The TRX project has crossed an important milestone - switchgear. I’ve got a working start, kill switch, hi/low beam, horn and turn signals. Only took a couple of weeks, sooner if I’d abandoned the KnS switchgear Instead, I’ve 3D printed a housing for individual momentary and latching pushbuttons, and the turn signals switch is looted from some KTM type switchgear. Wiring took a weekend - normally I would avoid modifying the bikes wiring harness, but with the switches used and 3D printed housing I had to de-pin the standard harness connectors and re-pin them into individual connectors. It’s a mod that can be easily returned to factory though, so that’s a plus.
I did wire in an oil pressure switch and oil pressure light, but I think the pressure switch is defective. Another one is on order. In the meantime I changed the bikes oil and filter - there’s a heck of a lot of oil in these things.
Allegedly, I rode the bike up and down my street a couple of times, just to free things up a little. I’m still getting used to the tall first gear and heavy clutch - low-speed work in my yard is a challenge. Once the clutch is out and the bikes trucks along pretty quickly (allegedly).
Paint for the TRX is the next hurdle - just the rear tail section needing paint and decals. I was originally going to use the top fairing as the paint sample but found a matching front mudguard on eBay for a good price and this will be the paint match. The screen is an aftermarket unit (Dreamscreenuk) and it needed some small Dremel mods to fit. Nothing major. Not sure how I feel about half fairings… looks like the bike has been crashed already.
Louise loves riding bikes but is struggling with the current Queensland heat and we’ve been using the car more than the bike this last week. However, her claim to my SWM is locked in, and I’ll start returning the SWM back to “two-handed” soon and have her learn to use the clutch. Clutch first, moving next. I did buy Louise a Sena Prism Tube camera for her helmet - the footage is good and the audio is better than expected. I’ll upload something to my youtube channel soon.
The arm, if I find the energy, will be running another small but critical update - I’ll be replacing some key components with 3D printed parts. This is the mechanism in the arm that actuates the FOX shock, currently from anodised 6061, to be replaced by 3D printed carbon-impregnated nylon. The 3D printed parts, in this material, are half the weight and two thirds the cost and considering the loads in the mechanism should be more than adequate.
The 3D printed switch housing. Printed in ABS now, but an SLS printed nylon part will replace it soon.
Louise coping with the heat at Yakapari Organic & Natural Store - our favourite stop for a coffee and snack.
