Author Topic: Goldwing front end swap -- problems solved; now includes a how-to! (Read 19860 times)

Noel · « **Reply #25 on:** July 08, 2006, 08:28:32 PM »

Quote

Honestly, I think it's a shame that there's more interest in picking over Noel's project than in helping him straighten out this disaster.

No worries, Orcinus. I know they're just goofing around. And even if Terry did have something constructive to say, it's not like it'd be worth listening to.

At any rate, I'm over it. It was about 90 degrees most of the day and I wasn't in a great mood even before this foolishness cropped up. I sat down at the computer ready to strangle someone. But hey, a couple of hours to think about it -- and a couple of beers to help -- and I'll just be back at it tomorrow. I mean hell, I'm trying to put a Goldwing front end on a CB500. If it went smoothly I'd be worried!

cbjunkie · « **Reply #26 on:** July 08, 2006, 08:31:47 PM »

dude - i'm having the same kind of weekend myself - total electrical meltdown, complete with fire under the gastank etc etc...

i finally just threw in the towel today after popping three new fuses and going through the bucket twice.

it'll get better.
don't worry - be happy...
junkie out...

(and let me know what you want for that stuff...

)

Noel · « **Reply #27 on:** July 08, 2006, 08:36:41 PM »

Well, that's part of the deal with old bikes, isn't it? I mean, when the things are perfect, that's something to be proud of. You know you earned it.

First $3,000 takes the front end. I'll even throw in a partially dissasembled '73 CB500. Ran when parked...

Orcinus · « **Reply #28 on:** July 08, 2006, 08:41:39 PM »

Maybe CBJ ought to save his money for a good fire extingusher... If you get a big CO2 you can also cool beer with it...

Honestly man, Glad you and the bike are ok, electrical problems suck. Especially ones that act like Mt. St. Helens.

cbjunkie · « **Reply #29 on:** July 08, 2006, 08:43:35 PM »

man, Noel, that's PRECISELY how i felt at about 6 o'clock today...but i got philosophical about it and that pulled me through - what you say is right - its what owning these bikes teaches you. it's really trying my patience...

i'm just kidding about the front end anyway - that's a project for next year...right now i just want to figure out the wiring problem. i'm a friendly neighborhood guru away from learning something useful...

Orca - ya - melting gonads are pretty sucky.

junkie out

Einyodeler · « **Reply #30 on:** July 08, 2006, 09:01:43 PM »

Hey Noel
If you can`t find someone to press it out for you then PM me & let me know, I have access to a hydraulic press at the wifes workplace.

Noel · « **Reply #31 on:** July 08, 2006, 10:22:29 PM »

Quote

man, Noel, that's PRECISELY how i felt at about 6 o'clock today...but i got philosophical about it and that pulled me through

6 o'clock, man... that's the magic hour... you either get philosophical or homicidal... thank god for beer!

pmpski_1 · « **Reply #32 on:** July 08, 2006, 10:30:21 PM »

d'oh. I have a GL1000 front end waiting to get put onto a 550. I guess I'll come across the same problem.

I've been having a bad time too. My starter switch stopped working, so while I was investigating it I decided to swap handlebars to some drag bars that I had. Once I had everything together, the starter button was shorted and the starter constantly ran when I turned the key. I took it apart and fixed that problem, but now the bike refuses to start!?! It's perfect riding season here too. Dammit.

Noel, make sure to update the thread with how you solved this. I'm very interested in the solution....

cbjunkie · « **Reply #33 on:** July 08, 2006, 10:40:25 PM »

you see, Terry - the Lord will provide...

quietlikeachurch · « **Reply #34 on:** July 08, 2006, 10:58:34 PM »

I'd investigate swapping stems...but beyond that you have to get (well, even more) creative. Maybe the 500 trees have enough meat on 'em to bore out the fork holes to 37mm? Maybe head off to a good welder who can add metal to the trees and then bore? And then brace everything? Mind you, I've never seen a 500 tree so I don't know, just thinking out loud...I hate to see people flat out stopped by projects they've gotten so far into moneywise or laborwise (not sure which hurts more...

).

Good luck!
-Ian

pmpski_1 · « **Reply #35 on:** July 09, 2006, 12:03:53 AM »

Quote from: quietlikeachurch on July 08, 2006, 10:58:34 PM

Maybe the 500 trees have enough meat on 'em to bore out the fork holes to 37mm? Maybe head off to a good welder who can add metal to the trees and then bore? And then brace everything?

I was thinking about boring them to 37mm. I have some CBX triples with the tapered bearings and would love to use those instead. I don't know though. They were engineered this way for a reason... And we're talking bye bye if something went wrong and it broke at 60 mph.

Noel · « **Reply #36 on:** July 09, 2006, 01:21:01 AM »

The problem with boring them is that the fork legs need to be quite a bit farther apart to accommodate the double disks of the GL1000. I've been turning the whole thing over in my head for the last few hours and don't see any reason why the stem press-and-swap won't work. I just need to find a place with a press, which shouldn't be too tough in SoCal.

And if it is, I'll take Einyodeler up on his offer, which I really do appreciate.

puppytrax · « **Reply #37 on:** July 09, 2006, 07:20:50 AM »

Quote from: MRieck on July 08, 2006, 06:17:22 PM

Just as a tech note....it takes a talented(master) lathe operater to continue existing threads. It's a real #$%* and isn't for "hobbyist".

I've worked as a machinist and have my own lathe; matching a thread isn't too much a problem for me...but a *Metric* thread; ah, there's a cast-iron #$%*...

Lumbee · « **Reply #38 on:** July 09, 2006, 07:33:31 AM »

...I was gonna say the same thing...even if you find a machinist that would lengthen the threads, when you tell him (or her?) its metric they will immediately balk. Anyone from asia reading this. I wonder if there is a guy in malaysha right now with a Harley looking for a machinest that has a standard pitch thead die...

puppytrax · « **Reply #39 on:** July 09, 2006, 09:09:48 AM »

Quote from: The great "Lumbee" on July 09, 2006, 07:33:31 AM

I wonder if there is a guy in malaysha right now with a Harley looking for a machinest that has a standard pitch thead die...

Mwahahahaha!!!

You know, I recall reading that Soichiro copied a pre-WWII Harley for his first bike...supposedly, the motorcycle used in the film "Tora! Tora! Tora!" was actually one of those Japanese V-twins; not a Harley...

bill440cars · « **Reply #40 on:** July 09, 2006, 10:00:40 AM »

If memory serves me correctly, they were called "Rikuo" or something like that. To me they looked like the motor design was about 10yrs or so behind the design of the rest of the bike.

Later on, Bill

Bodi · « **Reply #41 on:** July 09, 2006, 12:28:10 PM »

Maybe the USA is different, but here in Canada a few years ago you could get a nice used Imperial lathe pretty cheap as the industry installed new machines with metric/imperial capability...
Even American cars have a LOT of metric fasteners, USA machine shops pretty much have to be able to handle the system used by, well, the entire rest of the world.

Orcinus · « **Reply #42 on:** July 09, 2006, 03:32:36 PM »

Most of the industrial sized lathes DO metric threads, it's all about having the gearing to thread at the right rate for the rpm. The problem is that most American machinists (myself included) don't have any experience in cutting metric threads. Judging by my Machinery's Handbook (aka the Machinist's Bible) there are ALOT of different metric threads possible, while I could cut threads to the dimensions specified, without a little experience it's real hard to determine which set of spec's to use. I've been a machinist for about 26 years and with the exception of fasteners that are easier to buy off the shelf, have never worked in Metrics.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #43 on:** July 09, 2006, 06:09:48 PM »

Well I reckon the stem swap is probably gonna be the easiest solution as long as the top triple will accept the 500 stem, I have shortened stems before with good results.

I fitted a pair of Kawasaki ZZR1100 forks to a Suzy GS1000S frame a few years ago, and of course the stem was too long, on top of that the GS1000 stem wouldn't fit in the Kawasaki top triple either, so I pressed out the kawasaki stem, and on my lathe, used my parting tool to lop about an inch out of the centre, between the two bearing surfaces.

I then machined a solid steel 5 inch long "plug" and fitted it (with the help of the press) into each half of the stem, then after checking that it was true with a dial gauge, slotted and plug welded each section and then checked it again for trueness. I suppose I could have pinned it as well, but over the next year that I used it on the bike, (eventually swapping it for a Suzy GSXR1100 front end which dropped straight in) it was fine.

I certainly wouldn't advocate boring out the triples, there's not much meat there to start with, but as Noel has already mentioned, that wouldn't work anyway due to caliper spacing issues, etc. Cheers, Terry.

ohiocaferacer · « **Reply #44 on:** July 09, 2006, 06:57:14 PM »

Noel,

You gonna need to grind off that weld on the bottom of the CB500 lower triple clamp.....then use at least a 12 ton hyd press to pop it out. Be EXTREMELY careful if you do this on your own....they pop out the bottom pretty good....best is to take it to a professional(thats what I did on the GSXR750/CB350 project). I have never done the goldwing swap, but you should be able to press that stem right back into the goldwing lower clamp(after your remove its stem). Welding it back is up to you......i'd take some measurements of the stem base and the inner part of the goldwing lower clamp...if it looks marginal.....i'd weld it up.

Once you get the stems swapped.....you can use taper roller bearings for the CB500 to fit to the head tube. Then the rest of the goldwing front should slide into place.

One thing I can tell you from when I did the GSXR750 frontend swap into the CB350......with each solution to a problem...waits another. Stick with it dude.....you'll get it worked out.

Later,
Greg

Noel · « **Reply #45 on:** July 09, 2006, 07:45:29 PM »

Thanks for the info, Greg. I don't have any 12 ton hydraulic presses laying around so I plan on finding someone to do it for me. All I learned today is that nobody's open on Sunday. Where did you go to have it done? Bike shop, truck repair, etc.?

At any rate, the only dimensional difference I can find is length. Threads, races, everything else appears to be identical. It actually occurred to me that I could cut out a section from the GL1000 stem and then plug and weld it, as Terry mentions, but I've already ground off the welds on both pieces so will proceed with the press idea.

Thanks again for everyone's help.

volthause · « **Reply #46 on:** July 10, 2006, 10:21:30 AM »

I haven't done my swap yet, but I've pretty much decided that I'm going to use a 550 stem and machine custom top and bottom trees. I've got the forks, brakes and such already.

I'd be interested in hearing what you're going to do about the extra fork length.

ohiocaferacer · « **Reply #47 on:** July 10, 2006, 11:10:27 AM »

The few goldwing swaps that I have seen....usually just slide the tubes up in the upper clamp to get the correct ride height, then just have about 2" of fork tube above the upper clamp.

If it was me....I think i'd have some new upper tubes made....the correct length, over at Forking by Frank.

Later,
Greg

cbjunkie · « **Reply #48 on:** July 10, 2006, 11:31:10 AM »

with 2" left you could accessorize!

cup holder
ashtray
i pod speakers
...use your imagination!

ohiocaferacer · « **Reply #49 on:** July 10, 2006, 11:41:07 AM »

Quote from: cbjunkie on July 10, 2006, 11:31:10 AM

with 2" left you could accessorize!

cup holder
ashtray
i pod speakers
...use your imagination!

....a big race wing!!

Like you see on those wanna be fast/furious cars!!

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Author Topic: Goldwing front end swap -- problems solved; now includes a how-to! (Read 19860 times)