The sun came out between thunderstorms, so I rolled the diesel Benelli out into the driveway for a couple of quick progress photos.
I bought a higher handlebar for $30 off Amazon, and the bend is exactly what I wanted. I do like the low clubman bars I previously purchased, but not for this bike. I like them so much that I want to use them for a project where they’ll be the perfect centerpiece, not just use them “because.” I am already much happier with these more conventional bars, visually and conceptually; I think riding the bike will be more comfortable, too.
Because of the damage to my right wrist, I want the throttle on the left handlebar. The Jet Ski trigger throttle I bought won’t work with this motor, so I am using an ATV thumb throttle, flipped around to become a fingertip throttle. I hooked up the throttle cable to the 173F’s throttle linkage and it functions perfectly. Since I have a drum front brake, I needed a front brake lever/perch with an integrated brake light switch. I picked up a used Suzuki GS300L lever and perch off Ebay.
After working out all the particulars of the jackshaft arrangement, I drew up a pair of mounting brackets for the pillow block bearings and ordered them SendCutSend. The shapes might seem overly complicated, but that’s because I wanted to use existing frame mounting points. With the engine mounted where it is, there is precious little room behind it, so I had to get fairly creative, especially because I wanted to build in primary chain tension adjustment. I will be a couple of weeks before I get the parts.
