MK3 Restomod

The old saying "Slow and steady wins the race" is an absurdity. However, it works for custom build projects!

jeffdavison said:

Can you tell me which model Ohlins and the spring rates your using? NICE WORK!!

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The springs are Ohlins 00380-04 and are specified as progressive wound 1.6 - 2.6 kg/mm, or 90 - 146 lb/in. The shocks are 13.5 " center-to-center. I don't recall the Ohlins model designation, and I can't read any with them on the bike. They were a model available back when Kenny Dreer was building his prototypes, and I bought them from him maybe 8 or 9 years ago.

Ken

lcrken said:

They shocks were a model available back when Kenny Dreer was building his prototypes, and I bought them from him maybe 8 or 9 years ago.

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Did you also get that (Ducati?) front end he was selling at the time? I bought a pile of stuff from him. Near the very end, he said he was going to hang onto some parts and build himself another VR special, I wonder if he ever did?

{EDIT} Just hung up with Kenny, he still has those Marzocchi forks. He sold his drag bike, built a new house, and is about to be building out his new garage so he can finally build his own VR880...

grandpaul said:

Did you also get that (Ducati?) front end he was selling at the time? I bought a pile of stuff from him. Near the very end, he said he was going to hang onto some parts and build himself another VR special, I wonder if he ever did?

{EDIT} Just hung up with Kenny, he still has those Marzocchi forks. He sold his drag bike, built a new house, and is about to be building out his new garage so he can finally build his own VR880...

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I did get the Ohlins front forks from Kenny. They were called Superbike front forks at the time, and not Ducati specific. The story I got from Kenny was that a Japanese builder had them special made by Ohlins because they wanted a modern Ohlins qualiaty cartridge fork for their specials, but wanted them conventional, not USD. Ohlins wouldn't sell them to Kenny for his bikes until he got permission from the Japanese builder. Eventually, Ohlins added them to their normal line so anyone could buy them. They are the same ones Norton used on the first 961s, before they switched to the USD style.

Ken

This is one of my favorite threads.
Thank you for the photos and the insight on your project...very cool to watch it come together.

Thanks, Lineslinger. I'm enjoying the build, but I kind of wish I had been a little less ambitions, so I might have been riding it by now . Still, I'm really looking forward to riding it when it's done.

Ken

Well, Ken, according to what Kenny told me, you might at least beat HIM to completion!

New plan for carbs. I managed to find a pair of 37 mm Keihin FCR carbs for a Yamaha SRX-6, which have the same spacing as the Norton. I got the last pair they had from a shop in Japan that buys the carbs and parts from Keihin and puts them together for custom applications. I tried to get a pair of 39 mm carbs here through SUDCO, but they didn't have them in stock for the SRX/Norton spacing. They said they would have to buy 10 sets to get any in stock, and didn't think there was that much demand for them now. I ran across the 37 mm pair at Webike Japan and I think they will probably work even better for a street bike than the 39s. I had to make new adapters to fit them to the Maney intake manifolds. This picture shows the carbs with one of the new adapters installed, and the other one next to the smaller Yamaha adpter. The adapters are tapered internally to match the carbs to the 36 mm Maney manifolds. It doesn't show in this picture, but I also had to drill out the rivets holding the throttle cable bracket, and rotate it down a little to clear the tank.



Unfortunately, to fit the carbs, I had to cut out the gusset between the two side tubes, and even then the carbs barely fit. CNW gets clearance in his kits by using a bit shorter intake manifold, but I'm already committed to the 36 mm Maney manifolds. I may have to shorten them slightly to get enough clearance betwen the carbs and the side tubes. At the moment, I only have about 1/8" on the left side. I'm not sure that's enough to keep it from hitting as the isos move. I think with a little work, I can get a bit more. In any case, this is the setup I'm going with. These are a couple of pictures of them mocked up in place.





Now I just have to find or make some throttle cables, and I'll be that much further along.

Ken

Reminds me of when I had the FCRs on the prototype monoshock bike...



I ran it with stacks only, no room for filter(s)

Just keep an eye on the carb tops. The FCRs on my 70 are a similar snug fit, and over a particularly bumpy road at slow speeds, the carbs shook around enough to contact the frame tube and crack the carb top, resulting in fuel spill and a tow home. The fix was stronger connectors with less flex between the carbs and manifold. I used reinforced auto hose instead of the supplied rubber.

freefly103 said:

Just keep an eye on the carb tops. The FCRs on my 70 are a similar snug fit, and over a particularly bumpy road at slow speeds, the carbs shook around enough to contact the frame tube and crack the carb top, resulting in fuel spill and a tow home. The fix was stronger connectors with less flex between the carbs and manifold. I used reinforced auto hose instead of the supplied rubber.

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Yeah, that's what I'm most worried about. I've fitted them at the moment with similar hose, and it gives me slightly more clearance, but not much. I can pick up a little more by shortening the adapters, but again, not much, and I might have to make new adapters to manage it. I think I'm going to also have to shorten the manifolds. But I will make it work.

Ken

grandpaul said:

Reminds me of when I had the FCRs on the prototype monoshock bike...

View attachment 17450

I ran it with stacks only, no room for filter(s)

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I thought about something like that, but I'd like to keep the float bowls level, and I do want to run air cleaners.

Ken

Ken, are the 37mm FCRs a bigger body than the 35s ?

IIRC the 39mm ones I had from Kenny for the 961 were.

grandpaul said:

The old saying "Slow and steady wins the race" is an absurdity. However, it works for custom build projects!

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Jeff Besos.
Ha Ha.

Fast Eddie said:

Ken, are the 37mm FCRs a bigger body than the 35s ?

IIRC the 39mm ones I had from Kenny for the 961 were.

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Sorry Nigel, but I lost track of your question, and just noticed it again today. I think they are larger than the 35s, but I'm not sure. I don't have a set of the smaller ones to check against. The only other set of FCRs I have are 41s.

I've made a little more progress on the bike lately, but not much. Too distracted with the other bike projects. I need to get going on it again.

Ken

lcrken said:

Sorry Nigel, but I lost track of your question, and just noticed it again today. I think they are larger than the 35s, but I'm not sure. I don't have a set of the smaller ones to check against. The only other set of FCRs I have are 41s.

I've made a little more progress on the bike lately, but not much. Too distracted with the other bike projects. I need to get going on it again.

Ken

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I’d forgotten about the question too Ken !

And yes, surely it’s about time you pulled your finger out with this ?!?

FOUR MkIII resto projects going in this forum at the same time!

I think it's a record...

Going on 6 years on this project, and time to get it done. I've just finished the shift linkage, and starting on the wiring. The shifter seems to work OK for now, but I might eventually modify the lever by enlarging the pivot end with a larger bearing or bush. It's a bit sloppy feeling at the moment, and a direct titanium - to - titanium bearing surface is not a great idea. And maybe clean up the welds a bit where they show. But not now.





Ken

About bloody time !

Seriously Ken, I’m so glad you’re back on this hot rod!

That’s a very neat and clever looking linkage set up.

Can’t wait for the next instalment …

Nice to have stacks of cool bits to fit up...