Page 3 of 5

Re: Lyster Suzuki T500 build

Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2017 12:02 pm
by Zunspec4
Hello jabcb,

The VM series of Mikuni carbs have individual chokes levers (note: these are new carbs). I don't think the linked chokes on a std. set of carbs would fit.

Cheers Geoff

Re: Lyster Suzuki T500 build

Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 2:45 pm
by Jimroid
You can use a dual choke cable from most snowmobiles from 70’s to 2000s. Polaris Indy 400 for example.

Re: Lyster Suzuki T500 build

Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 8:25 pm
by smokin_blue
So I was able to get the bearing race holder/cups done. A little time on the lathe making more chips than metal left at the end.....

Image

Then fitting them in the frame. They sure look nice. Not sure they will be there in the final build but they work well here.

Image

and then races pressed in the cups.

Image

From here the stock front end can go back on. I still need to fabricate some steering stops.

Re: Lyster Suzuki T500 build

Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 7:04 pm
by smokin_blue
Wow has time gotten away from me. Back on the build trying to get to a running bike so I can get the title work going.

Here is my question...Are there any tricks or suggestions for best way to prime the oil lines after a full engine rebuild? I am talking about the ones that go from the pump to the engine.

thanks!

Re: Lyster Suzuki T500 build

Posted: Thu May 31, 2018 1:10 am
by Alan H
Take the pump off and use a syringe, or, if the internals are well oiled, open the pump to maximum (as if you were at full throttle) and spin the engine with plugs out and no fuel in. (Might be easier in gear and turn the back wheel if the bike is on a bench.)
You'll be able to see the oil moving down the lines. When I did mine, for first start I used a header bottle with petrol and oil mix and used easy start to get it running first time. Much easier on the triples with the electric start!

Re: Lyster Suzuki T500 build

Posted: Thu May 31, 2018 4:44 am
by smokin_blue
Thanks! They are very blue/green right now so I am not sure if the mechanic that rebuilt the bottom end for me filled them before he assembled it or if they are stained. I thought about pulling them completely and using the syringe just so I can prove to my self each one is full and flowing.

Re: Lyster Suzuki T500 build

Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 10:38 pm
by smokin_blue
Update: My little project is now titled!! It took 6 months to get it through the system but my Lyster Suzuki now has a MN title. They had to go with a state assigned VIN for the frame but it is now titled and has street plates so I can move forward with my build.

From here I can tear down pretty much everything on the bike and start over as that was just to get it through the process. The engine is fully rebuilt and I will keep the frame stock so now it is time to engineer and build everything else. I will warn you this won't be the fastest build on this site (work has a way of getting in the way) but I promise you it should be a fun and interesting build.

Re: Lyster Suzuki T500 build

Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 7:59 am
by Zunspec4
Well done, blue :up:

Keep the photos of the build coming, it's a cracking project.

Cheers

Geoff

Re: Lyster Suzuki T500 build

Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 12:56 pm
by Grey_Ghost
smokin_blue wrote:Wow has time gotten away from me. Back on the build trying to get to a running bike so I can get the title work going.

Here is my question...Are there any tricks or suggestions for best way to prime the oil lines after a full engine rebuild? I am talking about the ones that go from the pump to the engine.

thanks!
I might be a bit late to this conversation, but I just primed the lines on my son's Titan last week...I used a trick from my youth when I would rebuild small block Chevy's. I would use an electric drill and a long flat bladed bit to reach down inside the motor to spin the pump and lubricate the internals prior to first start. Similar concept on the Titan. I removed the pump from the bike, plumbed the oil tank to the pump, and spun the pump's shaft using the electric drill (fitted with a short flat-blade bit) fit into the pump's driveshaft slot. Go easy and keep your hand steady and it works like a dream. Make sure you hold open the metering valve.

Got the pump primed plus filled the lines all the way up to the motor. I then took a squeeze bottle filled with 2-stroke oil and squirted it into each of the four oil ports at the base of the cylinders and then connected the lines to the engine.

Re: Lyster Suzuki T500 build

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 12:33 pm
by smokin_blue
Ok sorry for the prolonged absence but I am back! I have had some time to work on the project and things are moving forward. As noted earlier I got the fame/bike titled. In Minnesota you need a running motorcycle to get it titled (along with some pretty complete historical documentation). I worked through the system and they eventually issued a State Issued VIN number for the frame. As a Colin Lyster aftermarket frame sold by IMI in the US it did not have any government recognized VIN numbers.

To get the titling done I said it had to be a running bike and I had to submit photos from all 4 sides as well. So to meet this I do not do a complete build as I don't want to waste my time and money. Instead a put togther a bike that meets the requirement of a running motorcycle. Here is the bike as it was for titling. It is not pretty but that as mentioned was not the point. It ran and passed their basic inspection which has more to do with where did the parts come from and nothing to do with if it is street legal or not.

Image

So as you can see it is not pretty but it worked. After 6 months and a bunch of chasing bureaucracy I got my title.

Now it is time to build this thing. The goal is a 60's style race bike with a license plate. First up was to remake the engine mount plates. I wanted to move them inboard of the frame rails and shorten them to capture the front two mounts on both the engine and the frame.

Image

Here is a close up of that side. I still plan to reshape the steel plates so they have large radii on the corners and some nice arcs to soften the shape. Need to clean up the main aluminum plates a bit but that will come.

Image

I have the vertical rear engine mounts done but I still need to add the horizontal link. I plan use a side plate/rear-set to tie the swingarm pivot to the rear engine mount bolt as well as the existing foot peg mount tab. To make sure there is no movement I am thinking a 3/16 plate tying back between that mount bolt and the SA pivot bolt on the inside of the frame rails. (the entire swing arm is going to be replaced by a custom modified one).

Image

Re: Lyster Suzuki T500 build

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 1:03 pm
by smokin_blue
Next up is to get the front end together to make sure that will work. This frame is a bit of a challenge due to the face the head tube is set very low in the frame. To keep the frame level and not rake it out by tipping the front up, I will need to run an 18" front wheel (which would be more period correct than a 19" anyway) and also limit my fork travel since I am using modern forks. More on this in a bit.

So I fired up the milling machine and when to work. Below is the progression of my steering stop as the frame does not have one. I am not sure what they were designed to run originally. It took about 2 hrs of machining start to finish. I have what is called a cross slide. More accurately it is a rotary table that mounts on top of the X-Y of the mill, but then what makes it different than most rotary tables is that it has a high precision X-Y table (cross slide) built into the top of it. This makes the manual mill capable of machining jobs manually that most people would swear would have to be done on a CNC. Old school at it's best. For this job I really only need the rotary table but the cross slide allows for much quicker set up of the piece.

Image

First up was to machine the full outer shape. All can be done with rotary movement combined with X-Y of the main table.

Image

Then I moved to the machine the inside bore. This part is to fit around the lower bearing race cup that I made earlier.

Image

Here it is with my print of what I needed.

Image

Then I found I needed to add reliefs for the lower frame tubes.

Image

Here it is in place on the frame. I am not happy with the look of the tang and spool that tie it back into the frame so eventually here I will machine off the tang and create a nicer attachment that goes down to the same frame point but will be hidden better between the two down tubes.

Image

Here it is with the lower triple clamp in place. I think it will work pretty well.

Image

I am running a modified VFF750F from the mid 1990's. I chose that one because it gave me the offset I wanted along with it held 41mm forks but then the kicker was I also needed it to be a gull-wing design. Those 3 requirements really narrowed the options I had if I wasn't going to machine my own triple clamps. I had to go with the gull-wing because as mentioned above the head sits very low in the frame and the lower fork tubes seem to be longer on modern forks than the older forks were. Ultimately this combination should work well. I am planning to run Gen1 SV650 forks that have been lowered and stroke limited by about 0.5". This still gives me 3.75-4.0 inches of fork travel the dust seals will just not quite touch the bottom side of the triple at full compression.

Here are the forks extended. They still need to be shortened by 0.5".

Image

And here they are fully compressed. Everything is very tight but it all should clear. The tire is in between the frame down tubes with plenty of space and when the wheel is turned in line with a down tube the clearance to the frame increases. You can see here the need for the gull-wing lower triple to provide the travel I need.

Image

Re: Lyster Suzuki T500 build

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 2:38 pm
by Alan H
Good work and lots more to come. It's certainly going to be different.
What front brake are you thinking? Staying with the full SV setup for simplicity or changing part for the helluvit? :)

Re: Lyster Suzuki T500 build

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 4:19 pm
by Zunspec4
Wow, the project is progressing at pace. Nice machine work and design too :up: .

Cheers Geoff

Re: Lyster Suzuki T500 build

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 9:05 pm
by smokin_blue
Geoff, I was going to ask you, if I run standard Mikuni VM34s do you know if the stock throttle cables will work with those? I am assuming if the slide is standard length then they should work fine. Do you remember on your bike did you need to get custom cables or did you run your stock ones? thanks!

Re: Lyster Suzuki T500 build

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 9:08 pm
by smokin_blue
Allan, I am planning on staying with the stock SV calipers for now but I am planning to run Honda F4 brake rotors. The bolt pattern is the same as the GS front hub, I just need to drill out the holes from 6mm to 8mm and then machine a spacer to move the disc out about 4 mm from the hub. The OD is just a few mm over the stock size of the SV so I need to see if there is room in the caliper or if I need to machine those couple of mm off the OD of the discs. That work will be coming in the near future. I spent today planning out the narrowing and stretching of a GS450 rear swing arm for it.