Rearset challenge

This is the first and last time that I will bring this up, unless someone shows interest or would want to get involved. It's just an Idea that I had last night thinking about the price of rear-sets offset to their simplicity, and how the newer sport bike rear-sets don't match old school styling of most cafe bikes. IMO It would be like putting 24"spinners on a ford model t.

I have been very discouraged finding what I want for the price I want to pay. I have also been very discouraged at the lack of information available on the net and magazines about DIY rear sets, and I am sure I am not the only one in this boat. I have found a few promising builds that have a little about DIY rear-sets. I was wondering if the semi competitive and brilliant DoTheTon members would want to do a rear-set challenge to get the ideas thrown out on the table specifically about DIY rear-sets, designs, and leverage theory. The information could be concentrated in the rear-set & BRAKES section and would be priceless to the community.

I came up with some rules that would give everyone a semi fair chance.

Just a quick list of rules.

1 Rear-set design must be safe and come in under $55.36 US

2 Rear-sets must be actually built.

3 Rear-sets must be made from readily available materials that anyone would have access too.

4 Motorcycle parts may be used, but only from the same year or earlier year of bike the rear-sets are going onto.

5 Tooling used must be common among garages. example: Hand tools, Files of various sorts, hacksaws, vices, drill-presses, bench-grinders, grinders, crap like that. I don't see a whole lot of garages with cnc or Haas machining centres, so those cant be used.

6 Work should be documented in his or her own thread preferably in the rear-set & BRAKES section with "DIY rear-sets" somewhere in the title

7 The reward would only be ego stroking the better designs.

I would be down for that man. I have Tarozzi's on Gretta, but the Buell that I just bought has some issues with the rearsets (cheaply made, and bent from a previous owner's high side), so I am planning to build some for her out of some aluminum plate that I have here. It's more of a modern cafe, but Buell parts are hard to find, and expensive when you do. She is in store for a paint job and such anyway. I can't leave anything alone. : : :

If that's your criterion then you're locked into hacksaw and file work. Not a terrible thing and certainly inline with the whole grassroots thing but.....
you can give up on having precision parts machined.

Your best bet then for cheapo but not fall apart rearsets would come together something like this:
Parts list
3) gear shift levers from whatever bike you want to cannibalize
2) Oilite bushings turned to fit the levers and reamed to say..... .378"
2) .375" stainless shoulder bolt and nylock nuts to match
bronze brazing rod and either Oxy-Ass heat wrench or Mappgas
scrap mild steel at least .250" thick
.375" aluminum rod and whatever clevis/rod ends you want to use
tools and the knowledge to use them safely

Weld the shoulder bolts to your passenger peg brackets such that when the levers are in place you'll be able to toe them effectively. Cuts, file and swear at teh scrap steeel until you have a piece to braze to the levers in whatever you you need to that'll actuate the shift and brakes. Fit the Oilite bushings into the levers and bolt'm on.
Take your third lever and hack it off and drill/tap to fit a clevis and then work up that aluminum rod as a shift linkage. Brake linkage with have to be done to suit whatever type of rear brake you have.

There you have it.......simple.

Or buy Torrozzi's......they've been around long enough to be 'period correct' and for $150 or so all you have to do is mount'm..

well i fail at the year part... but mine where built for like 30 bucks! flipped the brackets upside down... worked great! had to make some of my own linkage, but that is expected!

Chop styx and duct tape?

My bike doesn't need them/ My foot cant turn in the standard rear set position, my legs are too long... but I'm interested "just because"

Swagger said:

If that's your criterion then you're locked into hacksaw and file work. Not a terrible thing and certainly inline with the whole grassroots thing but.....
you can give up on having precision parts machined.

Your best bet then for cheapo but not fall apart rearsets would come together something like this:
Parts list
3) gear shift levers from whatever bike you want to cannibalize
2) Oilite bushings turned to fit the levers and reamed to say..... .378"
2) .375" stainless shoulder bolt and nylock nuts to match
bronze brazing rod and either Oxy-Ass heat wrench or Mappgas
scrap mild steel at least .250" thick
.375" aluminum rod and whatever clevis/rod ends you want to use
tools and the knowledge to use them safely

Weld the shoulder bolts to your passenger peg brackets such that when the levers are in place you'll be able to toe them effectively. Cuts, file and swear at teh scrap steeel until you have a piece to braze to the levers in whatever you you need to that'll actuate the shift and brakes. Fit the Oilite bushings into the levers and bolt'm on.
Take your third lever and hack it off and drill/tap to fit a clevis and then work up that aluminum rod as a shift linkage. Brake linkage with have to be done to suit whatever type of rear brake you have.

There you have it.......simple.

Or buy Torrozzi's......they've been around long enough to be 'period correct' and for $150 or so all you have to do is mount'm..

Click to expand...

Maybe my point was missed. I'm not looking for advice. I want to see what future or current builds will do. I have my own idea how I will do my own set, but thanks anyway. I did not get the skills that I have by buying and bolting on parts that I could have built myself. Its just not my style to do that. Where is the challenge in it? Granted there are some things that need to be bought, but paying 300 bucks for a chunk of cast aluminium with some $10 hardware store parts. nonsense.

JRK5892 said:

well i fail at the year part... but mine where built for like 30 bucks! flipped the brackets upside down... worked great! had to make some of my own linkage, but that is expected!

Click to expand...

JRK5892, your ideas are always bitchin and bad ass. If you wouldn't have mentioned that you failed at the year part I would have never known. Those rear-sets look spot on.

they where made out of GSXR rear sets... really any 90's style rocket rear sets can be made to work

So you're asking everyone else to come off of their ideas while not revealing your own? Why not participate in this chalenge that you threw down?
I'm with Joe on just modifying modern crotch rocket rearsets. As his bike proves, they can look plenty vintage. Or just use your stock pegs and bits, create your own arms to mount them to, and your own brackets then buy the linkages. It seems like everyone makes this harder than it needs to be.
I would've participated in this, but my long gorilla arms make the stock peg location preferable to me, so no reason to mount something to my bike that is less comfortable for me than the current riding position. I'm kind of looking forward to seeing what happens with this though...

Deviant1,
Oh I will be participating, look for it in the next month. I kinda wish people would keep the ideas to yourself until they are ACTUALLY building the sets or have built them.

60 hour work weeks don't provide much time in the garage, but I do have plenty of time at work to draw/plan/scrounge. I will be using bearings instead of bushings, alum instead of steel, and I will still be well within budget. My materials are located and I will be in pursuit in the coming week or so.

I hope that works out for you sparky, but it seems perhaps you've missed you own point...... : Didn't mean to step on your pee-pee, but if you hadn't noticed this joint is built on the free trade of ideas at it's very foundation. All I did was throw out some ideas for those interested.
Best,
Swagger