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Project The Yamaha R4 (Glacially Slow Project)

Discussion in 'Other Projects - Other Bikes (non 250's)' started by maelstrom, Dec 20, 2014.

  1. ruckusman

    ruckusman White Mans Magic Master Premium Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    OH My titanium - that is seriously impressive and I don't want to know the price because even the fantasy shopper version of me cannot afford it
     
  2. maelstrom

    maelstrom LiteTek Staff Member Premium Member 250cc Vendor Contributing Member

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    I think the finished price will be competitive. Right now I am trying to get some specialty tooling to speed up the process and keep the price down.
     
  3. maelstrom

    maelstrom LiteTek Staff Member Premium Member 250cc Vendor Contributing Member

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    sharkenstein-2016-horror-movie.jpg
    No, no, not Sharkenstein, Clampenstein!
    Santa didn't bring me a CNC milling machine so have to do things the Dr. Murdo way.
    Start with an R1 top clamp and bone saw,
    5VY_clamp.jpg
    make jig,
    Clampenstein_01.jpg
    perform clampectomy,
    Clampenstein_02.jpg
    close wounds.
    Clampenstein_03.jpg
    Now a bit of tidying up and will be ready for paint. My Thai buddy let me attack his Hass VF7 VMC but I was ill prepared, so boring the front wheel to take the R1 bearings is not yet done and that is holding up the front end now. I have to work on the workholding for the wheel. We came up with a new plan but I am still worried about chatter.
     
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    Last edited: Feb 17, 2018
  4. maelstrom

    maelstrom LiteTek Staff Member Premium Member 250cc Vendor Contributing Member

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    After a Millennium:
    Took a while to get the thread sorted but I just chased it with a threading die for the final pass. I finished the bearing journals on this stem to +/- 0.005mm. That is the machined finish, no polishing. I am glad that I bought the lathe and did it myself. Have not been able to get the wheel finished yet and nothing I can do about that. Can't ask my friend to stop making money on his machine just so I can use it. Next pic will be of the forks mounted into the frame. Woohoo!
    BottomClamp_04.jpg
     
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  5. maelstrom

    maelstrom LiteTek Staff Member Premium Member 250cc Vendor Contributing Member

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    Poor Yamaha, bloody Honda is stealing all the attention. Clampenstein is finished. The little pits are where I ran out of gas when welding up the sticker recess. My friend could not believe that I could live with myself but I see it more as a beauty spot, like the mole on Marilyn's cheek :) The top clamp looks grey in this pic but it is just a reflection. Powdercoater will send today, so I can put the forks in on Monday, drip, drip.
    ClampsPainted.jpg
     
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    Last edited: Jun 14, 2018
  6. maelstrom

    maelstrom LiteTek Staff Member Premium Member 250cc Vendor Contributing Member

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    Half a Hugger:
    Played around with the twisted piece of junk that I bought from Germany. Best option was to just cut it in half and I will try to straighten some of the pieces and make the missing bits to fit the 400.
    HalfHugger.jpg
     
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  7. ruckusman

    ruckusman White Mans Magic Master Premium Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    half a hugger, an embrace from a one armed man?
     
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  8. maelstrom

    maelstrom LiteTek Staff Member Premium Member 250cc Vendor Contributing Member

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    Rumours of a dead R4 are grossly exaggerated:
    The R4 will no longer be an old age home for spiders because I finally found someone who could machine my front wheel to take the R1 bearings. In the first pic (LH side) you can see the bush I made to fill in the gap left by disposing of the speedo drive. Finished size is within 4 microns of my target. Gotta be happy with that.
    MachiningWheel Bearings_01.jpg MachiningWheel Bearings_02.jpg
     
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    Last edited: Mar 2, 2020
  9. maelstrom

    maelstrom LiteTek Staff Member Premium Member 250cc Vendor Contributing Member

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    Okay so wheel powder coated and now it is time to fit wheel bearings, make the internal spacer and see what it will take to get the std discs to sit in the R1 calipers. After that a set of Pirelli Angel GT2 tyres, only ones available in the correct size, for the princely sum of 11900 THB (558 AUD) ouch! Then the R4 can be wheeled out of the skull cave and see the light of day for the first time in an eternity. Now if only the engine was in it.
    PaintedFront_01 small.jpg
     
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  10. Andych

    Andych Moderator Staff Member Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    Very nice


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
     
  11. maelstrom

    maelstrom LiteTek Staff Member Premium Member 250cc Vendor Contributing Member

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    Thanks @Andych, much like your SRX, once you start paying attention to details anything shoddy just stands out and ruins the whole thing.
     
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  12. maelstrom

    maelstrom LiteTek Staff Member Premium Member 250cc Vendor Contributing Member

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    There's always something:
    So I fitted the bearing on the LH side (don't go tighter than 0.02mm if you are wondering) and flipped the wheel to check for OD of spacer I need to make. I never noticed that there is a lip that is too small on the ID. No worries I can just file it out, but if I didn't miss it I could have got the machine shop to bore that also.
    DSCN4556.JPG
    But the really good news for me, now that it is next to impossible to import Cerakote, is that a new shop is opening this month in Bangkok that does vapour blasting. Pity about all the time and money I spent on the cylinder head and block but at least I have a pathway to get the engine finished and in the frame.
     
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  13. maelstrom

    maelstrom LiteTek Staff Member Premium Member 250cc Vendor Contributing Member

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    FrontWheelSpacerLeft_01.jpg BRakeCaliperLeft_01.jpg FrontSpacer.jpg
    I made the bearing spacer out of 7075 and had it anodized. Then sprayed all the internals with ACF-50 and assembled. Now I have to make new external spacers and get the calipers in the right spot but they don't look too far out.
     
  14. maelstrom

    maelstrom LiteTek Staff Member Premium Member 250cc Vendor Contributing Member

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    Vapour Blasting:
    Shop sent me a pic of the block. Now I am like the rest of the world, I can just send some stuff off and like magic it comes back like this.
    Block_01.jpg
     
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  15. Andych

    Andych Moderator Staff Member Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    Seems like global warming is happening in Thailand now


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
     
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  16. maelstrom

    maelstrom LiteTek Staff Member Premium Member 250cc Vendor Contributing Member

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    Made the LH spacer to align the front wheel so off to get the tyres fitted now.
    FrontWheelSmallAlign.jpg
     
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  17. maelstrom

    maelstrom LiteTek Staff Member Premium Member 250cc Vendor Contributing Member

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    Discs.jpg
    So I can't get a 120/60 front in Thailand so looks like it has to be a 120/70 (Pirelli Angel GT2's). Then I took the rivets out of the discs with the plan to anodise the centres. Turns out the centres are made of steel. So I have 1/2kg of extra weight because of that and also some more for the taller tyre. I might buy some el-cheapo Chinese jobbies and fit the OEM rotors to those.
    I would love to fit these BrakeTech iron rotors but would have to win Lotto first.
    btt-31.kc.sm.jpg
     
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2019
  18. Jethalter

    Jethalter Well-Known Member

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    This is stunning, just like all your work, keep it up
     
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  19. Linkin

    Linkin The Mechanic Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    Surprised you can't get a 120/60 profile tyre... I know they are used on the CB400's and 98-03 R6's use them too
     
  20. maelstrom

    maelstrom LiteTek Staff Member Premium Member 250cc Vendor Contributing Member

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    There are very, very few older 'big bikes' (anything other than a scooter) in Thailand. grey imports are banned, but now that a lot of manufacturers have set up shop here the numbers are growing and you can get tyres for those later models. I could probably get a Chinese brand tyre but I don't think that is a good option.
     
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    Last edited: Sep 4, 2019

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