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Trackbike Build - From Scratch


MVinOZ

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i have a motad catless header for sale if you want.

Shipping to AU will probably make it uneconomical... I'll use these for now, just concentrating on getting it together & running for now, running well can come later I think.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hello all! I have had some time off work, but not as much time on this as I would have liked. That's life I guess.

Stuck the eccentric back in the hub, all the bearings look & feel quite good, apart from the bearing in the cush drive. As far as I can work out, it only revolves when the cush drive moves, so it's not really critical, but I'll replace it anyway.

(I plan on running the rear brake cable through the swingarm, looks like it will be a lot easier with the eccentric out, FYI!)

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I think I flipped the eccentric, that should give me a bit more ride height.

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I cleaned up the triples a bit more, gave them a quick soda blast to get rid of the last bit of lacquer & hit them with some flat black

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Came up ok for rattle can in the garden shed painting.

I'm still waiting on a few parts before I can actually start assembly proper, but I had some time yesterday & threw together what I have so far

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Looking ok, even if I do say so myself!

Still missing a real wheel, so angles/axle height is just rough for now. Made an offer on a rear wheel on another forum, see how I go with that one...

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Pretty happy with the subframe, top will mount up with a longer bolt & some spacers, the bottom will need 100mm (or so) extensions to mate the two bits together, but they're directly in line, so easily done, even for me! I'm thinking some adjustable rod end type things, that way I can fine tune the height. Plastics are mating up well, although I may need to de lip the rear of the seat & move the actual seat position back a little, it'll be a ball crusher otherwise.

Trail looks to be in the ball park, but this is unloaded & very rough. Time will tell

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Can anyone tell me if I've put this back together right? Seems to be the only way it will go...

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I've been playing around with valve clearances, hopefully I've got them now. Still waiting on some crush washers for the cam journal bolts, when they get here I can button up the engine & start major reassembly, looking forward to it!

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Sorry but if the trail ends up somewhere near where you have it above it will steer like a barge.

140mm (5.5") is way over standard.

I think you need to look really hard at the offset of your triple clamps. you need to get back closer to the original 40mm offset which will reduce the trail.

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Sorry but if the trail ends up somewhere near where you have it above it will steer like a barge.

140mm (5.5") is way over standard.

I think you need to look really hard at the offset of your triple clamps. you need to get back closer to the original 40mm offset which will reduce the trail.

No need to be sorry, I agree! My definition of "ball park" is pretty loose. Stock R1 trail is around 100mm iirc & like I said, it's a _very_ rough measurement at this stage. Offset is 25mm with these triples, there are options if I need to change the triples.

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The R1 offset can't be too far off the SP1/CBR929 offset, and there's plenty of those getting around with good handling manners. I have a 2004 R1 lower triple somewhere, if I can find it I'll compare it to the CBR929 lower triple on mine.

The 5th Gen eccentric is already 'flipped' (i.e. the axle sits at 6 o'clock) by design - only the 3rd and 4th Gen VFRs come with the axle at 12 o'clock, meaning you can flip it to 6 o'clock.

Looking good! :fing02:

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No problems

I'm looking at doing a similar exercise at present and am looking really hard at making my own triple clamps and stem.

Bit different as I want to keep the steering/ignition lock operational and in the same place and I want to use the standard R1 running gear, eg: wheel and guard etc.

What I'm thinking is that I can then use a standard set of taper roller bearings, VFR lock nuts etc. and everything else from the R1.

There is a cost to this as I then need to get the triples machined and anodised etc.

I think trying to use the entire R1 front end, wheel and all, is the right way to go as you then have a standard set of bits to get spares for etc.

Cheers

Phil

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Custom triples would be the way to go, but as you say, there is a cost to everything!

The R1 & VFR use the same bottom bearing, you could modify the R1 stem at the top to VFR spec, then you just need a custom top triple (or an R1 triple with an insert for the stem...) Offset it still an issue, but there are other versions of the R1 triple with different offset, around 35mm IIRC, which is closer to VFR spec. That will allow you to use VFR bearings.

Fork length & stroke is still up in the air, although from what I read, these forks are some of the longer R1 versions & others have used them without issue.


The R1 offset can't be too far off the SP1/CBR929 offset, and there's plenty of those getting around with good handling manners. I have a 2004 R1 lower triple somewhere, if I can find it I'll compare it to the CBR929 lower triple on mine.

The 5th Gen eccentric is already 'flipped' (i.e. the axle sits at 6 o'clock) by design - only the 3rd and 4th Gen VFRs come with the axle at 12 o'clock, meaning you can flip it to 6 o'clock.

Looking good! :fing02:

Thanks! The SP1 offset is reported to be32mm & the CBR is supposedly 50mm... :wacko:

Too many variables for now!

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/66526-r1-usd-fork-swap/?p=916348

This post makes me think it possible with the current hardware. Running the calc again, I should have 115mm of trail, pretty close to my measured 140 odd. Still need to go back of course.

EDIT: Just realised I measured from the fork leg, not from the steering stem! :blush:

If we remove the offset (25mm) from my measured 140mm we get: 115mm! :biggrin:

I'm not too bright, but I can lift heavy things...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, I think I can say, without too much hyperbole, that I have actually made some progress! :goofy:

Found a rear wheel on a Streetfighter forum (those guys a mad for SSSA's!) & it arrived today.

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The new axle bushing arrived the other day, now with a wheel I've got a good excuse to fit the swingarm. Here's the old axle & bushing, nothing I got could do to seperate them, not even the 6 ton press...

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I didn't & still don't have the right tool for the big allen heads, but this will do for now:

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Some new brake rotor nuts & bolts, I had to cut one of the old ones off:

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& we have a roller!

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Missing these spacers, I'll have to see if they're available locally, it will most likely be 2-4 week wait like the axle bushing...

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Had a look at shimming the rear shock, looks like around 10mm is the highest you can go before the shock hits the bottom mount

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Was 41 degrees here today, still about 30 in the shed, so I left it here for the night:

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Next hot day (thursday, 38) I'll have a go at fitting the tyre to the rim, then I can take it off the lift, fit the exhaust & start on the wiring. Not looking forward to that!

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Great progress...wish I could work outside barefoot right now...winter is here.

That 10mm shim/washer to raise the rear shock will result in more actual ride height as the shock linkage is not 1:1. You will like that.

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I have one of those multi-large allen bolt doovers if you want to borrow it.

Yeah, that would be very handy actually Danny. I'll wait until final assembly (might have to come apart again, not 100% sure I got the timing right...) but yes please!

Ordered the missing frame spacers today, about $25 & 2-3 weeks from Japan. Exhaust fitting is next!

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If you got that wheel off wackyrider, then its my old wheel.

It's coming along nicely.

Sure did mate, small world hey?

Can't wait to start her up, that will be a big milestone.

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Speaking of big milestones, I was having a look at the Phillip Island & Broadford track websites, looking for either a Sunday or a Monday trackday coming up, there's one at Broadford & Phillip Island on Monday 9th June.

Seems like a good day, I'll be aiming for that :goofy:

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Started playing around with the exhaust.

Small problem.

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Apply heat.

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Bend. No problem!

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Bit of a swingarm clearance issue.

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But some leverage fixed that.

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Jacked the exhaust up from underneath & everything lined up pretty well.

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Not bad for $15 (plus postage!)

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There were some superflous holes in the top triple I wanted to get rid off & I needed to shrink the ignition hole a little for my new starter switch

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So I filled them with some metal epoxy

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Sanded

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Shaped

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Starter switch fits!

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Added some paint. The epoxy shrank a little, unfortunately. That or I sanded it badly... :unsure2: Maybe both!

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Paint's not great, but I'm not sure how the epoxy will hold up, if it works I'll paint it properly.

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Started cleaning up the rear caliper, it was pretty filthy & pistons were quite stuck.

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Some progress. The pistons look to be in good condition though, I've got a seal kit to put in so that should be enough to restore it.

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FYI, the Banjo bolt holes are directly in line with 2 of the 3 cylinders, so if they're really stuck, you can just remove the banjo & push them out through the hole.

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The seals & dustseals are quite far apart, the actual seals are about halfway down the piston which I've not seen before. Usually the seal & dustseal are quite close together. I'll put plenty of grease in between the two when I rebuild it, I think that's partly why they were sticking so badly.

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If you've rebuilt brake calipers before, this probably won't be anything new, if not, hey, it's actually really easy!

So this is a cheap brake rebuild, total cost is around $30 US, assuming you have consumables like wet & dry sandpaper, brake fluid & rubber grease kicking around. Make sure the rubber grease is safe for use with brake systems, not all of them are

My pistons aren't actually too bad, but if yours are corroded, you can actually save the pistons & save around $80 on parts. Honda pistons aren't actually too badly priced compared to some others, but still, $80 is a lot of beer.

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You can see where the pistons has been sitting on the seal, it's not quite enough to feel with your nail, but

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Using the brake fluid as the 'wet', grab some 1500 grit wet & dry & start polishing the piston on a nice flat surface like some glass. I like to spin the piston while moving it up & down, so you get sort of a cross hatching effect. It probably doesn't make a difference to performance, but whatever.

Now, this technique can fall down, if the pistons have some sort of non stick coating like my front calipers, this won't work & you'll need new pistons. I don't _think_ the VFR pistons are coated.

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Once you've got a nice uniform finish, give them a wipe down & bust out your caliper seals & the rubber grease. The seals come in a set as a seal & dust seal from Honda, at about $10 US RRP. You'll need 3 for the rear caliper.

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Give your caliper insides & pistons a good wipe down with a clean dry cloth till they're nice & clean & dry

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Fill the grooves where the seals are going with the rubber grease & make sure you get the land between the seal & dustseal. This area isn't exposed to brake fluid, so a good coating of grease is a good idea.

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Grab your seal & fit them in. They don't look anywhere near the right size when you take them out, but they will fit. I start with the actual seal, then the dustseal.

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Remember all the grease you put in before the seals? Well, some of it will now come out, spread it all over both seal & the land between the two seals. You don't really need to go beyond the inside of the actual seal, because that area will be filled with brake fluid soon. The grease that remains behind the seal will ensure the area under the seal doesn't corrode & cause problems later.

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If it looks something like that, grease up you pistons & start them into the seal.

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Keep the piston as straight as possible & you can very carefully rotate it as you slip it in.

:goofy:

Simple things. Anyway, you'll feel it slip in, then a slight resistance as you hit the actual seal, then you're done.

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Some people just use brake fluid as the lube which can work fine, but I find the grease helps getting the piston started & avoids a possible grab when you hit the seal itself.

iPhone photos 160.jpg

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I went to fit my front calipers & found the caliper bolts were missing... A quick phone call & $40 later, a set of 4 on the way.

Wait, what $40??? Partzilla price is $2.45ea, US RRP is $3.95. :blink: I could have had a Titanium set for $70!

(I'm noticing only a very small pricing disparity on the Honda parts Australia vs US pricing, which is good, but Yamaha seem to not get it... anyway, I'll have to fit these another day!)

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I dug out an old ZZR subframe to make some subframe spacers, I'll chop these off, cut them to length & weld on some round pipe on the other end, should work ok.

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Took a pic with the original subframe:

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& the new one mocked up to a rough height/angle. It's got potential :beer:

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I bought a magnetic angle finder to find the headstem angle & see how much I can pick up with the rear spacer

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It's only accurate to +/- 2 degrees apparently, but oh well.

Getting a figure of about 27.5 degrees

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Jacking the rear up to maximum gained about 2 degrees, so we should be sitting at about 25.5 degrees rake.

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After all that I checked my rig to see if it was level.

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It was not. :wacko:

So, figures are rough, but I can pick up 2 degrees, that's good news. There's a big slab beside the shed that's pretty level, so I'll get some better measurement out there & try to get some trail measurements too. At the moment it's more VFR than R1, but actually pretty close to TRX specs, which handles fine I reckon. Anyway, I'll get better measurements.

The best news is, I found an oil cooler, ordered yesterday from eBay. It's a 750 oil cooler, so it may not have enough cooling for the 6th gen, but it'll work fine to get the engine started up & was less than $50 shipped.

While I was giving the credit card a workout, I ordered some cheap rearsets from DanMoto, around $200 shipped. They are for the F4i, but the rear master cylinder will bolt on & it uses a shift lever attached to the footpeg with a shift arm, so I should be able to make it work. Finger crossed!

Oh, obviously I got a tyre fitted to the rim, no pics, because it was a 2 hand, 1 foot, 2 tyre lever job :laugh: Not as hard as I thought it would be but not exactly easy either.

 

On 2/4/2014 at 9:57 PM, Switchblade said:

Surprised you did not refinish the calibers ....

Thought about it, original finish is in good nick though.

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