Project Full Circle:Ninja 650 gets a makeover

[Salsa]

"Cutting the head tube and stretching it would solve the problem but now you have an issue, if using the stock tank, of being in an uncomfortable riding position."

I made a new head crown and welded in front of the original one on a couple of dirt bikes. I moved it up or down to get the right height.

Don

[sanjoh]

No clearance issues 21" wheel, wp43 forks

[sailah]

The guys at the yard were like wtf, an fj cruiser??

[theWolfTamer]

Originally Posted by sailah

I seriously doubt that Every time I try and part a bike out I spend more time and energy going to the post office and dealing with idiots on ebay. Last year I (stupidly) bought a kx500. I realized I would never use it so I sold the whole thing on ebay. I sold the piston and cylinder to the top bidder for $0.99 each. The shipping to FINLAND was $43, which I charged him. By the time I ate the paypal fees and listing fees I should have thrown them in the trash. Oh and then he disputed the shipping and I ate that too.

For something like this bike, I'd just as soon give the parts away than try and make money on them, not worth the hassle. Hell I still have wheels off the FZ1, swingarms etc. I'm trying to emulate you Lukas you part-hordin' mofo!!

Got a rear KTM brake setup BTW? My local buddy here who I bought the forks off of has an 05 swingarm so I'm just going to take that. But I feel like I need to eventually buy something from you so we can make this an international build.

BTW, I also am (hopefully) soon to be a 33% owner in a Aprilia Futura in Milan and you're the first person I am coming to see so look out

You know, you could just send me that FZ1 stuff if you need to get it out of your way.

[sanjoh]

Originally Posted by sailah

Surely it's out of the FJ by now

[sailah]

Originally Posted by sanjoh

Surely it's out of the FJ by now

funny you should mention that I am literally 15 minutes away from heading to the storage unit for a little surgery. Tool box is packed, hope I didn't forget anything.

I send some pics post-op

I have done some major rethinking on this build I think you will all like the slight change in direction. Going for a rally fairing up front...

[sailah]

OK so I'm officially underway on the Ninja. Apparently I wasn't stocked up on karma because I ran into my first little problem which I will detail later.

Ripped the bike apart and brought back to the shop what I needed which was essentially the frame, motor, electrical and rear plastics. the radiator & header are both toast.

Built a frame to hold everything up so it's not resting on the oil pan.



I noticed an oil leak when I went to go see the bike at the salvage yard. I also noticed it was hit on the engine plate. I did think that possibly there was a correlation, and I was right, unfortunately. I put a straightedge on the block and it wasn't close, so I smacked it with a small sledge to see if I could straighten it out but the case cracked.







I'm debating what to do at this point. I really don't want to tear down a motor and replace the cases but I also don't think welding it or drilling & tapping are going to work either. It's a noticeable leak too and I think I made it worse I think if I try and weld it, especially so close to that seam, it will be a lot of frustration for nothing. I found a set of used cases on ebay for $75 so I might just swap everything into those cases.

Everything else on the bike looks great, it's actually pretty clean. The frame has zero indication it was hit there's no bent metal or flaking paint anywhere. I took off some motor mounts and the bolts went right back in.

[dentvet]

forward on. If the bolt hole isn't stripped, i would keep going on your build. You don't have much to lose in trying to seal that crack with a quick tig zapp. All you did was stress relieve the area with your hammer.

you might have to pull the engine down the line for something else so keep going on all the modifications for now. I bet it will leak less than your CBR did initially

you might practice welding a bead on a spare/junk engine case to get the settings perfect. cases have some weird porosity/granularity going on, or so I have read.

[sailah]

Yeah the more I think about it I am going to try fixing it in place. Pulling the cases and swapping them is a bigger deal than I thought after reading through the service manual. There's lots of stuff that each case is machined specifically for and if I don't get a good match I need to get other bearings etc. Forget it, I'll just buy a new motor at that point.

I do know my limitations and I think if I try and TIG that crack closed I'll melt the gasket and make the leak worse. What about drilling and tapping that part for a long thin bolt and cinching down on it? I think that would help the crack stop. Then just rough up the surface on all sides and JB weld the crap out of it using the steel stick stuff. I've had excellent luck with that previously to fix other leaks and this is a slow leak. Hell if it doesn't work it's not like I ruined anything



Other than that little setback I am really excited about this build.

I decided to leave the rear subframe alone for now. I will need to cut a couple tubes to clear the PDS shock but looks like I have plenty of room.

[Krasniewski]

Originally Posted by sailah

I do know my limitations and I think if I try and TIG that crack closed I'll melt the gasket and make the leak worse. What about drilling and tapping that part for a long thin bolt and cinching down on it? I think that would help the crack stop. Then just rough up the surface on all sides and JB weld the crap out of it using the steel stick stuff. I've had excellent luck with that previously to fix other leaks and this is a slow leak. Hell if it doesn't work it's not like I ruined anything

Not sure on your state, but here in the People's Republic of California they check the engine number when you register a vehicle from out of state. No big deal, just good to know b/f you start melting that kind of stuff off.

If you're going to JB Weld that thing anyway, then my vote is to Tig it as best you can. Preheat and use plenty of amps... keep the oil in and hope for the best. Somehow "it's JB welded to keep the oil in b/c I tig'd it" sounds better than "that JB Weld is there b/c there's a crack in the case, as well a bolt going through it to try to keep the crack from spreading"... just has a better ring to it.

[Quacamole]

Next build - now that's my kind of guy, always with new ideas to make the perfect bike!
JB weld I have not seen in action but Devcon makes pretty good metal sealing stuff, I have
seen them using it on high pressure hydraulic pipes.

You happen to have any photoshop sketch of the future bike?

Keep it up!

[bk brkr baker]

I had to replace the motor in my '92 KLR after I tried to wean the origanal one of oil.
i bought a 1000 mile motor on E-bay and the shipper put it in a wood crate. It didn't make it to me in a resonable length of time so I had to track it down in a hub in Tennessee. The label had come off the wood crate.
Then Fed-X put it in a plactic tub with very little else around the motor. It finally got to me with oil an inch deep in the tub.
I was too busy to get it in the bike right away and when I finally got it buttoned up and put the oil in, it ran out a crack I hadn't noticed, right on the seam between the cases. It had been too long to get any help from the seller or Fed-X.
So I used a Dremal to rough up the case and contac cleaner , then layered on two part epoxie , that then weeped oil. Cleaned it up and relayered it.
Now 6 years later, my bike marks it's spot. It doesn't leak enough to need oil between changes , but the drip is still with me. In the 27,000 miles since , I've come to accept it as character.

[Bambi]

Hi all,
Mr. Baker said 'I've come to accept it as character'. That's exactly what we old-brit-bike-lovers do, the real and original ole ones since the 60-ies, me since the 80-ies!
Triumphant regards, Bambi

[2fast4u]

I would have someone tig it. Take the motor out or turn whole thing upside down and weld it.

[mousitsas]

Sailah....you are going soft my friend! I predict that you will create another fine monster, only to realise it is kind of boring.
What you want, what you really really want, is to convert a 1000cc SS machine. Think of FZ1 only 50lbs lighter