Mods
List generated in order of importance
1. PVC cupholders screwed to the dash
2. custom ziptied windshield wiper
3. custom access holes for places I couldn’t be bothered to disassemble correctly
4. ... Oh, the motor. yes. 2001-ish Suzuki Bandit 400. liquid-cooled inline 4-cylinder with unit 6-speed transmission. This project required a kustom "exhaust manifold" (EMT Conduit), custom bracketry, lots of wires and hoses in places God never intended, etc etc. Also requisite was a clutch pedal (a wrench found in the dirt at an estate sale), a shifter (cobbled together), and a sense of humor as this thing is dumb.
1. PVC cupholders screwed to the dash
2. custom ziptied windshield wiper
3. custom access holes for places I couldn’t be bothered to disassemble correctly
4. ... Oh, the motor. yes. 2001-ish Suzuki Bandit 400. liquid-cooled inline 4-cylinder with unit 6-speed transmission. This project required a kustom "exhaust manifold" (EMT Conduit), custom bracketry, lots of wires and hoses in places God never intended, etc etc. Also requisite was a clutch pedal (a wrench found in the dirt at an estate sale), a shifter (cobbled together), and a sense of humor as this thing is dumb.
Build story
It all began when an engine-less Kawasaki Mule came up for sale locally. The price was hard to pass up, I believe $400, and after my experience for 5 seasons in SAE Mini Baja, I knew this was the platform I wanted for such a swap. High-low, forward-neutral-reverse, rear differential locker, and 4x4. Luckily my only trailer, a 25’ gooseneck, was covered in dirt from a separate project... so I set to work with a shovel because that Mule had to be mine!
The first motor it got was a Suzuki Savage LS650 single-cylinder, air-cooled, 4-speed. I didn’t like the air-cooled because it got no air flow under the bed of a side-by-side, but it got the job done. Right up until it didn’t... right in the middle of re-modeling my house, when I needed it most. So, I set back to the Facebook Marketplace and found a title-less GSF400. Water-cooled, chain-drive, and the biggest little motor that would fit in the space. Quickly cobbled together, using used hoses, cables, and wires from other projects to get the Mule back up and running to finish my remodel (still in progress).
Hopefully you get a kick out of this very stupid build... and hopefully it lives long enough to make more stupid videos.
Image 1: (man do I hope these images end up in the same order) Fit check of the first engine this thing got, a LS650 engine. Because it was air cooled, I didn’t keep it in there long.
Image 2: CDI box wiring for the GSF400. Apparently these had issues with capacitors letting go, and that had happened here. I ripped the board out of the box and soldered new caps in.. but not having the box part anymore I did the responsible thing and let my temporary solution become permanent.
Image 3: Swinging in the GSF400 motor and transmission unit. You can’t see in this photo my delight in how well this actually fit.
Images 4 and 5: the kustom manifold creation process. Mostly EMT conduit.....
Image 6: the Kawasaki splined section with 6-bolt flange that was assembled to the factory CVT driven pulley. This plus my lathe made for an easy time making something that I could revert someday if I wanted to.
Image 7: The wrench clutch pedal, made from cutting a wrench in half and welding some scrap metal to it. Later painted safety yellow so you can see how safe it is. Plus, heel/toe clutch/brake setup is an old (1930s) racing thing, so obviously it’s fast......
The first motor it got was a Suzuki Savage LS650 single-cylinder, air-cooled, 4-speed. I didn’t like the air-cooled because it got no air flow under the bed of a side-by-side, but it got the job done. Right up until it didn’t... right in the middle of re-modeling my house, when I needed it most. So, I set back to the Facebook Marketplace and found a title-less GSF400. Water-cooled, chain-drive, and the biggest little motor that would fit in the space. Quickly cobbled together, using used hoses, cables, and wires from other projects to get the Mule back up and running to finish my remodel (still in progress).
Hopefully you get a kick out of this very stupid build... and hopefully it lives long enough to make more stupid videos.
Image 1: (man do I hope these images end up in the same order) Fit check of the first engine this thing got, a LS650 engine. Because it was air cooled, I didn’t keep it in there long.
Image 2: CDI box wiring for the GSF400. Apparently these had issues with capacitors letting go, and that had happened here. I ripped the board out of the box and soldered new caps in.. but not having the box part anymore I did the responsible thing and let my temporary solution become permanent.
Image 3: Swinging in the GSF400 motor and transmission unit. You can’t see in this photo my delight in how well this actually fit.
Images 4 and 5: the kustom manifold creation process. Mostly EMT conduit.....
Image 6: the Kawasaki splined section with 6-bolt flange that was assembled to the factory CVT driven pulley. This plus my lathe made for an easy time making something that I could revert someday if I wanted to.
Image 7: The wrench clutch pedal, made from cutting a wrench in half and welding some scrap metal to it. Later painted safety yellow so you can see how safe it is. Plus, heel/toe clutch/brake setup is an old (1930s) racing thing, so obviously it’s fast......