D9 is the man...(pics)

[Speed3Chris]

I join the legion of praise for D9 aka Seth and have wanted to install one of his beautiful layflat brackets on my T100 for some time now. Since relocating the ignition switch and installing the LSL headlight bracket, I would like to display Seth’s jewelry which nicely complements the LSL bracket.

First a look at my bike before mounting the D9 layflat instrument bracket with stock stamped headlight bracket:

After:

The change to the look of the bike is striking. The gauges are now positioned closer to how the early Bonneville looked.

Early bonny for comparison:

To me, the early bonny is the gold standard of proportion. Hats off to Seth for figuring out how to reproduce a more pleasing gauge position on the Hinkley bikes.

Close up:

How it looks while riding:

Fitment:
I thought there maybe an opportunity to drop Seth’s bracket down more than the stock spacer height of 1-1/8”. This didn’t prove to be the case which belies understanding in one respect. I have pushed the LSL bracket down the fork tubes to within ¼” or so of the rectifier therefore I thought I may need shorter spacers to allow further dropping of the layflat bracket. After a lot of head scratching, only thing I can think of is the LSL bracket by design is tighter horizontally to the fork tubes which visually looks right and pushes the headlight more rearward requiring vertical spacing similar to the stock headlight position.
In any event the clearances are excellent and I couldn’t be happier with the look.
If I do finesse Seth’s bracket slightly lower, I will be sure to add a pic to this thread.

Impressions:
Loss of gauge tilt angle resulted in no loss of legibility. Further, I noticed no additional wind buffeting having now taken the bike up to high speed. The gauges have a more purposeful look and the front of the bike has lost its stock bunny ears for which I am grateful.

A word about Seth:
I have always modified my motorcycles and have worked with hundreds of suppliers of all different kinds of aftermarket parts. I don’t ever recall working with anybody better than Seth. When I told him I would like to try different spacing options to achieve just the right fit, he put a bunch of spacers and mating allen screws in the mail to me that day. I can’t thank you enough Seth. You set the bar high for all of us in both your workmanship and generous spirit.

 

[strokerlmt]

Speed.......very nice......I have said it numerous times.....Seth should call his brackets "bike jewelry".
LMT

 

[mark66]

Beautiful, Chris. Really looks cool with the headlight brackets. Love it.

 

[Speed3Chris]

Thanks a lot guys. Just wanted to add my praise for Seth's jewelry as you say Lach.

 

[schnabba]

I liked the form AND the functionality of the one with the ignition relocation to the instrument cluster. Nice looking mod there speed3chris!

 

[Speed3Chris]

Thanks schnabba. Mine is the basic layflat bracket as you know. Lots of cool variations out there. Initially I was going to go in the direction of having the ignition switch up between the gauges but decided to relo the ignition to the side of the bike. Believe there are pro's to each. Many great options to choose from to apply your personal style. At some point, I may very well try one of those.

 

[Sal Paradise]

Looks good Chris - the D9 bracket is one of those mods, once you do it , you realize how awful the original really was.

 

[2Monkeys]

Looks great, I think the spacing is perfect any lower and the headlight would look too low. Bike jewelry for sure.

 

[Speed3Chris]

Thanks Sal and quite right.
2Monk...I contacted Seth yesterday and he is going to make me some 7/8" spacers which will drop the gauges down another 1/4". The headlight is about as low as it can go unless I relocate or replace the rectifier with a MOSFET unit...which I may at some point...but no imminent plans. Unlike some, the stock rectifier position has never bothered me and even more obscured now with the slightly lowered headlight.
Thanks.

 

[rodburner]

I've been lucky to have been in the D9 camp from the very start. I have several of Seth's original design creations and as mentioned,fit,finish and style are top notch in every one. His constant tinkering,improvements and ability to create new designs all the time,has been a boon to all of us and is a breath of fresh air in the "one trick pony" world of "after market" parts makers.:worthy:

 

[Speed3Chris]

I've been lucky to have been in the D9 camp from the very start. I have several of Seth's original design creations and as mentioned,fit,finish and style are top notch in every one. His constant tinkering,improvements and ability to create new designs all the time,has been a boon to all of us and is a breath of fresh air in the "one trick pony" world of "after market" parts makers.:worthy:

Well said Rod.

 

[Deano]

Very nice set up. I would have to be careful with a setup like that, because it looks soooo good, I would be watching it and not the road. There are some truley talented people around.

 

[Speed3Chris]

Thanks Deano. Talented people makes life just that much sweeter don't they? Some people just don't recognize talent or appreciate it. In the context of design, its one thing to appreciate it...like we appreciate Seth's work, but a whole another level to actually have the vision to create what he does before others see it. One of the cool things about these bikes is they are a form of self expression. The bonneville platform can be made so very different based upon one's personal interpretation of what looks right to them.

 

[Speed3Chris]

How low can it go?

Promised to post updated pics if I could tweak the gauges a bit lower...see below. For those considering a LSL headlight bracket + one of D9’s custom Layflat gauge brackets….I was able to use ¾” spacer length versus the stock 1-1/8” spacers that work for the stock headlight bracket. Now the gauges are within 3 mm or so of the top of headlight with it lowered to within 5 mm’s of the rectifier…about as tight as it can be set up without lowering the rectifier which I didn’t want to do because I don’t want the headlight any lower. Man, I like this set up. I am always reminded how a little tweak can make such a difference.

Further…out on the road, I am coming to the opposite opinion of what I thought before I installed Seth’s bracket. I mistakenly thought that part of the design intent of the bunny ear stock gauge position was it acted as an air deflector. It may…but not in a good way as I found the stock gauge position created a fair amount of turbulence. D9’s layflat bracket promotes smoother air flow over the chest and helmet in my experience…the opposite of what I thought initially. Also with the gauge bracket lower, it looks good. Low is good on motorcycles and cars.

This morning when stopping for gas, I had four separate guys stop and remark how nice my bike looked. They all think…or many think, it is older of course. And some mistake me for a young guy with my full face helmet on. A police officer stopped by who I chat with at this station on occasion. This is a small town as I ride out in the country…but he knows the Triumph heritage. He said he hadn’t seen me around much and wondered if I had been riding. I told him I have been wrenching more than riding lately and I asked him if he was going to pick up another bike. I try to ride real cool through town but he likely cuts me a bit of slack out of town. Nice guy.
Cheers my brothers and here’s to fall riding. Thanks again Seth….

 

[strokerlmt]

niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
LMT

 

[Speed3Chris]

niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
LMT

Lach,
From a man of your considerable talent to build these bikes, I appreciate it.
I look forward to updates of your ground up build.
All the best.

 

[mark66]

Chris, you really do have one of the sweetest looking Bonnies I have seen. The way you set up that gauge/headlight combo is very nice.

BTW I believe in an earlier post from a different thread you said your signal lights where the ones from BC and they where the large brushed finish ones. Is that right? Thanx, M

 

[Speed3Chris]

Thanks Mark for the kind words. There are some very sweet bonnies on here so you offer high praise which I appreciate. In many ways I am like Lach and honestly, would like to completely tear the bike down to the frame and rebuild it from scratch even though it mostly new. I would like to put Excel alloys on it...upgrade the suspension and build about 80 RWHP into the motor but don't feel like throwing $6k at it...well right now at least. For me working on motorcycles is as much fun as riding them.
As to the lights...to me the proportion of these the lights you see on the bike...I am on my third different model turn signals ...looks right. They are indeed the ones sold by British Customs referred to as Large brushed bullets. They fit the scale and vintage of the bike compared to more contemporary lights but not as antiquated as the Lucas repro's or the god forsaken stock lights.
Thanks again.

 

[mark66]

Chris, as I was reading the first part of your reply, I'm thinking to myself, Man you can almost buy a whole new Bonnie for the cost of all that work! But I'm a lot like you in the fact that doing the work is a lot of fun for me. That's why I have the two old BSAs, you ride em, you fix em. Always keeps me working on some part of them.

Thanks for the info on the signal lights. Thats what I thought they were. I'm with you, I think the proportion on your bike is perfect. I'm planing on getting them this winter. Thanks again, Mark

 

[koifarm]

Personally , I think seeing D9 mentioned in my Classic Motorcycle mag is the ultimate tribute to one of the best, forward thinking designers I've had the pleasure of seeing advance in the aftermarket field.
He's one of the best and will no doubt be a huge success in his business and one of the pioneers in instrument mounting on the Triumph line....
I'm happy to admit I've got one of his early designs and it's still on the bike and is classic in simplicity and function.
Congrats D9. You're the best!!