Maker, Tinkerer, & Computer Enthusiast
Contact: a.scerba02@gmail.com
This is a list of projects I'm working on that are interesting to me. Sections will be updated as progress is made on each one.
An overview is provided at the beginning of each project followed by a more deep dive into topics such as how it works, the current status, and future plans.
From the internal overview (link):
The goal of the Lakeshore Environmental and Night Sky Sensor (LENSS) Project is to contribute to the environmental health of Geneva Lake and increase the level of community involvement with environmental issues through a community-based environmental action project to design, test, build and deploy remote-monitoring stations that can accommodate a variety of sensors.
Self-hosting a webpage and other cloud services has always been interesting to me because I enjoy the freedom and cost-effectiveness that it brings as compared to going through a company like Google. I'm also not a fan of most social media like Facebook, so this site serves as a place for people to see what I'm up to.
The original plan was to use only HTML and CSS, but mobile navigation was annoying without JavaScript, so as of late 2021 I have added JavaScript for navigational elements. One of the more important things to work on is the issue of using high-res images. I've always disliked low-res or compressed images, but 4K images just don't have a place on a webpage at this point in time, so I'll be working to fix that.
Link to GitHub page: https://github.com/ascerba/alexscerba.com
A couple years back, I came into possession of a 2003 Honda Ruckus 50 that was not running. After a quick carb clean, it started up just fine. Unfortunately, there have been a few electrical issues that I haven't quite figured out. The battery won't charge, but it will still run so the engine dies at stock idle speeds. Besides that, it's terribly slow and doesn't get taken out much because of it with me favoring a modded 2004 Yamaha Zuma with a 70cc head and other mods. I want to use the Ruckus more, and I have decided to do a GY6 swap with a donor generic Chinese scooter that has been sitting in my garage collecting dust. Because of the aforementioned electrical problems, I will be trying to use the harness and electronics from the Chinese scooter and integrate the stock Ruckus controls with it. So far, I have mounted the GY6 into the Ruckus, but the support bar that helps keep the engine mount from moving under load won't fit without modification. The problem is that the kit was designed with a specific mounting point on the frame in mind, and my model does not have it. A few possible solutions are to weld a mount tab to the intended location, bend a new support bar that mounts to the old engine mount holes, or fabricate/machine a new mount bracket and support bar such that there is no bend. The first option is a bit destructive to the stock frame and interferes with an existing bolt hole for the stock floorboard. Option two is definitely the easiest, but there would be a bend in the bar that could buckle under load. I might be overthinking that option, and as long as the bar is thick enough, it might be just fine. I still prefer the last option because of those concerns, though, and I have designed a bracket to bolt onto an unused portion of the frame. Will post back when the status of the bracket has changed.
I ended up using the second option and it was completely fine. There was basically no loss in length due to the bend. The point it is mounted at may be a bit farther forward than I initially thought, so I may end up getting a longer bar to compensate. The main mounting bracket also ended up interfering with a tab on the frame. I just cut down the side of the mounting bracket so it would clear as it was way over-built and could take it.
My goal with this project is to create a clean, minimal motorcycle with as much DIY custom work as possible [read "safe"].
This is one of the biggest and longest projects that I am working on, and I do not see it reaching completion anytime soon due to school. One of the major hurdles is getting the engine to run. I did get it to work, but something happened, and currently it does not. A comprehensive teardown of the engine needs to happen to fully understand the problem, which takes time, so getting it to run is on hold.
In the meantime, there are many other aspects of the project that need to be addressed. They are outlined below.
It is finally time to do an engine teardown and rebuild. First thing to do was drain the oil. I pulled off the bottom cover and took a look at the oil filter (shown bellow). There is a tear in the filter and a significant buildup of metal shavings... not good. I'll be ordering a new oil filter, and hopefully can discover the cause of the wear as the engine is disassembled.
The top half of the engine has been finally taken apart the top half of the engine. There has been some trouble splitting the case, but it should come off with a bit more whacking (and double checking that there are no bolts hiding).
While researching custom XS builds, I came across the article "Custom 1974 Yamaha XS650 Proves Age Is Just a Number" in autoevolution magazine. Cheesy title aside, I found that the build featured in the article is almost exactly the design I am trying to execute.
There are only a few elements that I would do different:
The custom exhaust is a project I am not ready to tackle, but a 2 into 1 system like this 2-1 XS performance headpipe set from MikesXS with a muffler is a more likely candidate.
I may attempt a custom seat using materials I already have, but in the event that it fails, a universal flat seat from Tuffside is one that I think will work well.
The speedometer will also most likely be external, as I like the external look a bit more. If it ends up not looking like I imagine or I want to tackle another welding project, then maybe I will try to integrate it into the headlight.
I highly recomend checking out the original pictures on the creator's Instagram profile where there are many amazing car and bike builds.
This is a video my sister took during my first and only test of the bike. As shown in the video, there is a bit of backfiring and the engine begins to rev uncontrollably, requiring me to pull the spark plug caps to kill the motor.
After this video, I tried to start it back up, but it just bogged down and drained the battery. I then attempted to kick it over, but the kick starter was limp with the clutch pulled in. With the clutch engaged, the lever was completely locked up and would not budge.
I am going to pull the engine apart in the next month to do a full rebuild. Hopefully the issue is not something too catastrophic.
The goal of this project is to design an ignition and timing advance system based on an Arduino or similar microcontroller.
As noted in the main section, the engine needs an overhaul before it can run. One of my goals is to have the motorcycle kick-only with no electric start.