When I was enjoying building custom machines based on the Honda Shari, which was very popular among Honda horizontal 4 mini fans, the most memorable and impressive custom was theAll electrical systems have been completely replaced for the Ape 100 early model.The customization made it easy to use. That customization made it easy to use anyway.!!Even if it’s been a while since you’ve started an engine, as long as fresh gasoline is flowing in the float chamber, you can start it with just a few kicks!!!The brightness of the headlights when driving at night is just like the current model!it is said that …!!I think that the enhancement of the electrical system is extremely important in building a custom machine.
- Export model exclusive to North America that was not sold in Japan
- Total replacement of the electrical system is the key to usability.!?
- There are a lot of used parts for Ape in the market.
- The electrical system is simple but still has a messy feeling.
- The installation situation went surprisingly effortlessly.
- I made my own bracket to mount the horn.
- The rear area is completely Honda car of the same age.!!
Export model exclusive to North America that was not sold in Japan
In the 60’s and 70’s, the North American market accounted for nearly 70% of the world market sales. Naturally, users in the North American market had a variety of requests, so many motorcycle manufacturers either did not sell their bikes in Japan or canceled their domestic sales and sold them exclusively for export. The Motosport SL70 with Honda’s horizontal 70cc engine, which we are enjoying customizing here, is also an export model for the North American market. Purchased at a garage sale in the U.S. and shipped back to Japan by container, the SL70 was introduced in 1971 and evolved into the XL70. The SL70, introduced in 1971, evolved into the XL70, which then evolved into the XR75 (XE75 in Japan) with a vertical 4 mini engine. The SL70 is still popular among Honda fans in North America.
Total replacement of the electrical system is the key to usability.!?
I popped and clicked on an online auction for a genuine Honda main harness, peripheral parts and handlebar switch area for an early model Ape 50. It was a bit of an adventure because of the parade of used parts, but since it was a relatively old model, I was able to install it without any worries. We disassembled each part of the main harness, and adjusted the dimensions of each part to match the SL70 body as if it were a genuine manufacturer part. By doing this, you can make your own custom parts that are high quality and hard to break.
There are a lot of used parts for Ape in the market.
I bought the stock main harness and various switches for the Ape 50, which came out around 2000, by popping in a bid. I’ve practiced similar electrical customization and maintenance on several Honda vehicles in the past, and I’ve practiced maintenance on Honda vehicles on a regular basis, so I had the wiring colors mostly in mind. I prepared the service manual and checked the wiring diagram in case I got into trouble. 12-volt managed battery-less circuit, headlights are bright and all functions are stable.!! Not pupu, kink, kink.!?The only thing that I don’t like is the 12 volt AC electronic horn that sounds like “I’m sorry, but I can’t help it.
The electrical system is simple but still has a messy feeling.
No big change from the old bikes and today’s bikes that are a mess in the light case. What do the manufacturers designers think about this??Even so, the Ape’s electrical design is quite simple, and the SL70’s small light case makes it a bit of a challenge, but not too much of a hassle. As long as the parts are available, the bike is easy to assemble. It is possible to assemble a full size bike up to a moped class bike on a long banquet table (it is best to lay down a blanket to work on the bike. (It is best to work with a blanket on the table, so that parts are less likely to be lost.) There are times when you can’t get ahead of the work just because one bolt is missing. ……
The installation situation went surprisingly effortlessly.
Since the Ape is battery-less, the “front and rear blinkers” are teleco-spec (blinking one side at a time) in order to stabilize the operation. This teleco circuit is made up of independent wiring and a special indicator relay, so if you only maintain battery-powered vehicles, you may wonder what this means.?It can also give you the feeling that you are not in the right place. Therefore, the inside of the switch on the steering wheel is also wired in a really complicated way.
For the ignition coil, the AS Uotani SPII High Power Coil was installed without hesitation. With just a simple change, the ignition performance in the high RPM range is definitely improved. The high performance ignition coil supports the power of the SL70. We’ve seen the benefits of this coil before on the Dream 50!!! It should fit other Honda 4 minis with 12v management.
There are only two wires for the main key. Since the main key was laid out near the speedometer, it was enough to unwind the main harness and change the wiring, and the length of the cord was enough. As for the key itself, the thickness of the body (outside diameter of the holder part) was almost the same, but the one for Ape was a little thicker. I enlarged the inside of the holder a little with a half round file and installed it. I left the protrusion to stop the key body from turning, and dug a groove with a luthier on the key body side, and modified it so that it can be inserted.
I made my own bracket to mount the horn.
The horn of the battery-less car is not a mechanical resonator type, but an electronic type, so it makes a high-pitched sound. The installation method is different, so I made a paper pattern using cardboard and cut aluminum angle material to make a horn bracket. It was just a freehand work, but I managed to make it. It didn’t break by vibration and still looks totally fine. The horn bracket was fastened to the front fender bracket. When the engine is running, the AC current generated by the horn makes the horn sound.!!
The rear area is completely Honda car of the same age.!!
After a lot of thought, I made my own blinker bracket that looks like a brace that can be cotightened with the bracket that holds the rear fender in place and installed the rear blinkers. The bale shaped blinkers are made by Dax type shift up. The tail lights were also made by Shift-Up using Honda’s original design LED lights. I like them because they have a good response when emitting light.
- Point 1・ You can’t see the flow of the electric circuit, but understanding the logic makes it possible to perform substantial maintenance and customization.
- Point 2 – I enjoyed Shari and the old Dax with the battery-less 12-volt conversion in the same way, but the headlights were brighter and very popular!!!
The Shari was known as the “granny bike” among Honda’s successive 4 mini series. When I used to enjoy customizing the Shari, the most memorable thing I did was to replace the electrical system with the early Ape 100 model. Anyway, the usability is the best.!!If the stator coil that is installed in the engine is made to 12-volt specifications, the body side can simply be made to the “manufacturer’s genuine battery-less specification” that is a feature of the early Ape.!?That’s how it all started. DE resistance with Ape!I had a few parts left in the parts bin in my garage from when I was competing in the “Mere Old Man” series, so I used Shari to see if I could materialize that idea.
I removed the stock stator coil and combined it with a 12 bolt stator base for a horizontal Monkey and what a bolt on!!!The mounting dimensions of the stator coil were the same for both vertical and horizontal engines. And when I combined it with a 12-bolt monkey flywheel, it was easy to start the engine & output AC!!!
This is the real reason why I decided to do the electrical customization seriously. However, one side of the pickup coil mount bolt interferes with the 6 bolt crank case, so I modified the pickup coil body to a cantilever mount type. I thought I would take care of the problem if it occurred, but so far it has been running without any problem without the bolt loosening by vibration.
Knowing the ease of use and not having to worry about the battery condition made us want to do the same customization on the SL70. Even though it is battery-less, the stability of the 12-volt control is superb!!!If you want to install modern electrical accessories, you can easily do so. And if a battery is needed, a battery kit for an early Ape can be used to make the electrical circuit simple. Incidentally, the SL70’s side cover is almost completely empty, so even a 250cc class battery can be easily installed.
After checking the above, I bid on the main harness (with regulator rectifier, indicator relay, and horn), key cylinder, and steering wheel switches for an early model Ape 50. If it’s an early model, whether it’s a 100 or a 50, it seems that Ape has the same specifications without any particular problems. The protective tube and clothing of the main harness were taken apart, the cord was exposed, and each part was temporarily fixed with a tie wrap. The layout of the main harness was decided in such a way. During this modification, the wiring for the side stand switch and the diode circuit for safety measures were cut out to make it completely free, so you can rest assured that it will be easy to use like an old car.
Since the car is battery-less, the blinkers on the front and rear are telecommuters, but there are no inconveniences, and the 12-volt halogen bulbs are very bright. The 12 volt halogen bulbs are very bright.