Weight loss

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I love both of those FJ colour schemes Jan  :good2: and I think the FZ 750 scheme is really classy, especially with the gold wheels.

Not sure about going back to the 1100 fairing though  - is the 3XW fairing much bigger than the 3CV? With the smaller screen it doesn't "feel" like a big tourer  :sarcastic:

Agreed the best....I tried to buy that red and white 1TX from a bike shop in Switzerland but Covid put a stop to European travel. In sunnier times perhaps. I really liked the idea of taking a flight? Buying it and it riding home across Europe like an FJ should....

I know - it is a tourer the small fairings don't fit but I want to make mine a bit slimmer. What does the 1100 fairing feel like at speed if you're over 6' tall?

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Those FJ's well set up really are smooth.

Noel
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LOL - the RSV wasn't smooth Noel, but the V-Twin engine vibes at motorway speeds seemed to make the bike feel like it was ticking over, rather than revving. A strange feeling at first, but very relaxing (not at all like a Harley "rumble" though).   
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I ride a KTM 1290 adventure and with its over square pistons knocks Like an old Brit bike at low revs, give it the beans and it's so quick and smooth. Fairing is tiny tho which helps keep my motorway speeds down.

The FJ by comparison is turbine like all the way through and there's nothing like the sound of the engine on a 4 into 1 pipe. The fairings so big I could sit there all day. All really comfy apart from the low seat and pegs which are a bit cramped and after the Ktm when I pull up feels like I'm riding the heaviest fastest pit bike ever.

Has anyone fitted a tall seat or low pegs?

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Update - new 'motobatt' lithium battery fitted - saved 3.5kg weight and works a treat.
Removed the 'stabilisers' or engine bars as they need a repaint and that saved another 3.5kg...tempted not to put them back on. It's not like I'm planning to fall off!
Next stop the brakes - remove (and keep) the abs and fit the blue spots, how much does the abs system weigh?

Also working on a new GSXR rear wheel - saw somewhere that saves a few kg more

3CV ally swing Arm?

Good shout on the battery, save the trouble of looking.  I believe you need a Li-ion specific charger.  Ctek do one https://www.ctek.com/products/vehicle/lithium-xs

Hi Steve, yep really chuffed with the Motobatt, bought from Tayna just over the border into Wales it arrived the next day. Never thought I'd enjoy buying a new battery! Spending big but getting big gains in weight and performance. Tho the FJ was one of the easiest bikes I've ever owned to bump start it's made a massive improvement with cranking amps

https://www.tayna.co.uk/motorcycle-batteries/motobatt/mplx12u-hp/
Bought a smart charger at the same time Inc delivery it was £130
https://www.tayna.co.uk/battery-chargers/noco/g1100/


As for a 3CV alloy swing arm sounds great but that's a world of pain as my 3XW has the offset shock link to clear the abs pump (which I shall be removing) needs the frame welding?

If I was going to change I'd ideally go for a braced swing arm like a YZF 750 or an early R1....
Need to get these wheels and brakes fitted first...

[Little Pink Steve]

If you're ditching your ABS pump the swap the linkage from the 3CV too.

I've used Tayna many times

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Good advice Steve
Sure that will fit. May wait to do an R1 swing arm tho it would look better (more endurance racer) braced and alloy...

I've been working on the GSXR rear wheel, bought a calliper today from a furloughed Landrover design engineer nice chap in Solihull Birmingham local to me .... Americans might not appreciate how special it is in the UK "brilliant sunshine" it's been incredible weather here ever since lock down started!

I digress, back to the nuts and bolts - underslung Gixer rear calliper, long Gixer torque arm, fitted to 3XW stock steel swing arm.....I've read a few horror stories on here with the use of that very tempting footrest bolt going badly wrong. I was thinking up all sorts of custom CNC parts to transfer the arm fixing from the top mount to the bottom (envelope sketches attached). Surely the easy answer is to weld a steel boss on the underside of the swing arm and repaint it?

[Pat Conlon]

With a good weld, I don't think you need anything so elaborate.
A simple tab made out of 1/2" aluminum stock with (2) 1/4" fillet welds ~1" long (one each side of the tab) will get the job done.
That is what is on my Thunder Ace swinger.

[Millietant]

I presume you mean mild steel stock Pat, as Jan's 3XW has a steel swinging arm, not aluminium - to have got this all mixed up ?

[giantkiller]

I simply cut the tab off the top. And bolted it to the torque arm. Swinger out of the frame with wheel and caliper all bolted together. and welded it to the swinger where it landed. Easy peàsy.(87 FZR torque arm) the gsxr 600 caliper That was before I got

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Yep that sounds like a plan (as Dean says it's a stock 3XW steel swing arm) - just cut, drill and profile a tab out of eg 6 or 10mm steel for a decent weld to the swing arm section. Will this change in material thickness be ok or should I laser cut and bend up a bracket out of similar gauge?

Have to say 'giantkiller' very tidy - liking the cut down foot rest hanger it all looks particularly neat and trim down there. You ditched the pillion pegs - have you shorted the seat also?

[giantkiller]

The 1350 still has the stock tail frame. I have a Corbin gun fighter seat. The turbo bike has a short tail.
Custom seat

[Millietant]

Where did the exhaust hanger come from on the 1350 bike Dan - that looks like the one on the 3XW, but your bike looks like it started life as a 1TX ?

[giantkiller]

I made it out of a piece of plate steal. With a couple of hole aaws, a hand held jigsaw, and a belt sander. You can make anything with a harbor freight belt sander.

[Millietant]

I made it out of a piece of plate steal. With a couple of hole aaws, a hand held jigsaw, and a belt sander. You can make anything with a harbor freight belt sander.

Better than the "strap" hangers people use these days. Nice one Dan.

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Tidy rear calliper mount too!
So did you just cut off the rear rails? I note you've not fitted the pillion grips nor the seat & helmet lock (work in progress?) also that you've cut back the side panels....are these changes as a consequence of the seat subframe chop? there's loads of brackets and tabs on it...

I was thinking about making a new rear subframe that comes off the same mountings but angles up in a line following the foot rear casting to the Bottom of the tank and then follows that line back to add an extra couple of inches to the seat height and fit an R7 fibreglass seat?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264610858659

Which if I was patient enough could end up looking like this....
https://pin.it/4bmABAo

Sounds like a lot of hassle (no harbour freight sanders here either

[giantkiller]

I cut the tail frame down and put a small section of smaller diameter pipe inside. And welded a hand made bracket to it way overkill for something no one is going to set on anyway. I have a tendency to do that. I'm going to fill in the indents. For the grab hadles with plastic. Make it all pretty.part of the side panel that's taped off is going to be screen for the turbo intake. Will follow the original contours. Bike will be midnight blue with red stock graphics. Cutting everything off that I can. The side plates are already cut down the same as the 1350. The turbo kit came with jetted carb. And said was good for 200hp. On pump gas. But that was without today's boost controllers. Hoping to tweek it to more than that. I do have 2 big block kits that I purchased. In case I get bored with the power it makes.