

I was still able to mount my organizer tray by hooking it over the hardware… it is not screwed down in the tray, instead the tray is hanging on the hardware… Only time will tell if this will be an issue, but it looks like it should be fine.

The new mounting hardware definitely seems much more secure than the previous hardware. The bolts would have to back out a good long way before they let loose, not just a half turn like the original hardware. Should have done this ages ago, but it is done now… one less thing to worry about when going down the road.

Check your ride. If you still have the spring clip fasteners on yours, pick up one of these Saddlebag Mounting Hardware Kits and get it fixed before you are posting on a forum about being on a nice Sunday ride where you watched your saddlebag tumble down the road 🙂 It’s an easy fix, just do it.

Build. Tinker. Ride.

]]>
http://www.sportsterproject.com/2023/06/22/updated-saddlebag-mounting-hardware-on-the-street-glide/feed/ 0
Biketoberfest 2022 – A Fantastic Trip… http://www.sportsterproject.com/2022/10/17/biketoberfest-2022-a-fantastic-trip/ http://www.sportsterproject.com/2022/10/17/biketoberfest-2022-a-fantastic-trip/#respond Mon, 17 Oct 2022 20:50:45 +0000 http://www.sportsterproject.com/?p=5796 A few days before heading down to Daytona for Biketoberfest 2022 I called the timeshare to check on things and they had to cancel our reservation due to storm damage from Hurricane Ian. Everyone was OK but there was some damage to the property which needed to be repaired before they could open. I quickly started looking for alternatives worried we might have to cancel the trip. I was not able to find anything for the whole week. I found us a room in St Augustine for a couple of nights, and then the rest of the week down in Daytona just a few blocks south of Main Street.

Friday morning we packed up the Street Glide. Yep there is a weeks worth of stuff in the duffle bag on the rack and in the saddle bags. We have gotten pretty good at packing light to make sure there is plenty of room to bring stuff home for the grandkids.
Street Glide Packed for Biketoberfest 2022
We headed south just after sunrise. It was a little cool starting out but not too bad, we layered up. By the time we made it through NC we were peeling off layers. We were still a little over dressed when we made it to St. Augustine around 5:30 PM, a little over 10 hours on the road.

We spent Friday night and Saturday kicking around St Augustine. Visited the Castillo de San Marcos. Walked around downtown. Had a great dinner at the Raintree Restaurant. The food was amazing totally recommend checking this place out if you are in the area.

Sunday we rode down A1A to Daytona area. There was a lot of storm damage on the way down, lots of trash piled up on the side of A1A, still some sand over a few of the side streets, and most of the beach accesses looked pretty torn up. We got to Daytona mid-afternoon and stopped in at Tipsy Taco in Ormond Beach for some refreshments and tacos then headed on to our hotel.

Monday we kind of just rested a bit. Had breakfast at Peach Valley Cafe in Ormond Beach then headed out to Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson to pick up a couple t-shirts and a few things for the grandkids before it got crazy. Had wings for dinner at Charlie Horse in Ormond Beach.

Tuesday we rode down to Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. We climbed the lighthouse.
Ponce Inlet Lighthouse - Biketoberfest 2022
We had hoped to visit the Marine Science Center at Ponce Inlet, but it was closed – I guess due to storm damage 🙁 A lot of the beach down this way was still closed as well.

Tuesday afternoon we played some mini-golf and then stopped in at Cherry Hill Ice Cream. Cherry Hill Ice Cream was amazing! We ended up stopping in there every afternoon. I hope we will be able to visit them again next year.

There did not seem to be as many people in town as usual during the days leading up to the official start of Biketoberfest. I know there were several hotels closed due to damage from Hurricane Ian so I am sure that played a role in things. I mean that almost caused us to have to cancel or trip.

Wednesday we rode down US 1 to Titusville, FL to Miracle City Harley Davidson just to check it out. Miracle City Harley Davidson dealership opened in 2019 and we had never been by there. Nice dealership and the folks were friendly, kind of expected them to have something going on but they said not till Thursday night. We left there and headed to Space Coast Harley Davidson to see Jasmine Cain.
Jasmine Cain - Space Coast Harley Davidson - Biketoberfest 2022
Was pretty surprised there were not more folks down there, but Jasmine Cain put on a great show as always. The ride back to Daytona got a little wet, it was the only time we ran into any rain the whole time we were down there.

Thursday we headed out to the Biketoberfest Welcome Center to pick up our pins and poker chips then to Willie’s Old School Chopper Show to check out the bikes. This show is always a good show. Lots of really interesting bikes and people. As with other things it seemed a little smaller than usual but it was still a great show.
Willie's Choppertime Old School Chopper Show - Biketoberfest 2022
At Willie’s there was this really neat Sportster with a side car. I thought this was one of the coolest things I had seen in a while.
Sportster - Sidecar - Willie's Old School Chopper Show - Biketoberfest 2022
Sandy really liked this Triumph trike.
Triumph Trike - Willie's Chopper Show - Biketoberfest 2022
Of course I am a sucker for a good looking Sportster chopper.
Sportster Chop - Willie's Choppertime - Biketoberfest 2022
Some great looking bikes in the show and also parked on the street.

After Willie’s we headed back out to Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson to check out the vendors and visit the HOG pin stop.

We spent Thursday night on Main Street at the Jasmine Cain show at the Full Moon Saloon. Great show!
Jasmine Cain - Full Moon Saloon - Biketoberfest 2022
The crowds at other places seemed small, but Main Street was pretty packed – even so I still think it felt a bit less packed than usual.

Friday morning we headed back down to Main Street for the Boardwalk Bike Show. As with Willie’s show this seemed to be a bit smaller than years past. Not as many folks and not as many bikes. Lots of over the top baggers (to each their own), a few cool bikes. Still some interesting things to look at.

I really dig this sticker, cause I also fuck up a lot.
I Fucked Up A Lot - Boardwalk Bike Show - Biketoberfest 2022
The details and leather work on this bike from the Boardwalk show really caught my attention.
Boardwalk Bike Show - Biketoberfest 2022

Over the past several years we have gone roller skating on our last night in town, this year was no different. Friday night is teen night at Astro Skating Center in Ormond Beach. We are the oldest folks there by at least a couple of decades, but we still have a great time.
Roller Skating - Biketoberfest 2022

Saturday we were up before the sun to head home, still a bit sore from skating the night before. The weather was good and we blasted up 95 only stopping for gas. We were home around 5 PM. We had a great trip… Around 1700 miles over the week… Already looking forward to next year…

Even though we had to change things last minute, we had a great trip. The crowds were a bit smaller and there was still a lot of evidence of storm damage just about everywhere. Glad most of the folks we talked to had faired OK with Hurricane Ian and the area is recovering. Been a rough couple of years down there, first with the pandemic and then the hurricane. Hopefully things will get back to normal soon.

Regardless of how much fun we have it is always good to get back home. First layer of road grime is washed off the bike and she is ready for the next ride…
Street Glide - Biketoberfest 2022
Back to reality…

]]>
http://www.sportsterproject.com/2022/10/17/biketoberfest-2022-a-fantastic-trip/feed/ 0
Interior LED Accent Lighting for the Jeep http://www.sportsterproject.com/2022/09/05/interior-led-accent-lighting-for-the-jeep/ http://www.sportsterproject.com/2022/09/05/interior-led-accent-lighting-for-the-jeep/#respond Mon, 05 Sep 2022 12:19:19 +0000 http://www.sportsterproject.com/?p=5682 I installed a set of inexpensive floorboard LED accent lights in my 2020 Jeep Wrangler JL. Alright I’ll admit this is a bit silly and provides no practical value at all, but… I think they look pretty cool and the light kit is an easy inexpensive afternoon project to keep me busy.

I picked up the interior LED accent light kit on Amazon for less than $35. The kit comes with four 9″ LED light tubes. Each of the light tubes are individually connected to a controller with about 5′ feet of wiring. The controller can be hardwired in to a 12 volt source or it comes with a cigarette lighter adapter. The kit also includes some wire ties, some screws, and some double sided tape for different mounting options. There are also some basic instructions for installation.

Since the interior LED accent light kit is a universal kit there are no instructions for specifically how to mount the lights in a Jeep. You pretty much just have to figure out what is going to work best for you.

I tested the light kit using the cigarette lighter adapter and verified everything worked as expected. Used the mode button on the controller to change through the different colors and modes. I think the purple is the coolest.
Interior Accent LED Lights
Then I ran each of the light tubes to where they would live, one on the passenger side, one on the driver side, and two in the rear under each of the front seats. After they were in their new homes, I plugged them into the cigarette lighter to test them again. Everything still worked so I mounted the light tubes in there new homes using the supplied wire ties.

For the rear ones, which are under the front seats, I checked the wire length with the seats all the way forward and all the way back to make sure there was enough slack and to make sure nothing gets pinched when adjusting the seats. I used a couple of extra wire ties to keep them out of the way. I tucked all the wires under the center console, they are out of sight and it looks nice and clean. I coiled up, wire tied, and tucked the excess wiring under the carpet on the passenger side.

I am wiring the lights into one of the factory auxiliary switches and the controller has a way to set it up for powering on from direct 12 volt power instead of using the on/off button on the controller. Pretty simple to set up, with the power off just hold down the mode button for 3 seconds to put it into direct power mode.
Jeep LED Floorboard Lights
I connected the lights to the factory Aux 3 switch which is the orange wire in the switch wiring tucked under the passenger side below and behind the glove box. Connected the red wire from the controller to the orange wire in the harness with a simple butt connector with heat shrink. There is a bolt under the carpet which provides a good ground, I put an eyelet connector on the controllers black wire and connected it to the ground. The lights come on with a press of the auxiliary switch. I left the control box accessible so the mode can be changed but it can easily be tucked under the carpet out of sight.
Interior Accent LED Lights Control Box
The control box is on the passenger side. It is out of the way and not really noticeable. I may put a piece of double sided tape behind it just to keep it from getting tugged on.

This floorboard LED accent light kit has pretty much everything you need (I had to add a few extra wire ties), is inexpensive, and is easy enough to install without making any permanent modifications (drilling, cutting, etc). The light kit is cheap enough that if things stop working you just yank it out and replace it.
Jeep Wrangler LED Floorboard Lights
Nice easy inexpensive just for fun afternoon project, took about an hour and a half to install. The only tools you really need is a cutter to cut the excess off the wire ties and what ever you need to hardwire it in (connectors, crimpers, heat gun), if you decide to do that. Take your time and it’ll come out great. Pretty neat looking. Bright enough to see during the day, but they look really cool at night. I am sure the grandkids are going to get a kick out of them.

There are a number of videos you will find on YouTube for installing these inexpensive interior LED accent lights but I thought this one was better than most.

AdventureDex has a bunch of other interesting Jeep mods on his channel and his videos are very entertaining.

Build. Tinker. Ride.

]]>
http://www.sportsterproject.com/2022/09/05/interior-led-accent-lighting-for-the-jeep/feed/ 0