R1200GS Billet triple clamp project

[mark0ne]

Originally Posted by Dirt_Boy

Hi guys just wanted to tell you you have nailed a couple of of my favorite things in one post. BMW's and CNC Machining. The 5 Axis stuff is really amazing. The work to create the piece is just beautiful. I remember looking at things like Bimotas just to look at the CNC work. I have a San Jose Tip Clamp in my Airhead that I bought in 1988. Some times I just watch CNC machines on YouTube just to see them in action...Great work and made in Australia

Cheers for the nice comments! I know what you mean by watching them work, I run and program machines all day and have done this since I left school to work with Dad at 15 (Yes I'm one of those drop out bludgers) and I always find myself amazed at what you can do on them!

Keep an eye out here because I plan on putting a video up on youtube to show the process for those that dont like reading like me I will let you know when I do it and you can grab a cold coopers and have a squiz

[F8 Pilot]

Originally Posted by mark0ne

Ok fellas, we have done the costings on everything and have worked out a price for you guys.

$480.00 AUD including freight world wide
In Australia we have to pay the Gillard Spending Tax (GST) and international have a larger freight cost so it works out the same total.

We will be starting a batch next week so if you would like to put your name on a clamp let us know through the week as you decide. If we get an idea of numbers that will make it heaps easier for us and then people are less likely to miss out.
No depostit is needed so we wont hold you to it but I would appreciate that if you put your name on one it is with intention to buy!

Just Installing it all now so I will put a post of the fitted clamp up tonight.

Cheers
Vaughan

Put me on the list...color choices? Do you take Paypal? Projected delivery time?

[mark0ne]

Originally Posted by F8 Pilot

Put me on the list...color choices? Do you take Paypal? Projected delivery time?

-Titainium grey or Black
-Yep
-4 weeks - 1 week till start production, 1 week to complete production, 1 week to annodise, 1 week because Murphy does exist

I will put it on the website so you will all have a selection of payment options but all ADV memebers will still get first priority so if you let me know in a PM I can put your name on one and you will safe!

[Gros Buck]

Originally Posted by billdonna

Yeah, stories can take off in a direction out of your control sometimes...

Just wondering about the engineering here. My triple clamp is a forging. As you must be aware of, parts machined from a billet are never as strong as the forged original. How did you address this safety issue ?

You're right to ask yourself questions ... A question you have to ask yourself BEFORE is: What type of aluminum the OEM is. And why. Some harder and higher PSI aluminium maybe inapropriate for environemental issues. Like road salts (which may not be an issue in avionic). Or life expectency (vibration et.c.). Then you are in a position to figure what kind of aluminum you can use for the job an maybe gain 10000 psi in extra with a judicious selection.

Forging is a cheap way to gain PSI as long as you have high production volume. But with some heat treatment, you can gain far more PSI then forging will ever bring you. An other way is simply to add aluminum. Thicker walls et.c. For a 1200 GS, it is not such a bad issue.

Spectrometer and metalurgic analysis is the only way to figure this out. Particularly with aluminum.

By the way, some forging looks sometime like it's a casting, particularly with aluminum.

This thread is very interesting.

Paul Jr

[mark0ne]

All done and ready to roll
I reckon this is one of the coolest parts we have made in a while, it has been a mission but deffinatly worth the time!

As it is all fitted up now with OEM front guard on and way more clearence than before, brakelines all fit like a glove and a massive improvement on the eye!

One thing I did notice is that when using with the OEM guard and a 21" front wheel while there is plenty of room you can still get more room by trimming the back of the guard's length The reason being and I think many people miss this, is that the guard was designed to fit the diameter of a 19" front wheel so that will always make the tips of the guard closer to the wheel than the middle.

Any way we could go on all day about bits and bobs but the fact is there is now a solid, strong and good looking triple clamp available for the GS12.

Also Im sure many of you would have something like this but here is a link for all the torque values of the R1200GS http://www.r1200gs.info/misc/torque.html

Here are the pics of installing it

I shouldn't need to say this but this stuff will be your best friend during the install!







MAKE SURE YOU USE BOTH COPPER WASHERS


Forks go in


An upskirt shot......


Tighten the tops of the forks

Now its just a case of refitting the front mud guard, the wheel, calipers and brakelines, steering stops if you have them and then bleed up the brakes - IF YOU ARE EVEN SLIGHTLY UNSURE OF BLEEDING BRAKES PLEASE GO TO YOUR LOCAL BMW WORKSHOP AS IT CAN GET NASTY IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG

These are random pics of the installed clamp.





First off, sorry about the quality of some of the pics, they were taken on my iPhone, but it still gives you the idea

Now its time for Quirky to come grab the beast and get riding!

We will start the first production run end of next week so if you would like to get in you can e-mail direct to Mark on his email mark@rallemoto.com as I will be away in Hawaii for the next 10 days. Mark will be able to answer any questions you have and I will try get on here as often as I can while im away, you can still PM us on here as well.

Thanks to everyone for your imput and encouragement and we're glad there are a plenty of you guys thought it was a good read!

The next stage will be when we refit an annodised clamp to the quirky sled - maybe if I find a spare second and work out my new Adobe package I will try put a video together of the whole deal?

Cheers
Vaughan

[billdonna]

Quick question Vaughan...I'm assuming you're going to 100% anodize the part, thread and bores. Just wondering how you handled the allowance on the Large ID threads? How much oversize did you cut them?

I did some large camera cases and had fitment problems after anodizing due to variation on the thickness of the anodizing causing tight threads. Ended up having to use O/S taps before I was happy.

[mark0ne]

Originally Posted by billdonna

Quick question Vaughan...I'm assuming you're going to 100% anodize the part, thread and bores. Just wondering how you handled the allowance on the Large ID threads? How much oversize did you cut them?

I did some large camera cases and had fitment problems after anodizing due to variation on the thickness of the anodizing causing tight threads. Ended up having to use O/S taps before I was happy.

We need to keep some secrets

But we dont use taps to cut threads. We have methods to solve this as we mostly manufacture steering dampers which as you possibly know are hydraulic units with very tight clearences, valve seats, tapped holes, and mechanical seals to hold vane pressure and are all annodised. To be honest it is really not that bigger issue anymore, making thousands and thousands of hydraulic parts over the years you learn a few tricks! Like when we tried a different annodiser and got 200+ steering damper units back and had to throw them in the scrap bin - Lesson we learnt, "better the devil you know"

The only time I have seen issues like what you describe is when the annodiser is a bit rough and they etch the part way to long with either matte or bright finishes, the parts still look good but the coating is all out of spec and the annodiser will argue that the part still looks great.......... Remember most annodisers are not machinists and dont understand the work that we all put into our work to hold the sizes we do!

[F8 Pilot]

Is it possible to take a picture that shows the clearance of the fender at the back of the tire?

Thanks...Cheers

[rattis]

It's nice to read thread like these where things are being made and people chip in with qualified comments
instead of the old raving about incompetent German engineers and whatnot.
Beautiful job mate!!!!!!!!!!!

[Quirky]

Originally Posted by F8 Pilot

Is it possible to take a picture that shows the clearance of the fender at the back of the tire?

Thanks...Cheers

Ok! Picked the bike up today. It looks even better in the flesh than the photo's.
For everyone's interest i have just got home and made a few measurements. Just bear with me here just done 3 damn 14hr night shifts and havn't stopped today.
IF! this tyre was brand spanking new (i measured from carcase + 10mm=new tyre knobby height) there would be 18mm clearance at the front and 10mm for the rear. This is based on a D908RR 90/90 21" tyre. (It's taller than most).
Had a good yarn to Mark today, had a look at some of the programing involved. Prototype parts and so on. There's some serious man hours gone into this. WOW!

Mark has given this clamp utmost attention to raising the fender as far as possible with out mucking with the bikes angles.
Why the 18mm front clearance and a rear 10mm clearance? I asked.
Well the rear of the fender is currently closer due to wanting anything stuck on tyre to maybe hit leading edge of fender first, knocking it off. This may cut or knife down the thickness of the sticky stuff (limited goo i'm geussing) ensuring to a degree that the fender doesn't just pack up. Does this make sense? There is still time to change this so feel free to discuss the fender angle. But I'm thinking it may be the best option and i'll continue missing the sticky shite the best I can. Still could take the fender off if desperate & there's 15mm more room on the brace now than the stock setup. Yehaw!

Thats about all I've got to report right now. I'd love to go for a ride, but I'm totally shagged and not thinking to clearly. Have got a nice twisty road trip ride sorted for the weekend, can't wait. Much needed rain forecasted all weekend

Any other photo's or measurements I can help with?

How's it going to effect handling on the road? those forks appear to be locked together really well now.


Cheers

[funsummer]

Ok Quirky!!
Time for being shagged/shagging is over!
Part of getting the prototype is testing it!!
We all agree its passed the trick looking farkle test.

How about its on road/ off road test??
Can you hit the whoop section at the local mx track pinned in third now??
Has it stopped the wallow coming onto main straight at Philip island?

Await your review!!

[Quirky]

Originally Posted by funsummer

Ok Quirky!!
Time for being shagged/shagging is over!
Part of getting the prototype is testing it!!
We all agree its passed the trick looking farkle test.

How about its on road/ off road test??
Can you hit the whoop section at the local mx track pinned in third now??
Has it stopped the wallow coming onto main straight at Philip island?

Await your review!!

How about its on road/ off road test??
Road test done.
I haven't had my bike for nearly a month so comparisons aren't that easy.
Road test, Truly I'm loving the benefits on road. It's been a while but I noticed that it was different straight away,
the increased feedback I was getting through the bars was amazing. When pushing a bit harder in the twisties I no longer have the often feeling of vagueness from the font end, It just feels better than ever.
Hey, in the beggining I just wanted a higher fender, the bike already handled great but now it simply feels better doing it.
Offroad.
Not allot to report here yet. Limited off-road test as I was on PR3's. The feedback is nice and feels more rigid with less deflection. Need swap wheels again and try it out properly.
Need some of that bottomless fine sand that WA is famous for ey!, FUNSUMMER?

Can you hit the whoop section at the local mx track pinned in third now??
Ummm... No, you must have me confused with someone else.
Maybe it's a job for- (fill in the blanks) f_ns_mm_r?

Has it stopped the wallow coming onto main straight at Philip island?
I like the way you think


Cheers

[Quirky]

I am blown away at the awesomeness of the feedback,
I just wanted a fender setup for the 21" wheel with a bonus handling benefit.

Maybe I got it around the wrong way-
This clamp primarily is for re-connecting riders hands and mind to the front end of their R1200 bikes.
Secondly it adds clearance to the tyre.

Hey Vaughan, update, how's the first batch going?
Couple of weeks?
How about a video of the mill in action on this part before ya go to the beach.

[LaurelPerryOnLand]

Quirky,

You need to buy a LOTTO ticket...tonight...because

You're the LUCKIEST inmate on the face of this planet!

Not to mention that DOWN UNDER continent...

BTW...make sure you don't install UPSIDE DOWN!

[shdashley]

I'll help you find a home for one of these braces :)

Have one of Woodys 21" X lace front wheel and need to gain more clearance and this look like the go.

Oh and I'd be happy to send you my original brace fro you to remove and re-fit the ball joint into the new brace.
And and options to anodize the brace? black or Gold for me.