Topic: Terry Bob's redneck F-ing K2 bitsa project!

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

IMG_0274_zpsppbhbokl by Donald Leonhardt, on Flickr

IMG_1559_zps2oukdh2b by Donald Leonhardt, on Flickr

14481793_1226336800760726_1528003808197005765_o_zpsh7wlsgmo by Donald Leonhardt, on Flickr

DSCF8779_zpsisyb3fgx by Donald Leonhardt, on Flickr

[PeWe]

Those brakes look really good!
Caliper for caliper has to be made or is it one that fits?

[754]

Looks pretty good., double acting calipers are easy to mount and mounts are solid.. just try to center them, then they do the rest.

[Terry in Australia]

Those Beringer brakes are very cool, have you got any good close up pics of the mounting brackets Don?

Well only a couple of days left until I have to go back to work and depression is setting in. What's the cure for such a debilitating malady? A ride, of course. I drove over to the storage place and pulled my VFR750 out of the shipping container, I was happy that the battery still had plenty of oomph left from the last ride, and it fired up right away.

Once again, the country roads were nice and quiet today, so I was pretty free to give the little V4 the berries, and enjoy the howl from that Remus pipe @ 10,000 RPM, as I carved thru the corners. What a great bike!

VFR750 2019 first ride 10 Jan 2019 5 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr
 

[PeWe]

Bike with brakes....

[Terry in Australia]

Bike with brakes....

Fantastic brakes on the VFR Per, I wish my CB750 brakes were half as good!

VFR750 2019 first ride 10 Jan 2019 6 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

[PeWe]

Possible with only 1 rotor at front instead of 2
Your K2 bike rotor or pads too slick and even worse than stock? MC OK?

[Terry in Australia]

Possible with only 1 rotor at front instead of 2
Your K2 bike rotor or pads too slick and even worse than stock? MC OK?

Ha ha, thanks mate, but the standard CB750 brakes, even if they were in pristine condition, are sh1t compared to the VFR's. Mine should work fine with the cast iron disc, new (Honda) pads, braided stainless steel brake line and new MC, but they're actually rubbish. I'll try Spotty's pads and see if they improve, if not, I'll have to do something radical.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Those brakes look really good!
Caliper for caliper has to be made or is it one that fits?

This caliper is from the Classic line.  It is the same one used on other Honda CBs.  I haven't seen any mount brackets by Beringer except those for the 550 and 750 (my bike was used to prototype the 550 brackets).  Of course, if you have access to a mill, you can make your own for this or other applications. 

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Those Beringer brakes are very cool, have you got any good close up pics of the mounting brackets Don?

Well only a couple of days left until I have to go back to work and depression is setting in. What's the cure for such a debilitating malady? A ride, of course. I drove over to the storage place and pulled my VFR750 out of the shipping container, I was happy that the battery still had plenty of oomph left from the last ride, and it fired up right away.

Once again, the country roads were nice and quiet today, so I was pretty free to give the little V4 the berries, and enjoy the howl from that Remus pipe @ 10,000 RPM, as I carved thru the corners. What a great bike!

VFR750 2019 first ride 10 Jan 2019 5 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Terry,

I'll take some close ups and send them to you. 

[PeWe]

CB750 stock brackets can not be used with a Beringer caliper?

Found where they sell. For early CB750 fork only. Later K2 from frame number 2093731 need other bracket.
http://www.beringerbrakes.us/shop.html#!/Honda-CB-550-CB750/c/24093077/offset=0&sort=normal

http://www.frogspecialties.com/store.html#!/~/search/keyword=cb750&offset=0&sort=relevance

[seanbarney41]

Wow $$$$$$$...wonder how many have been sold

[Terry in Australia]

Wow $$$$$$$...wonder how many have been sold

Yep, they're some serious money Sean, I only know one guy here in Oz with them on his bike. The twin disc setup I had on my K1 worked pretty well just using the OEM (but drilled) discs, Suzuki Bandit 1200 MC and braided lines, but if I had better calipers than the single puck stockers, it would have been great.

The problem with most "opposed piston" calipers is they're too wide so if you try to mount them on a CB750 the back of the caliper hits the spokes, and you can't offset the disc rotor by more then a few mm. I've got a box of old Brembo calipers in my garage, I wonder if I could split one and mill the back side down far enough to get around this? Hmmnnn, food for thought!  

[seanbarney41]

Let us know how that goes Terry, and I will too...I got a couple junkyard sourced Brembo's laying about myself...

[754]

 Somewhere I have a set of them VFR front calipers, with adaptors I made for a F model fork..
 If someone is interested. . Have to look for them
 Same as Bert used with big rotors and a wire K wheel..

[Tintop]

Wow $$$$$$$...wonder how many have been sold

Yep, they're some serious money Sean, I only know one guy here in Oz with them on his bike. The twin disc setup I had on my K1 worked pretty well just using the OEM (but drilled) discs, Suzuki Bandit 1200 MC and braided lines, but if I had better calipers than the single puck stockers, it would have been great.

The problem with most "opposed piston" calipers is they're too wide so if you try to mount them on a CB750 the back of the caliper hits the spokes, and you can't offset the disc rotor by more then a few mm. I've got a box of old Brembo calipers in my garage, I wonder if I could split one and mill the back side down far enough to get around this? Hmmnnn, food for thought!  

I think Brent machined some off the back of his Brembo calipers, there was a pic & description in his thread Terry.

[bear]

We use O8's on the sidecar.
I wouldn't think it would take a lot of effort fit up a set of O5's to a SOHC.
The Beringer unit looks very similar.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

They ARE pricey.  Luckily for me, I know the US distributor and he wanted to use my 550 to prototype the mount brackets and use my bike for marketing, so I got a very special deal. 

Twin rotors are not necessary.  A single rotor/caliper mated with right MC will give you PLENTY of stopping power.  With 2 rotors, I use 1-2 fingers on the brake lever. 

Period style Brembos are also a perfectly suitable and much less expensive alternative: https://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-motorcycle-repair/brake-caliper-rebuild-zmmz11sozraw

[algophobe]

They ARE pricey.  Luckily for me, I know the US distributor and he wanted to use my 550 to prototype the mount brackets and use my bike for marketing, so I got a very special deal. 

Twin rotors are not necessary.  A single rotor/caliper mated with right MC will give you PLENTY of stopping power.  With 2 rotors, I use 1-2 fingers on the brake lever. 

Period style Brembos are also a perfectly suitable and much less expensive alternative: https://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-motorcycle-repair/brake-caliper-rebuild-zmmz11sozraw

I was thinking of eventually going the Beringer route eventually on my K2 750, I spoke with Phillippe during the Long Beach IMS few months ago. I think single caliper, bracket, and disc would set you back about $1200? Did you get the Beringer MC as well? For a bolt on weekend project that's not bad

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

They ARE pricey.  Luckily for me, I know the US distributor and he wanted to use my 550 to prototype the mount brackets and use my bike for marketing, so I got a very special deal. 

Twin rotors are not necessary.  A single rotor/caliper mated with right MC will give you PLENTY of stopping power.  With 2 rotors, I use 1-2 fingers on the brake lever. 

Period style Brembos are also a perfectly suitable and much less expensive alternative: https://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-motorcycle-repair/brake-caliper-rebuild-zmmz11sozraw

I was thinking of eventually going the Beringer route eventually on my K2 750, I spoke with Phillippe during the Long Beach IMS few months ago. I think single caliper, bracket, and disc would set you back about $1200? Did you get the Beringer MC as well? For a bolt on weekend project that's not bad

If you spoke to Philippe at Long Beach IMS, then you were standing right next to my bike.  Yes, it has a Beringer radial MC with integrated reservoir.  Prior to the show, I swapped out my clubman bars for a Superbike bars and changed to the radial MC.

[scottly]

They ARE pricey.  Luckily for me, I know the US distributor and he wanted to use my 550 to prototype the mount brackets and use my bike for marketing, so I got a very special deal. 

Twin rotors are not necessary.  A single rotor/caliper mated with right MC will give you PLENTY of stopping power.  With 2 rotors, I use 1-2 fingers on the brake lever. 

What is the piston diameter of the Beringer calipers? They would have to be over 42mm to achieve the same clamping force as a two-piston 32mm caliper. Coupled with a 320mm rotor and stock 14mm MC, one rotor is enough, IMHO. Also, there is no issue with spoke clearance.

[Terry in Australia]

I bought this cheap Ebay used PM 4 piston caliper which was meant for the rear of a Harley, and made a bracket to mount it on the front of my Sportster. It's a tight fit because of spoke clearance issues, but a fantastic improvement over the single puck sliding caliper, which was just as ineffective as the OEM CB750 brakes.

The first time I grabbed the brake in a panic stop I lifted the back wheel off the ground! I only wish the caliper was thin enough to work on a CB750, it'd be the best performance improvement you could make.

Terry's Sporty front brake conversion 4 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr   

[budman]

Great looking build.

You've got the gears turning.  I've been dreaming about a front caliper swap on my CB750.

[Terry in Australia]

Well it was another stinking hot day again today, I'd planned to take a look at the big red bike's front end to determine if the humming noise that I noticed on my ride last weekend was anything to worry about (that I need to fix before I hand it over to the winning Ebay bidder) or just the sound of the tyre rolling on the road, but I allowed myself to get roped into picking up my youngest son from the airport, he's been working interstate on a TV show and his mother volunteered to collect him, when it would have been easier for everyone if he just caught a cab.

Anyway, when we finally got home, I had to get on a bike and go. I threw on some jeans and boots, and escaped to the garage. Of course there was no fuel in the K2's tank (I stole it for Big Red) so I returned the favor and siphoned 5 litres out of big red's tank, and tipped it into the K2. It fired up instantly (gotta love hot weather) but ran like sh1t. I looked down, and there was fuel pouring out of one of the overflow tubes. Bugger. I grabbed a pair of multi grips and tapped each float bowl until it stopped, and the bike started running properly on all 4. Good enough. Jacket on, helmet on, gloves on, go!

Sunday Redneck Ride 3 March 2019 6 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Anyhoo, first stop was my local Caltex to fill the tank, then up the freeway. I was trying to remember how to get onto the backroads where I road tested the Royal Enfields a few weeks ago. I eventually found them, and took the bends at a much more relaxed pace than last time. I eventually worked my way back onto the Calder highway, and took this pic outside Bob Jane's "Thunderdome", Australia's first (and only) Nascar track. I'm not sure what happened to Nascar here, we had an "Auscar" series as well, but it all seemed to fizzle out after only a couple of years, which is disappointing. The complex also has a drag strip and drifting track, so must still be operating, as the gate was open when I got there.

Sunday Redneck Ride 3 March 2019 3 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Anyway, by the time I took that pic it was over 100 degrees again, so I turned for home. I'm almost (only almost) looking forward to some cooler weather!

[Terry in Australia]

Well, now that the Swamp Rat has left the building, it's time to wake up this old girl again! So as you guys will remember, the Swamp Rat's engine died after only 28 miles, so I pulled the engine out of the Bitsa, and installed it in the 'Rat. My poor old Bitsa is looking a bit.......... empty?

Okay, so I was mulling over which engine to install, to get it back on the road so I can take on Frank's "20 rides in 2020" challenge. I'm lucky that I currently have several, but the only "known" engine I have is the one that came out of it after finding out that I couldn't register the bike with that engine, because the arsehat previous registered owner hadn't bothered to tell the DMV that he'd removed it from his bike, and I was told by the woman behind the counter at my DMV (called VICROADS here) that the engine I had probably had a faked engine number. Stupid b1tch wouldn't know a faked engine number from a donkeys penis, but I couldn't change her mind, so I spent another 1000 bucks and bought another engine.

This morning I rang VICROADS and spoke to a nice lady called Maddy, gave her that engine number, and she said there was no reason that she could see why I couldn't use that engine. Sweet. It'll still only be temporary until I build a mildly hotrodded engine with numbers closer to my frame number, (the engine going in is either a K6 or F0/F1 engine) but I have too many projects in the "croc park" ready to go, before I can spend too much more time on this one. To make the engine removal much easier, I cut the top rails out, so my first task today was to make up a frame kit. I made one from fork tubes on the Swamp Rat, but then had problems with clearances and cable routing due to the 5mm thick walled tube, so I made some from bored out 30mm solid alloy bar.

That worked well, but took a long time to bore out to the 25mm ID to make a nice tight fit over the rails. I got lucky and found a supplier nearby who sold me some alloy tube exactly the right size, and some 24mm alloy machinable bar, that I can turn down to 22mm, to make a nice tight fit inside the rails.

Friday Bitsa frame kit 27 Dec 2019 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I quickly cut the tubes.

Friday Bitsa frame kit 27 Dec 2019 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

And drilled them for the 6mm screws.

Friday Bitsa frame kit 27 Dec 2019 2 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I then turned down the 22mm bar and drilled and tapped it, but forgot to take a pic, so I'll do that tomorrow. It's gonna be hot again for the next three days, so I think I'll get out to the garage and get as much done as I can before the heat chases me back inside. More then.