Author Topic: Drag Bike / The Big 4 Express. (Read 65857 times)

Don R · « **Reply #50 on:** January 11, 2014, 02:39:03 PM »

This clutch basket was chewed slightly on the face and the edges of the splines were bulged. It appeared a foreign object was caught between the clutch basket and it's opposite surface. I surveyed my options, a later model basket I have is taller and is held in place with a snap ring, the K2 isn't, and the newer one would possibly make clearance issues with the cover or the plate stack height. so I got out a stone and dressed the K2 basket until it fit nicely on it's spline.

Don R · « **Reply #51 on:** January 16, 2014, 10:34:00 AM »

The adapter plate I made at the back of the starter is soft 1/8" aluminum. It needs to be slightly thicker and probably steel.
The only problem I see is the drive gear is slightly smaller OD so the tooth engagement is slightly less. The starter turns OK when I rotate the short block backwards. I don't have the O ring in place yet just to make it easier to work with.

MoMo · « **Reply #52 on:** January 16, 2014, 10:37:31 AM »

Don I missed why you are using the busa starter, more cranking power? ...Larry

Don R · « **Reply #53 on:** January 16, 2014, 11:23:12 AM »

This engine is bored and stroked to 1124 cc, high compression and a magneto. The kicker was bent severly enough it wouldn't work anymore. I fixed that but want it to be self starting.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #54 on:** January 16, 2014, 01:10:15 PM »

That's good to know Don, my starter on my 836 is struggling a bit, I might have to source a 'Busa starter. Cheers, Terry.

Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er · « **Reply #55 on:** January 16, 2014, 03:18:13 PM »

Just on a 836?!

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #56 on:** January 16, 2014, 05:26:45 PM »

Quote from: Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er on January 16, 2014, 03:18:13 PM

Just on a 836?!

Yeah, the starter seems to be working harder than it did before I rebuilt the top end Jerry, so if I need to replace it anyway, I can't see any reason not to use a 'Busa unit? Hey, how long have you been "AKA Muthafcuker"? Is there a story there, or did you just give yourself the title?

Don R · « **Reply #57 on:** January 16, 2014, 07:06:16 PM »

I'm thinking the 900 Honda starter might be a better swap. I ordered this before I had all the 900 info. It seems the Kawasaki drag bike guys are using the 900 Honda starter on the big block kawi drag bikes to make them self starting and it cranks em good. There are two versions a 600 watt and an 800 watt. You would want the big one.
Most of the starter trouble on my 567" drag race engine have been caused by battery problems I always look at the battery and cables first.

Don R · « **Reply #58 on:** January 16, 2014, 07:33:59 PM »

We ain't sitting around whinin and wonderin, We just tear some #$%* up and see if it goes or not.

Next, to seperate the starter drive from the rotor. I'm thinking start with a grinder and a thin wheel, finish up on a lathe.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #59 on:** January 16, 2014, 09:37:36 PM »

That looks great Don, just put a rubber grommet between the cover and the connector and you'll be right to go. I'm gonna go out to my (115 deg F today) garage to look at a rotor and see what you're talking about. Cheers, Terry.

Don R · « **Reply #60 on:** January 16, 2014, 10:00:42 PM »

It's 16 deg F here. Too bad we can't trade some cool/hot air. We saw some extreme cold, minus 18F, wth the wind chill it was -40 and lower, a couple guys got stuck, left their cars and froze. In one case the passenger told the police there was a driver that walked away, they thought he was lying to avoid a dui and didn't look for the guy.

The PO of this bike told me he twisted the end off a crank running the full rotor so I'm not wanting to leave any more weight on the end than needed. It had no rotor at all when I took it apart.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #61 on:** January 16, 2014, 10:27:24 PM »

Damn my "Old Timers" Don, I went out to the garage, had a beer and a couple of cigarettes, looked at the bushfire smoke in the distance, watered my plants and came back inside. Oh well, out I go again............

Don R · « **Reply #62 on:** January 17, 2014, 08:22:57 AM »

Yep, I got it too.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #63 on:** January 20, 2014, 12:54:01 AM »

I love that shorty rear fender Don, I've gotta make me one of them. Cheers, Terry.

Don R · « **Reply #64 on:** January 20, 2014, 11:13:46 PM »

I stole the idea from the late PO and improved it. Sometimes when it's all going well I get the feeling he's watching over me and smiling. Other times, like when I looked inside the carbs, I'm pretty sure he's laughing.

Don R · « **Reply #65 on:** January 22, 2014, 09:30:41 PM »

I'm grumpy. I got my new gasket set, no crankcase oil passage 0 ring. I drove 30 miles to my favorite shop, oops they don't either. I hit 4 auto part stores no luck one more independent bike shop. He had 6 O ring kits, not one 3 x 18 he had a 3 x 20 but it won't stay put. I'm close to putting the old one back in with some hondabond and calling it done. Aide from that the cycleX standard gasket set looks good so far. I got a $40 metal base coated gasket for the chrome rocker cover on my 836 too. I'm hoping it works.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #66 on:** January 22, 2014, 11:03:26 PM »

Go for it Don, I've probably got a new O Ring for you here, but by the time you get it you could have splotched some Hondabond on the old one and have had your engine running sweetly, with no oil leaks. I've done it before with no issues. When I come back from Phillip Island, I'm gonna operate on my rear fender, then find a nice tail light. I had a Harley "Tombstone" tail light on my K1 back in the early 1980's and it looked good and worked well. Cheers, Terry.

MoMo · « **Reply #67 on:** January 23, 2014, 08:10:19 AM »

Don, I think that o-ring is in one of the HF kits. Nice work...Larry

Don R · « **Reply #68 on:** January 23, 2014, 11:33:14 AM »

The bike shop owner said he checked the HF kits. I'm going to get them anyway. I realized a nearby tractor dealer is also a Honda dealer. No bikes in stock but they can get parts. I'm getting part numbers together now. Thanks.

Rocket seals has all the O rings I'll need. I'm laying in a supply. Maybe I could put some kits together. Maybe make a fortune selling them at Honda prices.

Don R · « **Reply #69 on:** January 23, 2014, 08:15:03 PM »

I studied the K2 fork and tried to make a tubing spacer to lower it. There is a wire ring that holds the top bushing in place. My spacer didn't trap the wire and just pushed it down the tube.
My fix was get a junk fork set and take the bronze slider bushing out and remove the top flange so it can slide down the tube and capture the wire ring. That got me 1 1/4" of lowering and more sliding material (bushing) for the fork to work with. Then I cut a 1" tube spacer to put in between the bronze bushings. They are a different color because one set of tubes was full of water.

I'm leaving as much spring as I can install, they're fairly weak.

Don R · « **Reply #70 on:** January 23, 2014, 08:21:47 PM »

The top one is stock, the bottom one shows the top bushing that the snapring holds in place on the left then the tube spacer then the bushing I cut the flange off of. To the right of that is the wire ring that is captured by the groove in the bottom of the bushing.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #71 on:** January 23, 2014, 11:07:03 PM »

G'Day Don, I don't know how much suspension travel you'll need, but another way would be to shorten the damper rods?

I did the opposite years ago with my first BMW R100RS when the local BMW "Expert" installed a set of forks made up from a combination of R100/R65 components and the shorter R65 damper rods reduced the fork travel. Cheers, Terry.

Don R · « **Reply #72 on:** January 24, 2014, 12:19:30 PM »

I don't think shortening the damper rods works on a K2. The early tubes pull right out of the damper rods. My next try was cutting my 6" over tubes off 8" and having them re-threaded for the top nuts. I also considered cutting and welding the chrome tubes inside the headlight ears.
This bike won't need much travel- if the wheelie bars work.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #73 on:** January 24, 2014, 01:28:23 PM »

No worries Don, You could certainly shorten the tubes, back before eBay came along and finding good tubes was hard, Rex Wolfendon (Aussie CB750 race guru) used to shorten XL250/350 tubes and re-thread them for me. I've never tried cutting a thread on my lathe, but I should learn, it'd be handy. Cheers, Terry.

Don R · « **Reply #74 on:** January 24, 2014, 02:45:07 PM »

I put 'em together and started rubbing on the aluminum parts.

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Author Topic: Drag Bike / The Big 4 Express. (Read 65857 times)