Project "PorkChop" ... (newb to VTF)

[1987FXRS]

So I finally joined VTF.
Here's my ride so far. LOTS of work to make this beast reality. Still not finished, but rounding the corner to final form.
Idea: take a stock '87 FXRS, chop it, rake it (total 51 deg.), slam the rear all the way (swingarm touches frame), make it rigid but looks like springs (more to come on that!), old springer solo seat, Sporty tank, 200/50/18 rear tire... etc. and etc...

Feedback appreciated! I need to keep motivated to get this thing done it time to ride at least once this year!

here's the before:



and now currently:
(with stock length front tubes)

(with new +4" tubes and 7 degree raked accutronix trees)

[John R.]

Dude that bike is looking sweet.

[Homesick]

When're all those fenders going on?

No, seriously, looking good. Don't go TOO much longer or you'll have to articulate that thing to turn.

Joe

[1987FXRS]

thanks guys!
fenders are for another project....one of about six projects I have right now..."sigh"
-VW Pickup
-VW Pickup trailer
-Jeep CJ7 X2
-AMC Hornet
-VW Beetle ('69)
-VW Beetle ('57)
-Audi A4 Quattro (daily driver, but small plans for it)....
....always something.


does chopping this thing steam the FXR crowd or is this OK? (too late now I guess!)

[tegfxr]

thinking about doing the same sort of thing this way . not sure about your swingarm though mate . looks like the bikes snapped in half . just my opinion by the way . fair play for taking it on . the front end looks well nice

[Homesick]

My tastes in both car and bike modification are more conservative. I normally only change things for practical reasons (comfort, safety, reliability, etc). But man, you paid for yours and you're riding it. I wouldn't do it your way, but I can still appreciate your way. My brother doesn't like most of my choices, but he ain't kicked in a dime yet.

On top of all that, it's too late now.

Joe

[Ka-Ka]

does chopping this thing steam the FXR crowd or is this OK? (too late now I guess!)

No. In fact, probably the world's most famous FXR shares similar style. The "HD & Marlboro Man" movie bike is the reason I got into FXR's. This one's at 42 degrees with a +6" FLT front end, according to Easyriders mag.


That looks like a super clean neck cut & reweld you've done on yours. I'm going 40 degrees this winter and will obtain desired trail with triple-tree angle. Next time you have your camera handy could you snap a closer photo of your neck work? It would be appreciated.

Looking good so far.

[jduffy01]

bike looks awsome to me. personally i like the swingarm like that. just bought mine. justified it by telling the wife it is better than my sporty for 2 up riding, but you guys are killing me and making me want to slam the thing and slap a solo on it. i dont think 2 bikes with solo seats will fly though. keep us posted.

[1987FXRS]

thanks for the replies fellas...
oh and 2 bikes with solos is fine...one for you and one for her!
my wife has a 99 Sporty, so solo is fine. i imagine she'll be riding mine when she sees it all done. i'll probably have to build another one.

here's some pics of the process of rake. all of this was done with measurements done 20 times and with a laser and lines drawn everywhere. i am super paranoid when it comes to this:
original rake, you can see cut actually already

carefully cut up to top of frame but not all the way thru

heat and rake watching angle


cut 3/16" shapes to box in, actually there are internal horizontal pieces that I had to weld up too:

boxed in,

cleaned up and smoothing with a little filler

[tegfxr]

superb job on the neck mate . great to see pics too . thanks for sharing that

[yelkcorb]

To fit the 200 in the swingarm what mods where needed. I found where to get the offset kit but had trouble finding an aftermarket swingarm so i was thinking of modifying mine.

[1987FXRS]

the 200 will fit in the swingarm...it's just the new offset of the sprocket is what cuts things REALLY close. i am almost at maximum offset and minimum clearance of a new o-ring'ed chain to the tire. i could go maybe another 1/8" out on the sprocket, but I would have to switch from regular bolt heads (which I clearanced already) to the countersunk style like on the rotor side, and countersink my sprocket to accept those bolts. it may turn out i do that in fact. i ended up spreading the frame a 1/2 inch in each direction to make room for the chain to track thru the frame...wasn't expecting to have to do that. but now my rear fender can fit the frame a lot better.

I did cut .550" of the pivot area away from the left side and replaced the stock bearings with a polyurathane/oil impregnated brass bushing syle I fabricated. this was done to offset the motor/tranny
.550". I also cut and rewelded the front motor mount the same .550". sounds like a bit of work...and it was...but it will work well i think. it will be safe...and it won't cost me big $$$! i even thought of making a few kits up to resell. i don't know the legal stuff involved with vehicle saftey stamp of approval for resale though.

[1987FXRS]

again not much you can really see being done, but lots of little things being sorted out with clearances and mountings etc.
i got the rear fender cut out, the tank is close to done as far as mounting, and some other behind the scenes stuff. going back and forth on paint scheme decision...and pipes decision...and signals decision... and speedo decision...etc...








new LA Choppers 415 pipes...






i like those pipes on some other bikes, but i guess the bike just has to have the right shape. i was thinking my 2-2 upswept Hookers, the way they wrap around low on the motor, would scrape the ground too easily. i scraped them once already when i had them on the bike with mild lowering, the first ride! i am now sitting MUCH lower... so i whas looking for pipes that set higher and exit back or down from the top. i also had a set of Yaffe X-Pipes that looked very funny on the stockish FXR before i got the Hookers....now maybe those X-Pipes would look sweet. i look at this as somewhat of an art really, a rolling, thundering, metal sculpture. i don't really get offended by comments. in the end i like what i like and it has to reflect me. but i know thes pipes just aren't the way to go. any thoughts? maybe i'll see what the Hookers look like on it again tonight.

oh...i had 2-1 before and it cracked and broke off while on a ride! i think it was a RunRoader...ya that was it...
here's the X-Pipes a couple years ago. i'd opt for the blacked out ones if i got them again.:
.....


side note, last night i started to fine tune the chain clearance. ran out of acetylene, so i began complete disassembly...that thing is so dirty with grime and oil from being a daily ride. motor and tranny are about the only thing left in the frame. i need them to do the final chain clearance tonight, then they can come out and frame prep will begin.....

got acetylene tank filled, poked out the frame just a wee bit, chain clears exactly how i wanted it... i'm stoked! having high speed internet in the garage is so handy to relay progress updates!
signing off to go pull the motor/tranny....


i am looking into X-pipes again. i previously bought them for the obvious reason that they are very cool pipes IMO. but at the time my bike had a much different form, so they didn't look right. i agree that they would probably look pretty damn good on it now.

oh, i'm now down to bare frame! just a couple more mods like seat spring posts and tank mounts welded on and then it gets blasted, prepped and painted. i am sticking with black for color, but i haven't decided entirely how to execute it. i mean, i am back and forth on painting it like the ExileCyces, "Pure Sex Dragster" which is silver frame and glosss black tank/fender (looks awsome IMO). or entirely gloss black. or entirely hotrod satin black. it probably doesn't matter really because black in general is classic and always looks right on a bike. a chromed frame with satin black tank/fender combo has crossed my mind too...

[route66paul]

Is that your heat vision? I didn't know superman had a son.


[img=http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/3186/xraypm6.th.jpg]

[1987FXRS]

hehe!
ya, that was a funny angle. i thought it looked like that too.