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Single side swing arm conversion


phanomenal07

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They're typically pretty heavy,so I don't care for them, but lots of guys love the looks. VFR seems to be a common bike to steal SSSA's from for conversions. 

 

A buddy on another forum stuck a Ducati SSSA on his VTR.  It is a cool look, I must admit. 

He bought and played around with several  SSSA's throughout the build. There may be some information in here that can help you. Good luck!

 

http://www.customfighters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63138

 

From this:

 

P1296860a_zps23324ab0.jpg

 

To this:

IMG_20180102_144804_zpspqz9lits.jpg

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Apparently others do...my brother was finishing up a Honda CBX1000 with an SSSA before he passed and I helped a good friend split a Norton 850 Commando frame and move the engine to the left to accommodate the SSSA, he also passed before the bike was finished but another friend did get it done and had it at our local Clubman bike show/swap a couple years ago. It did add to the wheelbase a bit and you're right about being a bit heavier but I have seen a CF SSSA at another show that was super light and super expensive.

 

I like the looks from the clean side...the rear engine mounts are such that they are out of the way on our -07's. I haven't looked at the bike with a SSSA in mind but if you're a fabricator/welder then it can be done, just a matter of doing it, beefing up frame for both swing arm attach and upper shock mount. It will be harder if you intend to keep the bike looking as it does now because the rear sub frame, airbox, battery box etc may have to be redesigned. If your going for a custom bobber or café racer then it opens up your design options...I will say that once I installed the Hord air filter system, I've been eyeing the space opened up between the battery box and the Hord filter and I've been thinking about moving the shock forward attach point form the engine to a point beneath the nose of the seat, a similar place you would have to consider for your SSSA I think. I'd say go for it if that's what you want...and you have the ability or know people who do.

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Those radiators on the VTR ( awesome conversion) are not going to draw properly. They need at least a cowl designed to allow the main air away from hitting the outside of the fins at right angles and draw rearward. Something between the rads to force the air through from the inside would also help. 

I read an article in amag by the guys who designed the cowling for the VTR and it's air flow was problematic and they had overheating problems. The article was on the design process that got the rads where they were and how they flowed them.  Interestingly IF you make the air turn through these rads and again out the other side,they actually can dump more heat because of the skewing of the flow.

Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify...

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3 minutes ago, gregjet said:

Those radiators on the VTR ( awesome conversion) are not going to draw properly. They need at least a cowl designed to allow the main air away from hitting the outside of the fins at right angles and draw rearward. Something between the rads to force the air through from the inside would also help. 

Boy you got that right...a good place for a well designed half fairing I think.

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Doesn't need a full half fairing, just something to curve the air into right angles to the upstream fins and a cowl to draw the air around to the main streamline after. the outside could be a simple cover with a decent designed exit. If you want a naked look it wouldn't disrupt the overall look much at all. Just have to be a bit bigger that the radiator.

You could design a ram inlet on the other to help draw at speed, of course, but you are starting to get into some solid design work. It WILL need one of more fans in the middle for street work when stationary. Rebuilding a seized VTR in NOT an easy task...

Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify...

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3 hours ago, markstertt said:

Boy you got that right...a good place for a well designed half fairing I think.

He knew he was taking a gamble on that. He built that bike 4 years ago and it's been his daily commuter since then. And I mean every single day. He lives in Oxford and went on a trip with his girlfriend to Morocco and back on that bike. The only issue that popped up was the twin blowing carbon cans apart, otherwise it's been completely reliable. I know the rads are where Honda put them ( might've tucked them a bit closer?), but I don't recall if there's fans behind them or not. Whatever he did , it works well! He rides the shet out of it. 

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Buy a freakin DUC SHESH

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.” --Thomas Jefferson quoting Cesare Beccaria

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Guess the climate helps. Being mostly a tropics boy I see radiators a bit different I guess.

Also the problem may have been the fairing in the first place. BTW the original  VTR ducting was designed in England I think.

 

Actaully R1 I would rather have the vtr than a Duc. I have too many aweful memories of my 450 desmo and being stranded in the dark and destroying boots... Yes I do nee to move on.

Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify...

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59 minutes ago, r1limited said:

Buy a freakin DUC SHESH

The fella that built that bike owns a couple Duc's. But he daily rides the VTR and chose it for his Morocco trip. What does that tell us? ;)

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13 hours ago, shinyribs said:

The fella that built that bike owns a couple Duc's. But he daily rides the VTR and chose it for his Morocco trip. What does that tell us? ;)

It tells me nothing

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.” --Thomas Jefferson quoting Cesare Beccaria

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Thanks for the input. Been looking into and being that I’m mechanically incompetent I don’t think it’s gonna happen

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oh someone will do it, customizers have to stay a step ahead to be relevant. You can find someone to do it for you if you want to spend the money, but what's the fun in that? I've seen some nice tubular steel, bridged type SSSA's that for me would look better (less bulky)  and if self designed could maintain the stock suspension components, you'd just have to come up with the wheel assy off ebay but mechanical competency a major requirement. I'm liking the idea more and more but don't see it in my future either...

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I'd do it for the sole reason to give space for routing an undertail exhaust.  :)

Craig Mapstone
Upstate New York

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Not single side, but this swingarm (and frame) is so badass!

 

rosmotosr796-2.jpg

Craig Mapstone
Upstate New York

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The last time I was on a group ride, the Pannigale only got about half-way thru the day before it needed a trailer to get home. No thanks to Ducwaddies

 

My Aprilia has a SS Swinger and it sure does make pulling the wheel easier - except the need for big wrenches - the wheel nut is put on with 125 ft-lbs. Ducatis and KTMs are more like 150 ft-lbs. With their shallow wheel nut, you pretty much need an impact wrench. The Aprilia uses an internal, 22mm hex key so there's no worry of slipping off - just need a long (2-3ft) breaker bar and a great big torque wrench.

 

But the eccentric hub in that swing arm (which is dang thin) is the most complicated assembly known to mankind -  OK, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's filled with one expensive part after another. The axle is >$1k, the left side wheel bearing is a non-std. sized >$500 double row bearing and carries the magnets for the speedometer sensor.  Just replacing a disk rotor requires a whole bunch of disassembly.

 

As cool as they look, spending money and time to make the conversion from simple to complex? no thanks.

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Lotta work for a little eye-candy, imho.  Like others suggest, buy a bike with one to begin with... unless you can do the work yourself and just want a project.

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On 1/28/2018 at 1:01 PM, phanomenal07 said:

Am I the only one who wants this? Any of y’all seen a fz07 with one? I really want this.

Been thinking....  I just may do this next winter.  I would start from scratch on the swingarm, weld up something custom to fit the FZ07.  I would only need a good donor hub/wheel setup.

Craig Mapstone
Upstate New York

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Blackout. A good opportunity to increase the swingarm length one or 2 inches to see if it gets some more weight on the front end.

Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify...

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1 hour ago, gregjet said:

Blackout. A good opportunity to increase the swingarm length one or 2 inches to see if it gets some more weight on the front end.

John Hopkin runs a 30mm plus on his Panigale R swingarm.  Also runs it "soft" by removing material to make it flex more.  Not sure why they run the longer swingarm, but it sure could be a plus on the FZ07.

Craig Mapstone
Upstate New York

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Haven't ridden a Panigale but I would be surprised if they are lengthening the swingarm for the same reason as the 07 needs it. Ducati usually get weight distro pretty well right.

300 would prob be an inprovement but I was thinking 50mm. Really need to plug it into the software but that means remeasuring the 07 which is a big job( lost all the data when an OCZ SSD bricked itself).

Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify...

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Once painted, the wheel from a 2014+ VFR800 should match the stock FZ07 front wheel quite nicely.  This might be the year and model to use.   The Ducati parts sure are crazy expensive.  I mean bend over, thank you, I will have another!  The Honda parts are reasonable and off ebay quite inexpensive if you look around.

2014VFRwheel.jpg

Craig Mapstone
Upstate New York

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really need to know if the FZ's frame is wide enough at the swinger pivot. If it's not, maybe nothing you can do t get it to fit.

 

That seems like a pretty good price - maybe too good. What's a new back wheel for that bike cost? . 

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