Left hand gear change, actuated by left foot!

You don't have to gloat Piet!! :D

Chris, that's a right fucker!! If I ever get around to sorting a spine frame for my 750 motor I'll go back to my original thinking of making my own instead of the easy option of buying one out of Germany.
If the frame is made on a jig, how can engine mounting holes not line up??. I'd be getting out the string line and checking the alignment of steering head and S/arm for accuracy. Wouldn't hold out too much hope given what you have found so far not to mention the welding issues. Very disappointing!! :o
 
motoddrob said:
If the frame is made on a jig, how can engine mounting holes not line up??. I'd be getting out the string line and checking the alignment of steering head and S/arm for accuracy. Wouldn't hold out too much hope given what you have found so far not to mention the welding issues. Very disappointing!! :o
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Rob,

If you ever see the jig, it will all become very clear... :o

piet
 
sfcpiet said:
chrisk said:
When I put the head mounts in position (everything looks great there) one of the rear engine mount holes are out about 7mm on one side and the swingarm pivot points are out of square to the back of the motor......ARRRHHHHHHH. FFF.  So it's out with the squares, rules, callipers and every other measuring device to find out where the problem is!

It looks like the right down tube is way out of whack.
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Reply #44, http://www.laverdaforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=85939.30


::) :P :D :-X :-*
P
iet
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Piet, Well at least you were spot on!
Rob, I'm thinking I'll make up a jig to get it right. Welcome to it when you need it.
 
:o Well here's the upshot of the frame problems.

Rear 10mm head engine mount, hole position out by 6mm
Left top rear engine mount hole position out by 5mm
Right top rear engine mount hole position, out by 8mm
Right swingarm pivot, too far back 10mm, in comparison to the left.
Rear subframe 5mm off centre

Anyone know a reliable supplier of oval shafted bolts?  ::)
 
Chris,

You have my deepest sympathy.

That's far worse than I had imagined.

Perhaps one of the below could be usefull... ;)

piet
 

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Hey Chris, I assume you have contacted the manufacturer? Be interesting to see how he explains the misalignments. Did he say anything about the welding?? I'd be well pissed off and try getting him to pay for the fix.
You'd expect better from a German. Maybe he should move to China, at least you'd expect the frame to be out but you'd also only pay a fraction of the cost. Wouldn't have alot of faith in the steering head being in the correct position either. Send it back for a full refund and find yourself a SF frame.
 
Chris,I would be looking for a couple of long straight tubes that are a snug fit through the swingarm mount,set it with a level and check the steering head to see if there square to each other.I know its a horrible bogde but I once had some success welding a couple of thick washers on top of a flogged out swingarm frame hole on an XT500.I at least had a reasonable idea where it had been originally.I hope you have some dummy cases to try out.I just don't understand why you would go to all this trouble to make a frame and not do it RIGHT in the first place.
 
Guys, I'm not going to make a big deal about it ... at all. At first I was real pissed off about it ..... but after consideration and a few beers, to help contemplation.... I look at it like this, I now have all I need to make up a jig that I know is at the correct dimentions and mounting point positions, and I will have a referance (hanging up in the shed) for when I trash this thing and have to put it back together again. Whack it in the jig, straighten it out and hey presto!

OK, so the frame hasn't lived up to my expectations, that's fine, it's only lumps of steel welded together to creat a structure. I'm not sending it back and hoping to get my money back, what would I have, nothing, zip, zero zilch, this is just a hurdle that has to be jumped.

If I'd paid twice the money, I'd be on the phone in a flash, but that's not the case.

If I was to make this frame myself, which I considered a couple of times, I'd be jumping bigger hurdles that this, that's for sure!

Anything that I have written about the frame is for discusion, not to bag out the manufacturer. If anyone else contemplates buying one of these, be aware that it's not going to be plug and play. If you want plug and play, then pay the extra money!

 
Sounds like the "frame" is actually just a loose collection of tubes, guess they are cheap for a reason... Have you actually checked to see if the wheels will be in line when it is all put together? For a jig it is probably best just to use the engine, that way you know it is definitely going to fit.



Keith
 
Hi Chris,

If it's any consolation, the frame I had made which became the basis of the 917SLC had several shortcomings too.  At least in my case the steering head and swingarm pivot were square and in line, but there were several problems, some of which I could live with, and some of which I fixed.
I jigged the whole thing and cut off the front cylinder head mounts which were about 2mm low and repositioned them with extra bracing.  I then cut off the entire rear shock mount tabs etc, straightened the rear section of frame, then fabbed my own shock mounts in a much nicer manner than before (and symetrical).
It was frustratring, because the guy had done some really nice fabrication work, and the important bits were jigged correctly, but he'd not got the complex bends of the SFC-type frame right and hence various good work went on top of bad.

At the time this commenced (2009) I had no space to make anything at home and it seemed like a win-win that this guy would make a perfect frame for me in 12 weeks while I was in Europe (like you, too good to be true).  In reality, it was 18 months to deliver a not-finished and not-right frame, but there was enough right about it (ie steering head and swingarm pivot) that it was worth saving.  From your description, and with a duff swingarm pivot location and suspect welding, I would probably either use it as a template to start from scratch, or at least cut it back to the spine and the steering head and work from there.  Egli's are very simple, no bent tubes to worry about, just 3 straight tubes per side, a few tube notches, some welding, and Robert's your Mother's "special friend".  8)

It's an interesting journey!  For me, the resultant frame is only being used as a stop-gap measure and I intend to re-make it from scratch and see if I can get it right.

Cheers
SteveB
 
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