You can also use the paralever torque arm to adjust the height and angle of the final drive which will slightly adjust the rest of the bike geometry. The R1100S used an arm 10mm shorter than the other oilheads. BMW also sold an adjustable bar, but with your skills that should be an easy custom part!
Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Mid-Century Moto Mecca Makeover
- Thread starter sakurama
- Start date
Workspaces between 485 and 705 squarefeet.
You can also use the paralever torque arm to adjust the height and angle of the final drive which will slightly adjust the rest of the bike geometry. The R1100S used an arm 10mm shorter than the other oilheads. BMW also sold an adjustable bar, but with your skills that should be an easy custom part!
Gregor, your build threads are always great and this one may be the best yet. The work you are doing is a pleasure to watch unfold. I wish I could do aluminum welding half as good as the way Heath did it just beautiful and the instagram clips of it were awesome.
I think I would agree with dgoodsy in that for the same spring rate the rear suspension will be a little softer but with more travel. The change should be roughly the ratio of the original shock mount to pivot distance vs the revise mount position to pivot distance. Eyeballing it looks like about a 10% or so change.
Thanks for taking us along.
JP
I think I would agree with dgoodsy in that for the same spring rate the rear suspension will be a little softer but with more travel. The change should be roughly the ratio of the original shock mount to pivot distance vs the revise mount position to pivot distance. Eyeballing it looks like about a 10% or so change.
Thanks for taking us along.
JP
Yes, you're correct. I wasn't too clear after yesterday but I got it correct when I wrote the post for the ADV site. We're increasing the leverage on the shock. That's actually going to be a help if it's a bit taller and softer.
We made an adjustable one for my cafe racer so I'm certainly going to look to make one for this bike.
Yes, you guys are correct on the way that the shock move should effect the suspension. I was pretty tired and wasn't thinking it through. I am curious to see how much it will effect it. I was typically pretty good at feeling and reading changes when I raced - down to 1mm move in fork height and ride height. I am not racing now so am probably not as sharp but I will be paying very close attention to the changes.
Of course we've broken the golden rule of one change at a time...
Gregor
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Fantastic work as usual Gregor. That swingarm turned out beautiful.
Love your thread, the issues you encounter and your problem solving to get to a solution. That alone is almost as amazing as the work itself.
Love your thread, the issues you encounter and your problem solving to get to a solution. That alone is almost as amazing as the work itself.
Glad to help!
So I started the day replacing the worn abrasive disk on the disk sander. As I took off the table clamps one of them broke apart in my hand. It had been cracked and repaired with JB Weld and can you believe that didn't work?
I scraped off the JB Weld, bead blasted it and then cleaned it as best as I could. I tested it with a magnet to be sure it was steel of some kind and then pulled out a stick of bronze welding rod.
I don't use this stuff very often so I sanded some steel clean and ran a test bead which looked good. The bronze melts at a lower temperature than other metals so that makes it ideal for a casting repair where you have no idea what the composition is. It didn't look great but...
When I installed the table I kept expecting to hear a crack and it didn't happen. The repair is probably as strong as the casting at least.
I picked up a pair of 6" machinists squares on ebay and the dirtier one I use for squaring up tables and things around the shop. I should clean that one...
My sister is back in town (she's single if you know any nice guys here in Portland...) and she's been cleaning the shop and helping on projects. She sanded and prepped the swingarm for paint. The local shop didn't have the bearings for the swingarm and they're being overnighted which gives us time to get the swingarm painted.
Heath told me that Hammerite silver was a good match for painted swingarms and engine cases and it seems he's right.
Next up was to get the brakes done. We have a local shop that has every possible brake fitting in stock. "In Stock" is dangerous as I tend to buy more so I have a good sized collection for the next time and these fittings allow you to get the best run possible.
Super tight around the caliper...
And a 90 degree to keep the line straight. I also use brake pressure switch banjo bolts. I like them better than trying to rely on the switches in the levers or worse having to make a switch mount. There's still wire management to go here.
There's still that rear brake lever. It needs to angle out at about 15 degrees. I wanted to use the same 1/2" tubing and make a double run to the lever but I have a 5/8" die and tube so I try a bend to see.
I cope and tack it in place and like it so I decide to just go for it.
I'm not sure if I want to run a brace on that single arm. I'd planned to but it seems really strong and looks very clean and simple right now so I may leave it. I'm pretty happy with how that came out - it's good match for the other side.
Still plenty to do and today might be interrupted with a delivery...
Gregor
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Again, nice work Gregor.
As for the Hammerite paint, I concur. I'm traditionally not one to use aerosol paints as I have always preferred to use an actual spray gun and automotive urethane paints but over the past several years I have started using aerosols due to their convenient nature and have found some that I really prefer and like. The Hammerite finish in an aerosol can is one of them.
Keep up the great work.
As for the Hammerite paint, I concur. I'm traditionally not one to use aerosol paints as I have always preferred to use an actual spray gun and automotive urethane paints but over the past several years I have started using aerosols due to their convenient nature and have found some that I really prefer and like. The Hammerite finish in an aerosol can is one of them.
Keep up the great work.
I was hoping to get more done today but I got a delivery across town that took some of my time...
When we opened the back I was relieved to see the Bridgeport still standing upright. When I got photos of it on the pallet before shipping I was nervous. It had one thin metal pallet strap holding it down. I asked that the rigger (really, that would be generous) add bolts to the base and to secure it more. I never heard back so I crossed my fingers.
The mill had slid about 8-10 inches off the pallet, the pallet wasn't all that strong and the fact that it didn't get damaged is nothing short of a miracle although a few people on IG told me that's about par for the course.
We put it on another, stronger, pallet and moved it inside and took off all the plastic wrap. It was better than I'd hoped. The ways look really good and it all seems smooth. Obviously I want to actually get it set up and running but it's very complete and just looks like it's been sitting and not used very much. It's a 1984 and all the scraping is there so besides the light rust on the table and handles it seems in good shape.
And this is what 100lbs of end mills looks like. I'm probably only going to keep a handful but for less than $100 I'm sure I'll be able to put together a set of larger end mills that my Rockwell couldn't possibly spin.
I now own a Bridgeport and I feel like more of a man.
After the mill came in my parts from BMW landed and I went to pick them up. I haven't been able to put the swingarm together without the new bearings and the bushing.
I mounted the swingarm to the table as well as I could and chucked up a 10mm piece of all-thread to use as a centering arbor. I let the machined surfaces of the swingarm determine the flatness and then moved the table until I could drop the bolt down without touching the sides. Maybe not the most precise way but more than enough.
In what could only be described as irony I couldn't get the table low enough to put a drill bit into the chuck. Literally a 1/4" prevented me from being able to chuck up a drill bit. I hit the limit on my current mill the day my Bridgeport shows up!
I ended up using an end mill to open the hole up to the point where it was time to get precise with the boring head.
I measured the bushing several times and kept coming up with .8680 so I decided to aim for .8678 or about .0002 (or 2 tenths) under the dimension of the bushing. That should be a light press fit. I don't want the drama I had before of the bushing being welded in place and it's completely captured by the shock yoke.
I would like to say that I have a love hate relationship with the boring head but I've never actually loved it. We get along but it's a difficult relationship. Perhaps it's because I'm a DRO sort of guy or perhaps because it never really seems you get what you're after but I was determined to not blow this and to also try to learn the boring head. I made many passes and made many notes...
In the end I hit my number but trying to accurately measure in the tenths is really tricky. Especially when you're using an inside bore gauge. You need to position that perfectly, lock it without disturbing it, gently rock it out and then measure the gauge. Your repeatable technique matters and it's easy to make errors.
I'm wiped out and will put the bearings in tomorrow as they're in the freezer now. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get a rolling chassis.
Gregor
When we opened the back I was relieved to see the Bridgeport still standing upright. When I got photos of it on the pallet before shipping I was nervous. It had one thin metal pallet strap holding it down. I asked that the rigger (really, that would be generous) add bolts to the base and to secure it more. I never heard back so I crossed my fingers.
The mill had slid about 8-10 inches off the pallet, the pallet wasn't all that strong and the fact that it didn't get damaged is nothing short of a miracle although a few people on IG told me that's about par for the course.
We put it on another, stronger, pallet and moved it inside and took off all the plastic wrap. It was better than I'd hoped. The ways look really good and it all seems smooth. Obviously I want to actually get it set up and running but it's very complete and just looks like it's been sitting and not used very much. It's a 1984 and all the scraping is there so besides the light rust on the table and handles it seems in good shape.
And this is what 100lbs of end mills looks like. I'm probably only going to keep a handful but for less than $100 I'm sure I'll be able to put together a set of larger end mills that my Rockwell couldn't possibly spin.
I now own a Bridgeport and I feel like more of a man.
After the mill came in my parts from BMW landed and I went to pick them up. I haven't been able to put the swingarm together without the new bearings and the bushing.
I mounted the swingarm to the table as well as I could and chucked up a 10mm piece of all-thread to use as a centering arbor. I let the machined surfaces of the swingarm determine the flatness and then moved the table until I could drop the bolt down without touching the sides. Maybe not the most precise way but more than enough.
In what could only be described as irony I couldn't get the table low enough to put a drill bit into the chuck. Literally a 1/4" prevented me from being able to chuck up a drill bit. I hit the limit on my current mill the day my Bridgeport shows up!
I ended up using an end mill to open the hole up to the point where it was time to get precise with the boring head.
I measured the bushing several times and kept coming up with .8680 so I decided to aim for .8678 or about .0002 (or 2 tenths) under the dimension of the bushing. That should be a light press fit. I don't want the drama I had before of the bushing being welded in place and it's completely captured by the shock yoke.
I would like to say that I have a love hate relationship with the boring head but I've never actually loved it. We get along but it's a difficult relationship. Perhaps it's because I'm a DRO sort of guy or perhaps because it never really seems you get what you're after but I was determined to not blow this and to also try to learn the boring head. I made many passes and made many notes...
In the end I hit my number but trying to accurately measure in the tenths is really tricky. Especially when you're using an inside bore gauge. You need to position that perfectly, lock it without disturbing it, gently rock it out and then measure the gauge. Your repeatable technique matters and it's easy to make errors.
I'm wiped out and will put the bearings in tomorrow as they're in the freezer now. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get a rolling chassis.
Gregor
Hostyle
Well-known member
This and your other threads should be combined into a book... "The struggles of a easily distracted perfectionist"
LOL
Great write-ups as always Gregor.
LOL
Great write-ups as always Gregor.
slik560
Well-known member
What a monster machine. I would not know where to start. You mentioned IG - is that another garage forum? Not that I need any more online distractions. 
Impressive work as always
Impressive work as alwaysFinallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Hahahahaha.........
Congrats on your new toy!
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Nice score on the BP Gregor. Looking forward to seeing it set up and running.
dr_clyde
Well-known member
I'm relieved that your mill made it safe. I was worried for you. I will never understand how the shipping industry hasn't found a good solution for shipping high value, heavy items safely.
Looks like you got a winner though!
Looks like you got a winner though!
What a monster machine. I would not know where to start. You mentioned IG - is that another garage forum? Not that I need any more online distractions.
Oh, it's a distraction alright. Instagram. I gave up on Facebook (again) but this will hopefully be the last time I quit it. It's just intrusive and vapid. Instagram is just vapid. It's just all pictures with hashtags but it's a nice way to see more of what's going on in the world that interests you. As social media goes it's the least offensive.
On Instagram, at the top of the app, are little circles that contain small 30 second vignettes of either photos or video. These are the "stories" that are presented sequentially and disappear after 24 hours. Since they disappear and require no editing I don't feel any pressure so it's an easy way to just snap and share progress during the day.
You don't miss too much compared to here - except the videos. And it's all vertical format which is the thing I really loathe. But that's me. I'm on a journey to make my photos longer and narrower until I'm just posting slivers of 360 panoramas...
Yes, I'm pretty lucky about the mill. I think if it had gone any further it wouldn't have been good. Even when the driver backed up to reposition the truck for the forklift I was holding my breath.
It's not over either - it has to make it from Jacobs shop to my garage, then under the low door and into a space I have yet to make for it. I'm going to use this as an opportunity to rearrange the whole garage.
Gregor
Hi Gregor, first time posting to this great thread. I have a tip that may help with close bearing fits. I have pin gauge sets at work, but with a lathe you can make a no go gauge to check your bore. I hope this helps in future jobs.
tjpavlov
Well-known member
Congrats on the Bridgeport. I'm looking forward to seeing you get it all cleaned up and moved into your garage.
Not to totally derail your thread, but I was wondering if you could help me with a recommendation on Festool tracks. I recently bought a TS55 with the LR32 track. I was about to push the button on the 106 inch track, but was wondering whether it was really worth it. It seems like most of the plywood you work with is five foot squares. If you had to do it all over again, would you buy the big track, or just stick with a 75 incher?
Thanks for your input and advice!
Not to totally derail your thread, but I was wondering if you could help me with a recommendation on Festool tracks. I recently bought a TS55 with the LR32 track. I was about to push the button on the 106 inch track, but was wondering whether it was really worth it. It seems like most of the plywood you work with is five foot squares. If you had to do it all over again, would you buy the big track, or just stick with a 75 incher?
Thanks for your input and advice!
slik560
Well-known member
Oy - Instagram - duh I would love to use it more, but I need to find a decent tutorial to lay out stories the way you have. You approach photography the same way as machining and fabrication: deliberate, organized and just a tad obsessive.
I would love to use it more, but I need to find a decent tutorial to lay out stories the way you have. You approach photography the same way as machining and fabrication: deliberate, organized and just a tad obsessive. SchillerM
Well-known member
So with just a bit more than two weeks to go to The 1 Moto Show I have my work cut out for me.
I hoped to just reuse the stem and even considered cutting it and then welding in an extension plug. No, the bearings wouldn't work with the races installed in the bike and the local bearing place didn't have anything larger than the 28mm ID in the 52mm OD that I needed.
Love it! I have a fork project that I have needed either shims or a new tube made, mine is the opposite problem, I need 30mm bearing vs the KTM 29mm..
Still hope to meet up with you guys soon, we had messaged and then life happened.. Might try to make it to the 1 Moto Show to check out the bike, hope to catch you there if I do.
Matt
Yes, please come say hi. I'll be pathetically hanging out next to my bike the whole time. Just kidding. I'm going to go to the show on Friday night for the "scene" and to drink at least TWO beers which is a bit crazy for me. I love catching up with people but it's crowded.
I go again on Saturday morning with the kids and family so I can actually look at the bikes. Friday is so crowded it's hard to really get a good look - plus it's dark. Sunday I'll be there at 2-3 for load out.
Hope to meet people there. I will be so relieved when this is done.
Gregor
So yesterday was a busy day. I had placed my bearings and the bushing into the freezer when I went to bed so they'd be cold in the morning for pressing in.
I left the swingarm in the mill overnight and decided to just use the mills arbor to press in the bushing since it was still all set up. A frozen bushing and the mill's quill was just able to press it in smoothly. Motophile mentioned making go/no go gage blocks which is probably a good idea. I don't know if that would help with press fits though.
Anyway, I used the press to install the bearings in the swingarm. I sometimes will make a puck in the lathe that helps to press the bearing in on the outside race but usually I'll just use a big socket.
I posted this on Instagram and it's really only something a true BMW nut would appreciate. It's also why I need to organize my stuff. In true hoarder fashion I knew I'd had a spare swingarm but didn't know I had a spare bevel drive. I brought the pair down so I could use the extra swingarm for the modifying and then yesterday when I was getting ready to install the drive unit I figured I'd check to see if the extra was a different ratio. It was - the lowest ratio BMW ever made and it's pretty rare and hard to find. Score! I want a bit more grunt from the bike, more power and a little slower 1st gear so now this bike will have all that.
Lara is like a whirlwind. She can't sit still and if she's not working she's cleaning. It's awesome. It's inspiring me to be cleaner and neater. Always goals but now more than ever.
We installed the new 37/11 drive unit in and the shock and torque arm. Most of the work I did to modify the swingarm was so the yoke would clear at full extension. I also needed to grind back the battery box mount a bit too for the spring. It's all very tight.
One thing I've been putting off was making new cables. The original bike used a BMW combo brake/throttle which is nice for it's clean integration but is generally never the right master cylinder size, too large to give much flexibility in control position and clunky. I ordered a Motion Pro MX throttle so it would have a quick 1/4 turn but they are all single cable pulls. I found a kit on Amazon that had the splitter and cables so I bought that for the parts. I probably have enough cable supplies to last a lifetime but I'm always running short of certain ferrules so I wanted to make sure.
Not many people know about Flanders Cables but they're where you can order your cable ends and ferrules and stuff. I'll make mine from brass on occasion but it's nice to just have them ready to go. You can make control cables for anything with this stuff: lawnmowers, bicycles, motorcycles. It's a solid skill to have.
There's two real concerns you have when making a new custom cable: pull and exposed cable length. I measured all of the existing cable lengths and pull so I could get the right amount of free cable but every one one is different. Here's a quick tutorial on how you make the ends.
When you have the right length of exposed cable measured add to that the length of your ferrule. Put the correct ferrule on with the larger end to the end of the cable. On round ones there's a small opening for the cable on one side and a larger opening on the other. That larger part is to accept this little bit of destruction. Flare the end. Some people like to put it in a vise and peen the ends but I use needle nose pliers to bend the cable out in all directions. The goal is an even mushroom sort of end.
Pull the ferrule down into your frayed ends being careful to not pull it off (then it's start over time) and then dip it into the correct solder flux. I've searched for years for the right flux and this is the best stuff I've found for making cables. Without the right flux it's really difficult. Be very careful to not dip any farther then the top of the ferrule. If you do the solder will climb up the cable and you'll have no flexibility to the cable.
A solder pot is really the right tool for this job. A soldering iron has a hard time making the cable ends hot enough. I've done it with a soldering iron and a torch but nothing is as good as a soldering pot. It holds a mass of solder in liquid form and you just dip your fluxed end in and let the flux cook out for a few seconds.
Be careful to not disturb it for a minute until the solder cools. What you've got now is a very solid mechanical connection. The space inside all those frayed wires is now replaced with solder so it's nearly impossible to pull the end off. Now you dress the end on the grinder or belt sander.
Don't take off too much, just enough to restore the shape and trim any exposed cable so the ferrule will fit where it needs to. That's the basics of making a custom cable and now I have a nice quick and light 1/4 turn throttle on the bike.
Finally after a bunch of noodling around we got the wheel on. I had to replace all the hardware for the shock and torque arm so I'm getting tired of making special trips to the hardware store.
I've got the rear brake installed now with a new custom brake line and we're using a Galfer wave rotor like the front.
It was a very long way to put this giant *** tire on this bike. BMW's are just not designed for this. They're designed for 17" rims and tires but the best dirt wheels and tires are 18" and just like the trend towards 29er's and 27.5+ mountain bikes the goal is the larger rolling radius making the wheel better at going over things.
The other aspect of dirt wheels is the narrow rims. The Excel A60 is narrow at 2.15" and the tire is large at a 140 width. When you put them together you get a very round, tall tire profile that turns quickly, absorbs bumps and rolls over obstacles better. All good things. I think I can probably say that this is the largest tire ever put on a BMW. I had to really push the pivot back quite a bit to make this happen and I'll be curious how it works.
So now we're into fettling all the details of the bike. Cable management, brake bleeding, small brackets and finally checking torques and replacing the oil in the rear drive. There's still a lot to do but I'm seeing light at the end of the tunnel.
Gregor
I left the swingarm in the mill overnight and decided to just use the mills arbor to press in the bushing since it was still all set up. A frozen bushing and the mill's quill was just able to press it in smoothly. Motophile mentioned making go/no go gage blocks which is probably a good idea. I don't know if that would help with press fits though.
Anyway, I used the press to install the bearings in the swingarm. I sometimes will make a puck in the lathe that helps to press the bearing in on the outside race but usually I'll just use a big socket.
I posted this on Instagram and it's really only something a true BMW nut would appreciate. It's also why I need to organize my stuff. In true hoarder fashion I knew I'd had a spare swingarm but didn't know I had a spare bevel drive. I brought the pair down so I could use the extra swingarm for the modifying and then yesterday when I was getting ready to install the drive unit I figured I'd check to see if the extra was a different ratio. It was - the lowest ratio BMW ever made and it's pretty rare and hard to find. Score! I want a bit more grunt from the bike, more power and a little slower 1st gear so now this bike will have all that.
Lara is like a whirlwind. She can't sit still and if she's not working she's cleaning. It's awesome. It's inspiring me to be cleaner and neater. Always goals but now more than ever.
We installed the new 37/11 drive unit in and the shock and torque arm. Most of the work I did to modify the swingarm was so the yoke would clear at full extension. I also needed to grind back the battery box mount a bit too for the spring. It's all very tight.
One thing I've been putting off was making new cables. The original bike used a BMW combo brake/throttle which is nice for it's clean integration but is generally never the right master cylinder size, too large to give much flexibility in control position and clunky. I ordered a Motion Pro MX throttle so it would have a quick 1/4 turn but they are all single cable pulls. I found a kit on Amazon that had the splitter and cables so I bought that for the parts. I probably have enough cable supplies to last a lifetime but I'm always running short of certain ferrules so I wanted to make sure.
Not many people know about Flanders Cables but they're where you can order your cable ends and ferrules and stuff. I'll make mine from brass on occasion but it's nice to just have them ready to go. You can make control cables for anything with this stuff: lawnmowers, bicycles, motorcycles. It's a solid skill to have.
There's two real concerns you have when making a new custom cable: pull and exposed cable length. I measured all of the existing cable lengths and pull so I could get the right amount of free cable but every one one is different. Here's a quick tutorial on how you make the ends.
When you have the right length of exposed cable measured add to that the length of your ferrule. Put the correct ferrule on with the larger end to the end of the cable. On round ones there's a small opening for the cable on one side and a larger opening on the other. That larger part is to accept this little bit of destruction. Flare the end. Some people like to put it in a vise and peen the ends but I use needle nose pliers to bend the cable out in all directions. The goal is an even mushroom sort of end.
Pull the ferrule down into your frayed ends being careful to not pull it off (then it's start over time) and then dip it into the correct solder flux. I've searched for years for the right flux and this is the best stuff I've found for making cables. Without the right flux it's really difficult. Be very careful to not dip any farther then the top of the ferrule. If you do the solder will climb up the cable and you'll have no flexibility to the cable.
A solder pot is really the right tool for this job. A soldering iron has a hard time making the cable ends hot enough. I've done it with a soldering iron and a torch but nothing is as good as a soldering pot. It holds a mass of solder in liquid form and you just dip your fluxed end in and let the flux cook out for a few seconds.
Be careful to not disturb it for a minute until the solder cools. What you've got now is a very solid mechanical connection. The space inside all those frayed wires is now replaced with solder so it's nearly impossible to pull the end off. Now you dress the end on the grinder or belt sander.
Don't take off too much, just enough to restore the shape and trim any exposed cable so the ferrule will fit where it needs to. That's the basics of making a custom cable and now I have a nice quick and light 1/4 turn throttle on the bike.
Finally after a bunch of noodling around we got the wheel on. I had to replace all the hardware for the shock and torque arm so I'm getting tired of making special trips to the hardware store.
I've got the rear brake installed now with a new custom brake line and we're using a Galfer wave rotor like the front.
It was a very long way to put this giant *** tire on this bike. BMW's are just not designed for this. They're designed for 17" rims and tires but the best dirt wheels and tires are 18" and just like the trend towards 29er's and 27.5+ mountain bikes the goal is the larger rolling radius making the wheel better at going over things.
The other aspect of dirt wheels is the narrow rims. The Excel A60 is narrow at 2.15" and the tire is large at a 140 width. When you put them together you get a very round, tall tire profile that turns quickly, absorbs bumps and rolls over obstacles better. All good things. I think I can probably say that this is the largest tire ever put on a BMW. I had to really push the pivot back quite a bit to make this happen and I'll be curious how it works.
So now we're into fettling all the details of the bike. Cable management, brake bleeding, small brackets and finally checking torques and replacing the oil in the rear drive. There's still a lot to do but I'm seeing light at the end of the tunnel.
Gregor
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Nice job on the cables Gregor. Funny you should mention Flanders. I've used their ferrules and cables for a couple of decades now and have built up quite an assortment like yours over the years. It is great to have them available when needed. Although I don't use them as much as I used to when I was so heavily into off-road bikes and ATV's.
Great tutorial on cables and cable ends.
Great tutorial on cables and cable ends.
slodat
ALLIANCE MEMBER
BRIDGEPORT!!!! Congrats, Gregor. The motorcycle build is inspiring!
I'm enjoying the build, but am also looking forward to seeing how the shop is (re)configured. It has been a while on this thread since a real "Shop Tour" and I'd love to see how you fit all 20lbs of potatoes in that 10lb bag!!
Particularly interested in a few long shots to see how the different stations play with each other and flow.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
LaCorski
Well-known member
Gregor,
I believe this is the first time I've commented on your posts but I've been a fan for quite some time. Luv the attention to detail in everything you do. I too was a machinist when I was younger and can appreciate what it takes to do these things at home with limited machinery and tools, although the BP will add to those nicely! I too live in the NW and hope to make it to the Moto show in a couple of weeks. We went to it 2 years ago and had a great time. Hope to see and meet you there, would be great to catch up with another GJ fan like myself. Good luck with the rest of the build, I'm sure it will be stellar!!
-LaCorski.
I believe this is the first time I've commented on your posts but I've been a fan for quite some time. Luv the attention to detail in everything you do. I too was a machinist when I was younger and can appreciate what it takes to do these things at home with limited machinery and tools, although the BP will add to those nicely! I too live in the NW and hope to make it to the Moto show in a couple of weeks. We went to it 2 years ago and had a great time. Hope to see and meet you there, would be great to catch up with another GJ fan like myself. Good luck with the rest of the build, I'm sure it will be stellar!!
-LaCorski.
Thanks guys,
I have almost avoided showing the shop because it's been so crowded and messy but Lara has been toiling away when not working on the bike so it's much cleaner now. In fact beyond the deadline of the show I have a deadline to get the shop clean because Walt Siegl called me last week to see if he could use my shop to work on one of his customer's bikes for the show. To me this is as exciting as if Valentino Rossi asked if I'd like to go ride motorcycles.
So we have a deadline to get the shop cleaned up as much as possible by next Wednesday. That would be a good time to do a walk around of the shop as it currently sits. I will need to do some serious editing to get the Bridgeport in there but it's the thing I need to do to make the shop the space I need it to be - a place to build serious motorcycles.
Also, you might find this amusing/interesting - I was featured by Garret Wade in a blog post. Here's the link: A New Generation of Makers
Okay, back to work!
Gregor
I have almost avoided showing the shop because it's been so crowded and messy but Lara has been toiling away when not working on the bike so it's much cleaner now. In fact beyond the deadline of the show I have a deadline to get the shop clean because Walt Siegl called me last week to see if he could use my shop to work on one of his customer's bikes for the show. To me this is as exciting as if Valentino Rossi asked if I'd like to go ride motorcycles.
So we have a deadline to get the shop cleaned up as much as possible by next Wednesday. That would be a good time to do a walk around of the shop as it currently sits. I will need to do some serious editing to get the Bridgeport in there but it's the thing I need to do to make the shop the space I need it to be - a place to build serious motorcycles.
Also, you might find this amusing/interesting - I was featured by Garret Wade in a blog post. Here's the link: A New Generation of Makers
Okay, back to work!
Gregor
The details of a build are what take so much time. And what separates average builds from ones that are good.
I needed a way to adjust the brake height as the ergonomics of a bike are essential to it's function. I decided to bore a hole in one of the tubes, machine a threaded rod to accept a bolt and then weld it in place. When you weld something that's threaded it's a good idea to run the tap back through it in case there's any distortion or what have you.
There's very little room and I didn't have a hex bolt so I may go back and knurl this bolt or just get a replacement stainless hex head. For now it's good but we'll see if it moves.
That wraps up the brake. I'm pretty pleased with the look and we'll see about the function. I decided to go with an exhaust spring for the return and see if I like it that stiff but generally I like a very positive brake.
I like to write notes on the actual part - it's something we did when racing and it saves time looking up specs.
The throttle cables worked well and I'm trying to do a bit of wire management now.
The Highway Dirtbike handguards went in perfectly. Paul includes roost deflectors but I prefer to run them naked as the mirrors tuck into the opening and I mostly run the mirrors tucked in.
It doesn't look done but right now I just need to get the tanks back on and see where I'm at. I've already discovered one issue with the new rear brake master switch just touching the rear tank so that will have to be clearanced tomorrow and then it gets buttoned up and I should do a once over on fastener tightness to be sure I haven't missed anything.
I'm actually a bit ahead of schedule which is rather worrying...
Gregor
I needed a way to adjust the brake height as the ergonomics of a bike are essential to it's function. I decided to bore a hole in one of the tubes, machine a threaded rod to accept a bolt and then weld it in place. When you weld something that's threaded it's a good idea to run the tap back through it in case there's any distortion or what have you.
There's very little room and I didn't have a hex bolt so I may go back and knurl this bolt or just get a replacement stainless hex head. For now it's good but we'll see if it moves.
That wraps up the brake. I'm pretty pleased with the look and we'll see about the function. I decided to go with an exhaust spring for the return and see if I like it that stiff but generally I like a very positive brake.
I like to write notes on the actual part - it's something we did when racing and it saves time looking up specs.
The throttle cables worked well and I'm trying to do a bit of wire management now.
The Highway Dirtbike handguards went in perfectly. Paul includes roost deflectors but I prefer to run them naked as the mirrors tuck into the opening and I mostly run the mirrors tucked in.
It doesn't look done but right now I just need to get the tanks back on and see where I'm at. I've already discovered one issue with the new rear brake master switch just touching the rear tank so that will have to be clearanced tomorrow and then it gets buttoned up and I should do a once over on fastener tightness to be sure I haven't missed anything.
I'm actually a bit ahead of schedule which is rather worrying...
Gregor
I can help you with that...
Small nice details that will save a brake pedal or gear lever at some point. Easy peasy to do but your eye to detail might make it a 2 hour job.
Anti ****** for the singletrack/trails. Further more these will prevent the loss of a pedal if the bolt falls off.
Pictures to explain.
Small nice details that will save a brake pedal or gear lever at some point. Easy peasy to do but your eye to detail might make it a 2 hour job.
Anti ****** for the singletrack/trails. Further more these will prevent the loss of a pedal if the bolt falls off.
Pictures to explain.
Attachments
Any way, it will give the design and functionality which people will notice. As you mentioned before the time consumed on the details will give the bike that "wholesomeness" which is a close cousin to Awsomeness.
Last summer before deploying i had a shift lever walk away from me. At 90-130 kmph on gravel over a distance of +10km, it would be nice it just dangled around. Of course the chance of a massive suicide if it got grabbed in the chain and rearwheel etc. Would be spectacular. But hey...Dare Devil. I even drive a Nissan Leaf. That is a Macho Dare Devil right there.
YT
I thought of writing to you in personal but this might be right place. Think "crowd lever"... ;-)
(All is written in an absolut positive tone).
One thing i noticed is your storyline on the IG feed. I freaking love it. But its not good enough. Not at all. We both know that you only way is to go full Binky project. Though this have to be a project where some essentials would need to collide.
Time(LOL) and a long term project/situation. You know what im asking. The dreaded YT. The time invested in recording/editing, voice over and setup. Combined with what ever project, will leave us all with such quality. Of all the things that could describe you, it would be 'quality'. You do quality.
(If this comes out in any weird way. Blame the cultural difference. You got this).
Last summer before deploying i had a shift lever walk away from me. At 90-130 kmph on gravel over a distance of +10km, it would be nice it just dangled around. Of course the chance of a massive suicide if it got grabbed in the chain and rearwheel etc. Would be spectacular. But hey...Dare Devil. I even drive a Nissan Leaf. That is a Macho Dare Devil right there.
YT
I thought of writing to you in personal but this might be right place. Think "crowd lever"... ;-)
(All is written in an absolut positive tone).
One thing i noticed is your storyline on the IG feed. I freaking love it. But its not good enough. Not at all. We both know that you only way is to go full Binky project. Though this have to be a project where some essentials would need to collide.
Time(LOL) and a long term project/situation. You know what im asking. The dreaded YT. The time invested in recording/editing, voice over and setup. Combined with what ever project, will leave us all with such quality. Of all the things that could describe you, it would be 'quality'. You do quality.
(If this comes out in any weird way. Blame the cultural difference. You got this).
I'd subscribe to your Youtube channel. And I don't subscribe to anything on youtube. I'm thinking your youtube channel should be called "F'in Gregor!"
The bike build looks fantastic (keep it coming!) and I'm excited about the shop tour!
elvee
Well-known member
I can help you with that...
Small nice details that will save a brake pedal or gear lever at some point. Easy peasy to do but your eye to detail might make it a 2 hour job.
Anti ****** for the singletrack/trails. Further more these will prevent the loss of a pedal if the bolt falls off.
Pictures to explain.
Two things on your wire rope and swaging work - the sleeve should be crimped with a specific tool designed for use in that brand of duplex sleeve. You have swaged it 90degrees off from where it should be. The plastic coating should also be removed, as the swage is designed to work on bare wire only. Loos & Company and Nicopress are the two big players for hand swaging wire rope fittings. Great idea, but there is a high probability the wire rope would pull out of that sleeve if a fallen lever snagged on something.
Attachments
Well, I was worried if I went to the trouble to start a YouTube channel that I'd only have one subscriber - now that fear has been allayed. With two subscribers I know that the costs and the time will be mitigated.
I'm in! Full steam ahead.
Actually Mikael I think you're right. My big plan is to build a new bike from scratch - everything. The frame, the body, all the details. I want to do this really well but I'm scared I don't have the skills. I realized that's my M.O. for everything and I usually figure it out. So this seems like the sort of project that would be worth doing that for. It would be scary because starting it creates an obligation to finish it.
Maybe I need that...
But first I have to finish this bike!
Back at it.
G
shirk
Well-known member
Where is the Patreon link? I will sign up to see the full ground up moto build.
Sent from my VTR-L09 using The Garage Journal mobile app
Sent from my VTR-L09 using The Garage Journal mobile app
dwysywd
Well-known member
Count me in, 3 YT subscribers! I don’t subscribe to anything on YT but a chance to watch you build an entire bike, count me in!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What? Three, four? Unbelievable. I need to get on this.
Sooooooo...
I was feeling pretty good about putting things together. My punch list was down to just "reassemble" and so that's what I started to do.
I installed the subframe/rear tank and started to put the fairing on to check the clearance on the hand guards...
The new handguards hit the dash so I pulled the dash thinking I could just cut and clearance it. Then I walked to the back and noticed something.
That rear wheel is not centered. At all.
When I put the wheel on it had a lot of space between the swingarm and tire and that's not normal. Usually it's really close but I thought because we used the narrow rim that was giving us the room.
Once the subframe was on it became apparent that the wheel was almost an inch out of line. You can run a bike with the wheels slightly out of line but ideally you want them in line. 22mm - way too much. I called Woody and we exchanged texts through most of the weekend as we both puzzled over the best way to get the bike in line and how it happened. I'm the first person to put this hub on an airhead conversion so we're in uncharted waters. A few people have used this hub on R1100GS' which is what the swingarm is from. They never noticed anything out of line.
Long story short - Woody is making me a new rim on Superbowl Sunday and shipping it second day Monday so I'll have it Wednesday. He can pull it about 14-16mm with the spokes but will have to redrill the rim at a new angle. We may need to shave a little off the swingarm once the rim is over but it should be close. Then we can push the swingarm maybe another 2-3mm. After that we will have to see but that will be close.
Hopefully close enough. Anyone who's modified BMW's knows this dance.
So I turned to the dash. As I took it apart I was thinking of adding a mount for an iPad and just use that for a dash. It wasn't going to give me RPM, engine temp or voltage though.
So I went down to See See KTM and sprung for a Trail Tech Voyager II GPS dash. I'm not usually a fan of this sort of thing as they go out of date faster than the motorcycles they're on but Ben has one and it has the ability to track your buddies which will come in handy as I usually lead and Ben usually sweeps when we do group rides.
I made a paper template to get the basic distances of the existing mounting holes, a cardboard one to work out the size and mounting and then transferred that a sheet of 5052 aluminum with Dykem on it to hold the marks.
My first attempt with the trimmed edges ended up hitting the handgaurds still so I redrilled and recut the mount to move the power and lights switches up.
I love how the bike is coming together and I think the black has been the right decision and I didn't want to paint any of it but I felt like there should be a hint of color somewhere. Blue is a very BMW color and so I grained the aluminum dash with 220 and then sprayed it with a Dupli-color Metalcast paint to give it the look of anodized aluminum. No time for real anodizing right now.
I think subtle, tasteful use of color can add a lot so I'm hope I'm right on this.
Tomorrow will be reassembly, Tuesday shop cleaning and Wednesday will be swapping the wheel. After that I'll want a beer.
Gregor
Sooooooo...
I was feeling pretty good about putting things together. My punch list was down to just "reassemble" and so that's what I started to do.
I installed the subframe/rear tank and started to put the fairing on to check the clearance on the hand guards...
The new handguards hit the dash so I pulled the dash thinking I could just cut and clearance it. Then I walked to the back and noticed something.
That rear wheel is not centered. At all.
When I put the wheel on it had a lot of space between the swingarm and tire and that's not normal. Usually it's really close but I thought because we used the narrow rim that was giving us the room.
Once the subframe was on it became apparent that the wheel was almost an inch out of line. You can run a bike with the wheels slightly out of line but ideally you want them in line. 22mm - way too much. I called Woody and we exchanged texts through most of the weekend as we both puzzled over the best way to get the bike in line and how it happened. I'm the first person to put this hub on an airhead conversion so we're in uncharted waters. A few people have used this hub on R1100GS' which is what the swingarm is from. They never noticed anything out of line.
Long story short - Woody is making me a new rim on Superbowl Sunday and shipping it second day Monday so I'll have it Wednesday. He can pull it about 14-16mm with the spokes but will have to redrill the rim at a new angle. We may need to shave a little off the swingarm once the rim is over but it should be close. Then we can push the swingarm maybe another 2-3mm. After that we will have to see but that will be close.
Hopefully close enough. Anyone who's modified BMW's knows this dance.
So I turned to the dash. As I took it apart I was thinking of adding a mount for an iPad and just use that for a dash. It wasn't going to give me RPM, engine temp or voltage though.
So I went down to See See KTM and sprung for a Trail Tech Voyager II GPS dash. I'm not usually a fan of this sort of thing as they go out of date faster than the motorcycles they're on but Ben has one and it has the ability to track your buddies which will come in handy as I usually lead and Ben usually sweeps when we do group rides.
I made a paper template to get the basic distances of the existing mounting holes, a cardboard one to work out the size and mounting and then transferred that a sheet of 5052 aluminum with Dykem on it to hold the marks.
My first attempt with the trimmed edges ended up hitting the handgaurds still so I redrilled and recut the mount to move the power and lights switches up.
I love how the bike is coming together and I think the black has been the right decision and I didn't want to paint any of it but I felt like there should be a hint of color somewhere. Blue is a very BMW color and so I grained the aluminum dash with 220 and then sprayed it with a Dupli-color Metalcast paint to give it the look of anodized aluminum. No time for real anodizing right now.
I think subtle, tasteful use of color can add a lot so I'm hope I'm right on this.
Tomorrow will be reassembly, Tuesday shop cleaning and Wednesday will be swapping the wheel. After that I'll want a beer.
Gregor
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And you are 100% correct. It could have been better in any way. What i meant was the idea. What i also forgot was the darn flat gs engine sideways layout.
mr_magicfingers
Well-known member
What a fabulous build. I was following on instagram this morning as you made the dash and cackled when you went to fit it and said 'f*******ck'. Isn't that always the way.
Oh and sign me up as another YT follower. I've learned so much following this thread over the years and bought tools because of it along with trying to be a better maker/tool-user and to not settle for 'that'll do' when I can do it better. 'What would Gregor do?' is one of those phrases I use when I'm rushing or throwing a bodge together and think I should make it more neatly, precisely or just go off and learn something new to do it better.
Oh and I've been learning to weld, that might turn out to be a real expensive rabbit hole to wander down. I did a short evening class that has now made me want a tig where I only have a mig right now. Maybe next year....
Oh and sign me up as another YT follower. I've learned so much following this thread over the years and bought tools because of it along with trying to be a better maker/tool-user and to not settle for 'that'll do' when I can do it better. 'What would Gregor do?' is one of those phrases I use when I'm rushing or throwing a bodge together and think I should make it more neatly, precisely or just go off and learn something new to do it better.
Oh and I've been learning to weld, that might turn out to be a real expensive rabbit hole to wander down. I did a short evening class that has now made me want a tig where I only have a mig right now. Maybe next year....