Winter build

[ekvh]

The bike in my avatar and above was raked 3-4-5 degrees. It handles great, better than my stock 77. It is just a waste though with the length of the Magna forks. If I extend them, it picks the front end up a lot, makes the ground farther away, and wheelies easier. I like the looks of longer front ends, but don't like them up in the air as the Magna was. I have reduced their length by putting spacers in the bottom of the forks. The reason for the great handling I think is that the Magna placed the axle behind the forks rather than the bottom which reduces trail. I did mine almost exactly as Ric, aka HOTT detailed in the Ol' Sparky build. Others have taken them out further than he did, but run into clearance issues because it lowers the front end enough to scrape in the corners. I have some pics in my build here, "1200 into a 1000 chopped", but not as detailed as Ric's build.
Below is it with the forks at nearly full length.

Here it leans so far over on the side stand, which I changed now to a longer one.

I hope to get the Magna forks installed on the 83 this week and then continue raking it out until the bike is level or the trail gets too long. The Magna's are 41 mm which should hold up better at the increased angle. The way Ric did it, he figured the prescribed amount to notch out and tacked it in place. I am thinking I will weld a threaded rod to the head and back to the crossmember so I can tweak it to where I want it. I don't want to soak a bunch of money into this one. It appears I will be needing quite a bit to bring what I have up to riding conditions. Brakes are sticking, 1100 forks need seals and probably springs.

I need to learn to paint better than rattle can quality this winter.

 

[joedrum]

ahh come on eric you like pulling the wheel off the ground ..this way it its a good start on it ... :hihihi:

 

[ekvh]

With the motor in the front I don't think it can't go up far, but I don't care for the feeling when your handle bars turn with no effort. I also like getting my feet on the ground quicker at stops. I can flat foot on my stock 77, but it sure feels better on my other bikes with lower seating. I sure as heck hope this is my last winter ever. I was just to the junk yard picking an ignition module for my Caddy. Wind chill was below zero. I can't stand it!

 

[desertrefugee]

ekvh » Sat Nov 15, 2014 10:06 am[/url]":1un5iq5n]
...I sure as heck hope this is my last winter ever. I was just to the junk yard picking an ignition module for my Caddy. Wind chill was below zero. I can't stand it!

Bummer from Arizona. (About the wind chill).

And about those wheelies - the worst ones are those you don't expect. Like when the tire is supposed to break loose and doesn't. You find yourself suddenly scrutinizing the cumulonimbus cloud formations.

Kinda wakes a guy up.

 

[ekvh]

Got some things done last night after finally getting a welding setup. I have to weld the stop arms on the 1200 triple tree and the stops back on the 1000 neck to swap the 1100 front end to the 1000, the Schizoid bike. You can't see a lot but it will be fine I think.

Below it the Magna forks on the 83 frame. These are shortened internally two inches, but they still pick the front up a lot. I think I will be able to rake 8-10 degrees without changing bike geometry too much. Too much and I'll start dragging more than foot pegs.

 

[joedrum]

sheesh i like it now ... :shock: :yes:

 

[ekvh]

1100 carbs are a pain to remove. Wiring harness came out easier than most. I think I have a plan on the chop similar to Backlander's post.

 

[joedrum]

great i like love when we bump each other ...in our works ...your first biuild to me or shtziod was great to me ...this im sure will be too ... :builder: :whip: :mrgreen:

 

[ekvh]

I believe Backlander done-give-me-an idear. His way might be a neater way to chop.

 

[ekvh]

Starting kicking the front out. Decided to do it somewhat like Mike did his. I am going to go a bit further out tonight. It's getting out there a ways.

I decided to cut a pie shaped piece from the back. There appears to be a difference between the 1200 and 1100. In the 1100 neck is a support that can't be seen which runs down the middle. This pic is of the lower neck. I put a light behind and tried to get a pic where you see that I cut all the way around but left the center support, which isn't much as it folded like a noodle after I made the other cuts.

It makes me wonder how it's attached, or if it is attached at the bottom.
I would like to reinforce this. It looks like I will be able to slide a piece of 1/8" flat stock in from the back and another from the front before welding and it should keep the center strut from moving around and fill the gap to weld. I guessed wrong on the amount to cut from the pieces coming up to the neck from the front of the motor so I will have to add some pieces there.

 

[joedrum]

looks good eric ... :yes: work on :builder: keep us posted :laptop: kudos out to ones presenting all this as common mod now :yes: great work to all in this field :thanks:

 

[ianstaley]

Looks real neat, but why use Magna Forks? surely the triple tree is different and wont fit the GL frame? Would this fit a GL1000 too. I am only asking as over here forks and triple trees are getting rare. It is a big conversion not only the tree, the forks but the wheel and the brake system?

 

[ekvh]

This build is off until next winter. As to using different front ends. The 1000's had 37mm forks, 1100's had 39mm forks, and 1200's had 41mm forks. The triple trees from all three bikes interchange. They have different stop mechanisms, but bearings and lengths are the same. I used the Magna's because I had them. I bought a gl1200 triple tree and put the entire front end from the Magna on. The axle bolt is a tad short. The wheel or calipers have to be spaced properly. I'm running just one rotor and caliper. The Magna forks were monstrously long, even with the from raked a bit. I put two inch shortening spacers in the bottom of the forks and I have about five inches sticking above the triples. With new Progressives, it rides and handles well. I used the Magna handlebar controls, tach and speedo.
Others have used cbr front ends with a gl1200 triple. Easiest swap would be a Gl1200 front end.

 

[ianstaley]

Thanks for that info, I have no problem running my own GL1000 forks, and I have a spare set well 2 sets, but 1 is I think not worth restoring. I really liked the idea or raking the front end al a "old smoky" but as I have already powder coated the frame that may be on the cards for the next one, if she who is queen allows (I just wont tell her! gulp). But I have a bid in for a Ducati Monster 600 so I might not be alive by the end of the month. :beg: But we shall see. Get this one sorted first.

Thanks Ian