Turn your KTM950 into AWD in 3,4,5,??? easy steps

[Tslapper]

[VertigoCycles]

Originally Posted by cjracer

Thanks for the link. Might be handy in the future....

BTW, how much would a TI 950 AWD ADV frame run? Cool site.

I think your machine tools are way cooler than mine

I'm up for making a Ti 950 AWD ADV frame. Wanna find out how much it costs? I'll leave all the machining of the brackets & fittings to the guy with the big tools. My 1950's Index manual vertical mill doesn't care much for 6/4 ti.

Nice Arbor by the way. Can't wait to see the rest of this.

[cjracer]

Now that I have a cutter, I need to do some final prep on the fixturing.

You can see here that the bolt and nut are sticking up a little above the top of the head tube.


I need to cut as deep as possible to get through the frame tubes clean.

I milled off the stud and nut.

I sure hope this works.... Safety glasses on, this job might need a helmet...

Final program test before reloading and indicating again. I forgot to get some measurement off the frame that I would need for later, so I had to unclamp the frame, then refixture it. Once it's cut off, no turning back.





And action.


http://

Nice and clean cut. Slow and steady worked out great, to my relief.

[cjracer]

I had just enough cutter length on the hole saw to get a clean cut completely through the frame tube.

Now I worked on removing the frame and getting setup to cut the opposite side.


I made the base plate so that I can swap on an adaptor bushing to locate the flip side. With two less frame tubes holding the head tube on I needed to rethink how I was going to stabilize the frame.

I started to bolt it back down through the head tube.


A few more jack screws along the top frame rails.


Indicate it back in like the other side. Looked plenty stable to me, let's give it a go.


http://

[cjracer]

But that's not all.....

The 950 ADV frames have 6 tubes going into the head tube. I now have 4 cut free with 2 more to go. Now's time to get the Sawzall out to start on the center tubes. Those are less critical because I've now recreated the headtube angle w/ the 1st and 2nd cuts in the CNC.

This proved to be more time consuming than I thought. I didn't have a great way to keep the frame from moving around the shop. Where is that ROBOT????

In about 2 days time I destroyed a perfectly good KTM 950 ADV frame.


Looks like progress to me, horror to anyone that stopped into the shop over those days.

Next step is to get this to fit.



Looks like more grinding and cutting.

[pfb]

Hmmm...

Thinking I couldn't duplicate this with my $99 Home Depot drill press.

[Florida Lime]

Originally Posted by pfb

Hmmm...

Thinking I couldn't duplicate this with my $99 Home Depot drill press.

Of course you can.


When you get done - YOU get to try it first.

[RatBikeRider]

Really enjoy reading this build. Keep it up.

[StevenD]

A New tube?
That's something impossible over here, that would require replating the bike, a very expensive procedure with complete tech test (need drawings of the frame and calculations of it)

Can you just reprint the numbers on your tube without trouble?

[cjracer]

Originally Posted by StevenD

A New tube?
That's something impossible over here, that would require replating the bike, a very expensive procedure with complete tech test (need drawings of the frame and calculations of it)

Can you just reprint the numbers on your tube without trouble?

Honestly, that was the least of my worries.

We'll get to that later.....

[Deadly99]

[BikePilot]

Awesome project! I'm not a fan of AWD on a light MX-based bike, but it'd be just perfect on a heavy adv bike imho. Impressed with your building skills. I'm actually a bit astounded that BMW nor KTM have seen fit to offer an AWD option. Even if you only put 10% of the power to the front wheel it might help quite a lot in mud and such.

[rtadlock]

Best. Thread. Ever.

[VertigoCycles]

Originally Posted by cjracer

But that's not all.....

The 950 ADV frames have 6 tubes going into the head tube. I now have 4 cut free with 2 more to go. Now's time to get the Sawzall out to start on the center tubes. Those are less critical because I've now recreated the headtube angle w/ the 1st and 2nd cuts in the CNC.

How does the head tube behave when the frame is welded up? Is there so much distortion that you have to re-surface the bearing seats or is the tubing thick enough to render it moot?

(I'm used to "thin" tubing {0.035} and even with the use of heat sinks there's enough distortion to make post-weld machining necessary)

[cjracer]

Originally Posted by VertigoCycles

How does the head tube behave when the frame is welded up? Is there so much distortion that you have to re-surface the bearing seats or is the tubing thick enough to render it moot?

(I'm used to "thin" tubing {0.035} and even with the use of heat sinks there's enough distortion to make post-weld machining necessary)

Very real concerns and this will be addressed in future posts.