Tweety's RC51 swingarm swap
#31
Thanks, but it's probably been way more trouble and money than it's worth, at least for me. It's still not done yet and I've just had the misfortune (partly my fault too for getting involved with them in the first place) of getting involved with several different people not skilled enough to do the job right and not honest enough to admit it. I think next time I'll take the time and money and continue learning to tig weld myself and do it right myself. I hate letting anyone else do anything on my vehicles...
#34
Out of my mind, back in 5
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Mine are actually only a fraction of an even 13" at the plate and 20 ½" at the edge of the pegs... So not to different than the 14" / 22" which is stock... and not to different from yours either...
#36
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Re-did the brake side, wasn't happy with the linkage (not finished as I snapped the pic, more polished now)
Linkage done...
All I need now is a new rear sprocket... A VTR sprocket doesn't match a CBR wheel... Stupid me... And also swapping the tire over, but that's a few minutes once I can do the chain...
And I'm contemplating painting it, since the chain goes through the swing I cant really do it later... I'd like bedliner as it's supposed to be tough and not get scratched... unfortunately that's not as widely available here as in the US... Here pickups are only used by farmers and a few contractors... Not as a family car... And trying to explain the concept of a bedliner to a painter I just got a shrug... "Why on earth would I carry something that stupid...I'd sell one once a year... possibly..."
Last edited by Tweety; 04-13-2009 at 10:48 AM.
#37
Out of my mind, back in 5
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#38
Out of my mind, back in 5
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Skurup, Sweden
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I'm also ambivalent... I hate CF exhausts as a concept... And I like the sound of my debaffled stockers... But they are H-E-A-V-Y... And I'm on a budget...
So how to find a pair of aluminum highmount cans? That wont break my budget... The reason I'd like highmount is to get more space around the foot controls...
I'm actually dumb enough to consider making my own... An aluminum sheet and a mallet... And loads of work... sigh...
So how to find a pair of aluminum highmount cans? That wont break my budget... The reason I'd like highmount is to get more space around the foot controls...
I'm actually dumb enough to consider making my own... An aluminum sheet and a mallet... And loads of work... sigh...
#44
looking very good there Tweety Love the rearsets!!
FWIW, you should think about moving your shifter arm over by one or two splines, would have a noticeably positive effect on the shifting action...
FWIW, you should think about moving your shifter arm over by one or two splines, would have a noticeably positive effect on the shifting action...
#45
When you do that, you move it back a few to make the arm more vertical right?
#47
Out of my mind, back in 5
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About 20 minutes after those pictures we where hit with one of the worst thunderstorms in a good while... At the time I was still fiddling with the levers (I'm on it mikstr!) and the rideheight...
So I nixed the ride... good thing... torrential downpour that washed away a few roads in the close area over night and very nasty winds...
And now today when it's just as nice... well... guess what... I'm working...
Oh and hawxter... You get full credit for figuring it out...
Last edited by Tweety; 05-01-2009 at 06:29 AM.
#49
Out of my mind, back in 5
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The black fender might tip some of that I have fiddled with the front end, but for them to know the difference they have to know that VTR's dont come with radial brakes and USD forks... And it could just be an off color used replacement part, which isn't that far from the truth, at first I was to lazy to paint it, now I decided I don't want to...
The Jardines are a compromise on my "looks factory" approach, I needed the space for the swingarm and the rearsets kept hitting the stock midpipe... And since that is welded in there on the stock parts I couldn't adjust it unless I cut it up and welded it... And that's just to damned much work for to little gain... The downside is that now I'll have to fiddle with my jetting... again...
So is the HID... But it's not really noticeable unless you look carefully as it's blacked out... The stock headlight cover makes most people ignore the inside... But it's a very noticeable improvement when driving at night...
The thing is... On it's own most people think it's stock (Or they did before the swingarm at least...) But put it next to a stock VTR most people go... "Woah, that's not stock... You changed this, and this, and what did you do here..." And I like that...
#50
#51
very nice, congrats on getting it all the way done. these projects can really get bogged down and very hard to complete. Its amazing the level of modding and enthusiasm for these bikes still. And the skill level to tackle some big jobs. nice work. Do you notice the effect of the longer wheelbase?
#52
Tweety
as i was saying before ,looks great!
please be careful on your test rides.
we dont know how that weld will hold up yet.
i would hate to see anyone injured in any way.
as was asked already how did it feel?
corner entry and exits?
as i was saying before ,looks great!
please be careful on your test rides.
we dont know how that weld will hold up yet.
i would hate to see anyone injured in any way.
as was asked already how did it feel?
corner entry and exits?
#54
#55
Out of my mind, back in 5
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very nice, congrats on getting it all the way done. these projects can really get bogged down and very hard to complete. Its amazing the level of modding and enthusiasm for these bikes still. And the skill level to tackle some big jobs. nice work. Do you notice the effect of the longer wheelbase?
Definitely not the same, even though he used the same swingarm as a basis... His was shortened as well...
#57
AHHH yes...Good 'ol Mr. Billet...the builder of the "jig built" copy of his, yet not even close to fitting version 1.0 of my swingarm and the taker of my money...and the reason it's been apart on my garage floor the last two years... Maybe you'd be better off NOT checking with him and benefit from my misfortunes...
Last edited by captainchaos; 07-21-2009 at 09:14 PM.
#59
Hey hawxter sorry just saw your post. Eh not much to see just imagine bolting up your pride and joy and the great expectations and your pushing harder and harder and it won't go on because you're smashing your nice Ohlins shock between the front of the swingarm and the engine and can't get it on far enough to fit. Good times! Well I'll give credit where credit is due it DID fit as long as I didn't mount the shock. Hey but when I got it back from the welder at Thunder Cycle it wouldn't even bolt onto the ******' engine case! He went bye bye too. I'll show you pics when I get it right, you'll like those better. Makin' progress...
#60
I think what made mine more difficult is that my swingarm was originally cut to keep the wheelbase stock. I think (maybe I'm wrong?) others are bolting the swingarm up as is and it's leaving them alot more room but with a longer wheelbase. If I could do it over I'd have left more room and lived with it. It's not a trackbike and not like it would be real noticeable.