Well then you better get a move on. I am hoping by the end of the month, if not it's scrap.

 

Well if it makes you feel any better month or max 2 and my bike goes back to pieces

 

That sucks, but I look forward to seeing what you do with the throttle bodies and air box. It's a set off of a hayabusa, right?

 

Scrap?!

 

Yep. Gen 1 46 mm TB:s and injectors. The airbox will probably need to be cutted from bouth of them and joined together. And it doesn't suck. In that time we have winter on it's way and a man has to get something to do so that he doesn't get bored Just a little while complained what i will do to it next. Don't have that problem anymore.

 

Haha, there's always something else that can be modified!

 

Mine will be in pieces again as well for phase 2 of my build which is powder coating and possible engine rebuild.

 

So long as there isn't any talk about scrap! An engine build will be fun though.

 

I think I've made a serious error. This is going to be a long post.

I've been going back and forth on the SSSA for a while now. I live in SWFL, where its essential stick straight roads with no elevation change. The only corners we have are exit/entrance ramps on the interstates. Furthermore, I'm beyond burdened with traffic and it takes me about an hour to get to some good back roads for some proper riding.

The point? I have never had or even been able to honestly evaluate the performance of the SSSA/car rim conversion.

Now lets look at what I'm trying to accomplish with this build. I'm trying to make the baddest stripped down motorcycle possible. I want it to be lighter and more powerful. It's supposed to handle better and stop faster.

Basically, my SSSA/car rim conversion ruins all of that, in a big way.

First, lets talk about the weight. Unless I want to spend close to $600 on a rim, I'll never get back to the VFR rim weight. The rim I'm using now weighs 22 lbs....(954 rim weighs about 12lbs)

But that's not even half of it...

You'll see that most people talk about how heavy a vfr swingarm is. They're wrong. The actual awing arm doesn't weigh all that much more than the 954 swing arm.

All of that extra weight is the hardened steel hub and axle, which spins. I havenet weighed it, but I'd say its probably another 10-15 lbs at least on top of what the extra weight of the rim!

The beauty of a dual sided swingarm is that the only thing that spins is the rim, rotor, and Cush drive.

So we're talking best case scenario, with the car rim, the engine has to spin 20 lbs more than a normal dual sided swingarm. Realistically, it's probably closer to 30-35lbs (more) when you consider how you have to run a bigger tire, an inch thick spacer, and two sets of hardened steel studs and lug nuts.

So, what's the point of the motor I built if I'm essentially putting an anchor on the back side of my motorcycle?

Lets talk about handling. I'll feel all of the weight trying to turn, but things also get interesting because I'm stretching a 200 series tire on a 7 inch wide rim. Ive talked back and forth with guys that have switched back and forth between a standard 6in. wide vfr rim and 7in. car rim - and they've all said the difference is staggering.

Another issue is the wheel spacer. I'm not convinced the rear rim (car rim) will ever be able to be truly centered AND able to fully use the eccentric hub to adjust the chain. When I need to tighten to chain, the rim will eventually rub on the swing arm.

So do I run the bike where I can't properly adjust the chain slack? Or do I run the bike with the rims out of alignment? Would I even notice it with how unsettled the rear will feel when I'm leaned over?


Why do I care now? Well...

• I care about doing this correctly, since this is sort of the final phase of the build. Nothing half-assed anymore.
• I now have access to a cabin in Jackson county, NC where I'll be spending good amounts of time riding this bike. I NEED a proper handling motorcycle for that area.

So where do I go from here?

Because of the stressed member engine, I don't have too many options. But, I could go back to a 954 swinger and fit a zx14 rim. It'll look great and be functional. I'll most likely have to machine a brake caliper bracket, but other than that, it should be an easy swap.

And it's not that expensive to do.

For those still reading, what do you think? Should I ditch all of the extra spinning weight?.

There are 2 pro's to keeping the car rim.

• It looks phenomenal.
• It is less work from where I'm at right now.

But the cons

• 30+lbs extra spinning weight
• It will NEVER handle as good as a 954 normally does no matter how much time and money I throw at it.
• Chain and alignment issues will be hard to avoid.

 

I guess it depends on what you are going for, performance or looks. There a certain badness look that only having that beefy big ole' boy on the back can create. But there are the tradeoffs that you mentioned.
The plus side of having all that extra spinning weight is if you ever run out of gas, you will coast farther down the road. :-)