...And here we go with the latest pic. Still have to rig up the tail light bracket. Forgot to get the trunk in the picture. But, oh well, it's coming together:
Scored a Higgins!!!
- Thread starter Allen_Wrench
- Start date
It's not enough to have the hottest vintage-looking cruiser. My Higgins is going to have the best and brightest lights. Now that my headlight is fully installed and shining brightly, I began work on the tail light systems. The lower tail light will be on a completely different circuit, with different power source. The brake light will be a super-bright LED on a 9 volt circuit. In this way, if I lose one light, I don't lose the other. And with spare bulbs, batteries, test leads with clips, and my handy little tool kit, I should be able to fix any lighting problem should one arise en route. And I have those really sweet mini-bee lights to mount back there. More pics to come.
Well, so far so good. All my batteries and electronics fit inside the fake oil tank. I put a little toggle switch on the bottom for the tail light. The brake light'll just work off the clutch lever switch ("Why not the brake lever?" Never mind, it's what I want to do.)
And when my drill is done charging, I'll put in the mounting holes and take out the shiny steel straps and bolt her up to the frame.
And when my drill is done charging, I'll put in the mounting holes and take out the shiny steel straps and bolt her up to the frame.
Sick as the proverbial dog tonight. But I figured doing more work on the old Higgins would make me feel better. Shortened my clutch cable and re-crimped the ferrule. Now it doesn't bind when I squeeze the lever. Drilled the clutch-lever bracket for a brake light switch. I installed a steel post momentary switch that I got from Radio Shack. (GAD they have a lot less DIY stuff nowadays than I remember. Thank heaven they still have the etching stuff, I can still make my own circuit boards.) Gonna have a real nice brake light - good 'n bright. And, I figure, if it's wired to the clutch it won't matter if I use the coaster brake, the front drum, or both. So long as I use the clutch I'll be lighting the brake light.
I will have to take fresh pics of my vintage Higgins with the bullet-style tail lights, and that cool faux croc leather trunk on the rack. Lights work great. Bike looks good. Trunk is big enough to hold a bunch of stuff. Likin' it.
Found time to take a few more pics. The first one shows the tail lights I picked up from custommotoredbicycles.com. Very cool, very retro, fit the bike to a tee. On the rack above is a box I found at Michael's Crafts store, which is now my trunk. It is covered in real leather with a faux croc finish.
Next photo shows my "oil tank" which was a Goodwill finding, a former miniature mailbox. The air cleaner cover in this shot is simply a tuna fish can which got a few coats of paint.
Final pic better details the headlight setup. Powed by a four-cell maglight bulb, it is nice and bright. The housing, as outlined before, is a toilet brush holder (bought new, not used) with the end of an eyeglass case on top forming the vent. The handlebar tank holds the batteries, it used to be a holiday cookie tin.
A little magic here and there, and we have vintage parts for a motorbike.
Next photo shows my "oil tank" which was a Goodwill finding, a former miniature mailbox. The air cleaner cover in this shot is simply a tuna fish can which got a few coats of paint.
Final pic better details the headlight setup. Powed by a four-cell maglight bulb, it is nice and bright. The housing, as outlined before, is a toilet brush holder (bought new, not used) with the end of an eyeglass case on top forming the vent. The handlebar tank holds the batteries, it used to be a holiday cookie tin.
A little magic here and there, and we have vintage parts for a motorbike.
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I made a decision today. My Higgins is looking so sweet that it seemed a shame to have the CDI just looking like an anachronistic chunk of black plastic amidst so many other attempts at dressing the bike up. So I looked around the shed, found the other part of the stainless steel eyeglass case, and got out the dremel. Made a lovely, shiney little shell for the CDI. Pics forthcoming.
It's been a while since I posted anything on this build but, weather permitting, I may have more pics on the way - as well as a road test with a temporary fuel tank. I've been itching to hear her run. Well, actually mostly itching to ride.
Without bothering to check a weather report (remember this, it becomes important later) I decided that, after a year, it was time to see if the engine on my Higgins would run. There wasn't any reason it shouldn't. I spent many hours in the shed taking things apart and checking things over once I could walk around better after that accident. Brand new carburettor. New plug. Several adjustments and much tightening. Searched all over for any hairline cracks or other damage. Nothing should be keeping it from running top notch.
So tonight I grabbed the old peanut and bolted it on. Wired everything up. Made a last check of all nuts and bolts and wiring connections. About this time I hear a *CRAA*AA*ACk* BOOM!!! - and rain falls on the shed almost as if one of those forestry choppers emptied an upteen hundred gallon bucket. No riding tonight.
I've studied criminal law, civil law, bankruptcy law; shoulda studied Murphy's Law.
Oh well, I'm going to work some more on the softball bat/torpedo tank. It'll make a better temp. tank than the somewhat leaky old peanut. More pics of that to come too.
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Without bothering to check a weather report (remember this, it becomes important later) I decided that, after a year, it was time to see if the engine on my Higgins would run. There wasn't any reason it shouldn't. I spent many hours in the shed taking things apart and checking things over once I could walk around better after that accident. Brand new carburettor. New plug. Several adjustments and much tightening. Searched all over for any hairline cracks or other damage. Nothing should be keeping it from running top notch.
So tonight I grabbed the old peanut and bolted it on. Wired everything up. Made a last check of all nuts and bolts and wiring connections. About this time I hear a *CRAA*AA*ACk* BOOM!!! - and rain falls on the shed almost as if one of those forestry choppers emptied an upteen hundred gallon bucket. No riding tonight.
I've studied criminal law, civil law, bankruptcy law; shoulda studied Murphy's Law.
Oh well, I'm going to work some more on the softball bat/torpedo tank. It'll make a better temp. tank than the somewhat leaky old peanut. More pics of that to come too.
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Im really looking forward to seeing that bat tank. Are you planning on cutting it down the middle and adding; say, a 1 inch strip of metal to widen it? or leave it stock and perfectly round? Also: What did you do for a lense on the headlamp? I would love to see some close up pics of the headlamp as I have been plotting something similar.
Thanks for the interest. Regarding the bat tank: being that I'm trying to make a minimum of seams/holes in it, I'll be leaving it mostly stock. I've cut it shorter, with the tapered end having an inch-and-a-half hole in back. Through the hole I will feed in the back sides (nuts) of my threaded fittings. I then have a hole plug I will put in the back end to finish it. I will be testing types of high-strength solder on the bat parts I cut off. If solder won't work, I'll use JB Weld & Caswell sealer.
Regarding the Headlamp: right now, the lens you see in the pictures is the lens of the original bicycle headlight/reflector assembly peeking out through a hole I made in the metal housing. But I do plan to stop procrastinating and make an outer, lexan lens for the lamp housing. Watch this space! There will be more!
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Well, she's rigged up to run and - no spark. *sigh*
The nearly new NGK is all carbon fouled. The air-fuel mix must've been a bit off when I last ran the engine. At least plugs are $2 and some change. I checked my local NAPA, the NGK 7534 (B6HS) is in stock. At this NAPA (so far) everything is in stock! I love it!
First I'll have to check the kill switch. It never gave me fits before, but there's a first time for everything. If still no spark with a direct connection, then I'll pick up a new plug. I hope it's not the CDI. All this waiting to ride is just torture.
The nearly new NGK is all carbon fouled. The air-fuel mix must've been a bit off when I last ran the engine. At least plugs are $2 and some change. I checked my local NAPA, the NGK 7534 (B6HS) is in stock. At this NAPA (so far) everything is in stock! I love it!
First I'll have to check the kill switch. It never gave me fits before, but there's a first time for everything. If still no spark with a direct connection, then I'll pick up a new plug. I hope it's not the CDI. All this waiting to ride is just torture.
One new NGK B6HS was all it took. She runs like a bat out of Hades! I need to tweak a few things, mainly the idle, but when I turn the throttle she really lurches forward now! I think it's mostly that the bike I put the engine in now is much lighter than the Micargi Huntington's frame was before. The Huntington was a HEAVYWEIGHT. The Higgins here, no so much. So she scoots! What a rush it was to be riding again after a year!!! There's no words! And the bike was running better than I ever hoped! After the engine sitting for a year!
Now I need to work on the bat tank. This'll be more an experiment, to see how well this works; how viable it will be. But it won't hold much fuel so, when Fundreamer gets the other one ready, the bat tank will be shelved as a spare.
But, for anyone who wants to know how to make a gas tank out of a softball bat, I will be taking progressive pics as I go.
Now I need to work on the bat tank. This'll be more an experiment, to see how well this works; how viable it will be. But it won't hold much fuel so, when Fundreamer gets the other one ready, the bat tank will be shelved as a spare.
But, for anyone who wants to know how to make a gas tank out of a softball bat, I will be taking progressive pics as I go.
Sounds great Allen! Looking forward to the bat tank from the bat cave.
Glad it was just a spark plug man. You got a good ride there coming together with lots of very good killer details! I love this hobby.
Glad it was just a spark plug man. You got a good ride there coming together with lots of very good killer details! I love this hobby.
Yes your higgens looks remarkably simalar to my hiawatha....I got white walls and they make It go faster. trust me
Beautifully, my friend. Beautifully. But I will confess: I'm just on pins and needles about the in-frame tank that a buddy is making for me. He's got a lot on his plate so I hate to rush him. I've been in his shoes, so I won't push.
The bat tank will also be a temporary tank, just a better-looking temp tank and an exercise in possibilities and exploration of difficulties.
But I really have started wanting the welded tank rather badly. I must wait.
But it's good to have her running again, even if she must wear a peanut on her back. And I picked up a poo-poo styled pipe for her too. She's gonna be a knock-out. I intended to do some more work and take more pics, but I have had a killer headache all day. I just couldn't. Sorry folks.
Headaches are usually due to dehydration [take fluids with a little salt and sugar] injury or low iron (due to red blood cells dying every 3 days). I find that an iron tablet or cocoa or 1/3-1/2 a block of dark chocolate, "Or natural well water" will remove my headache in 2-8 hours, cocoa is high in iron and contains some caffeine
For me I find its proper rest and the right carbs. Eating the right kinds of food and I myself can work fine in the worst kind of heat etc. ''Hard labor too'' When I get into processed commercial food of any kind ''cornsyrup is not food'' I will get a head ache every time. Oh it will work in a pinch but when I plan better it really shows. Makes me a hard physical labor hero! I do a lot of home cooking with real down to earth carbs. I Always combine fast and slow carbohydrates like starches and fruits grains ''oats''. Meat and potatoes real fruits/juice yum!