Project The Yamaha R4 (Glacially Slow Project)

Somebody moved this to the project section. So now the jig is up and I will have to post something.

Anyway, the goal is to make an R4 loosely based on the Yamaha R7 OW-02 and using my FZR400 as the starting point. I have a build page here http://litetek.co/R4/R4_Project.html but it is just a work in progress.

This is what an FZR400 3TJ1 looks like.


And this is what an R7 looks like.


The plan is for a half fairing. I was going to buy an R7 unit and hack that up but I ended up buying an early R6 race version so I can fit round headlights. Seat is based on the R7. Radiator is going under the seat. The instrument cluster, from an R6, is the same as the R7 except for the white face, and there is a page on that here http://litetek.co/R4/Guide_R4_InstrumentCluster.html



Electrics are being changed a lot. Rewiring with Tefzel coated wire and lots of new components.
Ignition switch is an RFID by MotoGadget (the blue thing is the key).


Electric water pump to replace the binned mechanical one. Shindengen SH775 reg-rec. The fuse boxes are Cooper-Bussmann (only took me 4 months to find them), completely waterproof and can hold micro-relays as well as fuses (nice). Headlights are 90mm Hella. Still have to buy the electronic control unit for the pump/fan and the GPS speedo sender.




As part of this project I have to get rid of the wings on my 400. Now I am sure that some people think they look good. I am very happy for you. But for me, the word hideous springs to mind. In any case they are not in keeping with the final goal.


Cut, cut and cut.

Need to have something level.

and the laser level comes in handy for that.

Keep cutting with a little bit of welding thrown in. Welds aren't perfect yet. I am still getting the hang of my new machine, and I have the wrong tungstens. The pulse setting is wonderful.

Laser line shifted up to new lug. Note slight gap.
I know you are going to say "Why didn't you do multiple cuts?" actually I did, just not enough. Anyway it will come out fine. The back section also includes a lug for the lower part of the new sub-frame to attach to. There are four pieces of the old cast wings that go together to make this.


Nearly halfway there. I sat the tank on just to see where it sits. Maybe finish it tomorrow if I don't run out of gas (tiny little bottle in the background).

 

Sharks with Frickin Laser Beams!

One of the problems when you bin everything is that it is very hard to align all of the new bodywork and mounts that need to be fabricated. In my case I have nothing left to attach anything to.

So I mounted a cross-hair laser to the ceiling. This is one of the more expensive versions. The $20 jobbies will not maintain a fine line over any distance.


I use a plumb-line hung from the ceiling to align the laser vertically. It is very sensitive, so I recheck the alignment of everything before I weld or fix something into final position. You can see in the image on the right it looks like the line is not running down the centre of the bolt. But it is just the left-right alignment that I need to reset (rotate the bike clockwise). Notice how that same bolt is not centred in the lug, thanks to Yamaha for that one.
cheers
Blair

 

@Fox McScrooge
It's a Chinese AC/DC TIG. It is the new version (new body anyway) of the 200P which has been kicking around for a long time. They are sold as all sorts of brands but they are all the same thing. Sure it is not a Miller, but I am impressed for the money and I won't be using it that much.




For that sort of job (the boat and trailer), I would go for a mig too. TIG is too slow. 300 amp might be better, you might need the extra grunt. You can use a normal push mig with the teflon liner but the secret is to make a tripod on wheels, or overhead gantry, and hang the unit up in the air. That is how they used to do it at Clark boats. You want as close as possible to a straight line between the spool and the handpiece. The feed line also needs to be as short as you can use. There is no compromise on this, any bends in the line and the wire will melt straight back up into the handpiece. I used to use a Cobramatic when I worked at Lloyds Ships in Brisbane. Those things are seriously wicked and priced to match. The other thing is that if you need to do pipework for the boat you will need also need a TIG.

 

I knew it would be you
Oh well. Some more motivation to get something done can't be a bad thing.
cheers
Blair

 

@Fox McScrooge
sent a pm about spool guns etc

 

Baby Steps

My electric water pump bracket arrived today, so time to see if it fits correctly.

I drew this up a few weeks ago and had it 3D printed in nylon. Fits perfectly with no clearance issues so now I can go ahead and get some silicon hoses.
Now I know what you're thinking. Why didn't I just fabricate one from aluminium? Because the electrical plug housing and lower part of the pump body are wider than the section where the bracket supports the pump, I had to stretch the nylon over the bottom of the pump to fit it. This was just luck as I had no idea if I would be able to do this. Davies Craig recommend that you can support the pump by its hoses, but I chose to err on the side of caution.

The oil pump has to be taken out from the other side of the engine and have the end of the shaft cut off. It used to drive the mechanical water pump, and it is not a good idea to leave it as an unsupported shaft.

 

The R7 comes standard with Ohlins front and rear. Something that I will definitely not be doing

 

Well thanks for all the encouragement guys.
It is not going to look identical to the R7. I have tried for too long to come up with a workable solution to the fairing issue but lights and screens for the R7 are very difficult to obtain, so I am thinking of using an early R6 top and grafting round lights into it. Sorry, but those enormous diamond shaped things just don't do it for me (anyone notice the headlights on the 2015 R1).

These are 90mm Hella. Some serious illumination.
That is my photoshop mod by the way, not an AirTech option.

Edit: Have bought the fairing and the lights so this will go ahead.

 

@Tim_ I think your Honda looks brilliant just as it is. I wanted to buy a CBR400 NC23 but couldn't find one.