Palmelli SFC

Making stuff is very rewarding. I've spent my lifetime making things. If I need something the first thing I think of is how can I make that instead of where do I buy that. Being a model maker as my working career I've made all sorts of weird stuff out of plastics, wood, metal and composites.
I scratched built all the Carbon Fibre bodywork on my Motodd. Also supplied Carbon tanks on the 3 other Mk3 Motodds that I know of in the Southern Hemisphere. My biggest project to date is my house. Started by milling most of the timber with my big 090 Stihl chainsaw mill with 42"bar. Started that in 2012 and still going.
I love details.
Finished this a couple of weeks agoI
 

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No wood lathe Q, shaped by hand with the help of a 5"angle grinder and flap disc.
Speaking of lathes, just brought this one from an old retiring farmer.
9"Hercus from 1959.
Not flogged out either.
 

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Yes it will complement the mill.
Usually it's a 50kay round trip when I need to use a lathe. It always ends with beers so that's the afternoon written off.
Been wanting a lathe for years.
Never actively looking, just waiting for one to come to me as this one did.
Now to spend a fortune on tooling!!
 
motoddrob said:
Yes it will complement the mill.
Usually it's a 50kay round trip when I need to use a lathe. It always ends with beers so that's the afternoon written off.
Been wanting a lathe for years.
Never actively looking, just waiting for one to come to me as this one did.
Now to spend a fortune on tooling!!
Click to expand...
Yeah, tooling! I was lucky and got a lot of stuff with my Emco. You always need more though - like you, if I have a task that isn't overly complex and look at how to do it myself and that often means new tooling (and some learning to go with it!)
 
Hi. Re: SFC center part, as my order book is completely full, plus I have to build on my own races, so unfortunately I don't have time for a new project

Br
 
Speaking of replicas....head over to the Mecum Las Vegas auction in late January where a Geo. Beale Honda 297
six replica is up for auction. If I remember the cost was 250K (Pounds ? ) back in the late 90's..or so. This was a
limited production reverse engineered full on replica so recreating an SFC crank is childs play but your tolerance
for spending money is THE limiting factor. Also a great burner of cash is recreating magnesium bodied works replica
carbs such as Honda Moto GP ones. I was likewise impressed by the Guzzi V8 replica(s) I saw in Solvang,CA at the
Elings museum years ago. As far as I knew the bike was accurate in virtually all respects.
 
motoddrob said:
Making stuff is very rewarding. I've spent my lifetime making things. If I need something the first thing I think of is how can I make that instead of where do I buy that. Being a model maker as my working career I've made all sorts of weird stuff out of plastics, wood, metal and composites.
I scratched built all the Carbon Fibre bodywork on my Motodd. Also supplied Carbon tanks on the 3 other Mk3 Motodds that I know of in the Southern Hemisphere. My biggest project to date is my house. Started by milling most of the timber with my big 090 Stihl chainsaw mill with 42"bar. Started that in 2012 and still going.
I love details.
Finished this a couple of weeks agoI
Click to expand...
I’m impressed by your wood working skills Rob, it reminds me a bit of some of the items one of my mother’s brothers turned out. He spent his working life building steel plants in places like India and north Africa but was at his happiest when he was in his garden basement workshop working on a bit of wood.
 
EncinoBoy said:
This was a limited production reverse engineered full on replica so recreating an SFC crank is childs play but your tolerance
for spending money is THE limiting factor.
Click to expand...
Yep, that's the crunch - exactly what i'm talking about. You can also build a 300m long cargo ship from the ground up - if that rocks ya boat (so to speak :cool: ), but it will cost a bit. There's a limit to what I can contribute to my world of motos so I tend to exploit what skills I do have to get some of the things I want. Good luck to those fortunate enough to afford a handmade 6-cylinder 250 Honda GP bike! Whole other world from mine.
 
inner crank webs, middle pin and the oil slingers are all made in Camira already
been considering machining the outer webs as well as soon as we can get some CNC time

and we also machine tricky Big end pin stop rings that stop the Big end pin from moving when pressing on the outer crank webs
there are two different versions as that diameter changed at some stage of the 750 crank manufacture, save so much time and hassle

3 x 750 cranks

16th Dec big end pin stops
 
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Thanks for the compliment Marty and AndyJ, and all the likes. I wouldn't call my house stunning, more like funky. My block and the big trees are stunning but that's nature. Cant compete with nature. Red's cranks are also a thing of beauty. There a some very talented members on this forum.
Just think what we could achieve collectively.
 
Red,

Your "pin stop rings" are interesting, but why?

I reverted long ago to first fitting the pin to the outer web and then pressing it into the inner, works a charm! The rod can be held in place with a rubber band or simply held up with a finger. Give it a try!

piet
 
TeddyG said:
I read about those replicas years ago and don,t recall Slater being involved, so someone needs to chime in here-
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I can remember them being for sale in slaters but if I remember correctly they were built by mister(s) palmer and Elliot? I have magazine tests of them from back in the day. Again if I remember correctly they were for sale for approx £7000 to £8000? We are going back a while now so not all of the details might be correct but defo seen them at slaters in Collington.
 
Paul Marx said:
Who's is that one?
Palmelli: Steve Elliot and ....? I forget.
Is this one a big bore engine, with a rephased crank?

www.iconicauctioneers.com

Iconic Auctioneers - 1977 Laverda Palmelli 750 SFC Replica 750cc-Auction Lot

Built in c.1997 by Palmelli (Chris Palmer) as a replica 750SFC production racer Marketed and sold through Slaters in the late 1990s. Only seven ever produced Assembled on a replica new frame. Engine ...
www.iconicauctioneers.com www.iconicauctioneers.com

There's quite a few genuine SFCs on Car and Classic in that price range, including mine.

Dream on.

Paul
Click to expand...
Yes Steve Elliot and a mr Palmer I believe hence Palmelli. Can’t remember his (Palmers) first name though. 👍
 
Screenshot (550).png

A Palmelli 878 as seen ( just ) through Slaters shop window ... ( now a private residence ) .... around 25 years ago ...........

A think there may be a difference to be drawn between the 750 featured at the top of this post which you would describe as a replica ....... and the 878 with 270 degree crank as seen in the pic above , which Palmelli would have regarded as a modern take on a " classic " styled Laverda , rather than a replica as such .

Note the upswept exhaust , and twin headlight fairing ... ( not so clear here ) ... which would distinguish it from the 750`s that Palmelli built as replicas .

Palmelli also turned out " refreshed " triples , to virtually as new condition .... and with ignition upgrades as well I think ..........

Richard had a Palmelli Jota sitting in his showroom , which MotorCycle Sport magazine borrowed for a road test .

The feature " beautifully showcased the bike " , as Richard put it ....... but unfortunately the article failed to generate any interest in the bike from the buying public ...........



BTW ....... I remember Steve Elliot , in an article in LVV , defending the 270 degree bikes from criticism by SFC purists who thought it devalued the idea of a " proper " SFC........

Elliot raced a " proper " SFC in Battle Of The Twins type races during the late `seventies / early ` eighties ........ and he reckoned the 270 degree represented a better option for riders who actually wanted to use the bike on the road .

I remember Phil Todd writing in to defend Elliot from the criticism he was receiving ...... saying " Don`t worry Steve , they just don`t get it ... " ...... :) .........
 
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sfcpiet said:
Red,

Your "pin stop rings" are interesting, but why?

I reverted long ago to first fitting the pin to the outer web and then pressing it into the inner, works a charm! The rod can be held in place with a rubber band or simply held up with a finger. Give it a try!

piet
Click to expand...
Big end pin stops cannot be too bad an idea, I supply them to 3 other Laverda people in the world and they all tell me they are great
all 3 of which you know, send them to Scotland, Canada and Germany

I'll keep doing it the way I always have leaving the Pins in the middle webs, you use your method if it works for you

One advantage of my method is when we twist the cranks, I use the Big end pin of the first web to index the second pin at 90 degrees
Machined a fixture that we mount in the Milling machine and use the DRO to position the next web
Start the pressing by the shown method before transferring the middle section to the press to press it into position
Works great

Crank press 1
 
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