Black is the “new” theme

Firstly, although the bobber came in stock black, over time, the chrome fishtail pipes gradually showed signs of rust and wear and tear. Secondly, the mechanic who serviced my bobber accidentally split petrol from the petrol filter and was apathetic to wipe the stain on the chain cover and left engine block cover. For the chrome exhaust pipe, after sanding it down, I first coated it with plastic acrylic to give the high temperature paint a good primer to grip on. Later, both components were sprayed black with that paint. Finally, I polished it off to a high matt glaze which helped to smoothen the finish.

Spray gun holder

 

To seal a hole in the exhaust pipe

 

 

 

 

I was quoted RM150 to repair this exhaust pipe but found it common practice to use aluminum foil of a can-drink to seal a hole of an exhaust pipe so thought it was worth a try. I bought a mixable epoxy type which turns hard and grey at RM10. The foil was separated and a measured portion cut to cover the hole. The foil was glued to the exhaust pipe then coated with epoxy as a hard protective shield and rubbed down with dabs of water. Later, the exhaust pipe will be painted with black high temperature paint. If this fail, then its PLAN B but at least I know I tried.

Excellent Rust Converter

 

I used

Clutch and Brake Reserve set arrive

 

 

 

 

 

I am pleased to received these items which cost RM49/set. Quality is reasonable and I chose the black version to match  the black theme of my bobber. They are compatible for my bobber, I got the left side clutch unit installed but I could not install the right side brake unit because the brake hose cable bolt was too tight and will have to leave that to the mechanic to do.

Custom Black Mirrors Arrive

 

 

 

 

 

It appears black motorcycle mirrors are not popular but after much surveying, I found this pair for RM23. Quality was reasonable good for budget item except like all motorcycle mirrors, the weakest part is the mirror joint. The joint was very dry and one of the stem screw thread was a bit rough so it was vital I oil the stem ends, the ball joint and the joint. Tender care was needed to stop screwing the stem into the mirror joint the moment it stopped turning and I needed to oil the ball joint generously before, rotating the mirror became smooth.

Compatible footpeg support arrive

At last, the footpeg supports, bought for RM25/pair came and thankfully are compatible with the custom footpegs I bought. I will leave it to the mechanic to fix it later.

510Hz Air Horn to wake you up

 

Only RM8.50, it was a steal and replaces my replacement electric horn that squeaks like a Road Runner. I will discuss with the mechanic the possibility of pointing the trumpet forward as it has a cover to prevent rain from entering but I am not sure there is adequate space. As I had nothing better to do, I added eyes for the snail horn

Be safe, Hazard Switch In Plan

 

I always wanted my motorcycle to have a hazard switch as I found it to be beneficial in times of emergency as when I used a similar switch in the car. Thus, I bought this simple yet solid switch for RM3 and will leave it to the mechanic to modify the wiring system. There enough space on the handlebar to squeeze it in between the starter switch case and the brake reserve.

New Hose Clips Replacement

These indestructible petrol hose will replace those tiny butterfly type that came with the bobber but which my fat fingers have difficulty getting a firm grip on. They should last a life time.

Colour Petrol Hose Replacement

 

 I felt this meter long high temperature 8mm petrol hose was a bargain at RM7 so bought put it on trial. When received, I found it has silicone soft flexibility so that should be able to withstand beating from the Malaysian weather. The 8mm fits well with the 8mm aluminium petrol filter and will be a fine replacement against my current 7 year old aging set thus I plan to get a few more to differentiate other hoses. I added a few more colours to distinguish colour by function:

1. Purple for petrol line
2. Red for carburettor
3. Orange for petrol tank excess flow
4. Green for spark pug cable (as bought)

Matching Gear Lever Replacement

 

As I just bought the footpeg replacements, I could not resist buying these matching gear lever replacement which sold for RM12 inclusive of transport cost. It too similarly feels solid and is of good quality. Anyway one of the rubber attachments on the stock gear lever is already loose and unlike the footpeg's rubber attachment, is not sold separately.

Aluminum petrol filter replacement

 

 I am sure this RM12 solid petrol filter inclusive of transport cost will be able to take the trashing from Malaysian weather and should last a lifetime. I tried and found the 8mm petrol hose is a perfect fit ... with some effort and will soon fit improved custom petrol hose clips to it.

New footpegs BUT ....

When CMC told me 1 unit of their stock footpeg cost RM68.50 (expensive) I was stun. ANyway, they did not have stock so I looked to Lazada for an alternative. I bought this handsome footpeg in the top most photo for just under RM40 inclusive of transport cost. It looks classy and feels solid but is slightly smaller than Momos stock footpeg so was not a perfect match for the stock footpeg support. Although it could be attached, it could not serve up. Thus, I am forced to get a compatible replacement footpeg support and found a pair for RM25 inclusive of transport cost.

New Throttle Grips

Malaysian weather is a real testbed for outdoor products: I just replaced the worn out chrome/hard rubber throttle grips and stick to just hard rubber versions with this RM10 Vintage-look hard rubber throttle grip

A Change of Personality

 

After 7 years of ownership, I decided to remove the chrome top cover of the engine block that protects the spark plug as I am of the opinion it does not do justice to the size of 350cc engine block as it created an illusion where the engine block became smaller in size than it actually is whereas here in the photo, the engine block is seen taller in stature. It would be OK to leave the chrome cover on if the engine was as big as Honda Shadow 650cc engine block or at least a Kawasaki EN 500cc engine block ad they are noticeably larger in scale.

Rust killer found

Although I bought and tested a rust killer, the result was disappointing. In Plan B, I decided to use lemon juice and swiped a cut of lemon over several rust on the exhaust pipe for 3 days and noticed the rust spots were completed gone on the second days with the hardcore ones gone on the third day. I was amazed it was so effective and am very pleased eith the result.

Handle bar gets sandpapered

 

I spent a few days and sandpapered the stock handle bar which sadly, is very rough to the point it is smooth and shining as in this photo. I expect in future, twisting the throttle grip will be silky smooth.