| Author | Message | ||
     1_mike |
For anyone wanting a good solid grip of the back of your bike while on a rear "V" type stand...here's one way to do it...for cheap. Sorry no pictures.... I bought a pair of Lockhart Phillips, Pro Impact Sliders. They are a good slider and a solid lift point. The part number is L464-0010, about 27 bucks. I measured a point 3.540" foward from the "back" (rearmost point) of the swing arm, and midway between the bottom of the swing arm and the mid-line cast into the swing arm. Drill a .312" dia. (or 8mm if you have metric drills) hole thru the outside wall only...deburr. Blow out all the chips. I used a "flanged" nut similar to the ones holding the belt idler pulley to the engine, to lock the slider in place. I also used some blue Loctite to secure the nut. I had to use tape to secure the nut into the "open end" of a wrench because the nut is buried far enough back that I couldn't get my fingers back there... The swingarm is about .25" thick at this point, so there should be no problem with good support. Unlike the wimpy little 6mm fastener and bushing holding the 1125's lift points in place. Anyway...just one way of using the "V" notch, swing arm type lifts, be able to remove the rear tire/wheel AND...have nice solid sliders too. Mike (Message edited by 1_mike on May 25, 2009) | ||
| Iamarchangel |
I know others have drilled into their swingarm to do this. It just gives me the willies to think of what it might be doing structurally. It would be nice to hear from some engineers. My swingarm looked shaky because of the angle but once it was up on the stand, it was level. Good enough for me. | ||
| 1_mike |
angel I am an engineer. Actually, a "Test Engineer". I test and verify things all day long. Sometimes...I also get to stress things to breakage...but not very often. They think I have too much fun doing things like that! I work for a major aerospace firm in So. Cal. Have for the last 12+ years. Was a Manufacturing Engineer for the prior 20yrs. Does that help? Mike | ||
| Bombardier |
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| Iamarchangel |
Okay, that moves the idea up several notches. Destructive testing: great fun. My work gets tested every three months (small sample) and annually (all day project, if I pass). And then they break it. Well, the three month one has to break somewhere besides my weld. The annual, the piece is cut top, bottom, and side. It's not supposed to break. Fun to see it but I have to do all the work to get there. | ||
| 1_mike |
Bom - Ok..I give...how'd that happen? I see no holes that may have started that happening. You show...but with no explanation...!? And that's even on the large side. Many things can cause this (picture), again...you don't say. I had a Yamaha FZR1000 (actually three of'em), the block that was welded into the sheet alum. tube that held the axle had two big slots in it...from the factory...! There was also no high angular support as designed in (such as the Buells have). While it was an extruded piece of material, there was far less material holding that axle in place than the XB's have...as measured in many square inches. Now, I will agree that if I get hit hard, or crash and the bike slides and hits a tree, wall, power pole, etc., that yes, the swingarm most likely will break where ever contact is made and or the weakest point. The point here is the rest of the bike will likely be junk also. Maybe....the casting is bad. Yes this is a possibility. One I'll deal with that if/when the time comes. Will let you know if cracks develop. I put it thru some rough roads on the way to work this morning...42 miles of...no babying it. Plus...on the rough side, the rear spring is on the max. setting and the last time I checked, I'm about 6ft. and weigh about 240lbs., so I'll give it a workout. Mike | ||
| Randomchaos |
The broken rear swingarm was cause by a padlock used as a disclock, that just so happened to be forgotten when he tried to ride it  | ||
| Bombardier |
Kryptonite Disc Lock actually. Only took the paint off it. Would thoroughly recommend them to anyone. Despite your qualifications and experience 1_mike, do you think it is wise to advocate the introduction of stress risers on a cast alloy reinforced suspension component? The structure was struck from above in a radial path by the disc lock which has a rounded surface. The fracture started at the disc caliper mount holes which are cast and rounded on their circumference, giving a reduced opportunity for stress risers. My point is that this structure should not be drilled, cut or welded as it has been designed and manufactured to a standard with a known safety factor. By drilling, welding or cutting you are eliminating this safety factor. My 2 cents. (Message edited by Bombardier on May 26, 2009) | ||
| Randomchaos |
I know many that have tracked out their Buells have drilled and tapped some spool mounting points on the rear swingarm like you describe having done. Hell, you have to drill a hole close to the rear axle to safety wire it dont you? It should be fine I think | ||
| 1_mike |
Bom - Without being there...I'd say the person letting the clutch out also had some authority twisted into the throttle to do that damage. And for what it may be worth...the factory "welded" a hole on the right side of these arms...so that's a non-subject. Along with the "formed" and cast details...welded together to form a complete frame...otherwise, this frame and swingarm would not exist! As for your last statement..., past the factory welding, maybe so, maybe not. I found it somewhat sad that in this modern day that Buell couldn't/didn't feel required to offer a safe, solid way to jack up the back of their bikes...which also would allow the removal of the rear tire/wheel. I'd be willing to bet many racers have drilled, ground or otherwise removed material from their swing arms for the addition of safety wire....a hole is a hole...correct? Now all that would take a back seat to those that may be doing 100mph stoppies, or continually crushing pop cans (stoppies) or any hard core offroading...no expressed or implied warranties or guaranties given. And you may be correct on one account, I have no control on the way a person may go about drilling, and deburring any given hole in any portion of their motorcycle. Mike | ||
| Ducbsa |
I don't think one hole would weaken it significantly. Steel beams in buildings have all sorts of holes drilled/punched in them. Shoot, look at a bar joist http://news.thomasnet.com/images/large/010/10255.j pg it has mostly air between the top and bottom. | ||
| Bombardier |
My hand on the throttle on my bike at just above idle with bags full of groceries. Lock travelled about 270 degrees before striking the swingarm. Unsure about other markets but the swingarm on this bike in Australia has the same requirement for certification as the frame due to its composition. Remove the cert sticker here and they can take you of the road. This being the case any mod to the structure will void the cert and make the bike unroadworthy. My point about the caliper mounting hole was this - all that could be done to reduce the chance of creating a riser has been done to this item by the factory and yet it still failed at that point. Drilling a raw hole in the swingarm should not be advocated. My 2 cents. | ||
| 1_mike |
I'll let you know if it fails while in my possession. I've been told by others not do do things for a long time. Can't do this, can't do that.. B.S. I was told that you can't weld (by...!?) on a cast swing arm. Well....I reworked a Honda single sided swing arm to work on my 89, Yamaha FZR1000. It required machining off the original shock lug (mount) and welding on another in its place. Plus some other work here and there for clearances. For a stressed member that wasn't supposed to work...it went about 65,000 miles on that bike, I transfered it to a 90 FZR1000 and drove it to full 102,000 (the bike had 2000 on it when switched) miles... I then sold it to a guy in England that is STILL driving on it. I know this because I received a note from him in Feburay telling me just that. So yea...I do things that sometimes goes against the grain. If I think it's safe I'll do it...so far I've had no failures while mixen and matchen parts. The thing is...it's just not fun having the same ol thing that every Joe has. Maybe that's why my 4 wheel vehicle is a 59 Studebaker. And with this old tech., I've worked for the last year to obtain the best flowing (non-welded) Stude heads available from anyone, or that anyone knows about. I guess I'm very glad I live in a place that lets me play. Not to....sounds very boring. Mike | ||
| Zatco81 |
Somebody may remember this but not long ago there was a link to a European forum that outlined a custom paint job on Lightning. He cut and welded a big ass hole in the side of his swingarm and it looked freakin sweet. As the text was all in german(?) I don't know if anybody told him it was a bad idea or not. Anybody have this link? Found it and I think it's in French. My apologies to the German people. http://buell.actifforum.com/buell-personnalisee-f5/lemmy-s-buell-project-t1671.htm (Message edited by zatco81 on May 28, 2009) | ||
| 03worc9r |
that bike looks great. the finished bike is on page 39. I suggest looking at every page to see the time and work put into it. definitely a beauty. | ||
| 12x9sl |
That is quite possibly the coolest Buell I've ever seen! Very cool! | ||
| 1_mike |
Zatco - I can't see the pictures here at work...but I'd bet, with your note about "welded"... If he did as I might suspect and did it correctly...he/they actually removed very little strength. Cutting a "big ass" hole without support is..yes a bad thing! But, as soon as a proper piece of tubing is welded in and supported properly, little actual strength is lost..! Mike | ||
| Zatco81 |
...so it is possible to alter the holy factory's design and still be structurally sound...it just depends on how you do it. | ||
| Ducbsa |
Regarding the French bike, my only comment is I would have had less chrome. Other than that, great workmanship. |
