Spring break project.

Thanks for all the interest guys. Last night I started work on the swing arm. I don't know if any of you have heard of an energy drink called spike. Don't drink them. Unless you absolutley need to be up for the next 12 hours or so. I had one around 6 yesterday and I think around 3 in the morning my heartrate finally dropped below 150 again. Anyway my buddy Kevin and I were up all night working on the swingarm. Here's the idea behind it. Using an extra swing arm I had lying around I cut it up to extend the swingarm 2 inches straight back. Then I took 1x2 inch square tubing and cut a 1 and 1/2 inch strip out of one of the 2 inch sides. Then it fit over the swingarm piping nicely. After that I had to cut it at the right point and bend it. This way it's stronger and it looks squared off like a newer swingarm. It took alot of work but I figured god gave me skills and tools but no money. so I'm making use of what I've got. I put it back on the bike and it works great. I've just got to weld shackles on for the shocks and then consider it done. But enough talk. Picture time.

Sorry about the crappy quality. Camera phone. But this is the final product. Hard to see but the wheel is actually 2 inches back further.

This is is the cut swing arm and 1x2's. Right after I cut the swingarm kevin looked at me and said,"do you realize how many hours of engineering you just ruined. This had better work."

Here is a side shot of the bike with it back on. Today I'll get those shock shackles back on as soon as I pry the welder away from my dad. He's making a smokehouse out of an old fuel tank. Anyway let me know what you think. Suggestions, comments, and questions are all invited.

Oh ya I think I remembetr you mention your girlfriends relative's one other time craig. Fargo is a nice place if you don't mind cold and snow for half the year, which I don't mind at all. Motorcycles for one half of the year and snowmobiles for the other half.

looks sweet. i'm on spring break too. i go to Ohio state. i just got a 650 tail pice for my 78 kz1000. the tail on mine has been hacked up since before i got it and i liked the 65's tail so i'm going to build a custom tail with the 650s and integrate a light and such into it. good luck with your project.


Rob

Looking good so far. As for the rear shocks, just make sure they are the right spring rate. I don't know what they are off of, but it is something to watch for. I found mine had issues cornering fast as I had non-stock springs on and they were about as stiff as could be and didn't balance well with the stock front end.

Hello from Grand Forks!!! Nice to see I am not the only one in ND with good taste in bikes.

PM me if you need anything. I have a couple of motors and misc. parts. There is a guy in town here with a bone yard, he's got about 12 650's and 750's.

Nice work on the swing arm. You gonna use modern fork tubes?

Zachnhs - Ohio state?? I'm a huge Buckeyes fan. I just watched the NCAA wrestling nationals where Ohio put on a good show.

Tyler - There is a bike yard in grand forks?? Where?? whats the name?? My sister and cousin go to UND so I might have to make a trip to Grand Forks soon.

KawiConvert - you ar completely right about the rear suspension. Way to stiff. I'm thinking about getting a set of progressive rate springs for it. The front end will remain stock though. But I might add spacers on top of the springs for more preload.

Not so much a yard as a warehouse. It's all inside. The guy is not really in business anymore, but he is more than willing to deal with friends. I can get you in tough with him. He lives across the river in East Grand Forks. Also there is a fanatstic machinist and race mechanic at Dave's Total RV, he can do anything you want but he is so busy it takes him a couple of months to get to anything. He is a snowmobile guru, and he loves old Suzuki's and KZ's. He has quite few parts as well. There is a HUGE bonyard in Bemidji, there is a repair shop up there an the owner is a vintage snowmobile nut, but he has some bikes as well. my co-worker has dealt with him for years.

Made a pic in paintbrush to give me an idea of the paint job I want. Just need somewhere to keep it for a bit since I'm on a public computer.

look at that a fabricater and an artist as well you and plummen should team up and go on the road you could paint motorcycles and plummen could paint the happy little trees.