jeez! we're actually communicating here -- well... you, moonpie, and i, anyway -- in civil tones.
We always did/do that over here
; glad your contributing to the Forums and my thread. And although I share your enthusiasm about this fact, might I make a friendly request from my side; please think these things but not write them down, as they might be taken personal (even if you not intended them to) and start the whole off topic thingy again. Thank you.
why are you intent on welding on your forks?
Please read this thread from the start as that is probably quicker then me typing the whole thing
I short.... I want to make an replica of the Dick Mann bike and the Gl1000 forks are a pretty close match to the very unobtainable titanium version (my pockets are not that deep). My goal is to make it look correct as far as the outside is considered to the original. So this would require welding on the proper caliper stays as the cb750 calipers with fins are of course not liking the gl 1000 orientation.
1. if memory serves, the forks were '78 goldwing parts. i do definitely recaall that they were the model year (or years) where the tubes and sliders had a lot of overlap -- i.e., long sliders. i used a larger diameter axle, the small end being the same diameter as he large end of a cb750 front axle. the large end of the larger diameter axle required me to make a stouter axle cap from solid using the stock cap as both a template and drill guide. the slider and cap had to be bored, which required just nipping into the cap studs (just into the threads, i think; so, no loss of strength, really). that will give you an idea of how large the axle was. i made aluminum spacers as required and, again if memory serves, the wheel bearings were vfr 750 parts with the larger required i.d. (same o.d.). the calipers were the newer versions of the classic old style lockheed caliper (CP2696) with pads provided by jeff gehrs (sp?). i fabricated 2024 aluminum brackets that adapted the lockheed hole centers to the lugs on the gl forks and the 296mm disk. i have the cad drawings for the brackets on my computer, if that's of interest (i can convert the dwg file to a jpg). everything was bolted up using 10mm countersink bolts inserted from the inside of the forks through appropriate aluminum spacers positioned between plate and caliper in order to center the throat of the latter on the disk. i might be able to provide a reasonable close up of the arrangement, if you can tell me how to insert an image in a post.
Brilliant detailed information, thank you for that.
i also have a couple of shots of the bike that was on display at the paris show in the fall of '70 (right after the bol d'or). i was there at the time (touring europe with my first wife on a cb350 sent over in a crate!), but i wasn't a journalist and had to limit myself to whatever shots i could get through the acrylic display case enclosing the bike. if i had only known! i could certainly have arranged access to the bike after the show and could have taken shots that would answer many questions now. there's a tremendous amount of history surrounding the daytona bikes that went to france; a longer history, in fact, than in the u.s., as they were raced repeatedly. i've interviewed practically everyone involved and learned a great deal by cross checking, but there remains a lot of mystery... which is just fine, really!
Any of that info and shots is very interesting to me as I am compiling a database of knowledge on the bike. You can Pm me if you want to share those, or post them on here ( but you have to resize big images)
3. pvc. i made a set of 4 really swell ring compressors for my 750 from apprpriately sized pvc pipe. the material is nice and gentle on the rings and allows things to slide easily, which is useful in starting all 4 pistons into their bores at the same time. i seem to recall them being about 3/4'' in length with a single slot hacksawed lengthwise, so as to spring them open around the connecting rods. minimally tightened hose clamps closed everything up just right. i may have had to modify the i.d. on my lathe... i'm not sure. again -- cheap and expedient.
We should start a PVC fanclub
. I frequent some bike forums on the internet and always like to check the homemade tools sections. Brilliant time and money savers are to be found in those.
Sander
