Headstock Frame Reinforcement

Rockitdoc

Rockitdoc

Hero member
Location
Fort Collins, Colorado
All,
I found a thread on headstock frame cracking on the RGA/RGS early SFC1000 and a way to reinforce it with gussets.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get to the drawings online.

I have my SFC1000 down to the frame and thought I might as well 'fix' this issue just in case while I'm this far along.

Does anyone have drawings or a decent photo I could use to affect this mod?

Thanks,

S
 
Rockitdoc said:
I have my SFC1000 down to the frame and thought I might as well 'fix' this issue just in case while I'm this far along.

Thanks,

S
Click to expand...

makes absolute sense, though it will be tough to find the matching paint color to re-paint the frame afterwards. Make sure you get a matching one before you start welding...

here are some pics from my 1000 SFC Classic, where you can see how the later bikes were optimized in that regards:

DSC_2927.JPG


DSC_2926.JPG


DSC_2928.JPG


I have the original factory drawing of the kit somewhere, I can try to scan it and post it here.
 
I thought that ALL SFC1000's had this mod built in when new, but only SOME Corsa'a
was I wrong again?
CLEM
 
CLEMTOG said:
I thought that ALL SFC1000's had this mod built in when new, but only SOME Corsa'a
was I wrong again?
CLEM
Click to expand...

Yep! :D

The factory mod was introduced late in the SFC 1000 run.  No Corsas should have it as they were history by the time the SFC appeared.

Reckon the sturdy forks paired to the strong brakes accentuated the issue, the weedy 38mm forks can feather the load a bit... but RGS frames do crack up nonetheless, just a bit later.

piet
 
sfcpiet said:
No Corsas should have it as they were history by the time the SFC appeared.

piet
Click to expand...

Well - not fully true, Piet... Corsas were still built aside of the SFC and in fact, the latest bike that rolled out of the factory was a RGS. See also JLO's register, which reflects that: http://www.laverdamania.net/registre120.htm

However, as the frames were slightly different between RGS and RGS SFC, I am not sure which kind of frame they used for the later RGS. But as you can use a SFC frame to build a RGS and the other way around...

Who knows?!? :-[

 
I noticed one picture, somewhere, that reinforced the rear of the frame in the swingarm area.  Does anyone know of this photo, or where this reinforcement was made, or if I am imagining this?  I heard the rear end can get wobbly when doing corners without this mod?

 
The swingarm pivot - particularly the pathetic 14mm pivot shaft - is pretty spindly and an obvious area that can be improved.  It may have been my frame you are mentioning (some of the photos linked earlier in this thread are of mine), but many have done similar mods over the years.
It's hard to quantify exactly which change makes the biggest difference because most people never do just one change in isolation of various others.  Given you're wanting to keep your bike pretty standard I'd just leave it alone, the headstock is the only area where actual cracking etc is common.  If you want to keep it mainly stock looking but improve the back end a bit, then bumping up to a 20mm hollow spindle will probably give you most of the benefits with comparitively simple/minor changes to the frame and swingarm bushes/spacer.
BTW, full pics and story on my frame mods:
http://www.breganzane.com/rebuilds/rga/rga_phase1.php

cheers
SteveB
 
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