Well I worked on the bike a lot this weekend.....it was just very slow work and doesn't look like much.

I worked on the kickstand.  I bought the RYCA part that holds the kickstand - but I did not buy their brace.  I wanted to possibly mount the battery from the brace at the bottom of the engine - so I wanted to fabricate a good brace.  I welded on a raised area that nests into the bracket that used to hold the guides for the brake cable on the right side.  I threaded the right side and welded the left side onto the RYCA bracket.  There is enough metal that I can weld on a bracket for the battery that would sit under the swing arm and just behind the engine.  I am not sure I like that spot for the battery - it is low and out of the way.....but it will get engine heat and splash from the rear tire.  I may end up with the battery up about where it used to be - behind the RYCA covers.



I also got the frame cut for the seat pan.

I didn't like the open tubes on top, so I sanded down rubber stopper plugs to fit into the frame holes and provide a rubber top for the seat pan.  I used black silicone to glue them into place.


Once I had the seat pan properly mounted I could start on the tank.  The tank is a GT550 tank and it looked like it would fit easily....but I was wrong.  The tank hits the frame and sits too high, and the bottom  right side of the tank hits the engine where the cam chain housing is.  

This is the bottom of the tank:


I stripped the paint of the bottom of the tank and started heating it and using a hammer I worked on getting the tunnel higher.  Unfortunately I got about 1/3rd done and ran out of gas and the oxygen is low.  I seldom use the torches and the tanks were last tested in 1996.......so the tanks will have to be tested before they are filled....Dang!  Here is what I got done with my "blacksmith" skills:


This is where I cut the tank to clear the top of the engine.


This is the patch I started to put in tonight.....but there was not enough time to drag out the welder and get started.  I just cleaned up a bit and called it a day.


This is what things looked like before I started to lower the tank.  At this point I have not lowered the forks and the rear may be a bit low, as I have 12.5 inch stick for shocks.  The RYCA  bikes use 13 - but I was going to try and keep it a bit lower.

That looks awesome! Actually, in your photo the tank height looks just fine to me; how much lower is it going to go?

Something to consider regarding the tank height; cafe racers look best, IMO, when the bottom line of the tank is is line with the bottom line of the tail section.  Looks like you've got it pretty close now, so if you have to drop the tank, try to drop the tail section / seat by the same amount to keep the lines clean.  Just my $.02, take it as you will...

Wow! This is what I'm going to have to keep up with on the Dragon Run ???? Boy am I in for a loooong week

Dave it's really coming around! Shades of the old Norton Manx!

jcstokes wrote on 02/04/13 at 13:46:15:


It does look good right now.....but won't function well.  I has to come down about 1/2" to make room for the forks to move.  The top of the tank is sitting up level with the top yoke, and it has to come down to make room for the yoke to move around.  I will get a picture of that so you can see what I am trying to fix by lowering the tank.

I have had meetings Monday and Tuesday night this week and I got nothing done.  Last night I made a tool for the forks and cut some spacers.  I spent a good amount of time just looking through my spare parts and metal supplies to find the right product for the spacers.  My RM400 triple tree will allow me to raise and lower the forks without the spacers - but when I slid the forks down about 2 inches to what I beleive will be the right height - the forks seals were going to just bump into the bottom triple tree at full travel.  I made these 1/2 inch spacers to limit the travel and provide some clearance, and to make some preload on the springs now that there will be a bit more weight shifted forward.  I made the spacer from black iron gas pipe.  I made the tool from a 3/8" drive broken swivel that I found on the street while I was measuring for a waterline project, and a bolt with a 24mm head.

That's amazing Sir!! She looks great so far...  

Cloudy wrote on 02/02/13 at 11:23:33:


Good looking job. One reason the Savage looks good is the 32 degree (I think) rake, but it is good to understand the need for keeping "trail" in the right range. I'm not saying you don't understand it, but reading up on it won't hurt if you're not fluent in rake and trail dynamics. Again, great job by a master craftsman. Just don't want you to get twitchy or have a tank slapper at 85mph--or have to find a field to turn around in.