VFR SSA GT750

tz375 · Post by **tz375** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 6:01 pm

SmokingAllan in Barbados,

Where is that VFR single sided GT project at now? You were making good progress and then I think you were going to splice in part of a bandit frame.

How did that work out, or has there been a change of plan?

My Phat Trakka project has now become two projects, one is back at the original Street Tracker look with a frame from Mr John (Bighole) Fry and the other continues to morph into something completely different.

I got an R1 instrument cluster for the morphing bike and it's way cool. Gotta love modern electronics, tiny, light and they combine all the functions into one small package.

For the street tracker, I got a set of Gold bars (sounds good, but it's only the color that's gold), and I finally worked out a set fixing arrangement - not as neat as Lane's or Bighole's but it works I hope.

But enough about my insanity, how is yours coming along?

rngdng · Post by **rngdng** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 9:09 pm

Well, my $250.00 H1 is now a $1200.00 H1, and I still have't split the cases to send the crank to Damon Kirkland. Hopefully the tranny is OK! That's the way it goes sometimes, but the good news is that the engine should be good for the rest of my life.

Lane

tz375 · Post by **tz375** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 11:06 pm

Funny how that happens Lane. All my projects start out as cheap, low budget and before I know it I have a huge hole in my pocket and bank account.

Just think of it as an installment plan where you just pay as you go. Let's face it. It doesn't take a whole truck load of skill to buy a good bike, but to make one out of a pile of cr*p is a challenge.

At least that's the story I keep telling myself. Of course in reality, if i spent as much time making money as I do playing with bikes, I could go and buy one, but what fun would there be in that?

water cooled · Post by **water cooled** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 12:58 pm

Richard,

I like to think that we build the "one of a kind" bikes. You can always total up the receipts but it never really adds up to "priceless"....it just gets close sometimes.

rngdng · Post by **rngdng** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 3:12 pm

I agree totally. Guys that just buy their toys, can't have the appreciation of them that we backyard mechanics enjoy. I love telling people that my bikes were junk when I bought them.

Lane

Post by **Suzsmokeyallan** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 6:32 pm

Well the project was going quite well, and then i thought of using a Bandit rear subframe to bolt to it after i got a Bandit seat really cheap on fleabay.
So then i though ill find Bandit plastic bodywork too, and then i found a frame for pittance.
So the idea hit me, (these ideas always cost MONEY) why not just use the Bandit frame and plastic etc instead, as i had quite a bunch of the Bandit parts by then,,,,
HOWEVER thats not so simple HAHAHA! and it didnt work after i took all sorts of measurements on the bare frame,, blah blah in short (no pun here) the Bandit frame is too short in the cradle.
To hang the lonnnng GT engine in the Bandit frame id have to move the swingarm pivot back about four inches since the pipes will hit the front wheel as it is now.
NOOOOOOOOOOO way,,arrghh,,, the plan just took another turn for the worse with WORK and money.
Next plan out of sensible reason is to get the rest of the Bandit in parts and create a custom painted Bandit bike out of others peoples junk,, i mean pre-enjoyed parts.
So then back to plan one, use a Buffalo frame and rework it, but i then wanted some rearsets as well and other bits which i got and more parts for the other bikes coming from now ready in Miami being shipped.
OK STOP RIGHT NOW, i almost have all the parts for these pieces of S*** im working on.
Oh the stuff you come across, for example a GSX-R1000 steering stem fits a Buffalo frame perfectly, BUT a Bandit frame headtube is about an inch and a quarter taller, so the GSX-r steering stem cant work in the Bandit unless you press it out and use a longer one...
Anyways while i was doing this fiddling, i played around with the Bandit frame and the VFR pivot mount bolt is the same size stock, so i dropped the SSSA into it with the forks rested in the frame to see how it would look.
Here was what was happening in a mock up pic, definately looks good though, surprisingly my Buffalo mock up has the rear rim more centred than the Bandit setup.
While all this bike related crap was going on and life in general too, the year was,,, DG in May, the Canada trip in August, the Barber meet recently and the RE5 was bought and will hopefully be here before Christmas.

rngdng · Post by **rngdng** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 7:32 pm

The Buffalo certainly looks long with that swinger. What will the wheelbase be when complete?

Lane

Post by **Suzsmokeyallan** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 7:59 pm

Well thats a good one Lane cause i never measured it, but its not like you can change it to any great extent anyway.
Luckily you can place the offset SSSA mainshaft axle adjusting barrel so its in the forward plane in the arms clamp to help shorten up the wheelbase as much as possible.
When i had the buffalo together the rear end didnt look that long, plus the GSX-R forks have almost no triple clamp offset so that helped to reduce the wheelbase figure as well.
Its basically the mono shock thats forcing the extra length between the rear wheel and the pivot area on the SSSA.
When i put the Buffalo frame back into the mock up mode for some final tweaking of certain items ill check it and let you know what the figure is.
I know its going to be longer than a stock buffalo since the stock swing arm is quite short but somehow i expect its no more than two inches or im hoping for it anyways.

Suzukidave · Post by **Suzukidave** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 10:39 pm

If it comes out like the Yellow bike the wheel base is just about the same as a stock buffalo but compare that figure with a modern bike and its about 2" longer .

Ogri · Post by **Ogri** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 7:45 pm

Suzukidave wrote:If it comes out like the Yellow bike the wheel base is just about the same as a stock buffalo but compare that figure with a modern bike and its about 3" longer .

The wheel base on the Mighty Buffalo is within an inch or so than stock IIRC. The swingarm moves the rear axle further to the rear but the GSXR triples bring the front wheel closer to the motor.

tz375 · Post by **tz375** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 9:38 am

Mine has a GSXR600K1 swinger and it's four inches longer than stock.

Even with a reasonable droop angle and the GSXR triples it's still around 2 inches longer than stock.

Suzukidave · Post by **Suzukidave** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 10:30 am

I made a quick measurement of the 99 GSXR frame i have and depending where the rear axle is the wheel base is 55~56" .

Post by **Suzsmokeyallan** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 2:25 pm

Ok Dave thats good to know, i plan to reconstruct the Buffalo frame again for some more placing and altering of things frame related and ill let you know what the WB is on that project bike.
While youre at it can you check "#73 yellow bike" and let me know what that WB is.

Suzukidave · Post by **Suzukidave** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 10:44 pm

Suzsmokeyallan wrote:Ok Dave thats good to know, i plan to reconstruct the Buffalo frame again for some more placing and altering of things frame related and ill let you know what the WB is on that project bike.
While youre at it can you check "#73 yellow bike" and let me know what that WB is.

Measured the yellow bikes wb and its 59" or about 1 " longer than a stock buffalo .

Post by **Suzsmokeyallan** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:16 am

Good then, now i wonder if i can get mine under that figure a bit,, we shall see.