XS650 Monoshock

Sorry to dissapoint, but I worked out all that elementary stuff before I welded up the swingarm... The shock mount hoop of the swingarm is narrower than the frame tubes, giving the swingarm a potential travel of 9" at the axle before the swingarm and frame touch; much more than the suspension travel. The motion ratio of the wheel to the shock is right around 5.0" of wheel travel per the shocks total travel of around 2", so the motion ratio is right.

I can see how the pictures might "flatten" things and make the tubes look like they're all on the same plane, but I assure you, they're not.
 
BTW, google "xs650 monoshock" and you'll see that just about every monoshock is mounted in almost the exact same way, at the exact same angles and mounting points. I don't know how you can say it's full of fail...
 
For the record I didn't say anything about "fail" just wondering about the clearance issues. My thought was if the hoop is narrow enough to clear the frame tube then the left side could be too narrow and have chain conflict. My avatar bike is also my first bike build. It's an XS650 with an FZR600 S/A with the original linkage and it works great, built it back in '03, it's a fun bike to ride.
Cheers, 50gary
 
Yeah, some guy chimed in after you, saying something like "Yeah, that rearend is full of fail, it's going to have to be totally reworked". He's since deleted his post and skulked off somewhere else.
 
So I took a pic with the wheel up so you can see how the wheel movement relates to shock movement, and that the swingarm and frame shall never meet...

jdq0.jpg
 
The plug for the seat is almost done, just have to fill a few pinholes and wetsand down to a high gloss, then I'll make the mold. It has a nice big flange for bagging/infusion. I think i'll probably bag the parts instead of infuse, since most infusions have a problem with pinholes, and I want some carbon to poke through...

ywok.jpg
 
BTW the black specs all over my pictures are dust behind the Iphone5 camera lens... Grinding, welding, woodwork and fiberglass take a toll on my phones, and I refuse to buy a beautiful svelte phone and clod it in a giant case...
 
Ha, I was wondering if it was some type of filter or if you were developing 35mm and scanning it!

I had the same with my iPhone, it was pretty simple to take off the two screws at the bottom, slide the back off and blow it out.
 
JohnGoFast said:
Ha, I was wondering if it was some type of filter or if you were developing 35mm and scanning it!

I had the same with my iPhone, it was pretty simple to take off the two screws at the bottom, slide the back off and blow it out.
Click to expand...

I'm constantly astounded with the resilience (or my luck) of the phone. All the nice chamfered corners that came with the phone are now bashed in corners from being dropped 10 feet, the case itself has a good 1/16" bend over the length from some sort of trauma, and yet the screen hasn't broken. I think if I had a galaxy I would have lost one of the 5 pieces it smashes in to when it gets dropped...
 
So I bent and welded up a rear seat hoop. Bought a new 1" die and used .120 wall. Had to cut the rear and weld a tighter radius since I want my seat pan to sit over the tubes.

y0rd.jpg


I finished sanding and polishing the plug, then I sprayed on some pva, brushed on some gel coat and glassed the mould.

clgd.jpg


I built it up to 3/16" thickness. If I was going to leave it a freestanding mold I would have made it 3/8", but I'm foaming it into a box for support and durability. Pics of the mould and box to come later today...
 
Last night I laid up a splash off the mould to check shape and to have something to leave on the bike while I walk around the shop doing my regular work. I find that if I just leave it there and do something else for a week my thoughts on whatever part/problem I'm trying to tackle just sort themselves out in my subconscious. I love the tank shape I arrived at, but having just put the seat on I'm not 100% in love with it. Sure, it's basically the same as a 100 other cafe seats, but it needs to be perfect for me to like it.

I cut down the length, and shot it black to give it contrast. Let me know what you think. After seeing Tsuma's build I'm also considering a brat style seat, going back only as far as the top of the rear wheel. I want to keep the entirety of the seat ahead of the vertical line taken off of the highest point of the wheel. I like having the 21" rear sticking out, it's one of the main intents of the build...

Feedback always welcome, and solicited!

rmy1.jpg
 
Fiddled with my rearsets... I have "Old school speed" ones, designed for the xs650, but I haven't yet seen a pic of them installed on the brake side. Even with a different/modified kick I don't see how there could be room for the kick lever. Anyone else have them, and have hints?

I cut down the brake pedal and welded on some steel, for the short brake actuator, btw. It's the disc one, and I'm not sure how different the drum one is. Tips?

j4e7b.jpg
 
mathil said:
Last night I laid up a splash off the mould to check shape and to have something to leave on the bike while I walk around the shop doing my regular work. I find that if I just leave it there and do something else for a week my thoughts on whatever part/problem I'm trying to tackle just sort themselves out in my subconscious. I love the tank shape I arrived at, but having just put the seat on I'm not 100% in love with it. Sure, it's basically the same as a 100 other cafe seats, but it needs to be perfect for me to like it.

I cut down the length, and shot it black to give it contrast. Let me know what you think. After seeing Tsuma's build I'm also considering a brat style seat, going back only as far as the top of the rear wheel. I want to keep the entirety of the seat ahead of the vertical line taken off of the highest point of the wheel. I like having the 21" rear sticking out, it's one of the main intents of the build...

Feedback always welcome, and solicited!

rmy1.jpg
Click to expand...

A brat seat won't match the tank if you ask me. With your hard work is painful to say but your tank is a little wide and tall compared to the tail section you made. If you could slim down the bulging sides of the tank it and drop it's overall size 10% it would be cleaner looking.

With the slim wheels it really accentuates things that are non matching proportions.

Not sure if you can do this but look at the end of your seat compared to the rear tire and rear axle. It looks a biy short so if it was my bike I would slim the tank sides and stretch it to be longer pushing the seat further back which would also push your pegs back so you can use the Kickstart too. I think with those wheels the bike should be slender and long as an overall concept.
 
The seat/tank position can't go any farther back and still be rideable with clipons; I'm 6'5" and it's already quite a stretch.

It's funny how people see different things... I actually think a smaller hump would look better, less vertical with the hump section being shorter lengthwise. I'm going to cut some panel profiles and stare at it a while... Last night I bent a flexible piece over the top of the tank and back to make an arc out of the tank and seat and the line looked promising.
 
Proportions look good to me, but I think the top of the cowl shouldn't be horizontal but slightly sloping upward:


MBFBdHQ.jpg
 
mathil said:
The seat/tank position can't go any farther back and still be rideable with clipons; I'm 6'5" and it's already quite a stretch.

It's funny how people see different things... I actually think a smaller hump would look better, less vertical with the hump section being shorter lengthwise. I'm going to cut some panel profiles and stare at it a while... Last night I bent a flexible piece over the top of the tank and back to make an arc out of the tank and seat and the line looked promising.
Click to expand...

Ya with my idea clip on's wouldn't be an option. You would need custom handle bars. Those would also match the stretched theme. It's like that famoustskinny custom wood bike. It really pulls off the slim tires and wheels.
 
It's really subjective, but the seat shape doesn't look "right" with that tank. I suspect it's the roundness of the seat hump versus the sharper slab sides of the rear of the tank that mismatch. The tank has a very Benelli Mohave like shape and needs a seat that works with that oversize skinny rear tire. Much as I dislike tiny seat humps and short seats, I suspect that a very small hump would look right because it would accentuate the large diameter wheel where the current bump doesn't.

On a more serious note, what are you planning to do to stiffen that swingarm? As it is, it will bend at the brace and will fold up after a few hard bumps on potholes or speedbumps.

For the kicker, I'd remove it and blank it off for a more board track racer look and fit the electric foot which is pretty much unobtrusive on that motor. It will work well and look cleaner. IMHO
 
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