8000k's chain XS

[TopCatGr58]

How wide is your swing?

Well,

It just so happens that I have a spare swingarm laying around awaiting the cutoff tool, and it's appx. 298mm side, but allowing a mm on either side for the bearings that stickout slightly on the ends, I would aim for 300mm! Hope this helps. We're supposed to get some of that cold stuff here, too, but looks like it's mostly going to be wet, the colder stuff just a few 10's of miles north of here, and up along the coast...have fun NY!!

I, too, want a soft tail(don't we all!!) So that's why I'm watching this very closely wanting to keep things relatively stock and easy to do, so that others can benefit from our research and work, and be able to perform this with fairly common parts, and equipment. I'm looking at even using a STOCK XS650 Rear mag rim that comes with a chain drive already attached to the rim. I don't want some new fangled super wide rim that changes the look to radically from the original. And with the limits of the swingarm, and frame, not a lot of room for putting too wide a tire on anyways! Wanting to keep this within a decent BUDGET!
T.C.

[xschop]

xs650 rim

hey thats a good idea too, keeping the stock look of the tire. On Pggg's pic of his front sprocket it looks as if the chain clears his frame,swingarm with room to spare towards the frame,only he can answer that. I like the size of tire he has, but not to goddy....xschop

[xschop]

btw

thanks for the xs swing measurement, i thought i had measured 11.75 inches last summer. it was right on the money. I am also very interested in doing this conversion using stock parts as well. the xs is my favorite bike. No panned obsolescence going on here with these bikes....chop

[pggg]

Now I don't claim to be the worlds leading authority on motorcycle component design, far from it, but I don't remember being too drunk when hacking at that drive unit. I'm damned if I could figure a way to leave that unit in one peice and still have chain clearance. These pics from GNE, and chop sounds more experienced at this sort of thing - suggest that maybe it's possible.

Would be interested if someone can modify that unit without cutting it in half. Options so far are - 1. Somehow leave the unit in one peice. 2. Cut it in half, but have welded alloy brackets from inner unit to outer bearing case. 3. ACCURATELY brace the outer bearing case with high-tensile bolts and precision drilled steel plate. 4. Buy a GS 1100!!

[xschop]

can be done

hey pggg, if you look at the gne pics, do you know if your front sprocket lines up with the circular part of the housing(THAT POINTS REARWARD),just like the pic there. I can also fix the housing to be one piece in that situation also. I just need that sprocket or one like yours that will fit on the middle gear spline. hopefully @.25 to .5 inch closer to the outside bearing. if not, then I can still reinforce the housing just like the pic there ans still be one piece, just a little more welding, STILL YET ONE PIECE!

[xschop]

pic post

how do i post a pic in these replies? i photoshopped the gear to show you.

[pggg]

Chop, here's a 13T sprocket next to the casing.


Inside, the sprocket sits hard against that shoulder on the spline
in that position, the sprocket is dead in line with my rear sprocket and the chain is completely clear of any obstruction right through it's length. If the front sprocket is spaced more to the left, my front/rear sprockets won't be aligned perfectly and the chain will also hit part of the bikes' rear frame.


Two cases compared.


It's very hard to explain as to how the casings affect chain clearance until you actually start to modify the casing.

[xschop]

awesome

YES!!!!! I can make that set up work too with a one-piece housing. what size rear tire are you running? i went to the cold garage and got my donor mid gear housing. that's a 13T sprocket in your pic. is a 12T SPROCKET EVEN SMALLER IN DIAMETER? CAN I EMAIL YOU A PHOTOSHOP OF HOW i WILL MAKE IT A 1 PIECE? tHANKS FOR THAT PIC. THE PREVIOUS HACKER ON THAT MID-GEAR WASN'T THINKING CORECTLY. YOU MUST LEAVE THE SUPPORTING HEAT SINK SPLINE ATTACHED TO THE HOUSING FOR SUPPORT.....CHOP

[TopCatGr58]

Too few teeth a bad thing!

Hey CHop,

Go to the HOW TO forum, there's a sticky thread about how to post a photo, if you can use photoshop, you can post photos!

I think I remember Pggg stating that the 12T sprocket wasn't recommended, too tight a radius, and difficult for the chain to travel that turn, and more easily can slip over the teeth under torque. I believe that's partly why he went with a 13T.

ALso, you'll note that the in 1st picture the sprocket it barely sitting on the outside portion of the shaft, cause it can't get past the bearing shoulder. Look at the 3rd photo which shows where the sprocket needs to sit to be just inside of the frame alignment!

I haven't taken my spare middle gear box apart yet, so I don't know how the shaft fits into the housing, whether it slides in only from the outside left engine side, or if it can be slide in from the inside. I don't know where or how the bearings fit into the casing which would control which way the shaft can be put into the housing, so whether it can be left so intact, and yet allow the mounting of the sprocket onto the shaft WITHOUT having to have it go thru the outside opening!?
T.C.

[pggg]

Chop, a photo of your idea would be fantastic, if Emailed to TC I'm sure he can place it on these pages. 12T is about 5mm smaller in diameter, but I'd be reluctant to use any smaller than 13T.

[xschop]

ANOTHER QUESTION PGGG

IN THE PICS THAT YOU JUST SENT, IS THAT A TOTALLY STOCK MID-GEAR SHAFT. AND IF SO, WHAT IS THE DEPTH MEASUREMENT FROM THE TOP OF YOUR SPROCKET TO THE FLAT SIDE OF THE OUTER BEARING CASING? (WITH THE GEAR ALL THE WAY INSTALLED IN THE HOSING OF COURSE AS STOCK)...XSCHOP

[xschop]

13T STILL IN BUSINESS

iM ALL ABOUT SAFETY. i WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE 12T BECAUSE IN PGGG'S PICS THE 13T, IF CHAIN WERE INSTALLED, I BELIEVE WOULD HIT THE LONGEST HOUSING SUPPORT BOLT. i SEE AN EASY FIX TO THAT ALSO.

[xschop]

HA-HA

WELL,THIS IS VERY FUNNY. FROM WHAT I CAN SEE, THE EBAY GUY DID BOOGER-UP THE HOUSING, HOWEVER,HE WAS ON TRACK WITH THE SPROCKET SPACING,IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY,IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS @ .25 INCH BETWEEN SPROCKET AND SPLINE STOP CATCHES.I LOOKED BACK AT YOUR (PGGG) ORIGINAL PICS OF YOUR SETUP. IF YOU SWAP POSITIONS OF SPACER AND SPROCKET, MAYBE GRINDING DOWN THE SPACER, YOU CAN CUT THE HOUSING UP AND STILL BE ONE PIECE,EASILY. SO PGGG, HOW MUCH CHAIN CLEARANCE DO YOU HAVE AT THE FRAME BACK THERE?

[pggg]

Well, the outer bearing casing can only be positioned in one place after the replacement L/H sealed bearing is slid onto the shaft. The bearing casing on my setup is just 'floating' and I carefully locked it in it's original position with plate and rods. My drilled holes alignment weren't PERFECT, so there was some small uneven pressure on the outer case, just enough to cause uneven wear after a few thousand miles or so. Can be fixed with better precision.

From memory, the longest housing bolt is still too close even with a 12T. Chain clearance at the back frame - only a few mm's. You don't have much leeway. Front sprocket must be positioned against the spline stop for rear sprocket alignment on my Kawasaki wheel. It's a 160/60/17. You'd need to use a different model/make wheel if the front sprocket is spaced more to the left. Also, if the front sprocket is less than 530 width (3/8") it'll need a collar to sit firmly on the spline because of the indents beside the spline stop.

[xschop]

THANKS PGGG

HEY, WHEN YOU MEAN COLLAR IS THAT THE THICKER PART OF THE FR. SPROCKET IN THE LAST PIC? I READ ABOUT THE 530 SPROCKET BEING BETTER IN YOUR EARLIER THREAD, AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD WANT ON MINE. WHAT IS THE EXACT MODEL OF WHEEL YOU HAVE? AND DID YOU PUT A SPACER BETWEEN THE REAR WHEEL AND REAR SPROCKET? THE SOLUTION TO THE ONE-PIECE HOUSING IS A 3/8 INCH DIA. ALUMINUM ROD WELDED BETWEEN THE 2 TOP LEFT BOLT HOLES (AFTER MAKING THE CUTS LIKE THE EBAY JOB). THIS WILL SOLVE THE STABILIZATION PROBLEM OF THE OUTER BEARING BECAUSE ALL ORIGINAL GEOMETRIES OF THE MIDDLE GEAR HOUSING STAY INTACT, WITH THE NEW CHAIN/SPROCKET CUTAWAY...LET ME KNOW HOW I CAN GET ONE OF THOSE 530 SPROCKETS....THANKS ALOT...I AM CONFIDENT I CAN DO THIS....WISH IT WEREN'T SNOWING....P.S. I SEE THAT YOU DIDN'T USE THE LONG BOLT FOR YOUR SET-UP. THAT WAS MY SOLUTION ALSO,BECAUSE REALLY IT IS OVERKILL.....CHOP