Leading Link Designs - Post Pics

[TouringDave]

Pezz, good thread, I'll post some pics tonight, I've got a few in the collection

[MooseKiller]

Wow! Stunning pictures... They are artwork in their right!

[Uncle Ernie]

Originally Posted by Pezz_gs

Attachment 150637

Just double checking- this is a DRZ400?!

[HogWild]

Here's a better view of my frontend as it was a couple of years ago. Since then I've pushed the axle forward 2.5cm, and removed the extra fender mount that pivots at the swingarm pivot point. Now the fender is completely supported by a bracket off the back loop on the swingarm. Notice the two mounting positions for the swingarm pivot. For racing the pivot can be moved to the rear position for better handling in deep sand conditions.

[Pezz_gs]

Originally Posted by Uncle Ernie

Just double checking- this is a DRZ400?!

Yes! look at the ducktail on the bike '400'

[Pezz_gs]

[FUTURE]

Pezz we might have known each other. Were you in the Sydney Sidecar Owners club?

Here is my LL. Bob Martin made...

[Bandit Bill]

I put the leading link front end together for my Bandit 1200 during the winter of 2004-2005. I started off with a bare 15" EZS front wheel assembly and fender imported from the UK and Charnwood Restorations.

Keep in mind, i had minimal power tools/equipment to do the job - a hacksaw, hole-saws, drill-press, hand-drill, lots of files, and a bench and hand-grinder were about it. Surprisingly little was farmed out to a machine shop to complete. I'm a social worker, not a machinist, but i had a whole winter to do my research and do the project correctly - essential with such a safety related component to do right the first time.



My design was going to incorporate floating calipers. These brackets were cut by hacksaw, and finished with lots of hand-filing. These as pictured were at about the 50% stage.



The start of the swingarm. The axle bosses are machined billet roundstock, and slipped into the ID of the pipe. The pipe used on the project was .188 wall 1-3/4" DOM tubing. due to the size of this tubing, i elected to build a 3 piece swingarm fork, welded up. Why? It suited the design to come, of the adjustable bearing block shoes mounted to the swingarm for the downtubes. The tubing is in a homebrew welding table to keep things lined up and square during welding.



The wheel assembly/swingarm of the leading link coming together. The brake calipers are fully floating at this stage. The adjustable bearing block shoes for the leading link downtube pivot point have been machined also. The 6 pot Tokico calipers were way overkill for the front end, and weren't used in the final setup - i elected to use my 4 pot Nissin calipers in the final build.



The next steps of fabrication moved rapidly. The 1-3/4" (44.5 mm) DOM tubing was lathed down to 43mm at one end of each, to slip through the bandits stock front fork trees. The downtubes were then cut, bent to desired angle, and welded with substantial gussetting at stress and vibration points. brackets were welded to the end of the downtubes to mate with the bearing block shoes on the swingarm. Tubework was fun.



The completed front end back from the powder coaters, and fully installed on the Bandit.



Some have commented that my front end has an industrial, somewhat overbuilt appearance - I live by the motto of "when in doubt, build it stout".. I had a whole lot of doubts in entering this project, so it was overbuilt to the point that any doubts about it's strengths were removed from my mind.

[Pezz_gs]

Here is a pic of my old Z1300 I built in 1994. !983 Carby Model with a HRD Grand Rally Double. The links were made by Terry Gunter in Wollongong. Talk about Transforming the bike. 100mph 1 hand on the bars. sweet!

[tripodtiger]

G'day Pezz.
I saw a set on a BM on the road out from the TTT one year. Snapped off at the lower triple clamp. They were made by some bloke in the 'gong who 'knew what he was doing'. Wrote off the BM engine. The rider nearly got skittled by the front end flapping around beside the bike as it ground the sump off coming to a stop
The legs had been turned down from some sort of pipe so that they would fit into the triple clamps and

If you like, I could quiz Leigh Hollamby about materials, or you might find his adv in a mid '07 copy of Aust Road Rider. Not that you'll be having a set made but, he's not taking on too many outfit jobs any more - got other things to do.

And for those others that would like to see his handy work.
The DRz400.
My Triumph Tiger
and these trailers...sorry, I'm still not certain how to link directly to my smugmug account, so this may just be a link, ranther than the photo.
http://SCRay.smugmug.com/photos/251837822-L.jpg

[tripodtiger]

http://scray.smugmug.com/photos/251837822-S.jpg

OT -Am I doing something wrong here??? Gimme a break, I'm a middle aged Learner!



Those links that Bob Martin built - there is certainly no style to them, eh?

[claude]

[QUOTE=sidecar_ray]G'day Pezz.
I saw a set on a BM on the road out from the TTT one year. Snapped off at the lower triple clamp. They were made by some bloke in the 'gong who 'knew what he was doing'............snip
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dunno but that sounds similar to what is pictured below. Pretty scary !!!!!!!
Material too thin? Welding issues? Bracing in wrong spot? All of the above?
Yikes!

[atgreg]

Originally Posted by sidecar_ray

http://scray.smugmug.com/photos/251837822-S.jpg

OT -Am I doing something wrong here??? Gimme a break, I'm a middle aged Learner!



Those links that Bob Martin built - there is certainly no style to them, eh?

Like this,

[Pezz_gs]

Originally Posted by sidecar_ray

G'day Pezz.
I saw a set on a BM on the road out from the TTT one year. Snapped off at the lower triple clamp. They were made by some bloke in the 'gong who 'knew what he was doing'. Wrote off the BM engine. The rider nearly got skittled by the front end flapping around beside the bike as it ground the sump off coming to a stop
The legs had been turned down from some sort of pipe so that they would fit into the triple clamps and

If you like, I could quiz Leigh Hollamby about materials, or you might find his adv in a mid '07 copy of Aust Road Rider. Not that you'll be having a set made but, he's not taking on too many outfit jobs any more - got other things to do.

And for those others that would like to see his handy work.
The DRz400.
My Triumph Tiger
and these trailers...sorry, I'm still not certain how to link directly to my smugmug account, so this may just be a link, ranther than the photo.
http://SCRay.smugmug.com/photos/251837822-L.jpg

I pretty sure its not the same guy. I would hate to lose the Z1300 links at 160kph

[Pezz_gs]

How much Travel does everyone have on their Leading Link Suspension ?

I have been looking at the Ikon (koni) shock specs and working backwards to establish swingarm length.

Probably going to look at 200mm (8") as a starting point