CX500 rAt Attack stage 1 completed

Okay, never mind the current and well justified "Art Rage" re: Uncle Bill's highly questionable, inappropriate, and universal betrayal of adult to child responsibilities (not to mention clearly being at odds with any "permit for working with a child" police clearances) going on in Oz at the moment, here are some more happy snaps of my current "rAt Rage" instead.

The CX500 that I'm applying my own forms of artistic freedoms of expression to is of 1981 vintage, which in bike years (that at least match human years) makes her 27 years old - more than old enough to have her photos taken in such compromising states of being ... and she certainly didn't consent NOT to have such happy snaps taken. :)

Until the new seat along with a modest Harley sissybar and backrest arrives, I've resorted to camoflaging the current seat with some classic beaten up leather saddlebags virtually donated to the cause by an old friend who probably doesn't share my distaste for shiny, polished, and clean machinery. Cheers again CW ... perhaps you'll have time to take it for a spin next time ... oh and you were right about the bad earth probably causing the indicator to play up! Actually, I reckon the bags lend themselves well to The Look I'm aiming for, so I hope they are still high enough when the new seat goes on.

Like the red light installed on the centre stand ? It's wired into the park lights (and on a separate switch) and puts out a nice glow to remind night drivers there is something on the road in front of them. Which is also the reason for the gratuituous use of those ugly looking reflectors.

The narrow 55watt drive lights have been relayed into the high beam ... decided I didn't care about doing the split thing of putting one on the main beam and the other on the high beam. Yes, I realise that the charge system might not keep up with the drain, but I doubt that the drive lights are actually going to get all that much use anyway. Like the light-up toggle switch ratted onto the fusebox next to the ignition ?

Yes, that IS plastic spiral wrap that has been used on the pillion grip, crashbars, and handlebar tie-bar. Yes, I've deliberately introduced MORE plastic to a motorcyle. Who says my idea of "rAt" has to be the same as your, hmmmm ? Heh.

Aside from the seat/sissy bar arrangement on order, some pods for the carbies are coming so I can get rid of the stock airbox and move the battery and electrics into the middle under the seat and get rid of the side-covers. I'm still on the search for some shorter reach shocks so I can lower the rear a few inches. I've also got a different kind of guard on its way. That one is going to be mounted off the swing arm so that it hugs the tyre.

I'm also on the lookout for an old B250 Tractor seat to interchange with the main seat as whim takes me. Why a B250 seat ? Coz ten years or so ago I spent many hundreds of hours sitting on one as I used the tractor it belonged to as my beast of burden to get artistic and creative with the 5 country acres I had.

See pic of one gorgeous piece of quality 3D functional Art. Oozes talent, eh ? Oozed a bit of hydrolic oil too.

Remember folks, chrome won't get you home.

Oh, and IL BL, you're a IL DL. Both of you even. Heh.

As for more on the Art Rage as opposed to Rat Rage going on at the moment, see: http://www.behindthebox.com.au/showthread.php?t=31467

regarDS

CX500 Rat Attack stage 1

More of a slide show than a waffle this time. Stage 1 in the deliberate Rat Attack of my CX500 1981 Custom. No real modifications at this stage, just getting busy with the Matt Black rattlecans after fish-oiling everywhere for rust control , fixing the tank weep, pulling off logos, getting gratuituous with reflectors, and installing some spots.

True Rat work with the spots - bit of aluminium angle I had laying around used as a reinforcement to the "Honda" logo on the triples then just bolted the spot mounts straight through both after some drilling. Drilled a couple of reflectors onto the rear shocks, and hoseclipped a couple more on to the frame under the side guards then bunged a bit of gaff tape over a couple of rust holes behind the stop light.

Most time so far has gone into the tank which needed one of those liquid repair kit thingies where you wash it out with one kind of thing, etch it with another kind of thing over night, then seal it with another kind of thing. Tis busy curing as I type and to speed it along I've got a small fan off an old IBM mainframe blowing air through it at a pleasing pace.

Hopefully will get the tank painted and back on the wee beastie in time for a ride on Saturday. Then it is just a case of looking out for suitable mod parts on ebay and Ratting accordingly. I want to change the seat to something less gay and also get twin headlights going but using two CX500 lights side by side.

The pot-belly matt black spraypaint on the exhaust has given me second thoughts about changing them for the moment ... they don't stand out so much like Gabriel's Trumpets now that they are "cast down to earth" kinda dirty.

regarDS

Biker Boy Rides Again ...

What with diesel prices going extremely North lately making things somewhat expensive to keep my tRusty 4x4 on the road, I've decided to revisit my days of youth and do The Biker thing again.

Result is pictured. Scored myself my third Honda CX500 and this time I got myself the "custom" design. The last one I had was the "sports" but I got rid of that at least 8 years ago.

See the picture within a picture ? That was me at around 20 years old when I had the a CM250 Custom, which my current CX500 Custom is a Big Brother (Heh) to.

Yup, still just as good looking, still just as much a kid ... just not so much the virgin anymore. Oh, and not so much hair these days either.

Here is what it looked like when I was bidding for it on ebay and won it for pleasingly reasonable price, and below that is a pic of one idea I have for it.

I'm planning to get very busy with some matt black spray paint on it in the next day or so and I have also been very busy visiting the excellent http://www.ratbike.org/ site getting ideas on how I can properly show my contempt for brand names and shiny over-priced sporty things and the kind of people who worship them. Heh.

Logos and brands are coming off post-haste and as much chrome as possible is either going to be gone or covered under beautiful ugly matt black.

I'll keep the blog posted re: my progress and the transformation of a somewhat ugly bike into a truly ugly bike that I shall be proud to ride and park among the high priced vehicles it is likely to encounter on a regular basis in a month or so.

Remember folks, "chrome won't get you home".

Rat bikes are the new black.

Matt Black.

regarDS

Shalom Shalom ... Happy 60th Anniversary Israel !

Yup, it's been 60 years since that 14th/15th day in May in 1948 that prophetic clock really got ticking its countdown again. See: http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/mideast/israel.htm for more on that.

NASA seems to have joined in with the celebrations with the release of a pic of a certain allegedly young supernova. See: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BadAs.../~3/290294357/ for more on that.

Cool Heavenly Fireworks display, yes ? Imagine how this universe would look if you were outside it and could watch it in fast motion ?

Here is youtube to help with your imagination in that regard. Tis of fireworks put on as part of Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfxYoRp27AY

Shalom Shalom

Downtime ... deep Downtime.

Just a quicky to continue on the the previous entry but "downtime" from a different point of view. "Downtime" as in "dive, dive, dive ..."

Busselton Jetty is a Great Place to do a bit of scuba diving, but rather than me bang on about it, just visit: http://www.busseltonjetty.com.au/ for more info on the kind of view you can get of the bottom of the Indian Ocean from about 2km offshore WITHOUT getting your feet wet.

If you want, you can even do it now, for they've got a web-cam set up there too.

LSCP and I did it from both sides of the underwater observatory glass, and we cheated having to carry all our scuba gear out for a 2km walk by using our 4 metre "tinny" dinghy instead and using "The Dive Shed" mooring (with permission). Much better way of doing it.

The Dive Shed is the local dive shop and they were extremely helpful regarding weather conditions, any equipment hire, and they also do charters to not only the jetty (saving you the lugging of gear) but also to the HMAS Swan wreck and some local reef.

As for us, well the Vis wasn't good that day but it was still a fantastic and peaceful dive ... and wouldn't you know it, I just happened to have a certain sign handy and LSCP was in the mood to take some photos. :)

Yes, even when partaking in "downtime" when on extended "downtime", I was still thinking of all the wonderful foruming folk in the "Behind Big Brother" forums.

LSCP even managed to capture on film a forum moderator swimming by at the time !

regarDS