TOPIC:

NakedFun wrote: "we have to get out while we're young, 'cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run!"

So i have an idea to get the look you are going for. This maybe hard for me to explain, but bear with me.... What if you got another stock upper triple tree. Mount that, and then suck your forks up above the top triple tree the thickness amount of the triple. Then take your triple you already fitted your gauges into, and lay it on top of the new triple. The fork caps should be flush with the top of it. Now mark out the center of the triple, where you could cut it out, leaving the "wings" of the modified triple to act as gauge pods. Then, since your seem to TIG well, weld them along with a filler piece for the end to the top of your new triple on the bottom. It will give a gull wing appearance, with the center dropped where the steering stem comes through. I can draw it out where it all makes sense...... It will keep it structurally sound, yet give the look you are after.

cory

Excellent idea Cory.

NakedFun wrote: "we have to get out while we're young, 'cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run!"

So i have an idea to get the look you are going for. This maybe hard for me to explain, but bear with me.... What if you got another stock upper triple tree. Mount that, and then suck your forks up above the top triple tree the thickness amount of the triple. Then take your triple you already fitted your gauges into, and lay it on top of the new triple. The fork caps should be flush with the top of it. Now mark out the center of the triple, where you could cut it out, leaving the "wings" of the modified triple to act as gauge pods. Then, since your seem to TIG well, weld them along with a filler piece for the end to the top of your new triple on the bottom. It will give a gull wing appearance, with the center dropped where the steering stem comes through. I can draw it out where it all makes sense...... It will keep it structurally sound, yet give the look you are after.

cory

Thanks for the ideas! Yeah, when I cut the holes in it I didnt really think about how the forces would be applied to it. I really do want to keep the gauges flush mounted so Ive been thinking about it today and drew up a triple tree design that is solid rather than having pockets and ribs like the stock triple tree clamp. This design, made out of steel, should be more than strong enough to withstand any forces generated on it. Take a look at the pictures and let me know what you think. Its pretty beefy so it will be much heavier than the stock one but the added weight is an acceptable trade off for the piece of mind and safety.

Figured Id add these two pictures too. They show the new material thickness above and below the gauge holes.
Overall triple tree thickness = .900" Solid
Above hole = .710"
Below hole = .870"

NakedFun wrote: "we have to get out while we're young, 'cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run!"

So i have an idea to get the look you are going for. This maybe hard for me to explain, but bear with me.... What if you got another stock upper triple tree. Mount that, and then suck your forks up above the top triple tree the thickness amount of the triple. Then take your triple you already fitted your gauges into, and lay it on top of the new triple. The fork caps should be flush with the top of it. Now mark out the center of the triple, where you could cut it out, leaving the "wings" of the modified triple to act as gauge pods. Then, since your seem to TIG well, weld them along with a filler piece for the end to the top of your new triple on the bottom. It will give a gull wing appearance, with the center dropped where the steering stem comes through. I can draw it out where it all makes sense...... It will keep it structurally sound, yet give the look you are after.

cory

BTW, It took me a little bit to visualize what you are describing but I think Ive got it. Seems like it would be a good idea but my gauges extend past the bottom of the triple tree unfortunately so the stock one wouldnt be able to set up against it.

LarryC wrote:
How the Hell did I miss seeing that Ed YEP...that is a big concern. Scrap that tree and get another.

I don't understand why you cut it in the first place. If it's to stick a gauge in it, the gauge will be at a hard angle to read don't you think?

Im going to figure something out for a new triple tree. Probably going to use a beefier one that I designed and have it milled out of solid steel rather than having pockets in the bottom. Wayyyyyyyy stronger. It will be much heavier but that doesnt concern me.

Heres a picture of the gauges lit up.


This is a picture at a pretty extreme angle. I would have to have my face resting on the tank to view the gauges at this angle (which I wont be doing on this bike) but the gauges are still legible.

Your new design would probable work fine. The material in that axis is significantly stronger, so you probable could make it out of heat treated aluminum instead of steel.

FWIW,
Cory

you could bore the holes bigger and machine aluminum cups to drop in and weld them in to mount your gauges.
that would restore the strength and give you what you want.

6061 -t6 aluminum would work fine for your custom upper.

but,

7075-t6 would give the strength of steel and the light weight of aluminum.

leon

531blackbanshee wrote: ....
7075-t6 would give the strength of steel and the light weight of aluminum.

leon

What he said! Good post Leon...

Cory

531blackbanshee wrote: you could bore the holes bigger and machine aluminum cups to drop in and weld them in to mount your gauges.
that would restore the strength and give you what you want.

6061 -t6 aluminum would work fine for your custom upper.

but,

7075-t6 would give the strength of steel and the light weight of aluminum.

leon

Thank you very much Leon! I would love to do the idea of the cups because it would require less machining and would look great but if I bore the holes any larger there really wont be anything left haha. There is only about .250 in the thinnest area. Unless you are saying to use a thinner wall cup than .250".

The angle of this photo makes it look like there is more stock before you get to the outter rib but the hole goes right up against it. Looks like Im striking our on fixing my current triple tree so thank you again for the input with the 7075-t6 material suggestion!

Do the cups have to be recessed in the bore to be effective? Could they be welded to the bottom of the tree? Out of my area of expertise ( I have none) but I like to throw in my 2 cents now and then
Wayne

kzz1king wrote: Do the cups have to be recessed in the bore to be effective? Could they be welded to the bottom of the tree? Out of my area of expertise ( I have none) but I like to throw in my 2 cents now and then
Wayne

Technically, you would want the plate of the cup as close to the same plane as the top of the triple, where the material was removed. I think make them as shallow as the gauge itself will allow which from looking at the pics, would be below the bottom of the triple....

Cory

Why couldn't you make the new triple and machine cups the same dimensions as the bracket so that the stds that hold the gages in would instead be through the cup. Get the cup depth right and you would be able to use acorn nuts on the bottom of the cups.
Just my. 02