Premium Member blackout Posted August 5, 2018 Premium Member Share Posted August 5, 2018 Because the riding season is half over in NY, it's time to think about winter projects. My plan is to fabricate a single sided swingarm for my bike. The main purpose is for super easy wheel changes at the track. Mostly to put wets on the bike when it decides to rain. I'll have the option to change swingarm length and also pivot height with a eccentric bushing. So, I started taking measurements today. Craig Mapstone Upstate New York Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrien Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 You should make several....to off set the cost. I'm interested in one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member blackout Posted August 5, 2018 Author Premium Member Share Posted August 5, 2018 My current swingarm length is 20.8 inches and the current swingarm angle at full extension of the suspension is 10.8 degrees. (I'm running a shock link that is .187 inches shorter, which raises my rear axle height by about .625 inches.) The swingarm angle is part of what dictates how much rear anti-squat the bike has. If your bike does not have enough anti-squat, when you accelerate out of a corner hard, your rear suspension will squat and remove weight from your front suspension. This reduces grip up front and can cause the bike to drift wide. With regard to the swingarm angle, Dave Moss suggests 11 to 12.5 degrees at full extension as a good starting point. I'm at just under 11 degrees, so not too bad. But, I want to increase the swingarm length by 1 inch. If I do this, and keep the ride height the same, the angle falls down to 10.3 degrees. To get some angle back, the plan is to increase the swingarm pivot height by .25" using a eccentric bushing. This would bring the swingarm angle to 11 degrees, which is the lowest suggested starting point according to Dave Moss. The eccentric bushing would obviously need to be of a larger diameter, using a larger diameter bearing, and the swingarm pivot housing would be larger as well. Assuming there is clearance, all easy enough, as I will be starting from scratch on the swingarm design. I will only be using a donor hub assembly. Craig Mapstone Upstate New York Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member blackout Posted August 5, 2018 Author Premium Member Share Posted August 5, 2018 12 minutes ago, mcbrien said: You should make several....to off set the cost. I'm interested in one. We will see. Depends how it goes. Some of my projects work out, some don't.... lol Craig Mapstone Upstate New York Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member blackout Posted August 5, 2018 Author Premium Member Share Posted August 5, 2018 Most likely, the donor bike, a 2014 - 2015 Honda VFR800. The wheel design actually matches the FZ07 front quite well I think. Craig Mapstone Upstate New York Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossrider Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 OMG, I love this! You are an energetic fellow. Musta drove your folks crazy. Charge hell with a snowball. Throttle tube? Nah, gonna build a space craft with a beer can, zip tie and determination! Good luck! Nut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemer Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 Good effort on the swingarm! Let us know how it goes. If Yamaha doesn't give the U.S. any 700 Tracer's soon I may just get a Honda VFR800. Beemer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 2 hours ago, Beemer said: Good effort on the swingarm! Let us know how it goes. If Yamaha doesn't give the U.S. any 700 Tracer's soon I may just get a Honda VFR800. you will not enjoy doing a valve inspection on that bike. Because of the variable valve thing, it's gotta be done twice and there are tools needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemer Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 1 hour ago, rick said: you will not enjoy doing a valve inspection on that bike. Because of the variable valve thing, it's gotta be done twice and there are tools needed. I wouldn't do it myself if it did need to be done but I can't imagine that it would be cheap to do if mechanics rates are around $90 hr. I remember reading something about valves needing adjustment on the 500's at somewhere around 26k miles or so. Sound about right to you? Beemer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 500s? as in the very old VFR500? I believe the Vtec 800s have a 16k mile inspection interval. It's quite a procedure - just checking them - as the gaps must be measured with the VTEC off and on. In order to do that, the mechanism that changes the valve timing must be held with a special tool, iirc. Don't even want to know what a shop would charge for that job. I think a lot of VFR800 guys skip that inspection and do it at 32k instead.Modern valve trains hold pretty well. Dare to be bold, lol. . Don't see too many VFR800s anymore. Can't remember the last time I saw a 12 - though I have a friend in Belgium who used to own one. He's riding a Tuono 1100 Factory these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member blackout Posted August 5, 2018 Author Premium Member Share Posted August 5, 2018 The 2014+ VFR800's are not big sellers. One clue is that the new ones are still considered 2015 I believe. But ebay has parts so there are enough that they still get crashed.... The local Honda dealer here had a new one a few months ago, but it was parked with their overstock, not in the showroom. But it did get sold a couple months later. Craig Mapstone Upstate New York Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyribs Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 In and watching! I love watching people build things. Get it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 One of the big things I like about your choice is that Honda uses 5 lug nuts/bolts to hold the wheel. KTM, Ducati and my old Aprilia use a great big single nut that requires some big tools as they are on TIGHT. Not a huge investment, but if you had to remove the wheel on the road, well, the Honda would be doable, the others not so easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator sorkyah Posted August 7, 2018 Global Moderator Share Posted August 7, 2018 All I can say is good luck @blackout Looking forward to what you come up with as a solution. Maybe a driveshaft? ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member blackout Posted August 7, 2018 Author Premium Member Share Posted August 7, 2018 1 hour ago, sorkyah said: All I can say is good luck @blackout Looking forward to what you come up with as a solution. Maybe a driveshaft? Driveshaft??? Craig Mapstone Upstate New York Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemer Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 On 8/5/2018 at 3:06 PM, rick said: 500s? as in the very old VFR500? I believe the Vtec 800s have a 16k mile inspection interval. It's quite a procedure - just checking them - as the gaps must be measured with the VTEC off and on. In order to do that, the mechanism that changes the valve timing must be held with a special tool, iirc. Don't even want to know what a shop would charge for that job. I think a lot of VFR800 guys skip that inspection and do it at 32k instead.Modern valve trains hold pretty well. Dare to be bold, lol. . Don't see too many VFR800s anymore. Can't remember the last time I saw a 12 - though I have a friend in Belgium who used to own one. He's riding a Tuono 1100 Factory these days. Before I bought the FZ-07 I was also looking at the Honda CB500X, Adventure. I'd read that they needed that periodic valve clearance check every so often also and I didn't like the sound of it. Beemer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator sorkyah Posted August 7, 2018 Global Moderator Share Posted August 7, 2018 2 hours ago, blackout said: Driveshaft??? IDK.... I was tired ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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