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Assembling the bike

This section will talk you through the assembly of one of our bikes. Please use this in conjunction with any instruction literature from the manufacturer of individual components. The following page assumes that we have supplied all your parts and performed all the required fabrication for you. This section simply explains the order and the way we tackle each step; it does not mean that it is the only, or even the best, way to do it.

We recommend using red loctite on almost all fasteners, with blue loctite in cases where a smaller bolt is threading in to aluminum.
Please remember that this will all sound very complicated until you have the appropriate part in your hand and can ‘see what we’re talking about’. Don’t be put off.

Slide your motor into the frame. It should be installed from the right side. We suggest wrapping your frame with rags or tape to protect freshly painted surfaces. Install the lower motor mounting hardware and start the nuts on the threads, but do not tighten. If you are building a Softail, then this would be the time to install the swing-arm in the frame.

Mount the transmission plate to the transmission. It will only fit in one location. PLEASE NOTE that we do not manufacture our components with oversize holes because that increases the chances of loose hardware and movement in the alignment of the drive train. Once you are sure that the transmission plate fits perfectly to the transmission, then slide the front bolts that bolt the transmission plate to the frame through the holes in the transmission plate before tightening the nuts holding the transmission plate to the transmission. With some transmissions it is not possible to install these bolts with the plate bolted fully to the transmission. Bolt transmission plate to transmission.

Position transmission with plate attached into the frame. Install the hardware to mount the plate to the frame, but do not tighten. Install the transmission sprocket or pulley. Don’t forget the locking screw or plate that prevents the sprocket nut from coming loose.

Install your inner primary or motor plate. This is the step where you should expend the time and effort to get it right. The plate or inner primary should bolt up smoothly to both the transmission and the motor with out being forced to ‘bend’ into place. If you are using our motor plate there may be a spacer between the motor plate and the transmission, and you will need to use a couple of shorter bolts to ‘mock’ fit the plate at this stage. The motor will be able to shift and rotate slightly in the frame and so will the transmission, and you must get them positioned so the primary plate or case aligns with them without effort. Rarely, it may be necessary to take a file to the holes in the frame, the transmission plate or the motor plate to achieve this smooth alignment. A shim may occasionally be necessary between the transmission fifth mount stud and frame. Do not tighten anything down yet.

Now is the time to bolt your rear fender into the frame, as the bolts attaching the fender struts to the frame axle blocks are hard to access once the rear wheel is in place. Consider mounting/wiring your tail-light at this point, and also your license plate if either one is related to the rear fender.
Mount the rear sprocket or pulley to the rear wheel and install the wheel in the frame using the axle spacers provided. Be sure to follow the instructions and use plenty of red loctite when installing a sprocket/rotor. If you are using a Sprocket Brake then the order of components on the axle is typically this: longest spacer, wheel, shim washer supplied with caliper, caliper, shortest spacer. If we have mocked up the bike then the axle adjusters will probably be in their final position (note that there may be a lock screw in the axle adjuster on one or both sides). Do not tighten the axle nut at this point. You will need to mock fit your chain at this time. Offer the chain up to the sprockets and determine the length needed. Your chain will be probably be slightly over-length, so you will need to remove a few links. Do this by grinding the heads completely off of the two pins over the side plate at the point you need to break the chain. Take precautions not to cover the entire chain with grinding dust! Position the chain on the sprockets and insert the master link, but do not connect the master link at this point. Check that the chain or belt tension is close to that which is required. At this point we want to check the alignment of the final drive pulley or sprockets. Offer a straight edge along the face of the rear wheel sprocket and the transmission sprocket (or pulleys). Adjust the axle adjusters until the two are parallel and check that the chain or belt tension is still good. At this point we need to tighten the rear axle but as we will need to remove it again you should use some form of spacer or washers under the nut so that you do not use the ‘Nyloc' part of the thread. Tighten the axle nut and recheck alignment. Note that the sprockets are not as wide as the ‘space’ in the chain, which means that some slight ‘stagger’ between sprockets will not be a problem (0.050”), but they do need to be parallel. If your primary mounts smoothly, your belt or chain tension is good and your final drive sprockets or pulleys are parallel, then you have successfully mocked up the entire drive train. Start to tighten down the drive train components. Tighten the motor plate (or primary case) to the motor and transmission. If you are using our electric start kit, then install it at this point (except the starter nose). Tighten the bolts holding the engine and the transmission plate in the frame. The point is to tighten down your drive train without stressing any components or upsetting the alignment. It is worth taking the time to install your drive train and align the primary and final drives properly. DO NOT forget to connect the chain master-link before heading down the road, but don’t do it until the final tightening of the axle AFTER the Sprocket Brake caliper has been bled.
The top motor mount can be installed at this point. If you are using our one-piece billet mount then it may be necessary to use shims between the frame and the mount. (Different motors have different cylinder heights). Mount the coil at this point whilst you have good access to the area.

This is a good time to install the kickstand. Check the pin fits easily into the hole in the stand and through the hole in the frame tab. Hook the spring to the stand and to the frame and then lever the stand into position. Have the pin to hand so you can push it into place as soon as the holes line up.

Install the primary drive as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Don’t forget to bolt the starter ring gear to the clutch pulley if you are using the Exile Starter Kit. If you are using one of our pulley covers, remember to install it at the same time as you install the belt and front pulley.

Now it is time to fit the oilbag. Remember to install the electric starter with wires attached before the oilbag is installed. Screw in the outlet fittings using Teflon thread tape or ‘pipe-dope’. Install the oilbag, being sure to include any shims that may have been supplied for spacing between the rubber bushings and the oilbag. Connect up the oil-lines. On the Exile oilbag the right (when sat on the bike) fitting is the vent, the center is the feed to the oilpump and the left is the return from the oil-filter. The instructions with the engine will help you identify where to attach these lines to the engine oil pump. The return line from the oil pump connects to the fitting that feeds into the side of the oil filter. Clean oil then circulates from the center of the filter back to the oilbag. We like to route the oil-lines down behind and under the transmission end cover for a real clean appearance. Where possible, use rubber sheeting around the battery to protect it from vibration damage from contact with the oilbag. On the Exile oilbags we like to route the main positive cable from the starter to the battery (as well as the wire to the starter solenoid) up through the hole in the bottom of the battery box to the battery terminal. BE SURE that there are no sharp edges and that the cable will not be damaged by the movement of the oilbag (it’s rubber mounted). A dangerous short could occur!

Install the forward controls and shift linkage (and rear master cylinder and push-rod if separate).
Install the exhaust pipes. If you are using the Monster Drag Pipes with a Sprocket Brake Kit, do not install the rear pipe until the final tightening of the axle as you will need to remove the axle to reposition the caliper for brake bleeding.

Install the triple trees. Pack the neck bearings thoroughly and follow the instructions that come with the “Sani-Trees” if you are using our trees. Fork assemblies can now be installed in the trees. It is easier to install a Front Trojan fender before the front wheel is installed. Installation of front wheel and fender should be straight-forward. The front caliper can be fitted and may require some shims (usually included with the caliper) to center it on the rotor. On 15” front wheels it may be a tight squeeze to get the caliper onto the rotor; install the wheel with the rotor only loosely bolted in place and remove the bolts once the axle is tightened. This will allow the caliper to slide onto the rotor before the rotor is permanently installed with loctite.
Handlebar and headlamp installation should require no explanation. The internal throttle is far easier to understand when you have it in front of you and will be supplied with detailed instructions.

Gas-tank mounting should be obvious.
Wiring; this task seems to scare everybody, but on this type of bike it is fairly simple, and can be very satisfying when everything works. Wiring is simply the job of connecting the wires from each electrical component to the other electrical components they are supposed to connect to! Each component comes with instructions telling you where each wire needs to connect. Once the bike is assembled you start with any component and route wires from its terminals to wherever they need to go. Once you have done that for each electrical component, everything will be connected and you will have some spaghetti that constitutes your wiring loom. Run these wires through heat shrink, cut them to the appropriate length, fit terminals as necessary, and pretty soon your bike will be wired. Take your time and be careful to connect as directed, as mistakes can be costly. DO NOT ground the battery until you have double-checked everything. A simple multi-meter will enable you to check circuit continuity (i.e. what is connected to what) and will tell you what is live once you hook up the battery. If this sounds way too scary then find some-one else to handle the task, but if you have a reasonable grasp of the properties of electricity and the job each component performs then you may be surprised how easy wiring is. Small in-line circuit breakers are often used as these are easy to hide. Remember, there are no rules to custom bike building. We use a 30 Amp breaker between the battery and the ignition switch, and occasionally a separate 15 Amp breaker between the ignition switch and the light circuit.

Make up your brake lines. The Goodridge hoses are of the cut-to-length type and the various fittings are easily attached where necessary. The basic instructions for attaching a fitting to this type of hose are as follows: measure the hose to determine where you want to cut it. Slide the ‘nut’ portion of the fitting on to the hose past the point where you are going to cut. Also, slide on the heatshrink if you are going to cover the stainless hose. A good pair of strong snippers can be used. Alternatively, wrap a piece of masking tape twice around the point where you want to cut. With a fine cut-off wheel (e.g. dremel tool) cut around the hose, just cutting through the braided stainless, not trying to cut all the way through the plastic core. Cut the plastic core cleanly with a sharp blade. Check for any burrs etc. on the cut end of the plastic. Remove the masking tape. The stainless sheathing will spread slightly; gently spread it further with something like a small screwdriver. Put the brass olive onto the end of the plastic and push against a flat solid surface to push it ‘home’. Install the male portion of the fitting onto the end of the hose and slide the nut back down the hose and screw it onto the male part of the fitting. A drop of oil on the threads is a good idea, but do not use thread tape. An in-line hydraulic brake light switch can be used, although it is a little bulky. We like to use the Goodridge banjo bolt that incorporates a brake-light switch – very clean! If you order our ‘Goodridge hydraulic supply kit’ we will send you what we recommend you use in your particular application.

Bleeding brake-lines is a topic covered in every other type of publication. One thing to remember is that air will be trapped at the top of any component and must be released by positioning that component so that the air can escape into the hose and be bled out. For this reason it is necessary to bleed the rear caliper for the Sprocket Brake off the axle. Pull the rear axle out enough to remove the caliper (after the brake hose has been attached to the caliper). Put something of equal or greater thickness to the sprocket/rotor (0.350”) between the pads whilst bleeding. Position the caliper so that the bleed nipple is the highest point of the caliper if bleeding from master-cylinder down, or the lowest point if bleeding from caliper up. We like to put the fluid into the system by ‘syringe’ feeding it in from the caliper up to the master cylinder (with bleed nipple at lowest point). Then we close the bleed nipple and top off the master-cylinder and then bleed in the conventional manner (with the bleed nipple as the highest point). Once you are sure all air is out of the system, reinstall the caliper, tighten the axle nut and install the rear exhaust pipe. The seat is about the only thing left to permanently install. Seat installation will be self-explanatory once you have the components.
When you are ready to take your new bike for its first ride, travel only a very short distance. Stop and check the bike thoroughly before repeating. Brake rotors and pads will offer poor performance until bedded in. Try to avoid excessive braking force for the first few hundred miles to avoid glazing the brake pads.

 

CALL 818 706 1230 TO PLACE YOUR ORDER

Brakes Specs & Prices

SBK501 P Sprocket Brake Kit, left side, 50 tooth, polished caliper $699


SBK501 B Sprocket Brake Kit, left side, 50 tooth, black anodized caliper $725


SBK501 C Sprocket Brake Kit, left side, 50 tooth, chrome caliper $749


SBK481 P Sprocket Brake Kit, left side, 48 tooth, polished caliper $699


SBK481 B Sprocket Brake Kit, left side, 48 tooth, black anodized caliper $725


SBK481 C Sprocket Brake Kit, left side, 48 tooth, chrome caliper $749


SBK502 P Sprocket Brake Kit, right side, 50 tooth, polished caliper $699


SBK502 B Sprocket Brake Kit, right side, 50 tooth, black anodized caliper $725


SBK502 C Sprocket Brake Kit, right side, 50 tooth, chrome caliper $749


Kit includes caliper, sprocket/rotor, hardware and weld-on frame tab. Calipers are supplied with a bushing making them suitable for ¾”, 1” or 25mm axle applications. All our sprocket/rotors are supplied with a standard 1.98” center hole. Some wheels have a larger indexing lip on the hub, but there is no ‘standard’ size. We will bore the sprocket/rotor center hole to your requested size for an additional $50. We can bore the center hole as large as 2.5”.

Although designed for use on rigid and Softail applications, we also use Sprocket Brakes successfully with traditional swing-arms on bikes such as Dynas. If you are considering this, then the following information may help. Dimension from outer face of sprocket to outer face of caliper is 1.2”. Caliper measures 2.9” across at it’s widest point, 3.6” at it’s longest point, and is 2.55” from front to back. We are frequently asked whether oil from the chain causes a problem. Firstly, with modern ‘O’-ring chains you cannot lube the joints as they are sealed. You need simply to keep the side-plates clean. Fly-off from the chain is in an outward direction, so contamination only occurs during lubing, if you do lube your chain. If it does, wipe it off. Finally, if some oil makes it onto the braking surface it burns off immediately. In reality, therefore, the contamination issue does not cause a problem. We use RK heavy duty ‘X’ring chains on our bikes; great looks, low maintenance.


Our Sprocket Brake Kit uses readily available brake pads and seals.

FER Ferodo replacement brake pads $30


EBC EBC replacement brake pads $25


SBRK Rebuild kit with pads $40


SR50 Replacement stainless steel Sprocket/Rotor, 50 tooth $299


SR48 Replacement stainless steel Sprocket/Rotor, 48 tooth $299


ARP Set of 5 custom 12-point ARP stainless steel sprocket mounting bolts - 1", 1.5" or 2" $50


Replacement calipers are available for the price of the complete SBK kit MINUS $299


SBA-S Bolt-on sprocket brake caliper anchor for stock  Softails(1.125” clamp) $149


SBA-D Bolt-on sprocket brake caliper anchor for stock Dynas $99


Dynas use a right-side (502) sprocket brake kit and run caliper ‘upside-down’ against swing-arm if using part SBA-D.


EBR 11.5 Stainless steel brake rotor $199

These rotors are machined from high-quality 410 stainless steel, ground flat and parallel and then polished. Rotors are supplied with a standard 1.98” center hole. Some wheels have a larger indexing lip on the hub, but there is no ‘standard’ size. We will bore the sprocket/rotor center hole to your requested size for an additional $50.


EFCP 4-piston front caliper, polished, left $349


EFCB 4-piston front caliper, black anodized, left $375


EFCC 4-piston front caliper, chrome, left $399


These calipers are direct bolt-on for HD fork sliders, please specify whether 86-99 or 2000-up hole pattern. Some right-side calipers available on request.

Choosing Your Parts

This section of the site will explain the options for the Complete Bike Kit, tell you what parts we like to use and why, and help you make your decisions.

Although we primarily use the Avon 230 in our bikes, they will accommodate the 240 and 250 tires as well. We are doing little to promote the use of these tires because we don’t like their low-profile appearance. The 240 is considerably smaller than the 230 tire. On a 7” rim it measures about 8.9” compared to 9.2” for the 230. On a 8” or wider wheel the rim sticks out past the edge of the tire and becomes the widest point. The Avon 250 is a little wider at 9.25”, but is still ultra-low profile. The 240/18 and the 250/18 have virtually zero side-wall, so from a side-view they look anything but beefy. We like our bikes to look like they have huge back tires, not just huge back wheels. That’s just our opinion.

Please read the parts section of the site as well as the Specs & Pricing Info for basic information on our components, we will not repeat that information here. Please read all the literature we have supplied thoroughly before calling to ask us questions. We wrote this stuff specifically to answer your questions and we have tried to provide as much information as possible in it. We discovered early on that if Exile Cycles was going to survive, we needed to do something to stop the endless flow of simple questions that would suck up all our time. That said, we realize that purchasing one of these Kits is a major step and most customers will need to have us address some issues for them before they feel ready to place their order.
We look forward to hearing from you.

FRAMES

Most of the information for ordering a frame is here. Each frame is built to order by Daytec. Daytec makes these wide frames exclusively for us. The build time for a frame is about 6 weeks, which gives us time to prepare the rest of your order. Many of our components require mounting tabs on the frame, which Daytec are unable to provide. We can weld these mounts to your frame for you and the price for that service is listed under the labor section of the order form. We have jigs for most of these mounts, so this labor is usually complete within a short time of your frame being received. If you would prefer to mount these yourself, then we will, on request, supply the appropriate tabs with the part in question at no extra charge.

You may choose the Daytec regulator mounting tab, which positions the regulator in the stock position, between the front legs of the frame, or we can mount your regulator under the transmission plate for you. You can select the coil mounting location on the frame center post behind the rear cylinder, or we can mount your coil to the TOP MOTOR MOUNT. You’ll need to choose the rake and stretch for the look you desire.

Hotrod, Bulldozer, Bullfighter, BarHopper all have no stretch and 32 degree neck. Fat Bloke, Fat Tracker, Steamroller, Flamed chop all have no stretch and 35 degree neck. Mad Max, Silver Bullet, George Clooney’s bike have no stretch and 40 degree neck (6 degree trees). THE chopper has 4” front tube stretch and 45 degree neck (6 degree trees). Pure Sex dragster has 2” front tube stretch and 45 degree neck (6 degree trees).

REAR BRAKE

The majority of our customers choose the Sprocket Brake Kit for a really clean rear end. With a 15” rim it is almost impossible to fit an 11.5” rotor, so if you are not running our Sprocket Brake then do yourself a favor and choose the PM ‘rigid application’ brake system or a similar set-up with a 10” rotor. 

REAR FENDER

Choose whether you prefer the Trojan or Basic look (or price). If you choose a Trojan, then decide on Long, Medium or Short. We always choose the Short Trojan for the minimal look we prefer. We will decide the appropriate fender width for your rear wheel. Trojan fenders require a chain clearance cut out. If we are mounting your rear fender, then we will also be making these cuts for you. Our fender mounting kit consists of a left and right tab that bolt to the inside face of the axle blocks on the frame, two tabs that weld to the fender and two lengths of round stock to weld between the tabs. The passenger strength version also includes three curved pieces that are used to create additional support for the underside of the fender (even without these the Trojan can handle light passenger duty with no trouble). When we mount a rear fender we mount the rear wheel in the position it will take with the chain fitted, and then we mount the fender to suit that wheel position.

TAIL-LIGHT AND LICENSE MOUNT

We have used a variety of tail-lights on our bikes. Our side-mounted options are the easiest and often the cheapest. We have used the Lazer Star ‘micro-B’ tail-lights on many of our bikes. They come with threaded mounting posts that we weld direct to the frame. If you want these lights to function as a tail-light and brake light then you will need the converters, one per light. We have fabricated the Sparto tail-light into the back of the fender and pricing for this fabrication can be found in the labor section Pricing/Order Form. The black license plate surround is the one we use when we screw the license plate directly to the rear of the fender.

OIL TANK

We always run the Exile round aluminum oilbag. Our sprung seat mechanism will not work with the Daytec oilbag (or any other ‘horse-shoe’ oilbag) as the battery position interferes with the shock absorber.

SEAT

Our sprung seat mechanism will only work in conjunction with a round oilbag. It consists of a small hydraulic shock absorber mounted under the rear of the seat, with a needle bearing pivot point at the nose of the seat. It is a refinement of the old-style sprung seat in that it offers suspension with damping and pre-load. No bouncing up and down ten times for each bump! The shock and seat positions are adjustable and the spring can be changed to suit the rider. The skirt on the seat hides the shock completely from a side view, although the system is so clean that it looks great in full view. We have our own steel seat base for those of you who want your seat mounted directly to the frame. The base comes without mounting points, but we can handle the mounting of the seat base to the frame if required.

FINAL DRIVE

If you are running a chain you will need the transmission sprocket as well as the spacer and nut required to mount it. On our bikes we use the 3/4” offset transmission sprockets coupled with the 3/4” offset transmission plate to position the chain to clear the 230 tire.
We like to run a chain because we use the Sprocket Brake Kit, but a chain is also far more able to handle a powerful motor. Belts have a tendency to slip or snap if you ride hard with a big motor.

MISCELLANEOUS

We don’t supply wiring components. The terminals we use in house require specialized and expensive tools. You will need spools of various colored wire and a variety of terminals.
It would take a booklet this size just to run through the hydraulic components available. We have a blanket price to cover all your necessary components and we will select the appropriate components necessary for your configuration. If you prefer, you can select your own components then simply supply us with a list of part numbers (these parts will still be eligible for discount).
Don’t forget to order some of our fine Exile apparel. Can you build one of our bikes without wearing one of our shirts? Of course, but I wouldn’t recommend it! Anyway, why not stock up whilst you’re getting some discount!

LABOR

These options should be fairly self-explanatory, and will be covered in more detail in the Assembling The Bike section.

ELECTRICAL/KNURLED COVERS

CRK Coil Relocation Kit for TwinCam Softails $99


HRK Horn Relocation Kit for TwinCam Softails $99


EIS Exile Ignition Switch $99


Knurled Covers for TwinCam Softails:

GCC-S/-P/-B Gas Cap Covers (pair) 
Satin/Polished/Black Anodize $129/139/149


OBC-S/-P/-B Oil Bag Cap 
Satin/Polished/Black Anodize $43/45/49
Oil Bag Cap replaces stock TC Softail piece and accepts stock rubber ‘bung’ and dipstick


MBC-S/-P/-B Motor Bolt Covers (4) 
Satin/Polished/Black Anodize $109/115/125
These 4 covers dress-up the bolts that hold the TwinCam engine in the Softail frame.


OPSC-S/-P/-B Oil Pressure Switch Cover 
Satin/Polished/Textured black $39/44/49


TBC-S/-P/-B Transmission Boss Cover 
Satin/Polished/Textured black $39/44/49
This baby hides the boss on the transmission on a TwinCam Softail when the ‘fake’ frame center-post has been removed – specify 5 or 6-speed transmission.


RAC-S/-P/-B Rear Axle Covers (pair) 
Satin/Polished/Black Anodize $84/89/94


FAC-S/-P/-B Front Axle Covers (pair) 
Satin/Polished/Black Anodize $84/89/94


SPC-S/-P/-B Swing-arm Pivot Covers (pair) 
Satin/Polished/Black Anodize $84/89/94
Rear Axle, Front Axle and Swing-arm Pivot Covers vary depending on the year of your Softail. Call for availability.


HL-P Billet Head-light, 
includes bracket. Polished $425

HL-B Billet Head-light, 
includes bracket. Black Anodize $449

HLL Replacement head-light lens,
includes bulb and wiring $75


TB2 Bracket for stock HD bobbed rear fender 
(200 width). Black. $99
This bracket fits the Harley 200 width bobbed Softail rear fender and accepts the Black License Plate Surround, a pair of Lazer Star turn-signals and the Exile LED tail-light– all sold separately.


BLPS Black License Plate Surround 
(powder-coated metal) $25


LSA-P/-B/-C Lazer Star with amber LEDs, sold individually - Polished/Black Anodize/Chrome $115/129/129


LSR-P/-B/-C Lazer Star with red LEDs, sold individually - Polished/Black Anodize/Chrome $115/129/129


LED Exile LED mini-catseye tail-light, polished $149


LEDB Exile LED mini-catseye tail-light on an 
under-sized black axle-mount bracket $199


SMS Raw steel side-mount bracket, small (3”x 6”) $49


SMFL Black powder-coated side-mount bracket, 
full-size, with universal tail-light and black
license plate surround $99