17" wheels, aluminum swingarm with monoshock upgrade

Thank you....

Gauge cluster issue:
The front wheel needed some mill work action to make the rotors line up correctly. The wheel, off a TL1000R, is massive and bulkier in regard to the thickness of the hub. There was plenty of material left after shaving 5mm from each side. It's still thicker than a stock SV650 hub. The rotors on the SV are offset 3mm for rotor alignment. I opted for using the TL1000 rotors with no offset, they are flat.
Anyways, the issue, with the hub width as it is, everything has clearance, it spins correctly, no weird noises BUT there is no room for the speedometer drive unit. It ain't happening, period.
I think my best option is to go with a digital multi type unit. I'm leaning towards the Koso DB01-RN.
It is a complete setup with backlit tach and speedo, gas gauge, blinkers, Hugh beam, oil temp, outside temp, charge rate, trip meter, low gas light as well as date and time. It's about 5 inches long by 2.5 wide. It's the most comprehensive gauge package I've seen which has included matching connectors and hook up accessories. Their install instructions are great and they have live tech support. That's what I'm attracted to, the customer service part.
Based upon online videos, this one abd the Trail The Vapor are well received and the install is straight forward on both.
They both are simple gauges, backlit but no fancy colors or silly flashy shit like that. The price ifor both is similarly close abd isn't too bad at between 135 - 150 depending on the eBay vendor. If I use my 20% eBay coupon before the Labor Day weekend ends my total is $108.00 with free shipping.
I'll be using the rear wheel to activate the speedo pick up and the TCI tach output for the rpm signal.
Does anyone have any experience with digital gauges that might cause me to change my mind?
Other options are welcome as well.....

 

the speedo pickup is a magnetic reed switch, the instructions are going to tell you that the magnet should pass over the end of the pickup, not the middle. they need to be close, don't remember exactly but 5 mm is about right. so far so good, now think about adjusting your chain and how the pickup/ magnet are going to move.
i put those or ones for a bicycle on all my bikes and use the front wheel with the pickup behind the side of the fender and a neodymium magnet
on the rim with auto trim mounting tape

 

⬆️ Polock....
Good call on the chain adjustment/ sensor proximity issue. I didn't think about that until now.
Fortunately, the small sensor is housed in a nicely built bracket with slots to slide the sensor as needed, back and forth and side to side. Koso also has rotor mounting bolts with the magnet built into the end of it, front or rear, which eliminates having to epoxy magnets. Pretty clever item for a clean install Your correct they need to be very close to each other for the sensor triggering off the magnet.
My rear caliper is mounted differently than stock on a SV650 so the original caliper mount is just sitting there. That's where I will mount the sensor bracket and sensor.
The yellow in the image below is my attempt to draw while waiting at a train crossing. Yellow is the sensor bracket

 

Here's the bike with the exhaust installed and rear end at the correct height:
It looks weird to me but it's growing on me. Just pushing it around the shop it turns differently, like right now, immediately.
Unfortunately, I was sent the wrong sized chain so that and a few loose ends, as well as the gauges, will finalize my build I started five or so weeks ago. When the chain arrives next week it's test drive time....

 

I have the chain finally and a official test ride will be this coming weekend.
Clearance of the offset sprocket between the engine side cover is minimal but there is some. There is zero slop in the sprocket so I'm going to roll with it and keep an eye on it.
The speedo unit is en route and that is on my agenda for this coming weekend as well.
If all goes well I can put this project behind me and concentrate on overhauling my FJ600 engine for this winter's long term project.

 

Bike looks great, looking forward to your ride review

 

Looks great! I dig the slightly stretched look.

 

Thanks guys.
It really wasn't that difficult to pull off once all the correct parts were on hand then it came together nicely.
That being said, that it wasn't too hard, it was alot of work tearing everything down to rework the frame correctly.
Truth be told, I live for this stuff.
I don't drive or ride anything that is stock.

 

Working on installing digital speedometer nessitated cutting and splicing wires to incorporate the gauges plug in connector. Not my favorite thing to mess with and it can't be half assed done. When building my wire wire harness awhile ago it was advantageous to get the correct tools and connections for a quality job.
I don't care for splicing wires, it's another connection or weak point in a harness, which can cause gremlins down the road.
I found these spiffy butt connectors which ease my splicing fears all together. They have adhesive shrink wrap to seal out moisture as well as a solder ring that both wires are pass through. Heat everything up with a heat gun and you have a solid splice that's weather proof and strong . I go an extra step and cover the connection with black adhesive shrink wrap so it doesn't stick out.
They are available from Wirefy and the quality of the connectors they sell is superior to anything else,I've seen. They sell for 100 for $25.00. Not cheap but they are MIL Spec rated.

 

Yup those things are great, I use em when doing work on boats.

 

Family commitments temporarily sidetracked wrenching on the bike today. Sunday Seahawks games are an all-you-eat family gathering that I'm completely committed to.
The bonus is we won over the Cowboys.....

 

Been swamped with my work schedule having to fill in for those taking vacation.
I'm supposed to be semi retired working three days a week but that means ziltch when we are short on bodies.
___________________________________________

I purchased new rearset foot controls as shown in one of my other posts here. I've made up new mounting plates for them, no problem but the rear m/c will have to be relocated and I'm switching over to a hydraulic rear brake light switch to make things simple and clean. The shift linkage rod will also be redone to fit. Relocating the m/c will involve partially disassembling things to weld a bracket where needed. Back pedaling is common with projects like this. I deal with it.

Upon beginning to install the digital gauge cluster, which is only 6" x 3", the upper part of the headlight bucket became much more noticeable. The bucket has a huge gaping wire run opening for powering the stock gauges. It looked like ass so it had to go. I chose a Lucas or British style replacement bucket which is a little deeper that the stock one.
That showed up today in the mail.

I've also decided to change out the front fender to one from a 2015 YZF R1. It's a lot less street fighter looking in style and will compliment the overall look of the bike better. I just need a couple days to install all these goodies before my initial test ride. I'm booked the next two Saturdays for work, totaling six work days, which reflects negatively on the possibility of addressing these items.
Shit.....

 

The way my work schedule plays out for the month of October it realistically will be the the end of the month or later before I can complete everything.
Luckily I have an Alaska fishing trip in another week to break the work cycle up for 4 days.
----------------------------------------------------------------
ON THE BIKE:

• I was able to spend several hours today finishing up installing the rear sets and moving the rear brake master cylinder. By purchasing a 3x3 welding blanket I was able to weld some threaded standoffs onto the frame without a bunch of disassemblely like I feared. Everything lined up great and functions correctly. I'll be getting rid of the shift linkage with the offset bend and making up a straight linkage rod next to check this off as completed.

• The new headlight bucket was also installed after lowering and flipping the brackets so they point out correctly or differently, depending how you look at it. The bucket fits the bike nicely in profile and dimensionally. There is no room gained for stuffing wires even though the shell looks larger. Weird.

• A mount for the new gauge assembly was made and painted then fitted. It's very simple in design and works.

When I get some time to mess with the bike next, I hope to wire in the new digital gauge set up.
The new front fender should be delivered by the third week of the month which is a quick install.
Prior to installing the fender, I'd like to go over everything for correct adjustments and double check all fasteners for torque specifications (I'm OCD) then test ride this thing, rain or shine.
I'll add some pictures of what I have changed or completed soon.

 

This is the clearance between the side of the rear tire and the chain. 5mm clearance is what I measured it at. Anything less would be a concern.
View from rear:

View from above:

This is the new front fender being mocked up. I'm putting together bracketery for the different fastener spacing and holding clips for the brake lines. Attachment points will have sleeved mounting grommets and metric flange bolt fasteners.

The new rearset controls on new mounting plates with relocated master cylinder. Round 1 1/4" threaded steel stand offs were welded accordingly for mounting points and worked great.

The different headlight bucket will need a different set of mounting brackets which I'll make myself. I don't like the huge gap between the steering neck and the back of the light shell when its mounted up. The shape of the light housing works for me and is a nice change.
The test ride is still pending once the loose ends are buttoned up.

 

While doing my regular scan of eBay for good finds I came across a sweet deal on front and rear calipers off a 2015 CBR650F. There is less than 4000 miles on them so they shouldn't need any attention for correct operation. These are a definitely a few steps up from the sketchy Korean calipers that came with my front end setup. The forks are great, the calipers not so much. I'll share how I mount the fronts up when I get there. I highly doubt these will be plug and play but from my research, prior to purchasing them, the bolt hole spacing is the same.
The rear caliper will be mounted to the SV650 caliper bracket and will be mounted above the swingarm instead of underneath like it is currently. I see having to get a shorter braided hose for the rear but that should be the only hurdle on the rear brakes.
Not a real difficult addition to my build but they will improve the brake system operation and look cool as well.

 

Got some odds and ends squared away today. Got the shift linkage redone

Got new mounts made for front fender

New headlight brackets made and installed

Finished wiring up the speedo

Test fitted the new rear caliper set up. I installed the speedo sensor below the caliper which worked out great. The bracket has a set screw for adjustment of the active type speed sensor.

Next up:
- install new front calipers
-install new rear brake line
- calibrate speedometer gauge
- test it out (finally, huh?)

 

Really like the headlight and front fender now.

And just a safety tip for you:
Reposition the sidestand spring lever that is supposed to push in on the sidestand switch when it's down.
At this point whether it's up or down, the relay thinks it's up.

Tony

 

+1.
See the tab on the top of the silver link that's between the spring and the frame post?
Flip it to face down.
The tab looks worn, so a bit of brazing and the application of a file will set it back to new.

 

I appreciate that you both are concerned with my safety switch being sketchy. When I rewired the bike for the previous owner, it was decided to mimic the European version wiring harness for the XJ550. That version doesn't use a side stand switch and a couple other safety related relays. It wasn't my call because, at the time of building the harness, the bike wasn't mine. I would have kept the safety features, personally.
The side stand switch in the picture has no function. Now that something has been mentioned about it, I guess the right thing to do is remove it and that tab. Done deal.
Fortunately, I'm the only one who will be riding the bike. I have other bikes that are older without the side stand or clutch safety features so I've became accustomed to operating without that function. I ride often so circumventing the safety options is my standard method of operating any bike for the most part.
I'm not sure if thats good thing or not but that's how I roll, literally.

 

no safety interlocks on mine either. the second handle on my push mower is wire tied back and the seat switch on my lawn tractor is defeated to. and no guard on the table saw.
i'm a ticking time bomb

 

OMG!
I noticing a reckless pattern here.
Juggling running chainsaws will be next....

 

I finally have all the goodies to finish up any and, hopefully, all the loose ends.
The road test will determine if I'm truly finished or not.
Fingers crossed.
I fabricated some adapter brackets for the front calipers this past weekend that are being powder coated currently. To get them just right pretty much took the better part of an afternoon but they had to be right to function correctly and safely. I'll shoot some pictures of them before and after installing.
The new braided rear brake line was recieved and installed. I used an M6 nutsert or rivnut to secure the line to the swingarm with a small bracket and rubber sleeve. Its located next to the widest spot of the tire. After installing new rear pads, I bled the rear brake system out with my homemade mini vacuum pump/salsa jar brake bleeder contraption which supriseingly works great for how crude it is in design. Under 2 minutes of bleeding yielded a nice firm feel to the pedal. Simple homemade tools that work better than store bought tools rule...
The upcoming Thanksgiving break from work should provide the needed time to complete everything between some serious couch lounging and food comas

 

It look's like the axle nut is only half way on the axle bolt? Nice brake set up.
Cheers, 50gary

 

⤴️ Sharp eye....
The image was taken during a "test fit". That rear wheel has been off and on that bike more times than I want to count during this modification. The rear axle bolt isn't tighten down all the way in the picture.
My second to last item on my project check list is to go over all fasteners to check for correct torque values and proper fitment.
The very last item is the test ride (which is long overdue)...
I do appreciate you stepping up and saying something. Thanks for having my back!

 

Here's the brake caliper adapter brackets I put together to adapt the front Nissin calipers I picked up. They are fitted with metric 10.9 grade bolts and a dab of blue thread locker.
Once again, my homemade brake bleeder did the trick on purging out all the air in the system. Less than 5 minutes on a dry system, done, rock hard brake lever with no dragging on the rotors.
In addition, I did away with the side stand switch, its gone. That leaves a blank void where it went so I did a diagonal line cut down to just before the kickstand lower stop, dressed it up, reshot some paint and that works for me. As luck would have it, while operating the side stand by hand several times the outer torsion spring decided to loose its springiness. It snapped. I ordered two new torsion springs for the kickstand and made a new link tab to position them correctly.
The ride height for the bike has changed significantly which leaves the kickstand slightly on the long side. The bike now sits almost straight up and down wanting to tip if allowed to. Ain't happening so I'll shorten it.
This will not prevent me from road testing the bike when the time comes shortly.

 

I spent an hour calibrating the digital speedometer/tachometer today. Intially, I got no feedback for the tachometer signal. A short phone call to customer service at KOSO North America pointed me in the right direction. Now all the indicator lights function as they should including the fuel tank gauge. The fine tuning of the speedo will happen while riding the bike but it's in the ballpark range to work. I'll test it for accurate results via my phone's GPS.

 

the tach on mine didn't work at first, a 1meg ohm resistor in series fixed it. i think it's a common problem with direct hookup to the coils ?
if you did the, push the bike and measure the marks on the floor thing, i bet your closer than the gps.

 

Interesting, the guy I spoke to with customer service suggested that I hook into the pick up coil signal wire and adjust the pulse rate in the set up menu. I had it going to the ignition coil first and got nothing. I haven't acted on his suggestion yet but with your advice I have another option. I'll try your 1 megaohm resistor in series suggestion gladly.
Do you recall the pulse rate at which to set the gauge at to recieve at good signal?
Smaller esistors, like you mentioned,usually have a wattage rating associated with them, i.e. 1/4 watt, 1/2 watt etc. Do you recall the rating number or does that not matter?
Thanks for the good information.....

 

i don't think i'd use the pickup coil wire, it might interfere with the signal that the TCI needs to work with.
the best way to find that resistor size would be with a potentiometer and turn it till you get a good reading, then read it and replace it with a resistor that's close. my old Meanwell and your new one might be different. you want the - side of the coil, the gray wire, the wire that goes back to the TCI.
1rev=1pulse, doesn't sound right but i'm 90% sure that's what i'm using. if that's wrong you get crazy high/low rpm's
wattage won't matter, there's no power there, use whatever is handy

 

Thanks for responding so promptly. I plan on addressing this issue tomorrow and hopefully a few other items also.
All the suggestions you've mentioned make sense perfectly to me.
Much appreciated!

 

Shortened up the kickstand by 1 1/2 inches.
New spring holder with no switch contact tab.
These will be reinstalled tomorrow with new tension springs.

 

since i don't use the sidestand switch either , i put minimal thought into a rubber curb feeler type thing (remember curb feelers?) that would drag the pavement and flip the stand up. didn't some Hondas have that back in the day?

 

I haven't bailed on this project, hit a roadblock or decided to give up on it. Simply put, I'm being stretched in three directions during my "off time" having three daughters with two of them in rival colleges and one in her last trimester of her third pregnancy. There was a time a few years ago when I didn't see them a lot and actually missed them. I was confused.
I'll be putting this project behind me soon, I hope. Well see.

 

A buddy of mine has had a sand blasting cabinet sitting in his shop doing nothing for some time now. He mentioned how he'd like to convert it into a vapor blasting setup. I can take a hint so I have been putting together a set up for him. I built a wet blasting cabinet for work several years ago but on a larger scale. This will be more of a hobbyists version but perfect for small stuff, namely carbs.
My extra rack of carbs will be the test subject in getting it up and running. While I'm at it I figured I'd replace the shaft seals, emulsion tubes, enrichment plungers and springs, mixing screws and springs, diaphrams and give them a tune up with complete kits and new jets. The external hardware will also be changed out for black oxide hex button head type fasteners. I've been slowly stock piling parts for a while waiting for an opportunity like this.
After they have been blasted, the carb pieces will be ultrasonicly cleaned for a complete cleansing before reassemble.
In theory, they should be as close to new carbs as one could get. This little endeavour will lengthen my project time frame but will be beneficial in the long run.
My current carbs are in fair condition being that the PO did some irreparable damage to them while messing with them. It's been time to address this issue for a while now. I'm so done with nursing these turds along and giving them extra attention. Good riddance. This is a welcome diversion with added benefits.

I'll post some pictures of my little side venture of this project.

 

Ever so slightly vearing off the thread topic:
The set of carbs I'm working on are your typical Mikunis from someone's pride and joy that they never rode. They claim that the carbs have less than 10000 kilometers or about 6200 miles on them. I bought them off the Canadian version of Craigslist called Kiijii for $100.00 USD.
The rack looks as though it not been messed with too much. Your typical carb overhaul kit is about all these have recieved. With the Welch plugs still in tact and I'm sure the rack has never been apart. The mounting screws are not scarred up in the JIS cross slots.
Internally they are good, the bowl bleed screws show signs of being operated. The PO claims the carbs were drained while the bike sat. I'm believing him.
This is one of the carbs prior to tomorrows cleaning gauntlet.

I've seen much worse.....

 

Here's the same carb after vapor blasting, a soak in an aerated boiling hot Pinesol solution and ultrasonic cleaning in white vinegar and water. Spent a half hour blasting each carb after it was stripped. The soak time was a couple hours and the ultrasonic time was about an hour.
After rinsing, the carb is protected with VHT matte clear.
All the carbs and bowls look just like this one.
I'm waiting on parts and new hardware to complete the rack assembly. When I get it fully assembled I'll post an image.

 

Check out this nice rack.....


of carbs.

 

....and those brass nipples are really shiny too!

Tony

 

Uhhmm, thank you. I think?

 

Just running with the "Nice Rack" description.

Really like the black hex screws. Did you get them from Len @ XJ4ever.com?

Tony

 

Gotcha....
Yes, Len is the "hook up" for new carb hardware fasteners and carb parts. He has several fastener head styles available, everything is individually packaged and labeled and the price and shipping is great.

 

99% done......

Test ride sometime before the end of the year.....

 

So I actually rode it today.

My first impression riding the modified bike:

■ I'll have to become acquainted with the way the bike is now. Nothing feels the way it did before, it's very different feeling, in that, its improved.
The bumps, divots and cracks in the road that I would either avoid or brace myself for are soaked up effortlessly with the new suspension setup. They aren't a concern as they were before because the bike feels very planted to the asphalt. It seems as though I got lucky and the preload is at the correctly adjusted setting. I'll definitely play with that later.

■ The front and rear suspension are off different make or brand 600-650 newer series bikes but seem to play well with each other. There isn't any peculiar feedback or bottoming when the suspension cycles within its operating range. My wife went for a brief ride around the block with me and it handles as it should two-up.

■ Going into and out of turns and around corners was a bit nerve wracking at first. With the smaller and wider tires the bike seems to bite and cut aggressively negotiating curves. I wasn't expecting this and worked on becoming accustomed to the new riding characteristics of the bike initially. Its supposed attack the twisties, it has sportbike suspension. Duh? After a dozen or so turns under acceleration and after adjusting the steering damper, its all good. I like it.

■ The bike tracks like it should. If I take my hands off the bars they remain in that position unless I lean. Then it gradually follows. Radial tires are a upgrade I should have done long ago and obviously add to the ride improvement.

■ I overlooked the fact of having better brake calipers being overwhelmed with the bikes improved handling until the end of my ride. The brakes work very well when lightly applying them or when dynamiting them from a higher speed stop. The suspension and brakes work well with one another. I'm happy with this combo, definitely.

■ Acceleration of the bike is different, in that, the bike seems to honch down slightly and get with it when mashing the throttle. It's no faster than before, it just seems like it is but it is more enjoyable to ride, without a doubt. The smaller circumference of the tires has changed the shift points and I found that it seems like I'm doing a lot more gear changing then before. The modified shifter pawl with the bearing installed makes nice solid shifts, each time with no hiccups.

■ The way the bike looks now has finally grown on me. Initially, I was unhappy with it compared to before. As the build came together, adjustments were made and the look improved. It's a definite change.

In summary, the bike is very well behaved and improved now. Its solid and smooth feeling while controlling it plus it doesn't leave you worn out feeling after a ride.

There was always a lingering hint of doubt that I was ruining a perfectly good bike but not the case here. I cut no corners with no sketchy workmanship.

I wouldn't change a thing.
No regrets.
Over & out....

 

Regarding the carb work I did:

Going through the carbs as completely as I could has provided great results. I've probably pulled the carbs for one reason or another more times than I want to admit. Removing and reinstalling them is not the pain in the ass it used to be. I've got this down, for sure.
This last time diving in, I had stockpiled pretty much new everything on parts that could be acquired for over a year.
After ultra-cleaning the snot out of the disassembled rack and reassembling everything the bike starts without the choke and hits a steady idle after a couple minutes of warm up. Honestly, its still a cold blooded little bitch at first but aren't we all when we get past 35 years old.
Syncing and color tuning were done in record time. It took longer to hook up everything than to do the needed adjustments.
Finally.
No hunting or high idle at stoplights.
The modifications I did to the bike mean very little to me compared to how happy I am with how it runs now.
WinX2....

 

The only tell that Yamaha didn't build it that way is the frame tube diameter (later bikes having larger diameter tubes). Excellent work.

 

As requested, I sent pictures of the finished bike to Chilly Hill from Hull, England (go back to the beginning of this thread) who's bike was a huge inspiration and visual reference for my project.
He liked what he saw and gave it thumbs up.
Cheerio and thanks mate.

 

I'm putting this thread to rest being the titled modification has been completed within my capabilities.
I appreciate all the feedback everyone contributed to make this thread possible.
I received many PMs with questions, suggestions and advice. I guess some people would rather keep their conversations on the down low. I completely respect that. So thanks.
Putting a build thread together and attempting to make it somewhat interesting can be a bit of a task so thanks for hanging in there when things slowed down.
We've all seen builds or projects that are started and documented with good intentions of completing the chosen modification or tweak then they go dark.
Everyone is left hanging....
and hanging....

This mod is officially done.

Time to ride for another season or until I get some wild idea stuck in my head.

Later.....