Thoughts on parts availability

[drzcharlie]

On the "Don't use a heat gun" part. Yeppers... I found out the hard way..lol Back to the drawing board. I will borrow the hair dryer this time.

 

[danketchpel]

DON't use a heat gun!!
A half-decent hairdryer is powerful enough to do the job. The heatgun will be hot enough to shrink your material to 1/4 to 1/20th of it's original size, also rendering it brittle and useless. It's usually HDPE (high density Poly-ethylene) and a thermoplastic for the start. the super-thin-wall stuff will shrink within fractions of a second if past the critical ~250F.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-density_polyethylene

Rather try an old engine-oil container, many of them are stamped PP on the bottom somewhere.
Poly-propylene is far more temperature stable and morphs way slower from rigid-to-pliable/ re-shapeable when heat is applied. It's also thicker...and machinable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_bottle

With all heat-mouldable materials, have a wet or damp (cold water) soaked rag handy to "set" the remoulded shape quickly to create a new "memory"-setting.
Yes, I play with this stuff every day...and pls DISCONNECT that ECU before playing around with it


Thinking about it....I could take out my ECU, make a plaster-master-copy and and make the covers out of 0.8-1.2mm PP sheeting in my vacuum-moulder at work. If it's worth the effort?

Hey glitch_oz,

It sounds like you're in the biz I'm in. I do vacuum forming of plastic for a living.

I was considering making a formed cover for the ECU but I think cooling is an important consideration. I kinda think it's safer/better to cover the battery positive terminal as it can short to other items also. So many other bikes have covers fo the positive terminal, even if it's a small soft cover.

This is how the terminal is covered on my Moto Guzzi Stelvio.

 

[drzcharlie]

The one I was fabricating (before the meltdown) was going to be held off the ECU 3/16" with aluminum stand off's. My idea was to simply attach the stand off's to the plastic with mechanical fasteners and then glue the standoffs to the top of the ECU with dollops of JB weld. I was planning on forming it on all four sides with the sides hanging down about 1/2".

 

[Link]

 

[danketchpel]

The one I was fabricating (before the meltdown) was going to be held off the ECU 3/16" with aluminum stand off's. My idea was to simply attach the stand off's to the plastic with mechanical fasteners and then glue the standoffs to the top of the ECU with dollops of JB weld. I was planning on forming it on all four sides with the sides hanging down about 1/2".

Yes, I think any cover over the ECU itself needs to be well vented, either by standoffs, louvers, slots etc. Insufficient cooling of the ECU might kill it faster. I haven't placed my hand on it after riding for awhile to see how hot it gets, I probably should do so to get an idea, maybe it's not dumping that much heat.

I still kinda think the positive terminal should be protected, it's so easy to accidentally set a wrench down on it that might short against the frame or other grounded object, not just the ECU. It's not a good setup stock.

 

[nev..]

Here's my 2 minute/2 cent solution.


Enjoy the takeaway food of your choice that comes in a plastic box.

Cut one corner of it in a shape a bit like this

put the tab under the rubber battery holder and you're done.

 

[glitch_oz]

That's too bloody simple !!
And hasn't got a parts number

I rather liked that blackbean-sauce....

 

[glitch_oz]

Yes, I think any cover over the ECU itself needs to be well vented, .

Piece of cake

Got some heat-mouldable PP medium-coarse radiator mesh.
I'll start playing around with this over the coming weekend.

 

[glitch_oz]

Hey glitch_oz,

It sounds like you're in the biz I'm in. I do vacuum forming of plastic for a living.

I'm fabbing Orthopedic appliances...orthotics and braces of any kind... once-offs only.

 

[gullywasher]

I love the Terra. It is the dual sport bike I have been waiting for since I started riding: fuel-injected, pleasant on the highway (as opposed to merely capable), powerful, doesn't look like a 1980's dirt bike with blinkers and so much smoother than any thumper has a right to be. I even find the stock suspension to be pretty good for its intended mission. A little heavy, but I readily accept the weight penalty considering all the positives. And very reasonably priced, IMO. I waited so long for that combination of attributes that I am not optimistic someone else will deliver something similar anytime soon, so I really want my Terra to last.

That said, I am not too worried about parts. I own another "obsolete" bike - a 2006 Buell Ulysses. I think it is going on 5 years now since Buell was shuttered, and parts are still readily available for the most part, though often not stocked. Many items are also being addressed by a small but enthusiastic group of owners and a few aftermarket suppliers. The TR's will probably be the same way. A future solution for something unique like a headlight assembly may not be identical to stock, but someone will come up with a clever and attractive way to light the path ahead. If I want the bike to keep running badly enough, I'll find a way.

 

[danketchpel]

Here's my 2 minute/2 cent solution.


Enjoy the takeaway food of your choice that comes in a plastic box.

Cut one corner of it in a shape a bit like this

put the tab under the rubber battery holder and you're done.

I was kinda thinking along these lines, at least until I came up with some thing more sano.

But the important thing is to do something before you fry an ECU.

 

[PaulC]

For guys running a smaller front sprocket and/or mud riding, it might be worth getting a spare chain slider, for future use. Just a thought, my yamahas seems to eat'em

http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/i-couldnt-resist-yz450.45476/

post #13, 24 etc

 

[drzcharlie]

Yes I agree Paul. I have already got two on the shelf. Seems like a good investment.