Author Topic: The Frankenbusa Saga. Holy crap I'm still here! (Read 49186 times) Tweet

dtechnologies · « **Reply #50 on:** August 20, 2005, 05:22:10 PM »

I managed to get the phone number of the owner of Feather Carbon...we'll see what happens...hopefully it'll all work out.

I'm still tossing and turning at night trying to figure out how to connect the airbox with the intercooler. Between a severe lack of proper parts and an even more severe lack of funds, I've come down to a couple possibilities:

1) Go with a 2 1/4 inch plated steel pipe custom bent by a muffler shop using a press bender. This I think is the cheapest solution...but it'll look like crap...it's not like that ever mattered to me though.

2) Buy stainless steel mandrel U bends from a muffler shop (either 2" or 2-1/4"), cut them up and use multiple joints made from rad hose to join them all together. This is more expensive but I don't have a quote on stainless mandrel U bends yet. Like everything else that's specialty around here, they're likely to be overpriced.

The lesser of 2 evils. Non mandrel bends or lots of hose joints. I'm thinking plan 1 won't be too bad. Non mandrel bends are more restrictive but at 2-1/4" I don't think I'll notice the difference.

dtechnologies · « **Reply #51 on:** August 21, 2005, 09:29:10 PM »

So I'm using JB Weld as a backup to my brazed airbox and as a method of sealing up any little holes I may have.

While I was spreading it around like cake frosting on all my joints, I thought of a way to get a pipe made to connect the airbox to the intercooler:

I'm going to make a version using small diameter copper tubing...as I have a good bender for this handy already. I'll then take this to various muffler shops and simply say "I need one of these...but with a 2-1/4 inch diameter please". Eventually somebody should stop laughing long enough to say it's no problem and make it up...if things go well I may be able to do this to make a pipe which connets the turbine outlet and the intercooler too.

I also partially mounted the carbon fiber seat today. I like it (I can't forget to get a dry weight before I oil and gas it up for the first time). However...it's as warped as the chain guard and the holes weren't drilled straight. Just more ammo for the people at Feather carbon. I made a bracket with screwed up holes anyhow just in case they screw me.

Forgot my camera again...pictures to come.

dtechnologies · « **Reply #52 on:** September 04, 2005, 01:21:44 PM »

Quickie update:

Airbox is together and mounted. Intercooler will be mounted soon. Subframe is almost together.

I haven't worked much on the bike in quite some time. I had a week of vacation last week so I wasn't around and the day I got back I got a promotion at work...the money will be nice but working 13 hours a day hasn't left much time for getting anything done in the garage.

At the rate I'm going this will become a winter project, boo!

grecco · « **Reply #53 on:** October 09, 2005, 10:03:44 PM »

Got any more pics?
I'm impressed that you are doing all this yourself.
Keep us posted.

dtechnologies · « **Reply #54 on:** October 13, 2005, 01:50:23 PM »

sorry I haven't posted much lately guys. Work has been keeping me out of the garage in the worst possible way. I've been spending what little time I have at hom working on the electronics which isn't nearly as interesting as the bike itself.

I've also been hitting myself over the head trying to figure out how to mount the intercooler. It's going to be ugly, unconventional, and just plain gross...but if I want maximum boost, I have to install it.

The problem is that it's thick and it's flat and it's come out of a car so I can't mount it infront of the radiator. Right now the best place seems to be on the side of the radiator just above the air cleaner. It would have to be angled forward so that the intake piping will mate up with it but that shouldn't reduce it's efficiency too much. Because I don't plan on putting the body work back on, I don't have to worry about plastic clearances...though if I layed the bike down on the LH side, it would be the first thing to dissapear.

Bad Southern Busa · « **Reply #55 on:** October 15, 2005, 08:57:30 AM »

wOw IM truly impressed first time Ive caught your progress in quite some time ...keep up the good work and keep enjoying it !
you will have a special girl on your hands when ya get thru .

OH AND LET ME SAY NOW I UNDERESTIMATED THIS GUY.........i was one of the first ones to tell you when you started asking questions that you should just run out and buy something .

my apologies

way to go !!

dtechnologies · « **Reply #56 on:** December 31, 2005, 09:42:28 PM »

My new years resolution is to finish my god damned bike and finally race it.

That is all. Carry on.

Happy New Year!

denise richards · « **Reply #57 on:** January 09, 2006, 05:38:42 PM »

will you ever finish this one?i mean,theres not that much more to do..

dtechnologies · « **Reply #58 on:** January 12, 2006, 07:42:13 PM »

I'm tryin'

Considering I work 60 hours a week and don't even own a garage I think I'm making pretty good progress

This weekend is shot to because it's the motorcycle show is in town and the swag I ordered from Schnitz and MPS isn't here yet.

I pay so much to ship to the frosty north I went all out (all out for me) and ordered way more than i planned for. This post is going to get even longer yet. Here's some of the things I have to find homes for:
- MPS Low rise breather cover
- MPS 2 coil Shifter kill box
- MPS CO2 valve and regulator

- 1 1/4" fork lowering kit
- Vortex keyless gas cap (to go with my keyless ignition)
- Air shifter bracket.

dtechnologies · « **Reply #59 on:** January 13, 2006, 08:46:34 PM »

No sooner had I told you all that I can't work on my bike because the parts didn't come, than the parts came!

I went to UPS to pick up my MPS order and lo and behold my Schnitz order was there as well. To put the exclamation point on how much I hate ordering parts from the US It cost me $16 to ship from Schnitz and there was no duty or taxes or anything...that's the good news.

Shipping, Brokerage, Tax and Duty on the MPS order came to about $100 dollars (and MPS only charged $14 to ship).

This is neither the fault of the great people at MPS Racing or Schnitz Racing. This is a random attack by Canada customs and UPS who decided to randomly inspect the MPS order. This is why I ordered more than I needed. Paying an extra 25% isn't cool with me.

I have to say MPSs new billet breather cover looks great. I can't wait to install it. In fact all of the gear appears to be top quality. The only beef is that the fork lowering kit appears to also be compatible with a ZX-12...but that's more my dislike of Kawasaki talking, than anything that will prevent the forks from working.

Speaking of which. Can anybody recommend a good fork oil weight to help keep a lowered busa from bottoming out without giving a rock hard ride?

Now that I have this stuff, I'm missing very few parts and certainly the ones I am short I can find locally. My drive to get it done is re-sparked and I only have 3 months to do it.

TravG · « **Reply #60 on:** January 14, 2006, 01:54:15 PM »

Good luck, been following this for a while, I'd really like to see the final pics when you get it all worked out.

dtechnologies · « **Reply #61 on:** February 28, 2006, 06:08:28 PM »

I finally got my intercooler from FedEx yesterday. I'm excited because this one piece so far is the most expensive single part I've purchased on this project...I hope it fits.

The good news is that it's very compact. The bad news is that because it's so compact, I think I'm going to need to count on the water to air set up being a bit more efficient for me to get the power I'm looking for. I still need to find a radiator (or radiators) but I don't need those to finish installing the rest of the up pipe assembly.

Busafied™ · « **Reply #62 on:** February 28, 2006, 06:34:56 PM »

Glad to see your still Keeping the dream alive-

GL,
Ron

reaper0995 · « **Reply #63 on:** March 03, 2006, 09:53:43 AM »

if your looking for a radiator for it, why not just use another busa radiator and place it in front of the one you already have?

or, if what i remembered right, you said you were going with no fairing, coorect? you could get a flat radiator for the engine, and then use a normal intercooler...but then your w/a intercooler peice you just got would go to waste..

good luck! you're an inspiration to me to go turbo home-style, just can't convince my "not wanting to bit the dust" side of me...

dtechnologies · « **Reply #64 on:** March 04, 2006, 01:05:08 PM »

Quote from: Busafied™ on February 28, 2006, 06:34:56 PM

Glad to see your still Keeping the dream alive-

GL,
Ron

Thanks for the vote of confidence Ron.

I'm having a hard time finding time with my crazy work schedule. I'm planning some vacation in the next 3 weeks so expect some progress...seriously this time!

reaper0995 · « **Reply #65 on:** April 04, 2006, 10:29:42 PM »

well, been a month now...any progress on the beast?

dtechnologies · « **Reply #66 on:** April 05, 2006, 09:02:35 AM »

Yesterday was the first day of 6 days of vacation which I book for no other reason than to get this monster together...and maybe even running! I'm starting to get comparisons to the movie 'The Fastest Indian'. Most of my friends figure I won't get it done until I'm in my sixties and all my friends and family have left me

Here's how things started yesterday (though this is after I'd pulled the old bars off)

As reaper mentioned it's been a month (or more). That month has been spent planning and getting all the parts together I might need so that I can put a solid week in and get it done. Unfortunately I've added a lot of plans onto the heap so there's still a fair bit to do.

Much of yesterday was spent digging out all my parts and the bike and getting is ready to be worked on. I also wanted to focus on getting the new handlebars on as I still need to order brake and clutch hoses and can't measure properly until the bars are in (and the forks shortened...I'm doing that tonight).

True to my love of streetfigher bikes I put a set of ProTaper bars on. I obtained these from a friend at a local salvage shop. I also got the fat bar clamps which I modified to use in this application. All I did was make an aluminum adapter plate and bolted everything together. I think the end result works really well and they seem to be comfortable from what I can tell sitting on the bike with no seat. I mounted the master cylinders, my MPS kill switch, and my throttle (a switched throttle from MPS racing). The levers don't line up quite as good as I'd have liked them too but they're functional. Today I'll be measuring to order custom cables from MotionPro.

I also installed the air shifter bracket I ordered from Schitz. I like the under peg design better though ground clearance might be an issue.

I mounted the chain so that I could put the new sprocket cover back on and measure for the clutch hose. I'm going to be fabricating a clutch slave from scratch...still no clue on how I'm going to do that with the cave-man-esque tools I have to work with.

Today I'll be trying to mount the intercooler...a big gamble...it may end up being put back on eBay where it came from.

reaper0995 · « **Reply #67 on:** April 05, 2006, 01:39:53 PM »

where are you thinking about placing the water/air unit?? under the gas tank or on the side of the bike right above the turbo??

cool stuff! hey, did you sell you left faring yet? how much if you haven't? my bike was dropped by previous owner and i want to cuctom paint it someday

dtechnologies · « **Reply #68 on:** April 05, 2006, 01:51:44 PM »

I'm trying to squeeze the cooler between the frame and the rad above the air cleaner. I might have been able to fit it under the tank infront of the plenum but that's where the water pump is going to live. So far so good but it sure is tight and I might need to get a slightly longer frame slider for the left hand side or risk busting it up good should the bike ever go down hard. Because of the length, I've had to spin the intake on the turbo 180 degrees so that the outlet is pointing down and to the rear, There's lots of room to put a 180 pipe out and up between the air cleaner and the stator cover. I'll have some pictures after lunch...or at least by dinner time.

I'll have to double check for your Reaper on the plastic. I've been without a body on my bike for so long, I can't remember which side I've sold.

dtechnologies · « **Reply #69 on:** April 05, 2006, 05:48:13 PM »

No matter how hard I work I always get the feeling that I'm not getting as much done as I should be. I've been in the garage all day now with nothing more than a sandwich break and the going has been as slow as ever.

My cables are measured up. Surprisingly enough, the stock cables are almost long enough. I just need to order some custom cables from MotionPro with Hayabusa ends on the engine side and fittings for their own push/pull throttle on the other with an extra inch or two in the length department. To be sure I'm getting what I need, I'm sending them the oem cables and throttle assembly so that they can match the inner cable length.

I also put on my Vortex race fuel cap. It's sweet anodized black and looks awesome.

Most of the day so far has been taken up with trying to finish the intake and fitting the intercooler. The good news is the intercooler fits. The bad news is that getting the plumbing to make a path between one side of the intercooler to the turbo and the other side to the airbox is driving me mental. I've had to modify the outlet on the compressor housing and fabricate a tight 90 degree elbow. The pictures show mid-process before I cleaned up with some grinding and sanding.

Hopefully I won't run out of bent tubing before the end of the day or I'll have to go buy more tomorrow.

nemsis · « **Reply #70 on:** April 06, 2006, 01:48:16 AM »

keep it up it's looking good

dtechnologies · « **Reply #71 on:** April 06, 2006, 10:29:17 AM »

Last night I finally got the intake air plumbing together. When it was done I stood back and laughed my ass off. To me, this is by far the most ghetto thing I've done. The bottom pipe is awefully low but it's not the lowest part...I measured and it seems to be fine. Snaking the rad hose is going to be tight. I'll likely have to replace it with a silicone hose that has a bit more flex to bend around the intercooler and the air cleaner.

The second picture makes it look much lower than it is because of the angle I had the camera at. When the front wheel is back on, I'll tip the bike to make sure the pegs hit before the pipe does...but it should be OK if I've measured properly. Next step is to clean up the pieces and clean up the header at the same time. They all need to be painted as they're made of steel.

I was planning on shortening the forks yesterday...until I realized I couldn't find the instructions the kit came with. As soon as I'm done typing this I'm going to call Schnitz and hopefully they can email me a copy. The forks are going to be an adventure for sure since I have NO fork tools. I could likely wing it using just the service manual but I don't know if the instructions call for the springs to be cut or not.

I decided to go with 10wt oil. We'll see how that works out. Since none of my posts had replies to them, I'll be sure to let you all know how 10 works out...possibly prevent somebody else from buying the wrong weight.

As soon as they're shortened and back on I can measure for brake lines. While I'm at the dealership ordering those, I'll be having my front tire replaced with a 60 series to get that last little bit of lowering/rad clearance. Hopefully this will happen tomorrow.

reaper0995 · « **Reply #72 on:** April 06, 2006, 01:47:28 PM »

if you are too short on the piping and need more clearance for your inake pipes from the ground, couldn't you just shorten them?? it looks like you might be able to get 1/2 to an inch off them if oyu really needed....but it might just be the angles...keep it up bro!

dtechnologies · « **Reply #73 on:** April 06, 2006, 02:18:42 PM »

Thanks Reaper,

You're right, I do have some play to chop a bit if needed. Also, because there's no clamps on anything in that picture, the weight of the cooler is making that whole chunk sag a bit...without the bungie it would fall off.

dtechnologies · « **Reply #74 on:** April 06, 2006, 02:23:48 PM »

Mo mod, mo problems.

So after spending most of the morning on the phone and getting the fork kit instructions emailed to me from the lovely ladies at Schnitz, I was ready to start on the forks. I cleaned the bench extra careful like and took the forks out.

Once on the bench I noticed something that made my stomach turn.

A nasty ass scratch. The picture is a bit blurry but rest assured the scratch is wide and all the way through the chrome.

I'm not sure what to do and I have no idea how or when it happened...the bike had been crashed twice before I got it but the forks have never leaked. I don't want to rebuild the forks if they're just going to leak when I start riding. With the forks shortened 1-1/4", the chances of that gouge F-ing up the seals is hightened greatly.

Any suggestions?

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Author Topic: The Frankenbusa Saga. Holy crap I'm still here! (Read 49186 times) Tweet