Thanks bro, got the brake parts, patiently awaiting the "gun case" I didn't get a ton done this weekend, but made some progress. My wife is now home so the furious progress has ground to a halt On the advice of famous Ivan, I replaced the entire airbox with his pod filter setup with custom velocity stacks and K&N pods. I'll run the overfilter to keep the dust out. He also had me drilling out carbs and swapping jets to clean up the midrange and reduce surging. You can see how big the stock airbox was. He says the pods add some HP (like I need anymore on this) but what I wanted was the real estate. Got tons of room for my shock, even room for the battery box closer to center of gravity and lower in the bike. That mod made the entire locating the shock deal MUCH easier. I measured PABikers 950 so I have a fairly good idea where the shock needs to be to get 950 suspension performance. I'm waiting on Frank's package to arrive so that I can do a final shock mount and burn it in. The front should be easy. I say that because my options are to use the factory FZ1 stem pressed into the YZ450 triples and then KTM 950 forks, brakes etc after that. The YZ triples are slightly wider than the 950 so I may have to rethink that but I don't want to make too many decisions before I have the parts in hand. I built a "custom" aluminum battery box to relocate the factory battery. I say custom because I'm teaching myself TIG welding and this is all new to me. I made some really strong joints, just not the prettiest stack of dimes. I will probably grind it down to not embarrass myself at the next ADV ralley. I am hoping to have this sorted by the Eastern rendezvous in May and make the trip down. I have some spacers to get machined for the swingarm as well as the wheel. Also need to start working on the fairing, lights etc, but that will wait until the front end is on. I REALLY hope I remember how this thing goes back together I plan on getting the frame blasted and powdercoated, just not sure what colors to do. I'd prefer to leave the tank black, the suspension will be whatever KTM is, pretty much silver. Rims are black. Oh forgot, decided to have Woody build me a front wheel for this. Too much waiting on the flea market. He superlaced a stock front hub with a black anodized Excel 1.8" to match the rear. I will run Scorpions for the summer as I want to travel to some rallies. My buddy owns a huge metal fab shop so I have been rummaging through his scrap bins and come up with some nuggets. I'll have him brake the bags on his machine and then I will weld them up. Going for Jesse bag size and I had them before and really liked the overall size.
OMG! Mad fabricatin' skillz, dude! That is amazing! I "drew" this picture (in PowerPoint)_ back in 2005! http://www.yamahafz1oa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42245&highlight=enduro
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34068258@N02/5593182420/" title="endurofz1a by ag_streak, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5100/5593182420_f2fce2a7b1_b.jpg" width="718" height="446" alt="endurofz1a"></a>
I'm going along those same lines, but with 18/21 KTM wheels, no body work and no front fairing. Well, like a rally fairing but that is pretty much it. I have a lot of the big pieces coming in the next couple weeks so I should make some great progress. I will probably shoot it with a rattle can so I can ride it to a rally, then strip it for powdercoat after I decide I like the way things are. I think I saw that pic before...
Just a little prep work for when the suspension arrives. Got the carbs back together after the jet kit installation. Holy crap is drilling a tiny hole with a pin vise 8 times a nightmare. The Pod filters fit really well, pleased with how it turned out. Very nice kit I also figured out the front end I think. Since I have Yz450 triples laying around in multiples, and since they fit the KTM 950 forks, and since it just so happens that the FZ1 and YZ have the same diameter stem where it goes in the triple, and the stem is the same length, and that the bearings are completely incompatible.... I decided to take both triples to a shop tomorrow to have the stems pressed out and swapped. Well, only the FZ1 swapped to the YZ. That way I will retain the stock bearings and everything else will be YZ. I do have a couple small fitment issues but nothing that can't be overcome I needed a spacer that covers the nuts that hold it together. The stock FZ1 triple has this spacer integrated into the triple, but it just so happened that robbing my buddies scrap bin I came up with AL tube of the exact ID. Love that. I tried welding it, but my TIG was just screaming on full throttle to melt that Pro Taper triple. Not happening, and not really needed either. Working on the exhaust now. I have an R1 header which is supposed to tuck closer to the frame than the FZ. In trying to route the exhaust I have a couple options. On the right side, where the bags are going to be. Directly under the seat, which is where I am leaning. Doing this would require threading the tube down in the swingarm hole and tucked around the oil pan. I'm sure I can do it, just not sure it is worth the trouble, although it would look sweet and very tidy. I plan on running 8" Jesse bags so I'm trying to not add width, which this arrow can has plenty. I have already relocated the electronics under the seat to elsewhere so there's nothing under there anyways. I will have to figure out the rear lighting etc.
Man Pete, you don't fool around, I am amazed at your progress so far. How did the carbs look when you opened them up? Cool as hell!
Carbs looked great. I put the jet kit in and had to open the bowls. Little dirt but nothing bad. Thanks again for the bike
What are the odds??? Since the YZ triples uses a tapered roller bearing and the FZ1 uses ball bearings, a bearing conversion was going to be tough. I measured the stems where they go through the triples and they were both 32mm undersized. Stopped by a garage on my way home and the guy said sure go for it, there's the press. I was a little nervous as I have never done this, but the FZ1 stem came right out. Same with YZ. The YZ is aluminum, FZ1 steel. The big moment of truth would it actually press in. Oh yes!! It felt like winning the lottery, big problem solved and all it cost me was a case of Natty Light as the garage guy wouldn't take any money as I did it myself. Got a nice package from Frank Wheelbarrow today. I have to jump on a conference call but will open after and give a full report. Woodys let me know that the Excel is being anodized and should be to me next week. Latest hurdle was matching up the 530 pitch chain on the FZ1 with the 525 950 setup. A 520 conversion is an easy solution, but I'm more concerned with durability than HP and weight savings. Sprocket specialists said they would make me a 530 rear sprocket from 7075 for the 950 so I can keep the 530 countershaft sprocket and 530 chain from the FZ1. I'll wait until I get a little further along with my gearing calculations before I order. Anyone have a cool spreadsheet that will help me figure out a good gearing for this bike? At $70 the custom rear sprocket isn't crazy expensive, but certainly not something I want to do 5 times.
Looking good , before you weld the shock mounth , take the spring out o the shock relese the nitrogen and cycle the swingarm with the shock bolt on to make sure everything works good .
Thanks for the call Javier!! I took your advice and installed the front end. Got the rake to about 28 degrees but not without some supreme shadetree machining. I thought the triples were the same from KTM to YZ however the outer tubes on the KTM were 60mm and the YZ was 59.3ish. I have a good day ahead of me today and hope to get a lot done. working on getting the dash figured out. I think I will lop off the stock attachment point on the stem and make my own. Only issue is that the VIN number is engraved right where I want to brace it up. I'll figure it out. I made a dash plate for the gauges out of aluminum plate. The mount welded to the freame will be steel and the dash subframe I plan to do from Aluminum tubing. Get some good TIG practicing in. I plan on running dual PIAA 540's for front headlights. Not sure how I will get around the highbeam issue. Maybe just make one low and one high? Can you run a dual filament bulb in a housing that wasn't designed for it? IE will a dual filament H series bulb have the ability to dip in the housing where it was only designed for an H4? If anyone else has suggestions, I'm all ears. The Buell setup is essentially what I am shooting for. The exhaust is still a thinker. Def going to run a carbon Arrow under the seat, however the exhaust header comes out the right side under the oil pan. I have two options, one route it out the right, under the peg, over the swingarm and up under the seat. Sounds like a pain but it's actually easier than the other option which is to go around the shock and res, through the opening in the KTM swingarm, make a 90 degree turn and then into the header. Either way I'm into a custom exhaust. damn SS tubing is impossible to find in 2.375" and I basically need to use J bends or donuts to make the shapes I want. I think the shock route is cleaner looking and lestt heat on the right boot, but going to be tight in there and may involve some swearing I had decided to make my own bags but Jesse had some overstocks for $300. I have been leaving him messages on his shop phone and emails asking him to send me a bill. I guess people don't want my money. So I am now back to making my own. will be aluminum, essentially a thin Jesse bag with custom permanent mounts. I bought an entire side of black suede for my seat. I will most likely make the pan from aluminum plate and then rivet the cover to it. Enduro style, but no passenger footpegs at the moment. I'll post some pics later today.