The Bride

The front end got wheel spacers and new tire this morning, so I mocked it up for a preliminary geometry assessment and then rolled it outside. 34″ seat height and 48.5″ wheelbase. … The Bride is a rollerRead more

After measuring a bunch of times, I conjured up the gumption to cut into the swingarm. I went slow, with a hack saw, and actually managed to make a perpendicular cut. I … Rear wheel mountedRead more

I chucked up the sprocket carrier again and moved the sprocket face about 6mm inboard, to bring the rear sprocket in line with the idler sprocket. Now I need to modify the … More lathe workRead more

I gave up on installing a true jackshaft in favor of a single idler sprocket. There simply isn’t room for it without extensively modifying (almost completely re-engineering) the swingarm pivot. Beyond that, … Idler sprocketRead more

One of the cool things I want to do is build this bike with no foot controls. The shifter-less torque converter makes it an option, so — why not? As a bonus, … Spec’ing brake partsRead more

I re-drilled the CRF150R rear sprocket to match the EX500 bolt pattern. I used the sprocket carrier as a jig and used a transfer punch to mark where to drill. The new … Rear sprocket modificationRead more

Instead of an actual jackshaft, someone suggested I mount a single, freewheeling sprocket on the swingarm pivot. That’s an excellent suggestion, and definitely worth considering. For right now, however, I’m going ahead … More jackshaft design workRead more

First, I needed to extract the sprocket studs. After 30 minutes in the oven at 250°, I was able to break them loose with hand tools and the proper grunting sounds. It … Turning the sprocket carrierRead more

I had to find a #420 size rear sprocket that I can adapt to the Kawasaki rear wheel. The sprocket from a Honda CRF150R has the correct ID, but mounts with four … Rear sprocketRead more

I’d like a bit more leeway in wheel/swingarm alignment. To do that, I want to modify the EX500 wheel’s sprocket carrier. Stock, the assembly looks like this: I plan to turn down … Sprocket bearing modificationRead more