TOPIC:

Ok so heres what I have so far.

1980 KZ1000 frame
KZ1000 tank (80' or 82' not sure)
1982 KZ1000 motor
1982 KZ1000 Carbs with cone filters
2004 GSXR1000 swingarm (modified), wheel and brakes
2000 GSXR600 triple trees, fork, wheel and brakes
1-7/8" Dakota Digital Speedometer/Odometer
1-7/8" Dakota Digital Oil Temp Gauge
Shorai LFX19A4-BS12 which Im hoping has enough CCA since im new to lithium iron batteries

This is how she looks right now. I have mounted the front rotors since this picture




This is how the GSXR1000 swingarm used to look before I modified it for a dual shock setup.


This is one of the brackets I designed to mount the shocks. (The bolt isnt the final size, just didnt have the right size when I took this picture)


I cut off the hole for the ignition on the GSXR600 upper triple tree and cut two 1-7/8" holes in it between the support ribs to mount my gauges in.


I was tossing around ideas for steering stops and I am currently experimenting with the idea of using steering dampers as stops. I figure I will mount the body of them to the frame on both sides and mount the front end to the fork tubes using canabalized clip-on handlebars (recycling is cheap haha). This way I will get the advantages of the steering damper AND I will have steering stops. I will just mount the dampers so that they bottom out where I want the steering to stop.





I have never done anything like build a motorcycle before so I am learning as I go. Luckily im pretty creative and have a mechanical mindset. If anyone has any unique ideas throw them at me and let me know what you think of my project so far

Nice job so far. I'm a little concerned about how much material you have removed from the upper triple tree for the gauges. I hope it does not weaken it to much.
Nice job on the swinger shock mounts they look good.
As for steering stops, some guys just weld a longer strip of steel over the existing steering get stop tab that is already on the head tube.
Keep the pics coming!

kaw-a-holic wrote: Nice job so far. I'm a little concerned about how much material you have removed from the upper triple tree for the gauges. I hope it does not weaken it to much.
Nice job on the swinger shock mounts they look good.
As for steering stops, some guys just weld a longer strip of steel over the existing steering get stop tab that is already on the head tube.
Keep the pics coming!

Very Nice! Looking very good so far! Good workmanship!
However......like kaw-a-holic.....I am concerned you may have removed way too much material from upper triple tree.
I also agree about his suggestion for steering stops.
Looking forward to more pics!
Ed

ed spangler wrote:

kaw-a-holic wrote: .... I'm a little concerned about how much material you have removed from the upper triple tree for the gauges. I hope it does not weaken it to much. ...!

....
However......like kaw-a-holic.....I am concerned you may have removed way too much material from upper triple tree....

There are lots of forces applied to the triple tree when a bike is ridden, especially when in turns, braking, hitting bumps, or coming down off a wheelie. You didn't leave nearly enough meat on that triple tree and it will eventually fail. When it does the rider is in for a very rude surprise and a trip to the ER!

Consider this - Suzuki GSXR-1000 bikes were recalled because their frames break near the headstock if a rider does wheelies. When this happens the front forks fall off. Those same forces that break frames can break a weakened triple tree.

I would toss that triple tree top, install a new one, and rethink the design. Ed

Nice work. Does the 82 engine bolt into the 80 frame? I was thinking it doesn't from what I have seen on here.

sbc1320 wrote: Nice work. Does the 82 engine bolt into the 80 frame? I was thinking it doesn't from what I have seen on here.

Excellent point!
I think 73-80 900-1000 will pretty much bolt in , I believe that after 1980 there were changes to Frame.
Check with 650ed !!...bet he'll know for sure.
Regards
Ed

ed spangler wrote:

kaw-a-holic wrote: Nice job so far. I'm a little concerned about how much material you have removed from the upper triple tree for the gauges. I hope it does not weaken it to much.
Nice job on the swinger shock mounts they look good.
As for steering stops, some guys just weld a longer strip of steel over the existing steering get stop tab that is already on the head tube.
Keep the pics coming!

Very Nice! Looking very good so far! Good workmanship!
However......like kaw-a-holic.....I am concerned you may have removed way too much material from upper triple tree.
I also agree about his suggestion for steering stops.
Looking forward to more pics!
Ed

Here is a picture from the underside of the tripple tree. Figured id get all of your input on whether or not I took out too much material after you saw the bottom too.
I didnt cut into the support ribs at all. I drew red lines outlining where they are located. The 1-7/8" hole fit right between them.


Like I said Im a newbie so I greatly value all of your insight. Im just hoping I dont have to scrap that triple tree and go with something different. If you still think I removed too much Ill have to go back to the drawing board. I would really like to keep the guages low profile like that though so how about one of these options: Make the whole upper triple tree solid aluminum (except for the gauge holes) so that there are no hollowed out areas like the stock one. OR have one made out of steel? In either case I could design it with some extra material thickness around the entire triple tree, increasing the wall thickness around the holes.

As far as the engine... I had bought the frame (1980 KZ1000) and then bought the motor from a different bike later. When I bought the motor the guy said it was a 1980 motor. I later realized some differences in the way it mounts to the frame. The 1982 has some motor mounts that are welded to the frame while the 1980 has motor mount brackets that bolt on. I have yet to try putting the motor in there, its been below zero here in Illinois, but I was hoping that the mounts would still line up. Sounds like I might be disappointed from what you are saying. Would that be something as simple as making new motor mount brackets or is it going to be a real pain?

Thank you guys so much for your feedback. Im trying to make this thing really unique which unfortunately means a lot of trial and error lol.

650ed wrote:
There are lots of forces applied to the triple tree when a bike is ridden, especially when in turns, braking, hitting bumps, or coming down off a wheelie. You didn't leave nearly enough meat on that triple tree and it will eventually fail. When it does the rider is in for a very rude surprise and a trip to the ER!

Consider this - Suzuki GSXR-1000 bikes were recalled because their frames break near the headstock if a rider does wheelies. When this happens the front forks fall off. Those same forces that break frames can break a weakened triple tree.

I would toss that triple tree top, install a new one, and rethink the design. Ed

Thanks 650ed! What do you think about having that upper triple tree made out of steel? If I can Id really love to keep the gauges flush mounted.

Btw those pictures are scary as hell!

ed spangler wrote:

sbc1320 wrote: Nice work. Does the 82 engine bolt into the 80 frame? I was thinking it doesn't from what I have seen on here.

Excellent point!
I think 73-80 900-1000 will pretty much bolt in , I believe that after 1980 there were changes to Frame.
Check with 650ed !!...bet he'll know for sure.
Regards
Ed

81 and newer used differant/extea front mountinf points.

wireman wrote:

ed spangler wrote:

sbc1320 wrote: Nice work. Does the 82 engine bolt into the 80 frame? I was thinking it doesn't from what I have seen on here.

Excellent point!
I think 73-80 900-1000 will pretty much bolt in , I believe that after 1980 there were changes to Frame.
Check with 650ed !!...bet he'll know for sure.
Regards
Ed

81 and newer used differant/extea front mountinf points.

So the back mounting points are the same? So would I be able to set it in the fame, bracing it up, mount the back points, and measure/fabricate some brackets for the front? Would that be a pain in the butt?

kawiman636 wrote:

ed spangler wrote:

kaw-a-holic wrote: Nice job so far. I'm a little concerned about how much material you have removed from the upper triple tree for the gauges. I hope it does not weaken it to much.
Nice job on the swinger shock mounts they look good.
As for steering stops, some guys just weld a longer strip of steel over the existing steering get stop tab that is already on the head tube.
Keep the pics coming!

Very Nice! Looking very good so far! Good workmanship!
However......like kaw-a-holic.....I am concerned you may have removed way too much material from upper triple tree.
I also agree about his suggestion for steering stops.
Looking forward to more pics!
Ed

Here is a picture from the underside of the tripple tree. Figured id get all of your input on whether or not I took out too much material after you saw the bottom too.
I didnt cut into the support ribs at all. I drew red lines outlining where they are located. The 1-7/8" hole fit right between them.

Attachment IMAG0687.jpg not found

Like I said Im a newbie so I greatly value all of your insight. Im just hoping I dont have to scrap that triple tree and go with something different. If you still think I removed too much Ill have to go back to the drawing board. I would really like to keep the guages low profile like that though so how about one of these options: Make the whole upper triple tree solid aluminum (except for the gauge holes) so that there are no hollowed out areas like the stock one. OR have one made out of steel? In either case I could design it with some extra material thickness around the entire triple tree, increasing the wall thickness around the holes.

As far as the engine... I had bought the frame (1980 KZ1000) and then bought the motor from a different bike later. When I bought the motor the guy said it was a 1980 motor. I later realized some differences in the way it mounts to the frame. The 1982 has some motor mounts that are welded to the frame while the 1980 has motor mount brackets that bolt on. I have yet to try putting the motor in there, its been below zero here in Illinois, but I was hoping that the mounts would still line up. Sounds like I might be disappointed from what you are saying. Would that be something as simple as making new motor mount brackets or is it going to be a real pain?

Thank you guys so much for your feedback. Im trying to make this thing really unique which unfortunately means a lot of trial and error lol.

From the picture, I don't see any worries with that top tree. The bulk of generated forces will be carried by the lower tree, through the stem, into the frame. Cutting the little nubs off where gauges mounted isn't going to make them weaker.

Take a good close look at some of the modern sport bikes. In particular, look at the little aluminum tangs welded to the frame where the top of the rear shock mounts. They don't look like they'd hold up...but they do.

When I was building my bike, I looked over the new bikes very carefully before I decided what approach I was going to take putting ZX7 suspension on an old KZ frame. Ultimately, it all worked out fine and the bike went down the road perfectly straight and handled excellent.

I milled 5mm off the bottom of the big, fat boss there the stem goes through to get more fork length and added some aluminum plates under the top clamp when I put traditional style bar mounts on it for drag bars.

I think you're doing a fine job. You want to pay careful attention to your trail measurement. Make dam sure you do measure it too. Get it right and the bike will be a joy to ride. Get it wrong and it could be a twitchy, dangerous, devil....

Here's the one I did



Better shot of suspension

LarryC wrote:
......From the picture, I don't see any worries with that top tree. The bulk of generated forces will be carried by the lower tree, through the stem, into the frame. Cutting the little nubs off where gauges mounted isn't going to make them weaker.........

Cutting the little gauge nubs isn't what would concern me. But boring those huge holes in the tree where there is no re-enforcement like there is where the fork tubes pass through scares the heck outta me. I wouldn't trust it at all. Ed