Honda CA77 - My Dream Project - This may be a first
- Thread starter vwhammer
- Start date
Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you want to look at it) these bikes are not worth that much.Rocan said:
Rarely do I ever see these bike going for more than $3500 and those are super clean original examples.
On another note what am I overlooking that makes this extremely dangerous.
I know a fair amount about most suspension designs (both car and bike) and other than being down on dampening a bit and my springs being about 10% softer than they need to be I am not seeing the really dangerous part.
I do intend to ride this bike a lot so if someone wants to chime in an let me know what I am doing wrong perhaps I can make a few changes to make it "safe"
VonYinzer
Over 10,000 Posts
Well, the setup you have now will create a large amount of lateral and rotational movement anytime the bike is not perfectly upright. A motorcycle frame twists under acceleration, braking, cornering, etc... You have cut away a massive amount of the structure that resists the bikes almost natural tendency to collapse into itself. The shocks even twist under load. I am by no means a suspension guru, at all! That said though there is a large number of issues created by altering the frame and geometry of the suspension that could end in several very ugly ways. The bike could lose control at speed, the improper loads on the frame could cause structural collapse, the rear mount you have fabbed could twist and collapse, etc... There has been over 100 years spent figuring out suspension geometry, and new thing are learned every day.
Now... I hope you dont abandon this. Im sure you can find a way to correctly set this bike up. Just take your time and ask the questions (which youre doing) and make sure you cover all your bases. This really could be a very cool bike. Keep up the good work man.
Now... I hope you dont abandon this. Im sure you can find a way to correctly set this bike up. Just take your time and ask the questions (which youre doing) and make sure you cover all your bases. This really could be a very cool bike. Keep up the good work man.
K so I did some reinforcing of my shock mounts in the frame.
All I have left to do is add a couple of pieces of 1 inch square in up inside the frame to do some reinforcing and stiffening and all should be well.
I put all of my weight on it and bounced as hard as I could and I have to say it feels pretty good.
My weight does not compress the suspension enough to make the swing arm level but I think once the engine is in place the whole bike should level out nicely.
I also made the template for the piece that will close off the back side of the frame.
It still needs a notch to clear the flat stock I welded to the swing arm but I will get to that later.
I think I am going to bend up some 1/8 inch plate to built the rear most part of the frame that will hide my shocks and battery and function as the mounting point for the seat.
I obviously have not finished up the swing arm reinforcements but that will come in the next few days.
Until then...
All I have left to do is add a couple of pieces of 1 inch square in up inside the frame to do some reinforcing and stiffening and all should be well.
I put all of my weight on it and bounced as hard as I could and I have to say it feels pretty good.
My weight does not compress the suspension enough to make the swing arm level but I think once the engine is in place the whole bike should level out nicely.
I also made the template for the piece that will close off the back side of the frame.
It still needs a notch to clear the flat stock I welded to the swing arm but I will get to that later.
I think I am going to bend up some 1/8 inch plate to built the rear most part of the frame that will hide my shocks and battery and function as the mounting point for the seat.
I obviously have not finished up the swing arm reinforcements but that will come in the next few days.
Until then...
Spent a few hours in the shop today adding some more structure to the bike.
I added another bit to the swing arm.
I am going to put a slice in a piece of 1 inch round and slip it over the tire side of the flat stock that is locating the shocks.
Then I will be adding some .5 inch tubes to tie everything together and the swing arm will be pretty much finished other than finish welding and the making it pretty stage.
with the extra support on both ends of the shock mounts now I decided to really test out the suspension.
I hanged from a beam in the garage for balance and bounced up and down on the bike as hard as I could.
I really think once I get the back half of the bike closed up and the rear structure build up this thing is going to work really well.
I guess only time will tell.
I need to get some more steel before I can do much else so I tinkered with getting the engine running.
I sorted out most of the wiring and got the engine to barely turn over but it turns out my battery is junk so I need to get another one.
I am thinking maybe a little adjusting and maybe a carb rebuild and this thing could be roaring any day now.
I did manage to sell a bunch of the parts from the bike I am not going to use and make a couple of hundred bucks.
So I now actually have -$140 in the bike so far.
I don't know if it could get much cheaper than that.
well I know it could but it is not likely.
Until next time.
I added another bit to the swing arm.
I am going to put a slice in a piece of 1 inch round and slip it over the tire side of the flat stock that is locating the shocks.
Then I will be adding some .5 inch tubes to tie everything together and the swing arm will be pretty much finished other than finish welding and the making it pretty stage.
with the extra support on both ends of the shock mounts now I decided to really test out the suspension.
I hanged from a beam in the garage for balance and bounced up and down on the bike as hard as I could.
I really think once I get the back half of the bike closed up and the rear structure build up this thing is going to work really well.
I guess only time will tell.
I need to get some more steel before I can do much else so I tinkered with getting the engine running.
I sorted out most of the wiring and got the engine to barely turn over but it turns out my battery is junk so I need to get another one.
I am thinking maybe a little adjusting and maybe a carb rebuild and this thing could be roaring any day now.
I did manage to sell a bunch of the parts from the bike I am not going to use and make a couple of hundred bucks.
So I now actually have -$140 in the bike so far.
I don't know if it could get much cheaper than that.
well I know it could but it is not likely.
Until next time.
I made it a little further with some of the body work / frame structure stuff.
It's still not pretty but it will be soon.
I did come across a couple of issues.
First off is that my rear where is no where near 2.5 inches like I thought.
It is a 1.85.
So no wide rear tire unless I get a wider rear wheel.
Anyone ever widen a motorcycle wheel?
I have seen car wheels widened before but never a bike wheel.
I have actually made enough money selling parts from this bike that I could probably afford to buy a new wheel and call it a day.
In other news I think my rear shock idea is a no go.
The springs are just not stiff enough.
when doing my math I forgot to take into account the changes in the pivot points in relation to the load being applied.
Not a big deal though I have a much better shock from a mid 90s Ducati that I can use.
It has a much stiffer spring and adjustable dampening and should work a lot better.
It won't look as cool as my over under set up but it I can live with that if it means I get to actually ride the bike.
These are the types of things I deserve for building a bike without doing any planning.
The good news it that it fits in my frame side shock mount so all I have to do it change the swingarm side mount and mount it up.
So lets see if I can recalculate my running total so far for this build.
$50 for the dream.
plus.... well crap I don't know.
lets say $20 in steel.
plus $25 for the new rear shock.
There is the cost of my front brake set up but I am not entirely sure I can make them fit yet.
So that's $95 total so far.
As of today I have sold $314 in parts from the bike.
So that is -$219 which just happens to be enough for a new 16 x 3.5 rear wheel.
I have to get tires and spokes and a chain and whatever else I need to get this engine running but I will add that up when I get there.
Until next time...
It's still not pretty but it will be soon.
I did come across a couple of issues.
First off is that my rear where is no where near 2.5 inches like I thought.
It is a 1.85.
So no wide rear tire unless I get a wider rear wheel.
Anyone ever widen a motorcycle wheel?
I have seen car wheels widened before but never a bike wheel.
I have actually made enough money selling parts from this bike that I could probably afford to buy a new wheel and call it a day.
In other news I think my rear shock idea is a no go.
The springs are just not stiff enough.
when doing my math I forgot to take into account the changes in the pivot points in relation to the load being applied.
Not a big deal though I have a much better shock from a mid 90s Ducati that I can use.
It has a much stiffer spring and adjustable dampening and should work a lot better.
It won't look as cool as my over under set up but it I can live with that if it means I get to actually ride the bike.
These are the types of things I deserve for building a bike without doing any planning.
The good news it that it fits in my frame side shock mount so all I have to do it change the swingarm side mount and mount it up.
So lets see if I can recalculate my running total so far for this build.
$50 for the dream.
plus.... well crap I don't know.
lets say $20 in steel.
plus $25 for the new rear shock.
There is the cost of my front brake set up but I am not entirely sure I can make them fit yet.
So that's $95 total so far.
As of today I have sold $314 in parts from the bike.
So that is -$219 which just happens to be enough for a new 16 x 3.5 rear wheel.
I have to get tires and spokes and a chain and whatever else I need to get this engine running but I will add that up when I get there.
Until next time...
Actually there is tons of room for a wider wheel on the existing hub.
The rear sprocket is spaced out really far.
I will have to post a pic of the hub tomorrow.
I did not want a 3.5 but it is the only other option other than a 1.6 and 1.85 in a 16 inch wheel that I can find.
I suppose I could get a 17 inch wheel and that would open up a few more widths but then I have to get new spokes as well.
The rear sprocket is spaced out really far.
I will have to post a pic of the hub tomorrow.
I did not want a 3.5 but it is the only other option other than a 1.6 and 1.85 in a 16 inch wheel that I can find.
I suppose I could get a 17 inch wheel and that would open up a few more widths but then I have to get new spokes as well.
VonYinzer
Over 10,000 Posts
Im sorry... I was under the impression that you were getting a completly new wheel from a different bike all together. I didnt realize that you were just putting a 3.5 wheel on the stock hub. Youll have issues with that as well, as your spokes will not fit correctly. They will be angled wrong. You can get new spokes, but get ready to spend.
Yeah I am going to do some smoothing and rounding on my rear frame work and I think I am going to box in the swing arm and smooth it out some so it all sort of looks more like the stamped sheet metal that made the dream what it was initially.Curbcast said:
Of course mine will look a lot cooler.
I just need to figure out a cheap alternative for a wider rear wheel so I can fill in the stupid wide swing arm some.
Well I may have to slow down a little.
I have several projects and I need to get crackin' on my V8 VW project
Some of the more astute viewers of this thread may have noticed it in the background of a couple of shots of the build.
Anyway the dream will be in the garage and I will work on it when I can but I have some parts coming in for the VW and it has priority over all of my other projects.
I am still working on the rear wheel thing and I will get some tires and get all of my wheels together as well as the rear suspension.
Then I can work on the aesthetics of the whole thing.
I will update this thread ever chance I get.
More later.
I have several projects and I need to get crackin' on my V8 VW project
Some of the more astute viewers of this thread may have noticed it in the background of a couple of shots of the build.
Anyway the dream will be in the garage and I will work on it when I can but I have some parts coming in for the VW and it has priority over all of my other projects.
I am still working on the rear wheel thing and I will get some tires and get all of my wheels together as well as the rear suspension.
Then I can work on the aesthetics of the whole thing.
I will update this thread ever chance I get.
More later.
valvesprung
Over 1,000 Posts
Oh I remember that car... 
;D
;DAh yes. It has been nearly 4 years since it was in Eurotuner.
Those were not so good times. I was broke as a joke and I had to drive an hour to work on the car in someone else's garage.
Things are going better now and I need to get cranking if I plan to drive this thing anytime soon.
However with cold weather coming it means the dream gets shoved to the back burner for a bit.
I have attempted to contact Eurotuner again to get some more car updates in there but I can seem to get through.
Oh well I will just let the magazines come to me when it is finished.
I know it may sound cocky but hey we are all rockers here and cocky is sort of our thing.
This car is going to be epic when it is finished.
Those were not so good times. I was broke as a joke and I had to drive an hour to work on the car in someone else's garage.
Things are going better now and I need to get cranking if I plan to drive this thing anytime soon.
However with cold weather coming it means the dream gets shoved to the back burner for a bit.
I have attempted to contact Eurotuner again to get some more car updates in there but I can seem to get through.
Oh well I will just let the magazines come to me when it is finished.
I know it may sound cocky but hey we are all rockers here and cocky is sort of our thing.
This car is going to be epic when it is finished.
