My R4

[Variablevalves suck]

Looking nice,
What's the headlight off?

[Maelstrom]

See the second post. They are 90mm Hella.

[Maelstrom]

Long time no post.
Finally sorted out a design I like to mount the headlights. This is just a mock up. I will make some Ti panel washers etc for the final assembly.

[Maelstrom]

Another long time since posting. I bought a lathe and used that to make the bits and pieces from titanium to assemble the headlight bracket.


and the assembly looks like this. The screws are supposed to be low head cap screws (they will fit flush) but I am waiting for those to arrive. The complete assembly without lights and adjustment screws weighs 270 grams, and with lights 1217. The standard 3TJ1 headlight weighs 1660 grams.

[Maelstrom]

Onto the next task, make a new titanium steering stem. The one I had made was not accurate enough and is now scrapped. Hence the need to buy my own lathe.


I finished it to less than 10 microns, way better than was hoping for.

[Maelstrom]

No, no, not Sharkenstein, Clampenstein!
Santa didn't bring me a CNC milling machine so have to do things the hard way.
Start with an R1 top clamp and bone saw,

make jig

perform clampectomy,

and close wounds.

Now a bit of tidying up and will be ready for paint. My Thai buddy let me attack his Hass VF7 VMC but I was ill prepared, so boring the front wheel to take the R1 bearings is not yet done and that is holding up the front end now. I have to work on the workholding for the wheel. We came up with a new plan but I am still worried about chatter.

[Maelstrom]

After a Millennium:
Took a while to get the thread sorted but I just chased it with a threading die for the final pass. I finished the bearing journals on this stem to +/- 0.005mm. That is the machined finish, no polishing. I am glad that I bought the lathe and did it myself. Have not been able to get the wheel finished yet and nothing I can do about that. Can't ask my friend to stop making money on his machine just so I can use it. Next pic will be of the forks mounted into the frame.

[Maelstrom]

Hi Guys,
Been a long delay in getting my front wheel bored to accept the R1 wheel bearings. Anyway here are the triple clamps after painting,

and the wheels being measured after machining. In the first pic (LH side) you can see the bush I made to fill in the gap left by disposing of the speedo drive. Finished size is within 4 microns of my target. Gotta be happy with that.

[Maelstrom]

Wheels powder coated so onto making axle spacers etc.

[Maelstrom]

Got some Pirelli Angel GT2's, could not get a 120/60 for the front in Thailand so had to use a 120/70. Should be okay. The 400 disc centres are steel so I bought some el-cheapo chinese discs with alloy centres. If they wear out quickly, I think I can swap the rotors over by using some buttons I bought from the UK. Waiting for some genuine R1 caliper bolts to turn up and then I need to get a batch of fasteners nickel plated. After that the wheel go on and I can wheel the chassis out of the skull cave.