New Last Build Thread "maybe"

[halfmile]

Nice!! You settled on the ground clearance yet?

I`m going to respoke the 19" wheels and mount the new tires then I`ll have the accurate center of wheel to ground measurement. I`m thinking around 4" Ground clearance is critical because I`ll have to make vertical adjustments to the jig. Once I set up the jig to the bottom rail to ground clearance and start welding the rear axle support tubes and bottom steering neck tubes there`s no easy (change my mind like I always do) going back. Another thought is if I put the lower motor mount in the center of the bottom rail what might be on the motor that would extend below the rail with the motor installed?? Looks like tomorrow I need to make a lower case for mock up purposes.

 

[halfmile]

Today I polished the hubs and other bits and painted the centers my usual gray hammered finish. Perfect conditions for that. New 19" rims, spokes, tires, tubes, and bearings & seals are here. After I get the wheels spoked and tires mounted and balanced I`ll measure and order the spun aluminum moon discs. The correct tires will let me finally figure out the ground clearance so I can lay out the frame (sorta). I also finished stripping a lower case to use for mock up. Cylinder studs were a real SOB!

 

[gggGary]

Cylinder studs were a real SOB!

Heat em with a propane torch, they come right out.

Don't ask how many I took out the hard way before I figgered that out. (prolly had someone much wiser tell me)

 

[halfmile]

Heat em with a propane torch, they come right out.
View attachment 257007
Don't ask how many I took out the hard way before I figgered that out. (prolly had someone much wiser tell me)

I had the torch on stand by but my real problem was I did not have the case half secured when I tried to remove the studs. I should have found a way to clamp it solid.

 

[halfmile]

One done, one to go.

 

[gggGary]

Love shiny new wheel builds!

 

[atom4488]

Today I polished the hubs and other bits and painted the centers my usual gray hammered finish. Perfect conditions for that. New 19" rims, spokes, tires, tubes, and bearings & seals are here. After I get the wheels spoked and tires mounted and balanced I`ll measure and order the spun aluminum moon discs. The correct tires will let me finally figure out the ground clearance so I can lay out the frame (sorta). I also finished stripping a lower case to use for mock up. Cylinder studs were a real SOB!
View attachment 256993View attachment 256994View attachment 256995View attachment 256996

Beautiful work as usual, Halfmile. Questions for you regarding your hammertone finish; is this paint or powder-coat? If paint, what brand? From a can or spray bomb? I was planning on shooting a complete frame with Rustoleum hammertone and was questioning durability. Any thoughts?

 

[halfmile]

I use Rust-Oleum gray hammer finish on small parts. When I did the hubs the conditions were perfect, 55 degrees and low humidity. Hammered finish is tricky to use. To hot of temp and the paint "skins over" and will not separate or modle as it should. One good med wet coat usually works best. Once the paint starts to modle quit while your ahead. If you load it on too thick you kill the process. The gray hammered finish I use on my frames is powder coat.

 

[atom4488]

I use Rust-Oleum gray hammer finish on small parts. When I did the hubs the conditions were perfect, 55 degrees and low humidity. Hammered finish is tricky to use. To hot of temp and the paint "skins over" and will not separate or modle as it should. One good med wet coat usually works best. Once the paint starts to modle quit while your ahead. If you load it on too thick you kill the process. The gray hammered finish I use on my frames is powder coat.

@halfmile, thanks for the reply. What you are saying makes sense; unless you are protecting the hammertone frame with 2K clear, I suspect that it would be vulnerable to damage if painted rather than powder-coated.

 

[halfmile]

Waiting on parts so today I made these trim rings for the front hub.

 

[halfmile]

Wheels laced, trued (good enough) and tires mounted.

 

[atom4488]

Wheels laced, trued (good enough) and tires mounted.
View attachment 257473View attachment 257474

Yup, 210 kph / 130 mph on an XS will be moving right smartly along... betcha the tires are good for a bunch more too!

 

[halfmile]

Tires maybe ? Me not so much.

 

[Jim]

Yup, 210 kph / 130 mph on an XS will be moving right smartly along... betcha the tires are good for a bunch more too!

Nah... the 130mph tires are just for testing.... iron out the bugs. After that it'll be the 200mph set.

 

[atom4488]

Tires maybe ? Me not so much.

There may be some truth to the expression "it ain't the gun, it's the gunner". It may be a scandalous thought, but maybe, just maybe, it could be an acceptable approach to do the development/build/pre/tune, do some runs yourself and then put a hired (volunteer) gun in the saddle for the ride for all the marbles???

 

[atom4488]

There may be some truth to the expression "it ain't the gun, it's the gunner". It may be a scandalous thought, but maybe, just maybe, it could be an acceptable approach to do the development/build/pre/tune and then put a hired (volunteered) gun in the saddle for the ride for all the marbles???

A nameless buddy rode a hotshot street-bike to a track-day session. He was turning hot-laps and thought he was turning respectable times. He let a buddy who was an amateur roadracer ride the bike (a Ducati). The buddy promptly carved many seconds off the owners best times. It's humbling, but let's face it, there will always be those that are better than us at whatever...

 

[atom4488]

Nah... the 130mph tires are just for testing.... iron out the bugs. After that it'll be the 200mph set.

Just out of interest, how fast do you think a normally aspirated, no funny gas, un-streamlined Yamaha XS 650/750 go? I see that a Royal Enfield 650 went 132. Is it reasonable to expect the Yamaha to crank in similar speeds?

 

[Jim]

Yeah, I think it can get pretty close to that.

 

[halfmile]

I got this feeling that you can only go as fast as your wallet says you can. Sorry I must have got that confused with the NHRA.

 

[atom4488]

I got this feeling that you can only go as fast as your wallet says you can. Sorry I must have got that confused with the NHRA.

So true! Years ago I ran a 4-cyl paved oval track Sportsman BMW 2002. My wallet was very definitely the limiting factor, as I was running against guys spending stoopid money on cars / engines in a less-than-premier class. Handled as well as any other car, but didn't have the gear ratios and horsepower to pull down the straights. Just a question of $$$...