FJ2400 - Bonneville Land Speed Racer

[fj1289]

And now, quite literally the moment no one has been waiting for.
The analytics say that no one is even watching the videos any more.  But, undaunted, I plod forward.

At the very, very least, click to see if I crash or not.

Click Pic for Video:

Out of curiosity, does YouTube analytics show the regions or countries the videos are watched from?

[freakhousecustoms]

Out of curiosity, does YouTube analytics show the regions or countries the videos are watched from?

It's SUPPOSED to... but it seems like it's taking weeks for that data to be compiled?  I am not sure.
Case in point, according to YouTube 284 people watched Episode 1 and 111 of those people are listed as being in the US.
But NO other counts of other countries is given. (?!?)


It's funny you asked, because I'm American-Filipino (1st generation, American born to Filipino immigrants) and I was thinking of running a contest of sorts.  Throw it back to my cousins in the homeland and tell them if I can get X amount of subscriptions, I'll fly to the Philippines and build a dual engine scooter or something! LOL!  But if I YT's not telling where stuff is coming from, geographically, then I'd never know.

[fj1289]

How's the frame coming along?!

[freakhousecustoms]

I think it's going spendidly! 


In fact, here's the video that explains the direction I'm going with the frame.
No CAD needed, just good ol' pencil and paper!

[freakhousecustoms]

Couple more sketches.

[fj1289]

Looks good!   Build it! 

[freakhousecustoms]

Looks good!   Build it! 

Building, sir! 
Always building!

[freakhousecustoms]

It's happening!


The time for theory and drawings is over, time to finally start bending up the new frame.  Santa brought me an Affordable Bender and I gotta say I can't believe I waited this long for one.

Click Pic for Video:

[fj1289]

Awesome!!!   

What tube are you using? 

Out of curiosity how much "spring back" did you see with the 40 degree bends?

Either this was a couple weeks ago or you have at least a little heat in your garage!  The temps have been brutal this weekend - way to cold to spend any real time in the garage.   

Are you planning to lose the air boxes and go with pod filters?  RPM's UNI filters will save your some space - and Randy has the jetting for them too!   

Awesome!!!

[freakhousecustoms]

Awesome!!!   

Thanks!  I am super stoked!!!

What tube are you using? 

For the bottom tubes, what you saw in the video, that's 1" OD/ .120" wall.  For the "spine" or top tube of the frame, I'll be using 1/2" OD.

Out of curiosity how much "spring back" did you see with the 40 degree bends?

It's about a 7º spring back, from my experiments.  But, to be honest, for this project, I'm more about repeatable angles than exact measurements. 

Either this was a couple weeks ago or you have at least a little heat in your garage!  The temps have been brutal this weekend - way to cold to spend any real time in the garage.   

So, anything in my red hoodie was weeks ago (ha - I had a busted knee back then).  But when you see me with the black hoodie on, that was shot yesterday!  I was shocked the camera didn't pick up my frozen breath on video.

Are you planning to lose the air boxes and go with pod filters?  RPM's UNI filters will save your some space - and Randy has the jetting for them too!   

Both bikes came with K&N filters.  I like the size and shape of them, so I'm going to attempt to fashion two different air boxes out of sheet metal, or if time allows, I'd really like to get some fiberglass or kevlar or -better still- carbon fiber and try my hand at shaping something!  Hopefully, I'm not jinxing myself, but I got a much earlier start on the build this year so I should have more time to try new things.

[fj1289]

That's a lot more spring back than I would have expected.  Agreed - repeatability is more important than the actual angle.

Mild steel I assume?  For ease of fabrication and especially welding

I've done a bit with fiberglass.   I've laid up flat sheets on large cake pans that are good for fabricating panels or building up boxes, etc.  Also built up male molds to make female molds from and then make the final piece.  A lot of work, but the final piece is so much better than trying to just make the part from scratch.

[andyoutandabout]

All hail the Juggernaut.
Looking at the drawings is one thing, but to watch it spring to life from ordinary bits of pipe is another.
Plenty of room in the frame for a twin turbo set up.
Keep up the good work

[freakhousecustoms]

Sorting out the wiring for the Bonneville bike and (I searched I swear) I gotta ask:  Do I NEED the fuel pump?

Of course, I have 2 good/working pumps.  Running them will not be a problem.  The only reason I ask is for simplicity's sake.
Finding one in West Wendover will be an impossibility.  If I drove to Salt Lake City (3-hour round trip), I doubt I'd find one either.  I do have 3 spare Kawasaki fuel pumps that I could pack... but that's not my question. 

The pump is gravity fed... and then the pump, pumps fuel into the carbs... why can't I just gravity feed directly to the carbs? 
If the answer is: "If Yamaha didn't need it, they wouldn't have put it there."  I can (begrudgingly) live with that.  But are there hard facts?  Is it a flow vs. supply problem?  If I gotta run 'em, I'll run 'em.  But if I can eliminate them, that would eliminate TWO potential problems.

Thanks!

[ribbert]

... why can't I just gravity feed directly to the carbs? 
If the answer is: "If Yamaha didn't need it, they wouldn't have put it there."  I can (begrudgingly) live with that.  But are there hard facts?  Is it a flow vs. supply problem?  If I gotta run 'em, I'll run 'em.  But if I can eliminate them, that would eliminate TWO potential problems.

Thanks!

Well, Yamaha had both, gravity and pump, the only difference I think was the needle and seat size. A pump delivers a more positive fuel flow (4-5 psi) and allows for better filtration. The reference to "potential problems" always sticks in my craw in this context, the idea of a pump is to eliminate them! Fuel blockages stop a lot more bikes than failed fuel pumps. I have converted many dozens of vehicles, mostly cars, from gravity to pump for the above reasons. If my FJ didn't have one, it would by the close of business tomorrow!

Your are talking about a fuel pump with a working life in any given year that's measured in minutes! Any low pressure pump will do, just don't go too cheap and there's no need to spend squillions.

Haha, I love the irony of you saying if Yamaha decreed a fuel pump was needed, then so be it, when you're building a bike with two engines. 

Great project by the way, I love your enthusiasm and can-do attitude. With those qualities and a bit of imagination, there's nothin' that can't be made with a pipe bender, welder and angle grinders.

Noel

[giantkiller]

And a big belt sander! Most useful fabrication tool in my shop. Don't have a mill or lathe.

I too love your, Can do, just do it approach.