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Post by gy6rocket on Jan 4, 2009 19:03:53 GMT -5
I'll get some pics of the new truck soon! Its graphite metallic silver with two tone leather interior. The reason I went with the Dodge Dakota; it's the only truck in it's class with a V8. It's a mid sized truck making it easier to maneuver around parking lots and such, and this year they stepped up the engine specs to 305hp and 320 ft/ls torque. Behind that is a locking transfer case so I can put all that down to 4 wheels when the snow gets deep! The lifetime power train warranty was enticing also as I plan to have the truck for many years to come. Back to Topic, Got some more work done on the engine mount, finished up welding, cleaning and fitting, also drilled the new mounting holes in the frame itself. Coming together nicely now, should not be much longer untill the frame and mount are painted up in some glossy paint. I've also decided to buy a 8mm tap, and retap all the threads on the frame as some of them are dirty, crusty, rusty and stripped. Here are some pics of the progression : The main tabs, you can see the burn marks from the heat of the arc weld. Here is the mount after welding on the frame mounting ends and cleaning it up some. I am amazed at how strong the part actually is, yet how lightweight the final part is. Shown test fitted to the frame. Also, found the handlebars i'm going with, motox style, all aluminum with brace. I found them cheap with grips, throttle, levers, on/off switch. Plus they are a little longer than the OEM version, which I always though were a little stubby. More to come. . .
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Post by jake318 on Jan 6, 2009 2:12:36 GMT -5
Rocket how are you going to mount the monoshock ? like the old Yamaha Monoshock design of the 80s with the shock semi horizonal under the seat attached to a top frame member? Jake
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Post by gy6rocket on Jan 7, 2009 23:19:43 GMT -5
Hey Jake, I am using the factory left side mount on the fame and engine. It's the original design on the scooter engine. I'm considering using the drum brakes in back also because I want to do away with the disk brake mount bracket that attaches to the front of the engine and on the drive shaft. It's a really heavy and mostly unnecessary part. Since eliminating this part, I will no longer have a lower right side shock mount either, or exhaust mount pillars. This is OK as I want to use an extremely small and lightweight muffler, so only the header bolts are necessary to mount it. I found what I am looking for at a local minibike store, its about 1 lb, 3" diameter, and 6" long. Its meant for a 8hp lawnmower engine so I'm going to give it a try. I'm really just going for a minimalistic bike. I am playing the power:weight ratio game this season instead of going nuts trying to get more power out of the engine. That's next winter I left the right shock mount just in case I decide to use it later on. I should mention I will be using one *very* high quality nitrogen charged shock. I've added an arrow to the pic to show the upper left shock mount tab. Oh yeah, also added some paint to the frame I've made a final decision on the color scheme. Black, White, Green. The wheels will match this green. Panels are going to be gloss white, you can see I also put my first coat of white primer on them. All the floor and inside plastics will remain black/grey. Here is another view. The arrow is showing the shock mount bar that has been ground smooth. Take a look at this part on a standard factory frame and you will see a much different picture And here is the handlebar's that will be installed.
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Post by jake318 on Jan 7, 2009 23:41:10 GMT -5
Making the bike lighter makes a big differance the older sons SUNL whip sl18?(13inch wheel ) is 190lbs and is much more flickable than mine . Joe do yourself a favor .. before going drum on the back , try a bike with drum brakes . The leverage inside the drum brakes on chinese scoots is TERRIBLE . If you could find a hydrolic assist let me know sons back brakes are drum set up . BTW bars look great Jake
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Post by gy6rocket on Jan 7, 2009 23:54:57 GMT -5
I do HATE drums! I'll probably just end up mounting the disk with another custom fabbed aluminum mount. In fact, YES! you just talked me out of the drums, thank you Jake! I remember originally buying this bike for the rear disk!
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Post by gy6rocket on Jan 17, 2009 2:29:43 GMT -5
LOL changed my mind again, just finished cleaning up the engine some and reinstalling the drum brakes. It will be simpler, as the new handlebars have a "clutch" lever which I will just use for the rear pads. Less weight and simpler. Besides, my rear tire is going to be the easiest thing in the world to take off, 1 bolt, center of wheel. The exhaust will not even be blocking the wheel so it will be very easy to maintain the rear pads. **UPDATE** Of so I sprayed some clear coat on the frame and it had a reaction to the green paint. Some areas were not prepped enough and the paint just broke down. Since I sort of rushed the first paint job I have decided to sand blast it, like I wanted to originally. I dropped off the frame and wheels to "strip-it" media blasting company today. They are going to take the frame down to bare metal, after which I have a larger heated shop to prime and paint correctly so it will last a few years. They are also plastic blasting the wheels bare so I may just polish those, it's either polish or paint frame color. ALSO, Been hard at work on the engine mount, have the coil, CDI and regulator mounted to the mount. The regulator is mounted in such a way that while going forward air runs directly over the fins. I will have some pictures very soon! The GY6 is almost stand-alone from the frame. The new mount fits so tight on the engine, no play at all, where the old mount was kinda loose. Should be able to run it on the test bench in a week or so. Will only have 1 plug to disconnect the electrical from the regulator output to the bike harness. Things are going to get interesting because this is probably going to be the lightest 150cc GY6 base scooter on this board. Power : Weight ratio is going to be good here, funny thing is that avatar to the left is a few months old and the scooter will look nothing like that come spring.
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Post by unclepablano on Jan 17, 2009 10:12:52 GMT -5
As long as you are having it stripped to the bare metal, you might as well have it Powder Coated. It probably cost about the same as having it primed and painted, but it would be much more durable.
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Post by gy6rocket on Jan 17, 2009 21:38:26 GMT -5
Interesting idea, I was going to paint it myself to save $$, but I should check into powdercoating the frame and the wheels, that would be killer.
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Post by budhastalin on Jan 17, 2009 21:39:49 GMT -5
I've been checking this thread out from time to time, and I am getting pretty stoked to see the outcome! Please keep the photos coming!
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Post by shookupart on Jan 20, 2009 18:41:48 GMT -5
rocket, I found a perfoermance place here in south carolina that makes race bike frames custom. They need my scoot for a few days and they will mock-up a triangular brace from the left and right seat rails ending in a v at the steering column (vin #). all very nice tig welds and removable for $150. awesome. By the way....i carved up my cvt cover and it came out very nice. your cvt cover inspired me. It is getting powder coated in metallic orange today. I will send you a photo when its painted. I left a lil' aluminum for some possible rain protection. kinda cut out a big kidney bean shape to show the clutch bell. cool AND COOL. I will spin my carb around when the 180cc stoker gets installed and mount the oil cooler to the frame brace. Your ideas are money cuz'........keep posting and thanks again
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Post by gy6rocket on Jan 21, 2009 23:05:53 GMT -5
Awesome shook!! Post up some pics, want to see you handy work. Glad I could be an inspiration. Here are some more pics of whats going on with my engine / mount. All the electronics are mounted to it, and now it can run just like this if I install the carb and hook up a tank Really, right now it could actually be used as a 12 volt generator So anyway I fabbed up a small bracket to hold the CDI and drilled some holes and bolted everything down. Once the frame is done it's going to be a simple affair of just bolting this entire unit into place (8 bolts) and it will be ready to run. Remove those 8 bolts and out the entire setup will drop. Also took this time to clean up my engine some more, it had some grime on the bottom and side from last season use, and it was looking kinda gross, so I removed it. SO fresh and so clean! Here you can see how I mounted my regulator so air can flow over the fins and cool it down. Also can see the drum pads reinstalled :/ Front View, Shows my wrinkle finish head off too! Regulator on top, Coil on bottom right, CDI on bottom left. Close up of the bottom of the mount, detached from the GY6
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mao_red
Junior Dawg
Bestar Fox 150 ala PGO TRex ^_^
Posts: 6
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Post by mao_red on Jan 24, 2009 1:14:01 GMT -5
nice project!
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Post by gy6rocket on Jan 27, 2009 20:23:47 GMT -5
Alright, well picked up the frame and wheels from the sand blaster today, he did a good job! I'm glad I decided to take it all the way down, as this really is the proper way to remove all traces of rust and grime. Not to mention all the Chinese lead paint I took some pics of the raw metal, just in case anyone wanted to see what the Chinese steel color is. Looks like it was recycled from old chevy's I prepped all the metal with denatured alcohol to remove the very small traces of surface rust that accumulated on the trip from the blaster to the paint shop. The good news: The frame and wheels have a couple nice coats of 2 part Grip-Gaurd primer that I sprayed from an air sprayer. All this prep should result in a show quality finish on the frame and wheels when I'm done. I'm letting the primer dry for a few days before I spray the base color coat, want that primer to get good and hard. It's hard to wait, as I really want to start reassembling all the parts so it starts looking like a stage III weight reduced scoot!
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Post by fastasssr20 on Jan 27, 2009 20:31:03 GMT -5
Just wondering did u spray self etching primer over the bare metal before the main primer
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Post by gy6rocket on Jan 27, 2009 20:50:52 GMT -5
Well, I did not do any main primer yet, just the self etching wash primer. Here is the info on the stuff I used, it's extremely good paint, the kit was about $150
Akzo Grip-Gard Primer System
Grip-Gard wash primer is a self-etching, high build, sandable primer that provides excellent adhesion and corrosion resistance. Grip-Gard works well on steel, galvanized steel, fiberglass and existing enamels. It has a five-day potlife and can be topcoated 30 minutes to six months after priming. Mixing ratio is one part primer (31284) to one part hardener (31285).
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Post by fastasssr20 on Jan 27, 2009 21:09:53 GMT -5
Nice that should be perfect I only ask bc my father owns a body shop and we always put down self etch over any bare metal I couldnt tell from the pic if you had it or not looking good man looking real good glad to see some progress
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Post by Andy on Jan 27, 2009 21:47:54 GMT -5
So sweet! Are you gonna upgrade front shocks too? And is it gonna have two shocks in the back? It looks like it might only have one. You can get a new swing arm for the exhaust side and then weld on a mount to the frame on the other side, that way you can rock out with duel shocks in back... Just a random idea.
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Post by shookupart on Jan 28, 2009 17:12:00 GMT -5
i THINK the rocket's dietician will allow only one shock. thanks for the pics of the bare frame. I shrink at the cost of the primer. I got a local place here that will blast and powdercoat the frame for $50. I hope it will be as tough as the paint your planning. Where can I get a set of those rims? Those are EXACTLY what Im lookin' 4. I love the 5 spoke in white. where will you put your turn signals on those bars (without silly plastic covering em up)? I really like watching this develop....maybe you could fabricate a triangular brace to act as a portable center stand, as I doubt you will be riding around with that chunk of iron.
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Post by shookupart on Jan 28, 2009 17:12:47 GMT -5
i THINK the rocket's dietician will allow only one shock. thanks for the pics of the bare frame. I shrink at the cost of the primer. I got a local place here that will blast and powdercoat the frame for $50. I hope it will be as tough as the paint your planning. Where can I get a set of those rims? Those are EXACTLY what Im lookin' 4. I love the 5 spoke in white. where will you put your turn signals on those bars (without silly plastic covering em up)? I really like watching this develop....maybe you could fabricate a triangular brace to act as a portable center stand, as I doubt you will be riding around with that chunk of iron.
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Post by gy6rocket on Jan 28, 2009 23:19:01 GMT -5
andy - I am going to upgrade the front shocks too, eventually! The OEM's have about 2500 miles on them and are starting to feel a bit tired so I would really like a set of NCY's to put on there. @shook - Nice chattin with you today, I'm going to search the other posts and see if you got some pics up And as far as the monoshock, yes I will be running 1 rear shock, like my scoots of yesteryear! The rims came with my scoot, not sure where to buy them?? I do remember seeing this design in chrome somewhere on this site, but it was awhile ago. My turn signals I am integrating into the headlamp housing so they will not be on the handlebars at all. I will def. be fabricating some sort of "maintenance stand" in order to do oil changes and work on it and stuff. that won't be untill the bike is back together though
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Post by kspower_Nick on Jan 28, 2009 23:44:42 GMT -5
WOW!! I like. We need to find a place to get those wheels. I need them for a project I have in the shop right now.
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Post by scootdoggydog on Jan 28, 2009 23:46:12 GMT -5
those frame pictures at the top of page 2are ginormous 1 of them is bigger than my entire screen
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Post by shookupart on Feb 1, 2009 17:16:32 GMT -5
Rocket...Ive been busy...still need to open an account with photobucket. I also found a suitable place on the scoot to remount the turn signals....I will post some pics of the new NCY bars and neck with floating speedo as soon as its done. Cant wait to see your final color choice on frame.
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Post by gy6rocket on Feb 5, 2009 23:22:10 GMT -5
**update** The base layer (flat white) was sprayed today and the final color is a really REALLY bright florescent green. Like the monster energy drink or Kawasaki green. I'm letting the base coat dry overnight and am going to spray the green tomorrow. After that Ill let it dry a few days, and spray a clear coat. Then its time for the REASSEMBLE!!! Every single bolt going back into this frame is going to be brand new. Along with the handlebars; a new set of Pirelli tires are going to be installed to. Since I'm starting with a bare frame can I claim this is Made is USA lol
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Post by fastasssr20 on Feb 5, 2009 23:47:18 GMT -5
I am a little confused as to why you are going to wait so long to put the clear on. Are you going to wet sand it down before you clear it. I dont know what kind of paint you are using but I know PPG and dupont and basf you have a window of time that you can clear it after the base coat without re-sanding for proper adhesion. they say no more than 24 hrs at least thats what the paint reps tell us. Obviously painting cars in a body shop is much different because you have to keep the production to keep moving. Just wondering what was the purpose of waiting so long. I dont know your experience with painting but when you spray your base coat you should spray it dry, you should get your shine from your clear so if you spray your base dry it should be able to be tacked with a tack rag in a few minutes (depending on temp too) and ready for clear. Not knocking you at all or trying to be rude (hope I didnt come off that way) just giving you my .02. I sure you know what you are doing you have obviously proved yourself and your work is great
Thanks for reading Fastasssr20
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Post by Andy on Feb 6, 2009 9:42:56 GMT -5
andy - I am going to upgrade the front shocks too, eventually! The OEM's have about 2500 miles on them and are starting to feel a bit tired so I would really like a set of NCY's to put on there. Nice. I really want to upgrade all my shocks and forks on my scooter. Plus maybe make a fork brace. They really help tighten up the front end.
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Post by 2btiger on Feb 6, 2009 12:44:53 GMT -5
andy - I am going to upgrade the front shocks too, eventually! The OEM's have about 2500 miles on them and are starting to feel a bit tired so I would really like a set of NCY's to put on there. Nice. I really want to upgrade all my shocks and forks on my scooter. Plus maybe make a fork brace. They really help tighten up the front end. If your shocks are 300mm or better I just ordered these, and the people who I know run these say they work great, fully adjustable. *shocks on ebay*
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Post by shookupart on Feb 6, 2009 14:38:53 GMT -5
cant wait 2 see the green... I like the kawasaki green a lot. this oughta b good. Very cool and please do photos of reassembly. Im curious to see how your wiring harness will look. Some suggested running the majority of the wiring thru the frame. Are you going to put all the plastic on? say your not...I hope not anyway. Thanks for the heads up
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Post by gy6rocket on Feb 7, 2009 13:00:00 GMT -5
Well here is a pic after 2 light coats of the intense green, this stuff is so so bright! It almost looks like its radio active, but that's cool with me, the more visible the bike is the better my chances of cages not running into me. Don't worry shook, I am running minimal panels, a lot of the frame will be running exposed. Just enough to accent the matching wheels. For the clear coat I am waiting because I am putting multiple light layers of the green on, its very translucent so it gets blotchy if it goes on too heavy. Once all the layers are down the clear will be on after approx 24 hours.
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Post by shookupart on Feb 8, 2009 17:56:13 GMT -5
killer color my brother....what will the rims be? Take your time with the paint
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