[Bob138]

Grafted the two seat covers together. Sewing is a bit dodgy but it looks good.


Thinking about a klr650 swingarm swap so I can get a bigger shock in. Only small diameter spring shocks will fit current swingarm and I want to pop a gixxer shock in ideally.

Bob

 

[Bob138]

suzi gz250 speedo. Got it off ebay for about $20 shipped I think. It only goes to 80 but hey it's small and works.

BOb

 

[Bob138]

Scored a new tank on ebay. It was dented at a dealership so they replaced it, so it's basically brand new, still smells like oil in side

I tried pulling the dent with bent up pipe and with a metal rod up through the petcock hole, all to no avail. The dent was a triangular dent so it was pretty strong. Even epoxied a bolt to the center and tried to pop it using some metal brackets to apply force. It broke the expoxy. So seeing as the dent was about 1/2" deep at the center I figured that bondo only might crack from vibrations. So I sanded it down and put in some quicksteel epoxy putty to get it mostly filled in. Then sanded it down so that it was roughly level. Now I can go back with bondo to get it to level out right.

The tank was only $57 shipped It was listed as an ex250 tank so it barely got any bids. I'm really just happy to finally have a tank that wont LEAK!!!!



Bob

 

[Bob138]

So I got the bike back from the shop on Monday night. The insurance co said it was worth $750, not bad considering it KBB's for $1000 with the fairings and in better overall condition. They let me buy it back for $100 so hopefully I can get it back on the road and running quick.



Can't really tell from the photo but the headlight mount is accordion'd up to half it's original length. Handlbars bent back in the mount holes. Not sure if they are tweaked yet.

I wanna just buy a new runner so I can focus on this bike and do it right. I'm really tempted to try to get a slabbie frame and fit the ex500 motor into it. I love the look of the slabbies but don't necessarily need more horsies.

Bob

 

[Bob138]

OK. So the wife wants a dog so she got all motivated to clean up the basement and the small back yard we have. So I cleaned up my work area and storage closet and figured what the hell, I really should at least get the carbs off and cleaned before I have gas jelly in the bowls. So I brought her in and strapped my naked girl up to the ceiling (She is barely legal after all).

Pulled off the shifter that was bent up to find that the pivot bolt also was bent. So seeing as a new shifter is like $30 on ebay, I might as well just mount different rearsets for the same price.

I got a guy who was asking about my FZR600 suspension I was selling. I was thinking of using it on the ex500 but if I can sell it then I'll figure something else out. I already have an 01 gsxr 750 swinger modded to fit, so I could potentially get a 180 on it if I can get the chain alignment right. And I was thinking of trying to make fork covers to hide the stock forks. I wanna open up the forks to see what's inside. They actually work pretty well for stockers, especially seeing as they are first gen 36mm ones.

Anyway. I also have been really considering biting the bullet and getting a gsxr slabbie frame and seeing if I can mount the ex500 motor into it. I've wasted lots of money on bike stuff so far and don't wanna waste much more, especially as the finances have gotten behind as of late due to some problems that I should have looked into sooner

But at least for now i'm thinking of just pulling the motor and cleaning everything up first. Then do some serious thinking and mocking up. If I can make the fork covers work so that they look beefier then that would be perfect, especially if I can do it for under $50.

But, more updates soon.

Bob

 

[Bob138]

Stripped it down to a bare frame tonight. Took a quick look to see how close the FZR frame was to the ex500 frame. Looks like a full set of custom adapters is needed. I was hoping it would mesh up with at least 1 mount point easily.

Motor out and on the floor. Started lightly cleaning both. Overall, the frame paint is actually pretty good on it. Small rust spots here and there but not too shabby. Gonna probably just powerwash it once the sun comes back.

Then it's a matter of decisions and details.

Bob

 

[Bob138]

Took the plunge today. Cut the lower rails from the subframe and mocked up the new upper rails for the subframe with PVC. I notched where the new Tube would but up against the inside of the main frame.

I bent a long L bracket from the old headlight mounting bracket so to mount the ignition behind the neck in the frame.

Finally I started stripping the paint from the side covers on the motor. Started on the flywheel side due to scratches that where there in the first place. I still don't know if I'm gonna paint the motor, or just strip the paint and leave it aluminum. This whole project is still so up in the air depending on what parts I end up using.

Bob

 

[Bob138]

OK so playing around in Illustrator I mocked up what I would love to do with the EX500.

Twist on the cafe. Upside down clubmans for dirty bar comfort. Single round headlight, liking the bullet back look. And a cbr1000rr tail with a custom cowl to give it a bumstop look. Tail might be a bit high but in trying to match the angle of the tank I'm stuck. I may chop up the CBR tail and change it a bit to get it a little lower. We'll see. Still lots to work out.

Bob

 

[Bob138]

I'm thinking that between reworking the tail plastic itself and slightly angling the tank up I can make it work. I may still end up using the ducati monster tail instead. Trying to run through all wishy washy changes of mind now before I get too far into it.

Thanks
Bob

 

[Bob138]

Is that a TZ tank too? It's definitely not an ex500 tank, unless it was heavily modded.

and are those CR carbs? caps look different than CV.

Bob

 

[Bob138]

Oh and I will hopefully be able to make some headway on getting info on swapping the ex500 motor into an early 90s gixxer. I found someone on the 13x forums who said they built one years ago. I'm gonna shake him for info.

I'll probably just continue using the ex500 frame for now though.

Thanks for the pics

Bob

 

[Bob138]

I heard back from the guy on the 13x forums. Unfortunately he had to weld on new mount points for the ex500 motor in the slabbie frame So that puts it out of my comfort zone to do it myself, and out of my price range to have someone do it right. So gonna move ahead with the stock frame mods.

On the positive side. That's one less thing for me to go back and forth on.

And it means I now have slabbie tank that I'll probably never use. I'll have to check it over with a flashlight anyway. See if it's rusty inside, I never made it that far with the tank.

Bob

 

[Bob138]

slabby frame + 454 is sin.


you can find the best deals on ex racers. awesome bikes when done right. you got a good deal liberty. 540 NOW

Slabbie frame with an ltd 454 kawa mill? The 454 is pretty much the ex500 mill right?

Maybe there is still hope

Bob

 

[Bob138]

Still in the mock-up stages. Really just trying to make it work.

R6 rear end, needs lots of machining and tweaking, front wheel for a SRAD front end, top triple for the same front end, non-usd forks.

Due to a new car for the wife I lost all my motorcycle funds. So this will be going super slow. That is why I got the ninja 250, so I had a bike to ride, but had to get it looking good first.

Bob

 

[Bob138]

looking like drag racer there is that swing arm longer than the normal one or is it the camera tricking the eyes ,should look good though !

http://www.customfighters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43293&page=2

I'll have to check the measurements. The missing subframe also helps make it look longer.

Bob

 

[Bob138]

Quick measurements show that the R6 swinger moves the rear wheel 4" back. Now I don't have to worry about those pesky wheelies lol. I'll have to see if I can do anything to adjust that, but it looks unlikely. I'll probably do some more poking around with other swingarm options first. Blah, if I only had more time and money

Bob

 

[Bob138]

Bob, buddy. Lack of time and money (in my world) means that I finish the bike enough that it looks good from a distance (see my project up close and you'll see what I mean) and know that you'll always have something else you can do the bike later.

Room for improvement = never wanting for something to do:rock:

Personally I'd like to see one of the EX's with a beefy, 4" over swinger. How much are you going to have to cut down that wheel hub to get your chain aligned?

Looking good, buddy! DW

That is where the time and money part come in. The parts I need to get it rolling again are expensive, then add in the machining to actually make it all work. Bleh. I may have to mount the motor again so I can look at chain alignment now. I just hate having to remove the motor, reinstall it, remove it and so on.

Anyway, I need to stop traveling for work all the time first. I'm barely home nowadays.

Bob

 

[Bob138]

Why not use a box which approximates the geometry of the motor?

I may look into something like that. I really need output sprocket location to figure out chain alignment anyway.

Thx

Bob

 

[Bob138]

Got the top rails of the subframe welded in. Working on welding in the original tank mount and then I can start fitting the seat to lock down.

Still need to triangulate the upper rails. Gonna brace it right at the bottom and then again up around the center of the seat.

It's really starting to come together. Lots of details still for sure but getting there.

Front end is forks from an 86 gixxer 1100 with the ex500 front wheel.

Hopefully on the road by spring.

BOb