Hey, anyone know what size spanned wrenches for the rear shock preload adjustment?
I’d use a punch and a hammer but they’re siezed up pretty good. Need to get a proper wrench on it

Motion Pro 08-0029 Shock Spanner Wrench https://a.co/d/aZoGy6R

I just posted a how-to in the Templar X resource guide for unrestricted access to shock preload adjustments. Hope it helps.

Inspection day today for state registration.

I discovered the rear brake light running light came on when I switched on the headlights but stepping on the brake or grabbing the front brake lever did not make the rear brake light go brighter.

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skip 2 hours of troubleshooting and experimentation
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Discovered the green/yellow wire that went into the back of the rear brake light was broken.

Attachment 30137

Try to use spudgers and professional mobile phone tools to open the LED brake light. Nope its epoxied or worse the electronics potting epoxy was used...
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a few minutes with the angle grinder cutting wheel
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Attachment 30138

Done! and YES! The very top middle solder pad has a black/gray circle on the left where the wire broke off of.

Two things I noticed.

1. The green/yellow wire is physically shorter than the other two wires used in the light assembly.
2. The end of the wire and the solder blob show signs that acidic solder flux was used to assemble this unit.

It's toast... but I can experiment and hook the wires back up to the bike. Press the brake pedal or pull the brake lever on the handlebar and physically touch the green/yellow wire to the solder pad... and yes, it works, the red brake light goes twice as bright.

So, there you go using one short wire and two long wires is a recipe for disaster as the short wire takes all the physical abuse when the wire gets pulled or stretches. These two factors led to the early demise of the green/yellow wire in this rear brake light assembly.

Now unfortunately I am on the hunt for a new rear brake light (keeping the separate LED turn signals on the bike and leaving them alone). But have to get it delivered and wired up (reverse wiring fun times to deal with the polarity issue?) all before the time expires to get the bike to pass a state inspection in time. :p

Could you just wire up a temporary tail/brake light for the inspection and then continue your search for the correct part?

I already found a replacement that is going to also double as a tail tidy. The OEM tail is too long for my liking so I am going to tidy it up and solve the rear brake and signals in one fell swoop. I also should have something that matches the black and silver color scheme of the bike. I’ll see yo in a week or so.

I don't need to wait for the new brake light to arrive to pass the inspection. I just need to meet the letter of the law as far as requirements go. And that is a brake light and a license plate light that illuminates when the headlights are turned on (aka running lights).


Time to rebuild the old broken one. If I pass with this one that means I can take my time without any rush when the new final replacement brake light comes in. I am much one to prefer taking my time.


Out with my digital soldering station.
https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...960&height=720


Bing, Bang, Broken wire cut, stripped, tinned and reattached to the brake light circuit board.
https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...960&height=720


Back on the bike, wired up, to test. Yes, running light works, and brake light now comes on when either the front brake or rear brakes is activated.

Time to button it up.


A little sanding and the damage from removal of the shell is removed and a nice flat surface created.
https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...960&height=720



Epoxied up.
https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...960&height=720



Now one thing not working that might have been damaged by the initial cutting was that license plate light. It does not illuminate when the headlight switch is on. Only the red brake-led running lights came on.


No problem. Thanks to Harbor Freight free LED flashlight giveaways.
https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...960&height=720


With the test hardness wired up I got to test and profile the LEDs that Harbor Freight were using.


These look like 2.92 forward voltage loss White LEDs with a 25-mA current draw.


A quick calculation of 3 Harbor Freight LEDs in series and I had my inline resister calculated perfectly. A run on the digital power supply test bench and it lights up like a charm.


I am only going to use the top three LEDs for the license plate light so I will de-solder the first row of LEDs on the other side of the board and then cut the board down their center-lines so I only have the top half which has the parallel circuitry traces already in it.


... but that was all I could get done before bed. Next time I will continue the construction of the license plate LED lights and install them and wire them up for temporary use only to pass the inspection. Then the whole lot can come off again once the new replacement arrives.

And DONE.

One super simple License Plate LED light pack made.

https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...597&height=796

Now to drill some holes and hook it up.

DONE!

Lights Off.
https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...061&height=796

Lights On.
https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...967&height=796

Now I am legal enough to still go to the store to get something to eat this week :lmao:

Also, should pass inspection fine. As the law is written, you must have a light, not what kind it must be, color, size, etc. laws just say you must have something rather than nothing.

And...... Just took it in to state inspection... First in line in the wee AM hours... 7 minutes later, full PASS! :yay:

That was easy, and as I said, the letter of the law you just need something.

The inspector was so impressed with the bike he said he wouldn't mind one himself after seeing the high-quality oval Husqvarna/KTM frame and the fully adjustable suspension. I had to play brand ambassador. :hehe:

Now I have all the time in the world to wait for me new replacement rear tail assembly and brake light unit and dial the new one in exactly the way I want it. :tup:

Mail came today. What a nice surprise, it arrived 4 days ahead of estimate.



A quick fit after a few minutes on the drill press. Smoked out matches the black and silver trim.

https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...640&height=802



Running light + License plate light.
Both come on with headlight or high-beams as they should :tup:

https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...620&height=802



Function Test, Left Turn Signal

https://youtube.com/shorts/zq4A30AwJFo?feature=share



Function Test, Right Turn Signal

https://youtube.com/shorts/VAd_GN1Ugc4?feature=share



And fully plated. The plate is tucked up under the rear fender. There is no longer what seemed like a foot long plastic arse snake hanging half way down to the rear tire before you even sit on the bike :lmao:

https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...398&height=802

I shortened mine up but you butched yours for sure! I kept the part of the tail end as I felt I need to have some kind of reflector on the back and the taillight doesn't reflect.

Slick tail light! Did I miss where you got it from? The stock one for some reason doesn't have tag lighting. I can personally speak for how the highway patrol around here can and will be sticky about such things.

The reflector solution I see most often is if you see the bolts on both sides of the plate. I see folks put two small round red reflectors on that part. I also have the small shelf under the plate to affix a small reflector. If you have local laws that specify reflectors again read them as the letter of the law usually says you must have one. Not what size, shape, etc. with these tail tidys you have to check your local requirements. The gigantic arse snake is basically every jurisdiction out in the world if one requires it then they ship it on all bikes and they cover every jurisdiction automatically. My OEM had three LEDs on the bottom for the plate but I noticed it never came on so I replaced it with this svelte and tidy little brake light assembly.

Where: eBay special, dime a dozen or $13 w/free shipping.

Edit: They all claim waterproof even the OEM that comes with the bike but I found mine had a big hole gap in the back where the wires go in. Plenty big enough to let water kicked up by the rear wheel to go in over time. After installing replacements or OEM assembling out of the box at the end of setting it all up, go in and squeeze some silicone sealant caulk into the wire entry hole to seal it properly.

I wanted a reflector because my part time job is scraping up wrecks off the road. Since I ride on the street a lot I really want people to be able to see SOMETHING back there in case I have a tail light failure. I felt it a bit more important after dealing with those wire connectors under the fender coming loose. I believe I have the connectors sorted out and I am also running the jewel reflectors on my plate. Pictures of all that and how I shortened my stinger are way back in this thread somewhere I think.

Three scooters/mopeds I have picked off the road in the last two years. Creamed by a car because each one was running dark with no reflectors or anything and the car drivers couldn't see them. One was a guy pushing his, he spent a few months in the hospital and still wears a back brace. One other got scratched but his scooter looked like it got hit by a bomb. Third one died. I get the occasional motorcycle too but none yet because they were dark and other drivers couldn't see them in the night. I kind of don't want to be the first. I got some amber reflectors I thought of putting on the lower fork guards or somewhere like many other bikes have but what I bought doesn't really work the way I want. Keeping an eye out for something else.

Happy 1K Day!

Just hit the first 1,000 miles on the odometer. :yay:

Time to celebrate with a fresh oil change, just because. :tup:

I don’t know what happened. I changed the oil. Cleaned and polished everything under the bike. Went down the road to get a tank of fuel. And now I’m at 1,100 miles on the odometer. :lmao:

A fresh ready to go bike and all I wanted to do was ride and ride and ride. :tup:

Edit: For the curious, I have a 500ml scientific flask from my brewing days. Two of those is how much oil I put in. The second 500ml I go a bit above the line 500ml line on the flask. 1 liter = 1.05 quarts and 1.1 = 1.16. When I stand the bike up and check the dip stick it always shows top of the full mark.

https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...991&height=743