Tracker 'ish V2.0

frwinks

frwinks

XS400 Addict
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The Hills, ON
Tracker V2.0

Since it looks like Ontario will not get much of "Canadian winter" this year and people are out riding already, it's time to get crackin' on V2.0 :bike:
The bike ran great last season, I don't have much to address in that dept, some wiring delete/cleanup, a 35W front bulb and engine needs a good clean up.
The handling and braking needed a lot of attention. The stock forks were in bad shape, one leg had no oil and couldn't be (easily) taken apart due to stripped bots, and the brakes needed a rebuild. Rather than putting bandaids on parts that were not meant for my kinda riding, I started collecting parts a few months back.
Here are some of them, quickly mocked up, just to give me a visual and motivation to keep going:laugh:

GSXR forks (came with a lower tree off of something that is a direct bolton on the xs:D. Don't know what it is from, but the xs tapered bearings were the same size top and bottom and the thing bolted right up)
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320mm MG rotor will be squeezed by an R1 bluespot caliper. Going to try to tuck that lamp as close to the forks as possible... I see a slimmer bucket in my future.
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The rear needs the most attention. The 16" wheel is getting replaced with this xs500 18" wheel and some new chunkies. The xs500 swinger will bet stretched and braced. The WB I had in mind is between 57"-60". I'll be using a rear R1 caliper for the back and some new more comfortable shocks are on order. The $60 specials nearly killed my kidneys last season...

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looks like someone cancelled winter in Canada, and an early spring means more riding time, time to get going on the mods...
Got together with a buddy of mine last night and while I was dicking around shaping a bracket for the R1 caliper, he cooked up a few spacers on the lathe. Since the 320mm Ducat rotor didn't have enough offset, a .5" spacer was crucial in making this whole thing work. He also turned some mild steel spacers to center the wheel in the new forks. All in all a great night in the shop and one step closer to getting back in the saddle:bike:
Something about freshly milled al, that just makes me giddy inside:D
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those blue spots are great, mines just bedding in at 300 miles although the holes in the disk makes an annoying zzing sound!
 
thanks guys, I managed to sneak in a couple of hrs last night and got the headtube cleaned up by removing the old fork stops


Compared the xs400 vs xs500 swinger and decided to chop up the 400 unit. It's longer than the 500 by a full inch, and since the brake stay wont line up with the R1 caliper anyways, I might as well start from scratch
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Cooked up a set of brackets for the R1 rearsets I'll be using. 1/4" plate with the same curves I used for the front caliper bracket. I love machined parts, but handcrafting metal leaves me somewhat more...fullfilled:D
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they'll go right about there
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just enough room for the kicker to squeeze by:D
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About your comment and pictures ...Compared the xs400 vs xs500 swinger and decided to chop up the 400 unit. It's longer than the 500 by a full inch, and since the brake stay wont line up with the R1 caliper anyways, I might as well start from scratch...

Looks like you already have these parts; but if you want a bolt on replacement swing arm that is about 1-1/2 inches shorter you can try the arm from a 1977-78 XS400 2E.
 
thanks for the tip Arc, I'm going the other way though, out the back, 2.5"-3.5" stretch over stock 80's xs400 length of 20.5". Sounds like the xs500 might use the same swinger as 1977-78 XS400 2E you mention here.
I'll keep the xs500 arm as a spare
 
frwinks said:
thanks for the tip Arc, I'm going the other way though, out the back, 2.5"-3.5" stretch over stock 80's xs400 length of 20.5". Sounds like the xs500 might use the same swinger as 1977-78 XS400 2E you mention here.
I'll keep the xs500 arm as a spare
Click to expand...

Oh. I always, almost, get it right. :shrug:
 
:Dshiney disco balls:D

Good progress made yesterday, got the swinger welded up and cleaned up, mounted the rearset brackets, mounted the new levers and ignition switch, plumbed the front brake, and mounted the rear brake res bottle (this being the highlight of the day:D)
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she's a rollaaaa'.... once again:D
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I'm tossed between the two tanks. So much more work to make the 250 tank flow right:banghead: And with the smaller capacity, might not work so well for my 150km daily commute:banghead: but on the other hand....it's sooooo sexy:smoke:

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I like the stock tank on there it looks like it flows with the bike better. The smaller tanks that sits on the smaller outside backbones looks like it is just stuffed there and is more messy. But it is your bike :laugh:
 
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